HOLBROOK, NY--(Marketwired - August 04, 2015) - As part of its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS), a privately-held, independent broker/dealer which provides services and support to financial advisors throughout the country, has organized an interview for its Silent Strength video series that will be broadcast on News 12 on Aug. 7, 2015, in the 8 a.m. hour (Eastern Time).
Silent Strength is a documentary-style, online video series that commemorates the 70th anniversaries of D-Day and V-J Day through interviews with World War II (WWII) veterans located on Long Island. To date, APFS has produced nine vignettes told in first-person from a generation of U.S. military veterans -- many of whom are now in their 90s -- retelling their stories of resilience and survival about their experiences during one of the deadliest wars in history. As part of its ongoing CSR mission, APFS has donated the services of its in-house, state-of-the-art media production facility and corporate communications team, filming, producing and promoting the Web series.
Subjects for the Silent Strength series were chosen through their participation in Honor Flight Long Island, a non-profit organization that provides military veterans with free trips to visit Washington, D.C. memorials. With full support and permission for access to resources of Studio454 from APFS CEO, CIO and President Lon T. Dolber, Honor Flight board member and APFS affiliated financial advisor William P. Donahue spearheaded the Silent Strength project. In conjunction with the series, Donahue arranged for filmmaker Bob Pulick and Alisha Laventure (weekend morning anchor and general assignment reporter for News 12) to visit Studio 454 and conduct an interview with two residents of Long Island -- a U.S. Army Air Corp bomber and a civilian living just outside of Nagasaki, Japan -- who experienced WWII in very different ways.
Thomas J. Morris, 91, served as an engineer gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps' 319th Bomb Group during WWII, which was based in Okinawa, Japan. On Aug. 9, 1945, he was part of a mission to bomb Nagasaki -- but was instead diverted to Kanoya. It was from this unique vantage point that he watched the bombing of Nagasaki. In Fukuoka, just a short distance from Nagasaki, Bengal (nee Ikuko Okada), 84, watched the atomic bomb erupt over the neighboring city. Seventy years later, Morris and Bengal reunited to reveal their impressions of the historic moment that would ultimately bring an end to WWII. Said Donahue of the series, and this segment in particular, "In our pursuit of capturing WWII veterans' stories, we have come across a great story of not hanging on to hate." Though once on opposite sides, Morris, of Rocky Point, N.Y., and Bengal, of East Moriches, N.Y., realized how much they share in common.
News 12, Long Island's premier news network, will air the Silent Strength interview featuring Morris and Bengal on Aug. 7, 2015, in the 8 a.m. hour (Eastern Time). The news channels will also repeat the interview on a regular basis. APFS is proud to have played a part in bringing Morris and Bengal together to share their remarkable stories, which will aid to further enlighten the public at large about an important era in world history. The firm looks forward to continuing work on the Silent Strength series, which will culminate on Sept. 2, 2015, marking the 70th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day.
About American Portfolios
Headquartered in Holbrook, NY, APFS is a full-service independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC registered investment adviser. Both reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 811 independent investment professionals located in 361 branch locations throughout the nation.
Embedded Video Available: https://vimeo.com/channels/789617/134947671
Contact Information:
Melissa Grappone
VP of Corporate Communications
mgrappone@americanportfolios.com
631.439.4600 ext. 108