LST 534 TV Documentary - Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
May 3, 1999
New York, New York

The History Channel
June 6, 1999
7:00 pm

"Onto Rugged Shores: Voyage of LST534" is the story of the vital role the LST played during the second world war as told through the eyes of the men who served on one special ship known simply as the LST534. The documentary traces its life from Evansville, Indiana where she was built, through the D-Day invasion, and later Okinawa where the 534 was severely damaged by a Japanese kamikaze, days before the war ended. The LST was the backbone of the allied invasion forces carrying men and materials onto the invasion beaches. Without them, attack by sea would have been nearly impossible.

The documentary is the result of one daughter's quest to discover what her father's life was like on board the LST534. She is Linda Alvers. She found and conducted extensive interviews with many of her father's shipmates, held a reunion, publishes a newsletter and created a website, all in dedication to the men who fought in WWII, including her father.

Former ABC News Anchor, Mr. Howard K. Smith narrates the program on camera. He was the last American correspondent out of Germany before the war was declared and the first back into Germany following her surrender. He notes that Germany tried and failed to develop a means to cross the English Channel and invade Britain. It was the allies who ultimately devised and built the LST (Landing Ship Tank) that was essential to the prosecution of the war.

Executive Producer Linda Alvers graduated from the University of Evansville, Indiana in 1974 with a BS and in 1979 with a Masters Degree, both in Nursing. Today, she serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for a network of companies specializing in multimedia educational opportunities. She resides in New York City.

For further information, contact:

Ron Pobuda
National Audio Video, Inc.
1-800-237-1224

Linda Alvers
Executive Producer
212/586-1972