“Celebrating History: 'Hero Street' Documentary Film Series,” December 14

Saturday, De3cember 14, noon

Schadt Park's McGehee Center, 1043 Fourth Avenue, Silvis IL

Appearing in a special Silvis Public Library program on December 14, Emmy Award-winning area filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle will host screenings of the entire short-film collection in their beloved Hero Street documentary series, the Celebrating History: Hero Street Documentary Film Series Centennial Event celebrating the eight young men from Silvis' block-and-a-half-long Second Street in Silvis collectively lost to World War II and the Korean War.

Riding the Rails to Hero Street, the first film in the Hero Street series, tells the story of the immigrants’ early 1900s flight from the ravages of the Mexican Revolution to Cook's Point in Davenport, Iowa; Holy City in Bettendorf, Iowa; and the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad train yard in Silvis. Many lived in boxcars supplied by the railroad, and families experienced both acceptance and discrimination as they built their new community in what is now the Quad Cities. Around the time of the Great Depression, the boxcar village residents were forced to move to Second Street Street in Silvis. Some built houses and some moved their boxcar homes to the new site.

The sons of these workers grew up in America and answered the call to service during WW II and the Korean War. Eight were killed in combat from this same block-and-a-half long street – more lost than any other street in America. In memory of Frank Sandoval, Tony Pompa, Claro Solis (Soliz), Joseph Sandoval, Peter Masias, William Sandoval, Joseph Gomez and John Munos, Second Street was renamed Hero Street, U.S.A.

Letters Home to Hero Street, the Emmy-nominated and award-winning 30-minute documentary produced by WQPT-PBS and Fourth Wall Films with a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, focuses on a young Mexican-American veteran's personal view of World War II, as told through the letters and V-Mail (Victory Mail) he sent home to his family on Second Street. Frank Sandoval was just beginning a new job at the Rock Island Arsenal when he was drafted by the Army in 1942. He sent dozens of letters to family and friends during the two years he was in the service, and the more than 100 letters that remain tell a story of one man's epic journey from Illinois to India before he was killed on the Irrawaddy River in Burma in June of 1944.

A Bridge Too Far from Hero Street follows William Sandoval's journey from a boxcar in Silvis to a battle in a forest in Holland. Born into an impoverished family of twelve, Willie performed migrant farm work alongside his parents and siblings until his father took a job with the Rock Island Railroad. The Sandovals and other Mexican immigrants made their homes in boxcars in the rail yard. As a young man Willie became an accomplished boxer. Answering a call to service following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Willie became an Army paratrooper. He survived several battles over the next two years (Salerno, Anzio), before he was killed at age 21 in October of 1944 following his involvement in the largest air assault in history: Operation Market Garden. An interview with military historian John C. McManus, the author of September Hope: The American Side of a Bridge Too Far, highlights Willie's participation. Marc Wilson, the author of Hero Street, USA, is also featured.

An Infantryman from Hero Street tells the true story of Pvt. Joseph Sandoval, who was born in a boxcar in the Silvis rail yard to Mexican immigrants. Joe’s brother Frank went off to war in 1942. In 1944, Joe – now married with two young children--was drafted and shipped to Britain with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment. His unit helped fight the second stage of the Normandy Invasion in France. News of his brother Frank’s death near the Irrawaddy River in Burma reached Joe by letter. In April 1945, the Allies reached an agreement regarding post-war Germany, and Joe and his fellow soliders were told the war was essentially “over." On April 14, 1945, Joe was killed during a German counter attack near the Elbe River in Schönebeck, Germany. Two weeks later Adolph Hitler committed suicide. An Infantryman From Hero Street also features commentary by Captain Kevin Braafladt, First Army Support Command Historian; Dr. Yurida Ramirez, Professor of Latin American Studies, University of Illinois-Urbana; author Marc Wilson; and members of the Joe and Frank Sandoval family, including Tanilo Sandoval, Georgia Sandoval Herrera, and Irene Mawson.

The Last to Fall from Hero Street, the fifth in the series, tellsthe story of Mexican-American John Muños from Silvis, and his Korean War military service. The film profiles his family’s journey from Mexico as they fled the Revolution. John’s father, Isabel, worked in the rail yards in Silvis, and his mother, Victoria, made their home in a boxcar provided by the railroad. The families of the boxcar village experienced both acceptance and discrimination in their new community. Around the time of the Great Depression, the families living in the railroad village were moved to 2nd Street in Silvis, a former dumpsite. The Muños family was one of several families that moved their boxcar to 2nd Street and built a home around it – the home is still standing. After high school, John was working on the International Harvester combine assembly line in East Moline, when his draft notice from the U.S. Army arrived Sept. 15, 1950. He quickly married his sweetheart, Mary Louise Bessera, before he was sent to Korea with Company F of the 38th Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Sometimes called “the Forgotten War,” the film shows how John’s wartime experiences fit into the overall Korean War story. On Aug. 27, 1951, John was among 740 Americans killed in the Battle of Bloody Ridge, at age 23. His body was never recovered.

The Hero Street documentary series is made possible by the generous support of contributors In Memory of Georgia Sandoval Herrera, the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC) – Iowa, the Mexican American Veterans Association (M.A.V.A.) – Hero Street Chapter #4, the City of Silvis, Bob & Blenda Ontiveros, Marc & Virginia Wilson, Ken Sleeper & Dianne Manke, Kim Wemer, Dale Hendricks and Alison McCrary, and additional individual contributors.

The Celebrating History: Hero Street Documentary Film Series Centennial Event will be held on December 14 from noon to 5 p.m., with Fourth Wall Films' Kelly and Tammy Rundle hosting the screenings and taking part in a Q&A session, and participation is free. For more information, call (309)755-3393 and visit SilvisLibrary.org.