Tears of Gold: Gold Star Wives and the Men They Lost

During WWII, my Aunt Lydia's husband was killed in action when his plane went over the side of an aircraft carrier. She never remarried, and died when I was still young, so I never had the opportunity to talk with her about her experiences. Christopher Davenport's Tears of Gold tells the real story of women like Lydia--military wives whose lives were shattered by the loss of a spouse. In moving, personal interviews, women relate how they met and fell in love with their husbands, the ups and downs of the early years of their marriages, and how they felt when their men went off to war, never to return. Even after decades, the painful recollection of their losses is heard in the voices that crack as they remember final words and the last time they saw their loved ones. But their stories don't end with the official death notice from the U.S. government: left with children to raise, many of these women found themselves alone and entering the workforce for the first time in their lives. Fortunately, women today receive understanding and support from Gold Star Wives, an organization for military widows who lost their husbands during active duty or whose spouses died due to complications from an injury or illness suffered during duty. In addition, Gold Star Wives takes an active part in Washington politics to fight for better benefits for military widows and orphans. A truly inspirational documentary about love, loss, and support, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (J. Asala)