Presidents at War
Two-part History Channel “event” profiles those who served
The History Channel’s new two-night event Presidents at War tells the story of eight men who served in active duty — Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. It airs at 7 p.m. today and Monday.
Their experiences give a vivid picture of the European and Pacific theaters of battle in World War II. Nineteen-year-old bomber pilot Bush and 25-year-old PT boat commander Kennedy fought on the front lines, as did Nixon and Ford. At 52, Eisenhower, who had never seen combat before the war, went on to become the
Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.
These are men who played roles in the war effort and went on to become leaders who steered the nation through conflict and turmoil during the 20th century.
The Secret History of The White House airs at 9 p.m. today on the History Channel. The $376 million construction project, which was intensely guarded from prying eyes, is a sprawling multistory structure that required truckloads of heavy concrete and steal beams. From the first bunkers to protect Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, to the rumored passageways, elevators and vault doors with biometric access control systems, the special explores the hidden and known parts that lie beneath the most important piece of real estate in America.
The Secret History of Air Force One airs at 9 p.m. Monday on the History Channel. The show features exclusive footage to take audiences inside Air Force One. Archival information and insider interviews illuminate the history of presidential flight, and unveils the interesting history of America’s most famous plane.
And lastly, the competition series Forged in Fire will air a theme episode at 8 p.m. Wednesday on the History Channel. Four bladesmiths forge replicas of FDR’s Rough Rider bowie knife, and after eliminations, two smiths pull ahead to re-create George Washington’s colichemarde, a long sword that gets very narrow toward the end.