Filmmaker to present Veterans Day program Area residents and veterans encouraged to attend presentation
On Veterans Day, the public can experience war history as never before, through the firsthand accounts of the soldiers who actually fought, by attending Lest They Be Forgotten, a special presentation sponsored by Geib Funeral Homes, Crematories and Remembrance Centers. The event will feature Larry Cappetto, nationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker. Though his films don't break box office records, Cappetto's moving documentaries bring honor and show appreciation to the brave men and women who have served our country during wartime.With the mission to ensure that Americans remember our veterans and to honor veterans now rather than at death, Cappetto has traveled across the nation to record the personal stories of war experiences as told by the veterans themselves. And thanks to Geib Funeral Homes, Cappetto will be making a tour stop in Tuscarawas County. All area residents, especially veterans and their families, are welcome to attend. Lest They Be Forgotten will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Geib Funeral Center, 5600 North Wooster Avenue, Dover.
There is no charge to attend the event; however, RSVPs are encouraged to assure that enough seats and refreshments will be available. Reservations will be accepted up to the time of the event, as Geib Funeral Homes do not want any veteran and his or her family to miss this opportunity. Interested persons should call 330-343-5506 to RSVP.
At the event, Cappetto will introduce and comment on a film that includes the highlights of the Lest They Be Forgotten series, which is aired frequently on PBS and The Discovery Channel and is also available to schools as part of a video library. The screening of the film will coincide with a pinning ceremony coordinated with Hospice of Tuscarawas County to provide recognition to veterans who attend the event.
"We consider ourselves very lucky to have this tour stop at the Tuscarawas Valley over the Veterans Day holiday," shared Anne Geib Hanner, president of the Geib Funeral Homes in New Philadelphia and Dover. "Usually, the filmmaker is in a major market on holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day; in fact, the Lest They Be Forgotten project was featured on the CBS evening news last Memorial Day, so we think it is just outstanding that we have been able to bring this project to the valley on such a significant day as Veterans Day."
In addition to his appearance at the Geib Funeral Center on Wednesday evening, Cappetto will also present schoolwide assemblies at Tusky Valley, New Philadelphia and Dover High School earlier in the day. Then, on Thursday, Nov. 12, Cappetto will interview five area veterans, primarily from World War II, who will tell their stories as part of the largest oral history project of its kind in the nation. "We are especially pleased to be able to have a part in sharing this opportunity with the veterans of Tuscarawas County," explained Geib Hanner. "These interviews will become a part of Cappetto's next film in the Lest They Be Forgotten series and will take place at the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home and Crematory at New Philadelphia."
The importance of recording the experiences of veterans before their deaths is not lost on Geib Hanner, whose own grandfather, Richard D. Geib (who died last February), was a World War II veteran who served in Europe. "It is our hope that by sponsoring this stop in the Lest They Be Forgotten project that more of our young people will learn about the sacrifices of war," noted Geib Hanner.