War in the Pacific, kamikaze attacks, USS Franklin bombed

Castle Films was started in 1924 by Eugene W. Castle, the former Pacific Coast film editor at Fox Movietone News. Castle became a successful producer of industrial and advertising short subjects. Castle began compiling shorts, travelogues and newsreels for use in schools. The lure of the home movie market proved lucrative for Castle. In 1936, they became one of the first home movie companies to actually sell their product to the general public. In 1937, Castle started Castle Films News Parade, a sort of "newscast" one could view at home rather than at the theater. In 1946, Castle Films became a division of United World Films, which in turn was absorbed by Universal in 1947. In the 1970s, Castle Films became Universal 8. Public domain status confirmed by NBC Universal.

John Christopher Bechtler was a U.S. soldier in Berchtesgaden in April-May 1945, serving with the Counter Intelligence Corps. He arrested and interrogated various Germans at the end of the war.