Premieres Thursday, September 27th, 8:00 pm ET

When the sun rose over the horizon in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, it was already afternoon in Florida.  The normal Sunday routine of church, family and relaxation seemed as though it would play out just as it did every week in the small towns across the Big Bend. However, the lazy afternoon's mood quickly changed, as did life for Floridians this particular Sunday, when news broke of the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. America was at war.

To coincide with PBS's release of The War, produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, WFSU is proud to present its local production, Florida War Diaries: WWII Remembered. The program chronicles the lives of North Floridians and how locals faired - at home, through one of the most tumultuous periods in recent history.

No one was untouched by the war, least of all friends and family who stayed behind. Florida hosted and expanded upon more than 170 military installations, training hundreds of thousands of service personnel from across the country, and staffing many locals. The war may have changed Florida forever; many who trained in Florida returned after the war. By the end of 1940s, the state's population had increased 46% and has been growing ever since.

Florida War Diaries: World War II Remembered recounts the experiences of several men and women who trained, worked, and lived in North Florida during the war years.  Amphibious training at Camp Gordon Johnston - Carrabelle, POW anecdotes from both home and abroad, and first-hand accounts of how Tallahassee and near-by cities transitioned during the war period are only some of the topics the program touches upon. Finally, the program examines how local municipalities are preserving and honoring the memories of our greatest generation.