WWII documentary to be screened

LEISURE WORLD HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The LW Historical Society will screen a WWII documentary following the harrowing journey of four nuns on Wednesday, March 12, at 1 p.m. in Clubhouse 4.

In 1940, four local American nuns left Orange, California, for missionary work in the Soloman Islands. They walked into a nightmare war, running for their lives from the Japanese until they were rescued in a daring U.S. submarine operation. Now, a PBS documentary, “Trapped in Paradise,” tells the story of their heroic work and harrowing escape.

Eileen McNerney, a Sister of St. Joseph of Orange, and her sister, Leisure World resident Maureen Habel, edited the journals that document this story and published the book, “Trapped in Paradise,” to coincide with the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor in December 2016. They were among the first presenters for the LW Library’s AuthorSpeak series. Several years in the making, the book has been developed into a film recently been released by Prairie Public Television, a PBS affiliate.

The documentary tells the story of the nun’s journey to the South Pacific and their initial work in the islands. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Australian government encouraged them to leave. They stayed, with the mistaken belief that the Japanese would respect their neutrality as missionaries. However, when word spread that other American missionaries were being slain or imprisoned, they hid in the mountains, always one step ahead of capture. Long thought dead, they eventually arrived in San Francisco on January 31, 1943, after being evacuated in a risky submarine operation. It is an inspiring story of American courage, devotion, and bravery under extreme conditions.

Following the film, there will be a brief question and answer session.

—Maureen Habel