What to watch on TV on Veterans' Day

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Thursday, November 11, 2010 - 10:50 AM Share

By Paula Broadwell
Best Defense TV reviewer

If you do only one thing on Nov. 11th, watch HBO's Wartorn 1861-2010.

It is tonight at 9 pm.

Wartorn is a documentary exploring combat and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through much of U.S. military history. This provocative exploration of PTSD and its devastating effects on those who have served our country and their families is really moving. We hear often, in this blog and other places, how disconnected the American populace is from our current wars. This film will hopefully play a part in changing that. The special preview that HBO conducted for the Pentagon leadership this past Friday is already generating media attention. 

Here's the trailer.

hbo.com/documentaries/wartorn-1861-2010

EXPLORE:CULTURE, MEDIA, MILITARY
 

HUNTER

4:41 PM ET

November 11, 2010

Cripes

Bad time to have cancelled HBO.

 

JPWREL

5:57 PM ET

November 11, 2010

During Churchill’s first

During Churchill’s first visit with Stalin in Moscow they discussed the horrific losses in men and material taking place on the German-Russian front. Gen. Alan Brooke directed an inquiry to Stalin about how the Red Army processed psychological casualties from these tremendous battles. As the question was being translated to Stalin a smile began to appear on his face and he answered back that in the Soviet Army there is no such thing as a psychological casualty, that such a casualty was a luxury of the west! For some reason I suspect that the Russian Army of today has not departed too far from that policy.

 

CARDSHARP

6:39 PM ET

November 11, 2010

Similar situation in the Wehrmacht.

They also had very low rate of psychological casualties but I am still not sure whether this is because of different classifications or just because they gave very little leeway for those who refused to fight.

I often wonder how American soldiers would react under the rules and conditions placed on Red army and the Wehrmacht in the more desperate years of the war.

 

GOLD STAR FATHER

2:28 AM ET

November 12, 2010

WWII PTSD

Remember Eddie Slovik.

 

WALKING WOUNDED

4:28 AM ET

November 12, 2010

Audie Murphy the film star was said to be a mean drunk

When a western quick-draw circus performer challenged the wealthy movie star to a contest, Lt. Murphy CMOH agreed (to a provocative reporters delight) on condition of live ammo. Some thought that he just might have done it.

 

SOLDIERSDIARY

1:11 PM ET

November 12, 2010

Slovik

I just finished "The Execution of Private Slovik" by William Bradford Huie...I would recommend it if you have not read it yet, it tries to figure out that of the 49 people sentenced to death in WWII for desertion (a crime of omission), he was the only one who the death sentence was actually carried out.

 

WALKING WOUNDED

11:06 PM ET

November 11, 2010

A WW2 movie take on PTSD

A WW2 movie take on PTSD came my way last night:
Captain Newman, MD
(Greg Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickensen, Eddie Albert.)
Dr. Peck and staff wrestle with combat stress and military beaurocrats, in a stateside military base hospital. A lot lighter than 'Best Years of our Lives', but a witty and honest (for that time) attempt to prepare the home front for serious psych casualties. Obviously a product of the Army Air Corps propaganda wing. But hey, my dad was a waist gunner with ruined ears, a lifetime injury. The movie holds up surprisingly well.

As is my part, here at BD, I have to repeat that any discussion of PTSD that doesn't mention the non-identical TBI blast/concussion/penetration twin is incomplete. Many symptoms may look the same, but causes and treatment are different, and both injuries often occur in the same patient.

WW1 battle medicine had no way to differentiate psyche from neuro trauma, in the case of closed head injuries. WW2 research found closed head fatalities associated with non-penetrating torque-damage on the helmet. The injury was inside the skull, a fatal knock-out blow, without leaving a mark.

Sgt. Saunders (Combat!) may not have been so crazy to leave his trademark helmet chin strap hanging loose.

 

HUNTER

8:31 PM ET

November 12, 2010

12 o clock high

Good combat stress story and challenge of command story. That is all.

 

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military for the Washington Post from 2000 through 2008.

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