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Ken Burns: Latinos Included in War Documentary

Ken Burns, criticized for overlooking the role of Hispanic soldiers in his new World War II documentary, said nearly a half-hour of footage on Hispanic and American Indian veterans is being added to the film.

Profiles of two Hispanics will conclude the first and sixth episodes of the roughly 15-hour, seven-part"The War," debuting Sept. 23 on PBS, Burns told a news conference. An Indian soldier's story will be at the end of episode five, he said."There's been a hot political battle, and we tried to rise above and take the high road and respond as best we could," Burns said.

"It doesn't alter the vision of the film that we made and completed a year and a half ago," he told a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

Altogether, about 28 minutes have been placed at the conclusion of the installments but before the credits, he said."We've done more than we were asked and expected to, which is our way of kind of honoring our own interest in doing this right," he said.

Antonio Morales of the American GI Forum, a Hispanic veterans group, welcomed the inclusion of two Hispanic veterans."The two Latino Marines who are part of the documentary 'The War' represent the honor and patriotism of all Hispanic- Americans," he said in a statement....

Read entire article at AP