Military Channel to Premiere PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED Documentary, 12/7

Related: PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED, Military Channel

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, have often been called this generation's Pearl Harbor. But unlike the attacks on the Twin Towers 60 years later, it is shocking what little film documentation there is surrounding the surprise Japanese attack on that infamous December day in 1941. On this upcoming 71st anniversary, the Military Channel presents the world premiere documentary, PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED, a new and compelling look at an event that galvanized the country and led to America's entry into World War II. Using personal stories and new, state-of-the-art image stabilizing techniques, PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED provides viewers with a dramatic look at the pivotal first 15 minutes of the bombing on Pearl Harbor and the devastating aftermath. PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED premieres on the Military Channel on Friday, December 7 at 10 PM (E/P).

PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED showcases the clearest and sharpest images ever seen of the first wave of the attack, combining rare aerial film taken by Japanese attackers with home movie footage captured from the harbor by a Navy doctor, who was on the hospital ship USS Solace, anchored just a quarter of a mile from the USS Arizona. This extraordinary footage captures the instant the USS Arizona blew apart - an explosion that instantly took the lives of 1177 Americans. The analysis of these films utilizes new stabilization techniques to provide a frame-by-frame timeline of events that builds into a mosaic of chaos, courage and inspiration, telling the real behind-the-scenes story of that day of infamy as it has never been told before.

"The Military Channel is proud to present this new look at the events which changed the course of world history," said Ed Hersh, senior vice president of content strategy for the Military Channel. "By focusing on the first 15 minutes of the attack through this unique footage, we are able to tell some of the untold stories of Pearl Harbor. We also honor the USS Arizona as she sits today, under 40-feet of water, serving as the final resting place of 900 men."

The film takes viewers from the shocking arrival of the Japanese aircraft over the harbor at 7:52 AM on December 7, 1941, to 15 minutes later, when a single 1750-pound bomb destroyed what would become the iconic symbol of the attack, the USS Arizona. The attack would go on for another hour, but it was within this first wave that the most damage was done - ships were sunk, lives were lost, and the face of the United States would change on the world stage forever.

PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED intertwines interviews with Pearl Harbor survivors aboard historic battleships, recalling their personal horror of that day of infamy, alongside an immersive look back at the perspectives of the four men whose futures hung in the balance -Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin and Hitler. In addition, a guided underwater tour by the National Park Service reveals the secrets of the USS Arizona as it lays to rest in the harbor.

PEARL HARBOR DECLASSIFIED is produced for Military Channel by Creative Differences. For Creative Differences, Erik Nelson is writer and director and Dave Harding is executive producer. For the Military Channel, Sara Kozak is executive producer and senior vice president of production, Ed Hersh is senior vice president of content strategy, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

About Military Channel

The Military Channel brings viewers compelling, real-world stories of valor, heroism, and courage from pivotal moments in American history, whether they were on the battlefield, in popular culture, or behind closed doors at the White House. Currently available in more than 60.5 million homes, the network incorporates the best state-of-the-art CGI animation, never-before-seen footage, and gripping interviews to offer in-depth explorations of the armed forces as well as seminal world events and iconic figures that shaped our nation's history, including the Cold War, the struggle for Civil Rights, and the Space Race. For more information, please visit Military.Discovery.com, facebook.com/Military, or twitter.com/MilitaryChannel. Military Channel is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories.