The untold story of the American 8th Air Force's bloody battle to defeat the German Luftwaffe in the months leading up to D-Day. Told through the gripping, first person accounts of three American airmen and Stars & Stripes reporter Andy Rooney, this special showcases breathtaking aerial combat--original, color footage, never before seen by most Americans--of the B-17s Flying Fortresses, P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs on missions such as Regensburg, Schweinfurt and Berlin. Never-before-seen 8mm footage of the airmen on the bases, the devastation in Germany, and the Luftwaffe perspective is also highlighted. Flying 25,000 feet above the earth in oxygen-devoid air, and temperatures as low as 50 below zero, the 8th Air Force fought a war unlike anything ever before experienced. By the end, they would suffer more than 26,000 combat deaths--more than the US Marines lost in all of World War II. Narrated by Emmy nominated actor, Rob Lowe.

Forever etched into history with its famous image of U.S. Marines hoisting 'Old Glory' over Mount Suribachi, the Battle of lwo Jima reveals a far greater story than just an iconic photograph. The Americans wanted the small island for its strategic airfields, which would bring their bombers within range of Japan's home islands; for the ragged Japanese, it represented a last-ditch effort to stop the oncoming Allied juggernaut on its island-hopping march towards Tokyo. The result was one of the bloodiest battles of the war, as fortified Japanese defenders gave no quarter to the wave of men and steel that crashed onto the volcanic blacks sands of lwo Jima.

Additional interview footage with war veterans Jack Werner, Chaeles Scheffel, Roscoe Blunt Jr, Jimmie Kanaya, Shelby Westbrook, and Jack Yusen.

Historian Don Miller, Producer Lou Reda, and others talk about the state of the source materials and efforts made to restore and preserve them for future generations.