Operation Homecoming: Stories from the Heart

Compiling all five episodes of the TLC-aired documentary miniseries Operation Homecoming, this program presents a variety of interesting, often moving stories of Iraq veterans who have overcome the pain of injuries or separation from their families to successfully rebuild their lives. Viewers will meet twins who served in the war, a father and son sent to Iraq together, soldiers coming home to see their children for the first time, and a veteran who helps bring a desperately ill Iraqi child to America for medical treatment. The film avoids the politics of the war, keeping the focus on families, and only occasionally strays into the unwelcome territory of reality television (one rather unnecessary episode deals with an obese wife who undergoes gastric bypass surgery while her husband is serving in Iraq). Having learned one of the lessons of Vietnam, Americans today—regardless of their feelings about the Iraq War itself—honor the sacrifices made by the men and women in the armed forces. The series concludes with a brief segment on how to send letters or care packages to troops. Offering a mostly positive alternative to the steady stream of negative (many rightfully so) documentaries about America's involvement in Iraq, this very reasonably priced title is recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)