A Bridge Too Far From Hero Street: William Sandoval's Story, a documentary film produced by Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, is an official selection at the Alternating Currents Film Festival held in the Quad Cities August 19-22. Details about the screening are to be announced soon at https://www.alternatingcurrentsqc.com/. The festival features film, art, music, comedy and more and is FREE to the public.
A Bridge Too Far From Hero Street follows William Sandoval's journey from a boxcar in Silvis, Illinois to a battle in a forest in Holland. Born into an impoverished family of twelve, Willie performed migrant farm work alongside his parents and siblings until his father took a job with the Rock Island Railroad. The Sandovals and other Mexican immigrants made their homes in boxcars in the rail yard. As a young man Willie became an accomplished boxer.
Answering a call to service following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Willie became an Army paratrooper. He survived several battles over the next two years (Salerno, Anzio), before he was killed at age 21 in October 1944 following his involvement in the largest air assault in history--Operation Market Garden. An interview with military historian John C. McManus, the author of "September Hope: The American Side of a Bridge Too Far", highlights Willie's participation. Marc Wilson, the author of "Hero Street, USA" is also featured.
Eight sons of Mexican immigrants from the block-and-a-half long 2nd Street in Silvis, Illinois were killed in combat in World War II and Korea--more lost than any other street in America. The street was renamed Hero Street in 1968.
A Bridge Too Far From Hero Street was funded in part by grants from the Regional Development Authority, Illinois Humanities, and Quad City Arts. The documentary also received a grant from the Moline Foundation, the Quad Cities Community Foundation, and funding support from the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC)--Iowa, the Mexican American Veterans Association (M.A.V.A.)--Hero Street Chapter #4, the City of Silvis, Bob Ontiveros and Marc Wilson.
Hero Street, a multi-part documentary series by Fourth Wall Films, explores the personal and family sagas behind each of the eight heroes and tells the compelling true story of an ongoing struggle to memorialize Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, William Sandoval, Claro Solis, Peter Masias, Joseph Sandoval, Joseph Gomez and John S. Muños.
The series combines interviews with family members, friends, veterans, community leaders and historians with vintage photos, film, and archival materials to tell an unforgettable story of American courage, character and perseverance.
To order the DVD for Riding the Rails to Hero Street (part 1), A Bridge too Far from Hero Street: William Sandoval's Story, or Fourth Wall Films' Emmy®-nominated and award-winning film Letters Home to Hero Street (co-produced with Lora Adams and WQPT), CLICK HERE!
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