Production

Format: Dramatized documentary
Length: Approximately 35 minutes
Media Channel: YouTube (in the Spanish, English and Basque languages)
Director: Jonathan Valle Pérez.
Producer: Sancho de Beurko Association
Screenplay: Guillermo Tabernilla and Pedro J. Oiarzabal
Estimated production and post-production time: 2019-2020

“Basques in World War II, the Marine Corps” aims to be the first in a series of documentaries dedicated to the participation of Basque fighters in the greatest conflict in history. It is a non-profit production that bases its strength on the volunteer work of Sancho de Beurko Association’s members and friends, especially of its Historical Recreation group, which has composed all the scenes for the “Fighting Basques Project” in the last five years, combining experience and creativity. The Historical Recreation group’s motto is “rigor and friendship” and its effort, based on high quality photographic work, has been collected on a website and a book published by Desperta Ferro.

In principle, the general idea is to dramatize several personal stories, which would be those of Rudolph Iglesias, who fought with the 1^st Marine Division and was awarded the Silver Star in Okinawa; Albert Philip Pagoaga, 5^th Division, who lost his leg in Iwo Jima; Lawrence Erburu, who was part of the 4^th Division and died in Saipan; Felix Ordoquihandy and Lawrence Amoriza, both of served with the 1^st Division, died in Okinawa; and George Ascuena, also earned the Silver sSar in the Philippines. It is possible that we could add other stories if enough biographical materials are found during the research. Those individual Basque Marine stories constitute a unique narrative with a strong emotional connection for the entire Basque-American community at large.