Searching for Home: Coming Back From War

Like most of us, I grew up developing a strong love of the movies. I'm a boomer, so I've been around long enough to be aware of, enjoy, and appreciate many classic movies and actors, and all levels of cinematic achievement. Everything from the silents, to the 30's-40's-50's favorites, and beyond. And, of course, with the advent of home video, TCM, and many other movie channels, it's possible to see and enjoy just about any movie you want to, over and over again. Many of my favorites have been in the "war movie" genre. Some are very special to me, among them, To Hell and Back, Saving Private Ryan, Patton, and The Deer Hunter. It's pretty hard to watch movies like these and not be deeply effected by the people and events we're witnessing. The truth that human beings are able to somehow muster the level of courage, strength, and discipline needed to pick up a weapon and boldly engage an enemy in battle, is to me one of the most profound enigmas of life. And yet, there are always those events in the world where someone has to do it. Though it's easy at times to just sort of brush off the idea and get back to our daily lives, the truth is sooner or later, someone is going to have to heed the call again. I think it's important for us to be aware of the reality of this, and time well spent visiting with some of the heroes who've been willing to protect us and carry our burdens through very tough and often overwhelming circumstances. They are uniquely qualified to enlighten us on the cost of war and a constant reminder that we need to be grateful for their service while we continue to aid in their recovery. Eric Christiansen has done a masterful job in bringing forth this powerful, moving, and important documentary that reaches out and grabs us by the heart and soul. There is nothing more important than this and we all need to continue to take a hard look at what we're doing to support our men and women in the military. They need to know that we're marching right next to them in the field...and we're here for them when they come home.

This is truly a powerful film. Traces the lives of some individual vets (ranging from WWII to Iraq) from the time of dreaming of becoming a soldier and making a decision on standing up to fight for their country, to the reality of war, to the challenges of returning to their country and families, including dealing with the trauma that they had to deal with in attempting to survive, fighting the enemy who was out to destroy them, and the taking of lives, as well as the physical and emotional issues that they faced back home that often arose as a result of their experiences, and then to the possibilities and hope of healing and recovering (very challenging for many). A truly powerful and beautiful film that should be seen by all. Not only those whose families, friends and relatives have been affected by the experience of war (including past wars), but by all those wishing to better understand our vets and what they have gone through and often are still going through. A groundbreaking film that hopefully will result in a greater understanding and awareness of the needs and challenges of our vets, as well as creating a feeling of hope by seeing what is being done to help our returning soldiers and hopefully enhancing efforts to further help our vets, of whom so many still need a great deal of support, understanding and help (there are still approximately 21 vets committing suicide on a daily basis). The amazing thing is also seeing the work of Dr. Amit Etkin at Stanford and of Dr. Jeremy Crosby who are workig with vets to better understand the effects of PTSD on the brain, which hopefully can further open the door for treating our vets).

I went into this film not knowing what to expect. Messed-up soldiers/PTSD almost seems like a cliche in movies, and frankly I don’t know a lot of veterans especially from the most recent Gulf Wars. So this was a chance to learn not only what the young guys sacrificed, but also ex soldiers as far back as the Korean War. How can you travel to a war on the other side of the world and not come back changed? I don’t know what Eric Christiansen does, but these people open up to him in ways I’ve not seen before. So you get their motivations and struggles, as well as their family members, but from there he covers some of the things people are doing to take their own recovery into their own hands and share it with others. The Ride to the Wall in DC, the cycling and racing activities, it’s about getting active, sharing the healing, making a difference so you and others can benefit. Makes sense, even if you’re not a vet. Watch it. Share it with someone you love. It’s so worth it.

What a powerful portrayal of what our veterans deal with when they come back from war. Very moving and powerful!

I attended a recent screening of this film and highly recommend it. It is emotional, moving, spiritual and heart breaking at times. For us civilians, we come away with a greater understanding of what these Vets have endured for our freedom. This film has the potential to bring visibility to thousands of Vets, in terms of support and medical advancements that can assist them in their recovery. God bless this film and our Vets!