Private Ralph John’s training for the Great War was two days’ practice with a rifle, and a short stint with a bayonet. Filmmaker Rob Rapley tells John’s story.
As the war ends, America is forever transformed by the violent and bloody conflict. And while many herald the peace, others worry about democracy at home.
American Experience Executive Producer Mark Samels discusses the film and why we made it — explaining that you cannot understand the world we live in today without understanding the Great War.
It would be the "Biggest Thing on Earth," the salvation of the common man, a dam and irrigation project that would provide a source of cheap power—boosting an entire region of the country.
