Students Partner with Documentary Filmmaker to Uncover Hidden Stories of Iwo Jima

Photo from of Battle of Iwo Jima

Credit: World War II Foundation

Documentary filmmaker Tim Gray and his friend Bob McKillop share a love of history. Their connection led Gray to enlist the help of Davidson College students in his latest project, a film about the Battle of Iwo Jima, reports WCNC Charlotte.

McKillop, Davidson’s head men’s basketball coach, shared news of Gray’s project with the History Department and Professor John Wertheimer. Wertheimer recognized the project as a rare teaching opportunity and worked with Gray to craft an assignment for his students.

“So, we are doing a film about returning to Iwo Jima, with some veterans, and it’s being narrated by Actor Gary Sinise,” Gray told WCNC.

“And so, when I connected with John, we both agreed, wouldn’t it be great to get his students involved from a research standpoint, to get them digging in the weeds to get them to find things maybe we wouldn’t have noticed.”

Gray is the founder and president of the WWII Foundation.

Learn more about the students’ work and the film.

Published

  • March 23, 2021