Above: Me, my father, Maj. Arthur Fager, and my grandfather, E. P. Fager

The Fager Military History (working title) is a documentary that contains first-hand accounts from three generations of military veterans. The Fager’s military history stretches back five generations to the Civil War. It includes most of the major conflicts; the Civil War, both World Wars, Vietnam, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Army, Navy, Marines, and the Army Air Corps (which later became the Air Force) are all represented. This documentary is a loosely related series that can be heard as a whole or as self-contained installments. Each episode will contain a short introduction followed by an anecdote from the service member who is featured in the piece.

It is not difficult to find military records on a family member. These records list when and where they served, awards they may have received, etc. That is not the goal of this documentary. The focus of this documentary is to collect the stories from the service members themselves. This preserves more than just the factual records. It gives insight into the personality of the subject. Rather than just reading the story or hearing it told second-hand. Listeners get to hear the history from those who lived through it. This includes all the nuances of the storytellers’ voices. The common thread that runs through the series is the storytellers’ relation to the creator of the series, and each other. This will build a cast of characters whose stories overlap, share common themes, and influence each other in various ways. There is a unique opportunity to hear similar overlapping stories from multiple points of view.

This link leads to the first of installment of the series.

Fager Documentary Ep. 1