Street Vets

Issac Goeckeritz's powerful documentary focuses on 10 men participating in the Homeless Veterans Fellowship program in Ogden, UT. Sadly, their situation is not uncommon—an estimated one out of three homeless males in the U.S. is a military veteran, nearly half of whom served during the Vietnam War era. Those profiled here are candid in discussing their lives after service: the men have been harshly impacted by untreated bouts of post-traumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol addictions, and personal tragedies, resulting in their being relegated to the fringes of society. One of the subjects acknowledges living in a storage unit, while the others have had to find shelter on the streets. The documentary details the Fellowship's effort to provide housing assistance for the vets and help them return to economic self-sufficiency. Narration by broadcaster and former Utah state legislator Phil Riesen accompanies archival and contemporary footage and stills, while interviews with program staff members and others set the context, but it's the first-person stories that resonate here. Originally presented on Utah's KUED public television station, Street Vets is both disturbing and life affirming, offering an insightful look at the problems facing many former soldiers who never truly came back from war. DVD extras include a look at a similar organization in New Hampshire, and a 1991 news story about the Crippled Quill, a collective of homeless artists. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)