George Ostler Talks About WWII

A film crew lead by Documentarian/Producer/Director, Neal Cortell, (right) was in town Monday to interview Chelsea Historian and highly decorated war hero George Ostler (seated) for a segment in 1 of a series of 3 feature length documentaries about various aspects of World War II, including roles that women took on both in and out of the military, many for the first time, and sacrifices made daily by citizens at home in support of those fighting abroad.

Filming in the basement of the Chelsea Library against the backdrop of Ostler’s volumes of old books and newspapers, Cortell discussed with Ostler the importance of Victory Gardens in Chelsea and Boston during World War II. Ostller noted that even though he was in the service during the time that Victory Gardens were popular, his parents routinely wrote to him about how excited everyone was about their gardens and about growing their own food in order to supplement rationing.

Neal Cortell, a Chelsea native now filming out of New York City, was joined on the shoot by Chelsea City Council Vice-President Dan Cortell, who, in addition to being his son, is the other half of the co-writing duo that has received recognition for their work at last year’s Monte Carlo Film Festival.

The documentary series is four years in the making and looks to air on PBS in the near future.

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