The paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were given a suicide mission: to cross one of Europe's largest and fastest-flowing rivers in broad daylight under the watchful eye of their German adversaries.
Watch Friday, May 22, 2026 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2
Narrated by actor Paul Giamatti, WAAL RIVER CROSSING: 1944 is an hour-long documentary that reveals the story behind one of World War II's most heroic missions. The paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were given a suicide mission: to cross one of Europe's largest and fastest-flowing rivers in broad daylight under the watchful eye of their German adversaries.
Narrated by actor Paul Giamatti, "WAAL RIVER CROSSING: 1944" is an hour-long documentary that reveals the story behind one of World War II's most heroic missions. The paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were given a suicide mission: to cross one of Europe's largest and fastest-flowing rivers in broad daylight under the watchful eye of their German adversaries; outmanned and outgunned.
They were outmanned and outgunned, but somehow the American paratroopers were able to complete their mission and wrestle two bridges away from German troops in Holland. "Waal River Crossing: 1944" tells the story of the mission in intimate detail through archival footage and interviews that celebrate the incredible bravery displayed by the soldiers involved.
"Waal River Crossing: 1944" is an hour-long documentary that reveals the story behind one of World War II's most heroic missions. The paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were given a suicide mission: to cross one of Europe's largest and fastest-flowing rivers in broad daylight under the watchful eye of their German adversaries.
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"Waal River Crossing: 1944" is an hour-long documentary that reveals the story behind one of World War II's most heroic missions. The paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were given a suicide mission: to cross one of Europe's largest and fastest-flowing rivers in broad daylight under the watchful eye of their German adversaries
Jen is a web producer at KPBS, responsible for program promotion, membership-related activities, and is the editor of the KPBS community calendar. Jen has worked at KPBS since 2000. She is originally from Las Vegas and attended UNLV.
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