Tonight was another one of those nights when I had to ask myself, "how did I ever get so lucky to know these men?"
Mark and me after seeing Restrepo
Several weeks ago 1SG Mark Patterson's mom, Carol, contacted me about the possibility of having Restrepo opened in a local theater when Mark came home for R & R. It seemed like a long shot but definitely worth a try. MANY thanks to National Geographic, Sebastian Junger and Laura Kim for making it happen!
For those of you who have seen Restrepo and may not remember who 1SG Patterson is (well, first of all he was SFC Patterson in the film) he's probably best remembered, God bless him, for being visited by the owner of the cow the just happened to get caught up in the concertina wire and had to be killed. Of course that meant it had to be eaten. 1SG Patterson was actually featured in many more important scenes in the film but even he admitted tonight that he'll forever be remembered for the cow.
You may also remember 1SG Patterson from this post when he declared me a LOSER! (That's for you, Angela)
Carol, Mark and the rest of their immediate and extended family as well as friends were there in force tonight. I counted close to 70 people in the theater not long before the film started. WELL DONE Carol for getting the word out. It was so nice to finally meet you, your family and friends - especially "the hens."
I even got to meet two more great troop supporters, Mary and Vickie, who want to help out supporting deployed troops from other units when Mark's deployment is over. BONUS!
Carol (Mark's mom) and Mark at the theater
After the film was over Mark, literally, popped up out of his seat, turned to face the crowd and asked if anyone had any questions. There were many and he fielded them like a pro. He was articulate, engaging, very informative and quite entertaining at times.
Mark during the question and answer session
More questions and answers
Questions and answers continued
Late into the night I remembered a discussion that I had with Sebastian Junger when he was in Memphis for a book signing for "WAR". We were talking about how knowing these Paratroopers had impacted our lives. Sebastian told me that after being at OP Restrepo with those men for so long he found himself much more emotional - even getting misty eyed at weddings which is something he'd never experienced before. He said that witnessing and, to some extent, being a part of the bond they had was life changing. I told him that I had learned the absolute meaning of unconditional love from these men. He thought for a moment and agreed with me. He actually said, "I've never thought about it but you are right."
Tonight, once again, I felt that unconditional love. So many Paratroopers and family members of the 173rd, 2-503 have embraced me with that unconditional love over the past few years. It is impossible to explain it and a treasure to feel it. I am, without question, one of the luckiest women on this planet and so very grateful to all of them.
I want to thank Carol, Mark and all of the Patterson's for allowing me to share this special night. Mark, enjoy your R & R. I hope you get in lots of rounds of golf and that your mom keeps your tummy filled with her great home cooking.
P. S. Angela, message delivered! Oh, and he did ask for more of MY brownies. Andi, message delivered!
NOTE: While I began writing this the day after the book signing I got distracted by a few things. Sorry it isn't "on time."
On June 14th Sebastian Junger was at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Memphis, TN to read from and sign copies of his book "WAR". I was thrilled that I was able to rearrange my schedule to make the event. There was a nice size crowd there to listen as Sebastian talked about the time he and Tim Hetherington spent with Battle Co, 2nd Platoon, 173rd, 2-503 in Afghanstan during OEF VIII (2007-08). At one point the bookstore had to bring in more chairs for seating.
I took my copy of "WAR" with me but I hadn't read it. I just hadn't been able to open it and start. I was more than pleased when Sebastian pointed out that nothing in or about the book is political. It's simply the story of the men of 2nd Platoon and how, during their 14-15 months in Afghanistan, particularly their 12 months at OP (Outpost) Restrepo, they coped, reacted to their surroundings and to each other. Since beginning to write this post I have read "WAR". It was not an easy read for me. Unlike many who have reviewed "WAR" I wasn't able to read it in one sitting - too much to absorb and too many memories.
I am pleased with the manner in which Sebastian approached this book. In my opinion it is honest, straight forward, respectful and real. I more than highly recommend it for everyone to read; not just military personnel and their families but EVERY American.
Sebastian and me after the book signing
Sebastian with his 2-503 Throw. Do you have one? If not you can order one here
After the book signing we went to grab a burger, beer and fried dill pickles. Sebastian had never had fried dill pickles. Maybe he'll put those on the menu at his NYC restaurant and bar The Half King?
I had never met Sebastian before that night and was more than anxious about doing so. Not because of his "fame" from "WAR", Restrepo, "The Perfect Storm" and his other writings but because he's a writer/journalist and I'm not usually a fan of writers/journalists. I even told him that at one point. But I was so off base about Sebastian. I'm thankful that he afforded me the opportunity to spend time with him and get to know him. Sebastian is the real deal. His respect and love for the men of the ROCK is profound. Within minutes I felt totally at ease with him and as if I had known him for years. It was refreshing to be able to sit and talk with someone about our military personnel the way we did. About THEM. Not about war. Not about politics. Not about politicians. About the warriors, their spirits, their ethos, their characters, their families and their struggles.
At dinner after the book signing
I am forever thankful that Sebastian and Tim were the ones who embedded with 2nd Platoon. I can't imagine any other civilian (and I daresay many military) writers/journalists who could possible have gotten it "right" the way they have. I am equally thankful that I had the opportunity to get to meet Sebastian and spend a couple of hours with him. Thank you Sebastian!
