Hero Street: A Historical Documentary Film Series

Davenport Civil Rights Commission presents Emmy-nominated “An Infantryman from Hero Street” Oct. 28

 

Emmanuel Juarez as Joe Sandoval of Hero Street in Silvis, Illinois.

“An Infantryman from Hero Street”, a new Emmy-nominated documentary by filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, will screen Saturday, October 28th at 3:00 p.m. at the Davenport Public Library—Eastern Avenue Branch, 6000 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, Iowa. A Q&A with the Rundles will follow the film. This special event is free to the public and sponsored by Davenport Civil Rights Commission.

“An Infantryman from Hero Street,” the fourth episode in the "Hero Street" documentary series, tells the true story of Pvt. Joseph Sandoval who was born in a boxcar to Mexican immigrants in the Silvis, Illinois rail yard. In 1944 Joe, married with two young sons, was drafted and shipped to Britain with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment. His unit helped fight the second stage of the Normandy Invasion in France. In April 1945, the Allied forces reached an agreement regarding post-war Germany, and Joe and his fellow soldiers were told the war was essentially over. Joe was killed just days later during a German counter attack near the Elbe River in Schönebeck, Germany. In the two weeks that followed, U.S. and Russian troops shook hands across the Elbe, and Adolph Hitler committed suicide.

Brothers Eric and Emmanuel Juarez star as brothers Frank and Joe Sandoval in the Emmy-nominated "An Infantryman from Hero Street".

Only a block and a half long, Second Street in Silvis, Illinois lost six young men in World War II and two in the Korean War, more than any other street in America. Hero Street, as it is now known, has provided over 150 service members since Mexican-American immigrants settled there in 1929.

“Hero Street,” a multi-part documentary series by Emmy Award-winning Fourth Wall Films explores the compelling true story of eight Mexican-American heroes from Hero Street, USA in Silvis, Illinois: Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, William Sandoval, Claro Solis, Peter Masias, Joseph Sandoval, Joseph Gomez and John S. Muños.

“[The Rundles’] beautiful Hero Street series will be a monumental, lasting legacy to ensure that current and future generations will be sure to recognize and salute the selfless patriotism of these families, showing an inspiring example to us all.” Jonathan Turner, Digital News/Entertainment - WHBF

Joe Sandoval and his wife Nellie.

"An Infantryman from Hero Street" stars Emmanuel Juarez as Joseph Sandoval, Eric Juarez reprising his role as Joe’s brother Frank Sandoval, and actor Matt Walsh as Lt. Frank Houcek. The film features commentary by First Army Support Command Historian Captain Kevin Braafladt, Rock Island Arsenal; author Marc Wilson “Hero Street, USA”; author Carlos Harrison "The Ghosts of Hero Street"; author/historian John C. McManus “September Hope”; and members of the Sandoval family.

The “Hero Street” theme music was scored by Emmy® nominated composer William Campbell of Davenport. WQPT-PBS provided its broadcast studio for filming portions of the documentary. WQPT’s Lora Adams assisted with production, and Chris Ryder created special visual and sound effects. WQPT previously partnered with Fourth Wall Films in 2015 to co-produce the Mid-America Emmy nominated "Letters Home to Hero Street”.

“An Infantryman from Hero Street” was funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly; a grant from the Moline Foundation; and, through its fiscal sponsor the Black Box Theatre, a Quad City Arts Dollars grant provided by Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation and John Deere.

Tammy & Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films at the Emmys.

Fourth Wall Films is an award-winning and four-time Emmy® winning independent film and video production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois. For more information visit HeroStreetMovie.com.

LA Times: 14th OC Film Fiesta finds a home for this year’s ‘amazing lineup’

Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films are honored that their Emmy-nominated documentary "An Infantryman from Hero Street" is among the films being showcased at the 14th Annual OC Film Fiesta in Santa Ana, California. The documentary screens in the Documentary Short Block on Saturday, October 14th at 6:00 p.m. More information can be found at https://masamedia.org/ocfilmfiesta2023/.

  
Manny Juarez portrays Joseph Sandoval in AN INFANTRYMAN FROM HERO STREET.

"We are very proud of all involved in "An Infantryman from Hero Street: Joseph Sandoval's Story". This film could not have been completed without the generous support of our contributors; our grantors the Illinois Humanities, the Moline Foundation; our actors: Emmanuel Juarez (Joe Sandoval), Eric Juarez (Frank Sandoval), and Matt Walsh (Lt. Houcek); our historians: Marc Wilson, Capt. Kevin Braafladt, John C. McManus and Carlos Harrison; and Joe's family who so graciously shared their memories and photos in the film: Georgia Sandoval Herrara, Tanilo Sandoval, Irene Mawson and Henry Sandoval. We are deeply grateful to ALL of those who have been so supportive of the work on this film and the entire Hero Street documentary series." Kelly & Tammy Rundle

A great write-up on the OC Film Fiesta appeared in the Los Angeles Times October 5th. We have included an excerpt here. You can read the rest of the article by clicking on the LA Times link below!

