Unforgotten

For many, the 1950-53 Korean War is considered the “forgotten war,” the first U.S. war without an unconditional victory. Filmmaker Darrin Dick’s documentary centers on his grandfather, veteran Harold Bauer, who enlisted in the U.S Army right out of high school and found himself in Korea two months later. After 14 months of frontline battle, Bauer returned home with physical and psychological injuries. But unlike the aftermath of World War II, the nation did not welcome its Korean War veterans home with massive parades and celebrations, and this seeming indifference exacerbated how veterans adjusted to civilian life. Dick interviews Bauer at great length about the war and on issues ranging from faith to family, and the men visit the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., where Bauer further details what he experienced. Unforgotten is clearly a labor of love for Dick, and one can easily overlook some of the production’s rough edges as the filmmaker strives to preserve his grandfather’s valor for digital posterity. A solid tribute to one man’s heroism as seen against a wider, complex panorama, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)