A connection with a Spencerville veteran has led a Colorado man doing a documentary about the Omaha Beach landing on D-Day to expand his search for World War II veterans.
   Larry Cappetto is launching a national search and is hoping to come to the Lima area in late August or September to interview veterans who were at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.
   Cappetto’s interest in Ohio and specifically the Lima area came after a recent visit to Spencerville for the funeral of a veteran he had earlier interviewed. Thomas Wagner of Spencerville lived in Arizona during the winters, which is where Cappetto met him. Wagner, who received the Purple Heart for his role in the D-Day invasion, died July 21.
   “A lot of the World War II veterans like Tom are passing away. I’m trying to recover their pieces of history before it is too late,” he said, adding that the veterans are passing away at a rate of 1,500 per day. “This has become a labor of love for me to find these veterans.”
   Cappetto has interviewed nearly 50 veterans in Colorado, Arizona and Utah for the television documentary “Lest They Be Forgotten,” to be released in October. It is likely to air on the Public Broadcasting Service.
   The funeral was Cappetto’s first trip to Ohio, saying it really seemed like “the heartland of America” to him. He said he was able to meet a number of family members of area veterans.
   “I sensed a lot of patriotism and pride there, and thought it would be good for me to talk to veterans there for my documentary,” he said.
   Cappetto is producing the 60-minute documentary in conjunction with the World War II Memorial dedication in Washington, D.C. in May and the 60th anniversary of D-Day in June.
   Having an uncle who served in World War II and a father in the Korean conflict, Cappetto said he is doing the documentary out of respect and honor of veterans. He has done music videos and smaller projects, but “Lest They Be Forgotten” will be his first full-length docu-mentary.
   Veterans interested in talking to Cappetto should call 970-254-9262. To learn more about the documentary, go to www.omahabeach.org.