Jul 27, 2023
To spotlight seven diverse Hoosiers who, amid great personal sacrifices, served in World War I, Hoosier History Live will feature as guests the Bloomington-based director and a producer of a new documentary that features them.
Six soldiers and a nurse from Indiana are the focus of "Over There: Hoosier Heroes of the Great War", which is expected to be shown on various PBS-TV stations across Indiana by the end of the year. The Hoosiers featured in the documentary by Blue Ace Media include some who were killed on battlefields in France, often amid acts of outstanding bravery.
Maj. Samuel Woodfill (1883-1951), who was born on a farm near Madison, Ind., received multiple accolades for his heroism, including the Medal of Honor, and likely would have become a nationally known public figure but, as a shy and modest man, did not like attention. Lottie May Berry (1888-1917) left a comfortable life in Indianapolis to become a nurse overseas for the American Red Cross; she died shortly after arriving in France. Lt. Aaron Fisher (1892-1985), who grew up in the historic African American community of Lyles Station, Ind., was acclaimed for multiple acts of courage in an infantry regiment in the U.S. Army, which was segregated during World War I.