Buy the book folks. Read it! And go see Restrepo. If it's not currently scheduled at a theater near you here's what you can do (via Kanani at The Kitchen Dispatch) to help make that happen:
Post the name of the theatre with a contact number on the Restrepo Facebook page. If you have the name of the manager, GREAT. Then, call the theater manager --especially if it's an art house committed to bringing in independent films. Ask for the manager's email. Then send them this link: http://www.restrepothemovie.com/, Tell them the Press Kit may be accessed through the site.
Sebastian, if you are ever back in Memphis I owe you some real BBQ.
National Geographic Entertainment ACQUIRES AWARD-WINNING 'RESTREPO' FOR U.S. THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION. (Excellent information at the link)
From May 2007 to July 2008, Hetherington and Junger dug in with a platoon of men from Battle Company, the Second Platoon of the 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based at Restrepo. Named in honor of the platoon's medic, PFC Juan "Doc" Restrepo, who was killed in action, "Outpost Restrepo" had no running water, no Internet, no phone communication, often no electricity or heat, and it was attacked as many as five or six times a day.
Hetherington and Junger ate what the soldiers ate, slept where they slept, went on every patrol and by the end had been completely accepted into the platoon. Their cameras never left the Korengal Valley as they shot 150 hours of combat, frustration, routine, jokes, terror and bravery during daily life at the outpost until the men themselves were finally shipped out. The two journalists went on to conduct in-depth interviews with the platoon members back at their home base in Italy.
Second Platoon's 15-month tour of duty also serves as the basis for a new book by Junger called "War," which will be published in May 2010 by Twelve, a division of the Hachette Book Group
From the 2010 Sundance Film Festival - Accepting the Grand Jury Prize: Documentary for Restrepo, veteran journalists and first-time filmmakers Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington honored both their immediate subjects – the soldiers they filmed in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley – and others who’ve fought overseas. "I’d like to dedicate the prize to the Restrepo generation," Hetherington said, "and to the hundreds of thousands of men and women who come back after serving this country and are invisible."
REVIEWS - Click on individual links for entire review
The New York Times - “Restrepo” avoids the conventions of documentary film: there is no back story, no drive-bys with experts for context, no underlying ideology or obvious message. The viewer is dropped into war, with a hard jolt, and resides, along with 15 soldiers from Second Platoon of Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, in a remote and raw outpost called Restrepo, so named after one member of the platoon who is killed early in their rotation
Documentary.org - The end result of Junger and Hetherington's approach is a film about all wars--a film that transcends Outpost Restrepo as it puts you in the boots of these soldiers who spent every day, for 15 months, trying not to do anything to get one of their brothers killed as they counted the days remaining before they could go home.
Courtney Keating (16 years old) - Restrepo beautifully shows the unbreakable bond that these men form. They behave like a family, love each other like a family. And the bitter reality when a family member dies is not overlooked - remorse and pain is not avoided; emotions are not hidden. This is real, and this is what our soldiers go through. In addition to fighting and mourning with each other, the guys, well....had their moments. They made immature, inappropriate, and ridiculous jokes. They did unbelievably silly things, and it's hilarious. In what's considered the deadliest valley in Afghanistan, the spirit they had is uplifting. The film captures it all. From grief to joy, it captures it all.
Red Bull Rising - About 90 minutes later, even the combat veterans among us called the film "eye-opening."
Said one staff sergeant: "I wish I'd had something like that to show my soldiers before we left for Iraq." An Afghan-theater veteran observed how well the documentary depicted the mountainous terrain as an ever-present enemy. Another commented: "It's a good reminder that this uniform gets dirty ... and sometimes bloody."
The Kitchen Dispatch - From Surgeon's Wife to Army Surgeon's Wife - The movie ended, but I couldn't move. Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington had just taken the mantle from Ken Burns as documentary makers extraordinaire with Restrepo. This war documentary is a gripping chronicle of the lives of a platoon through some of the heaviest fighting in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan.
This is what Restrepo does so very well. Hetherington and Junger aren't afraid of the human condition through tough and dangerous times, through this the viewer witnesses the weaving of bonds between men who are very different from one another. This bond, strengthened by a commitment to survival is everlasting and sacred. It's something outsiders have a difficult time understanding, but Restrepo conveys it with love and honor.
Film Journal International - Shot in and around an Army outpost in the Korengal Valley, Restrepo offers an unprecedented look at soldiers on the front lines in Afghanistan. The battle footage is raw and terrifying in ways rarely seen in documentaries before. By avoiding overt political statements, the filmmakers aim for a broad theatrical audience rather than one that has already chosen sides. Restrepo, which will eventually be broadcast on cable, isn't for or against the war in Afghanistan. But it does make clear that waging this war is difficult, if not futile.
Stewart Nusbaumer for the Huffington Post - This documentary has everything -- fire fights, silence, drag-butt humping up and down mountains, intense camaraderie, crushing boredom, near paralyzing fear, horsing around in the all male environment, anguish, and of course death. All delivered to you right in your face.
If you are against the war in Afghanistan, this film will not make you for the war. If you are for the war, this movie will not turn you against the war. But what it will do is bring you closer to the reality of war in Afghanistan , and closer to those fighting that war.
OP Restrepo - Photo by Tim Hetherington
Information about "Sneak Peaks", general release dates and locations and "how to get Restrepo to your town" below the jump. (Click on Read More)
I'm passionate about my volunteer work and support of deployed military personnel. I don't believe you can be for our military and against their missions. Of the thousands of military personnel I've been honored to support over the past years 99.9% of them don't believe you can support them but not their missions either.
I have the great honor to know and support Wounded Warriors - an honor that continues to change my life for the better every day.
I am an American. I am not a member of any political party. Don't put me in a box like that.
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