American Veteran

AMERICAN VETERAN is a four-part documentary series tracing the veteran experience across the arc of American history and exploring the present-day divide between civilian and veteran communities. From the citizen-soldiers returning from the Revolution to today’s warrior class, it is a deeply moving story, illuminating the veteran experience and drawing civilian viewers into an unfamiliar culture.

Hollywood war stories mostly end with the hero’s return. In reality, the road back to civilian life is less certain. For some, there were ticker-tape parades; for others, protests, anger and silence. Some veterans return home full of confidence, while others think, “What am I going to do now?” Hosted by actor Wes Studi, Vietnam War Veteran (National Guard) and Native American (Cherokee) activist.

Military life shapes servicemen and women in profound, unexpected ways. Veterans’ stories showcase the raw impact of these experiences: A Coast Guard recruit who helped ferry soldiers on D-Day. A pilot who remotely guided bomber drones over Afghanistan. A Marine who became the first Latina general. Hosted by Senator Tammy Duckworth, Iraq War Veteran (Army) and Purple Heart recipient.

“Those who went into the service and those who did not, we are two different realities,” a Veteran decides. But Veterans don't all feel the same. Some like “Thank you for your service”; others feel it's “bumper-sticker deep.” Veterans reflecting ask how veterans and civilians can move America forward together. Hosted by J. R. Martinez, Army Veteran, actor, and motivational speaker.

AMERICAN VETERAN is a four-part documentary series tracing the veteran experience across the arc of American history and exploring the present-day divide between civilian and veteran communities. From the citizen-soldiers returning from the Revolution to today’s warrior class, it is a deeply moving story, illuminating the veteran experience and drawing civilian viewers into an unfamiliar culture.

Female Veterans have their own unique perspectives on war. In this video, three Veterans share how being female shaped their stories. We hear from an Air Force Vet who was attached to special operations units in Iraq and Afghanistan to aid cultural interactions, a female helicopter pilot flying air assault missions, and an Army Vet, whose experience as a mother made her job deeply poignant.

Brandon Anderson served in the army from 2003 to 2008, when the policy was ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ His fiancé at the time was his best male friend, so he was living a double life. When tragedy fell, and his partner was the victim of police violence, Brendan was forced to disclose his sexuality, and given a dishonorable discharge from the army, to which he’d devoted 5 years of his life.

Objects were being left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., long before the formal dedication in May, 1987. These objects, and the ones still being left today, were initially housed at a facility in Maryland, until Army Vet. Duery Felton, Jr., stepped in. With some other Vietnam Veterans, he helped identify the objects, and The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection was born.

“In my head I was going to go do six months, save some money, lose some weight, and come back home. That was the plan,” Shoshana Johnson recalls. The first month in-country, her convoy was ambushed and eleven soldiers were killed. Johnson was wounded, captured along with five others, and held for 22 days, becoming the first Black female POW in U.S. military history. Watch Shoshana share her story.

Teddy Roosevelt argued that “the tent where soldiers all sleep will rank among the great agents of democratization.” In the chaos of bootcamp it can take time for that kind of thinking to sink in, but recruits soon learn that finding community and understanding with fellow recruits is the only way to survive the rigors of basic training. And relying on fellow recruits can be the key to success.

Finding a new normal after military service can be challenging. In 2010, Marine Veteran Jake Wood pulled a team of veterans together to respond to Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. There, they could put their unique skills as servicemen and women to good use, which ultimately helped with their re-integration back into civilian life. Team Rubicon, the organization he founded, now has 125,000 volunteers.

Soldiers are trained to kill the enemy, but in reality, the impact of this can be formidable. When Lieut. Col. (Ret.) Bruce Black made his first drone strike, he stepped outside the box and threw up. In basic training recruits are trained to fire on command at human cut-outs, but can a person really be prepared to take a life and, if so, how does one not have remorse? Veterans share their stories.