The Lest They Be Forgotten series consists of 12 DVDs, each about one hour in length. The pivotal battles of World War II: Iwo Jima, The Battle of the Bulge, The Allied Invasion, are all recalled by the men who fought, who lost friends, and whose hearts often broke with the horrors of armed conflict. Oral histories about the Holocaust, the Korean War, and Vietnam are also included in Cappetto's collection. The interviews are compelling in their simplicity.
Old veterans, usually in the comfort of their homes, sometimes wearing insignia or a cap that extolls their branch of the service, speak openly, authentically, and in detail about their struggles. "They took a direct hit and I'm sure none one of these guys got off alive. They just got blown to bits." The D-Day recollections are graphic, seared into the memories of these elderly men. Of the suffering of his wounded comrades on the beach one man remembers, "There was nothing you could do to help them. When a wave came in you knew it was just going to take them out to sea. There was just nothing you could do." The often stark memories of these veterans engage the viewer in a powerful way. Some instances are difficult to absorb. "When the tank commander told me I had to move, I said 'I can't, men are laying everywhere.' I had no choice, but I decided if I had to run over a dead soldier that I would run over his legs. I ran over quite a few soldiers that day," says one man about driving a tank onto Normandy beach.
The power and purpose of Lest They Be Forgotten has earned Cappetto national recognition. He has been interviewed about his important work by many television networks and affiliates, including the CBS evening news. He has traveled extensively to many states, including Texas, Ohio and Utah, to present his video series in high schools as a key component of American history. Cappetto has been successful in having his video series included as a curriculum resource in some Texas schools. The oral histories of the men and women who have served to preserve America and her liberty are particularly effective in reaching the current generation of young people, as it evokes profound parallels between 20th Century conflicts, and the wars which rage now in foreign lands.
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