Los Angeles Times
BY SARAH MOSQUEDA STAFF WRITER 

A still from “100 Ways to Cross the Border,” directed by Amber Bay Bemak, is among the films screening at 14th annual OC Film Fiesta. (Courtesy of Media Arts Santa Ana)

For the past 13 years, the annual OC Film Fiesta has taken place all around Orange County.

“We started in 2010 with the focus of celebrating the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1901,” said Victor Payan, director of Media Arts Santa Ana (MASA) and founder of the OC Film Fiesta. “So we had a lot of films about Mexico and the revolution, but from around the world, and from that we have gone on to showcase different cultures that are in Orange County.”

Touted as “the premier cinematic celebration of the nation’s diversity and multicultural heritage” and presented by MASA, the 14th OC Film Fiesta takes place virtually and in-person from Oct. 12 to 29, featuring films from Mexico, Argentina, Valenzuela, Italy, Spain, Greece, Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Taiwan.

This year’s Film Fiesta includes everything from features, shorts, documentaries and experimental films dealing with human stories, comedy, artist profiles, history, rock music, surfing, police brutality, immigration and refugees.

“We received a record number of entries from around the world this year, and we are excited to once again offer an amazing lineup of independent films that truly deliver on representing Orange County,” Payan said.

Film lovers can find festival passes, which provide priority admission to all festival screenings and events, for $75 at ocfilmfiesta2023.eventive.org. A Virtual Only pass is available for $50.

“TVGB’s is a digital makers space, and this is the second year we are having the festival in our space,” said Payan. “It is centrally located, 17th and Main (Santa Ana, California), close to the Bowers, close to Santa Ana College.”

Read the rest of the LA Times story by clicking HERE!

Only a block and a half long, Second Street in Silvis, Illinois lost six young men in World War II and two in the Korean War, more than any other street in America. Hero Street, as it is now known, has provided over 150 service members since Mexican-American immigrants settled there in 1929.

“Hero Street,” a multi-part documentary series by Fourth Wall Films, explores the compelling true story of eight Mexican-American heroes from Hero Street, USA in Silvis, Illinois: Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, William Sandoval, Claro Solis, Peter Masias, Joseph Sandoval, Joseph Gomez and John S. Muños.

Fourth Wall Films is an award-winning and Emmy® winning independent film and video production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois. For more information visit HeroStreetMovie.com.

To purchase the documentaries on DVD click HERE.

Buried Stories: William Louis Sandoval (1923-1944)

William Louis Sandoval drawing in Fourth Wall Films' "A Bridge Too Far from Hero Street" by Bruce Walters

By Bruce Walters
for the River Cities Reader

William “Willie” Louis Sandoval was struck down by a machine gunner near the end of the Second World War. His death came after having served 151 days on the front line in Italy; after parachuting behind Nazi lines in Northern Europe. He was just 21 years old.

Willie was the son of Mexican immigrants. His family brought him to Silvis, Illinois in 1925, when he was two years old. The family first lived in railroad box cars, uninsulated against the brutal cold of winter and heat of summer. In 1937, they moved to a block designated by the city for the immigrant workers and their families. The street was without sewage, running water, and electricity. His mother died after giving birth to twin boys when Willie was 13. Both twins also died within hours.

Within a year of his graduation from East Moline High School, Willie enlisted in the Army. He was assigned to Company F, Second Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

He was first deployed in Italy, parachuting into the Salerno region to reinforce the Allied beachhead during Operation Avalanche. Advancing towards Rome, his regiment helped to liberate Naples. On January 22, 1944, his unit made an amphibious landing in Anzio, where they would fight for eight weeks. When they fought in San Pietro, a third of his unit were killed in battle or by disease.

On September 17, the 504th took part in Operation Market Garden, a massive Allied operation intended to create an invasion route into Germany. Willie’s regiment crossed the 400-yard Waal River completely exposed to German fire in collapsible wood-and-canvas boats. Nearly half of the unit suffered casualties, yet his battalion succeeded in seizing the river's strategic bridge that crossed over the river. The entire operation, however, failed when the next bridge at Arnhem was not seized. The operation would be the basis for the book and film A Bridge Too Far.

Willie’s father received a telegram informing him that his son was missing in action as of October 6, 1944. One year and a day later, his family was notified that he was killed in action during an attack near Zyfflich, Germany.

His body was never recovered.

Read the rest of the story at RIVER CITIES READER-Here!

Only a block and a half long, Second Street in Silvis, Illinois lost six young men in World War II and two in the Korean War, more than any other street in America. Hero Street, as it is now known, has provided over 150 service members since Mexican-American immigrants settled there in 1929.

“Hero Street,” a multi-part documentary series by Fourth Wall Films, explores the compelling true story of eight Mexican-American heroes from Hero Street, USA in Silvis, Illinois: Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, William Sandoval, Claro Solis, Peter Masias, Joseph Sandoval, Joseph Gomez and John S. Muños.

Fourth Wall Films is an award-winning and Emmy® winning independent film and video production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois. For more information visit HeroStreetMovie.com.

To purchase the documentaries on DVD click HERE.