I'm with Eisenhower. I've known two vets, up close. One, years ago, was a WWII vet. He had been a prisoner of war on a German ship. The ship was bombed by Allies and he was rescued. He was found under a pile of bodies. He lived the rest of his life a virtual shell. From time to time he would rest in the VA hospital and than at other times would live quietly under the watchful eye of brothers and sisters. Another vet, from Vietnam, seemed to make a successful transition, but years later, when describing his experience, didn't talk so much about fear but about numbness, about being brutalized by the indifference of his leaders to his well-being. I think it's the numbness more than anything that stayed with him and changed his life. This is a great film. It doesn't excoriate the military, but it does ask us to question the structure, the concept of organized conflict. Young people are recruited before they're formed. They really aren't independent thinkers yet. Their minds are molded so they will be "good soldiers". I think the heart of the film for me, was in the commentary by Holgren (did I get that name right?). Soldiers go to war and America goes shopping. But it's not America. It's the history of warfare--until it comes to your house.
Thank you for investing your time and creative effort to frame a necessary message. Sharing on Twitter and resteeming.
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That is such a sad story about the WWII vet that you knew. Only he knew of the hardships that he had to endure during his life. My heart breaks for those that have had to live their life in silence because the outside world would not understand the atrocities that they have had to face. War is a horrible thing in this world destroys so many lives, and you are right about what Sheldon Holgreen said about while the Soldier is at war, America is at the mall. That is one of the main points in this film is that while the soldiers are fighting wars, they are often forgotten about, and when they come home, they may seem fine on the outside, they are still in torment from what they have been through. My hope was to bring awareness to the struggles that those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress go through and to let them know they are not alone and to inform the friends and family of those suffering what their loved ones may be experiencing so they can be a better support for them. Thank you for taking the time to watch the film and I am glad that you got something out of it.