Originally produced for Oregon Public Television in 1999 and released on home video in 2000, They Drew Fire: Combat Artists of World War II is a fascinating and informative documentary on a little-known aspect of World War II; namely, the role artists and illustrators played in America’s war effort. Often assigned to the front lines where they frequently found themselves in life-threatening combat situations, these young men stood apart from their fellow soldiers in one regard; they came equipped with sketch pads, paints, canvases, brushes and other art supplies. Armed with these tools of the trade, this specialized group transformed their experiences into powerful works of art which revealed the true horrors of the battlefield, many of which were showcased in such widely-read publications as Life magazine.