"Restrepo"

Last week I was on the phone with a friend and I told him I was looking for something to watch on Netflix.  Our conversation went something like this:

Joe:  "You should watch 'Restrepo'."

Me:  "Watch what?"

Joe:  "'Restrepo'."

Me:  "What?"

Joe:  "Restrepo".

Me:  "Re-what"?  Is that somebody's name?"

 

By the time we hung up, I got ready for bed, and went to Google the documentary, I'd already forgotten the name.  After watching the film, however, it's a name I will never forget. 

 

I began watching last night, coincidentally on Memorial Day, which was quite fitting, and finished it this morning.  As soon as it ended, I wanted to watch it again.  I am guessing the majority of you probably had a similar response as I did when you heard the name of the film, but if you haven't heard of it, I highly recommend checking it out.  The 2010 documentary, by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington,  follows a 15-month deployment of a platoon from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team to the Korengal Valley (dubbed as "the Valley of Death" by American Soldiers) of Afghanistan. 

Given my background, I know a lot about law enforcement, but when it comes to the military, I am pretty clueless.  I have been involved in various Adopt-A-Soldier programs, so I have done a limited amount of talking to "my Soldier" about military operations, but to be honest, the majority of what is done on a day-to-day basis is still greatly ambiguous to me.  As Jack was deployed to Kuwait and not in a targeted warzone, his deployment was much different than that of an Army Ranger engaged in combat.  I went to college with a Ranger, and know several men who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and while I've always been eager to know what it's like on deployment, I know it is a very sensitive subject matter and one that I feel is too personal for me to bring up.  However, the curiosity has always been there. 

We've all seen war portrayed in the movies, sometimes gorily, others even romanticized, but I've always wondered what it is actually like for Soldiers.  One of my favorite shows, "Army Wives", is obviously not "real life", but one of the recurring themes in that show has been the wives of Soldiers not understanding how their husbands could want to put the Army in front of their own families.  Having never been a member of the military myself, it would be wrong to say that I know how these men feel, but having experienced the camaraderie / brotherhood of law enforcement, I can sort of understand it.  Think of the opening line of Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon":  "We met as soulmates on Parris Island."  How many people have you met in life that you can say you care about so much that you would risk your life for them, or consider them a "soulmate" in a non-romantic way after all you've gone through together?  For most people, that list probably doesn't extend beyond their families.  For others, there may be no list at all.  These men go into hell on earth as strangers and leave as brothers.  Sure, it's a concept we can all ponder and maybe even grasp, but most of us will never live and truly know that experience.  And for us, "Restrepo" was created. 

I cannot even do the film justice by describing it with words, which is why I highly recommend watching it for yourself, but I will try to give you the gist of it and then you must watch!  First of all, in case you didn't know, the documentary bears its title in honor of a platoon medic, Juan Sebastian Restrepo, who was killed in action.  What sets "Restrepo" apart from other documentaries is that the cameras are rolling constantly.  You, the viewer, are right there during enemy attacks.  You will witness the loss of a Soldier.  You will watch the Soldiers retaliate.  You will see the peace talks between the U.S. Army and Afghan elders.  And finally, you will feel a tiny sliver of the emotion that these men must have felt not only during their deployment, but most likely every day for the rest of their lives. 

While I have always been fascinated with history, particularly war, I know some of you are probably reluctant to watch movies containing violent content.  This documentary is not at all gruesome, and for you ladies who complain about men never showing any emotion, this one may be for you.  Some of you know my history with the pathological liar who shed more tears on any given Wednesday than I probably have in my whole life, so you know that I'm not as big of a fan of men showing emotion as some others.  However, this film depicts some of the truest emotion I have ever seen and left me with wanting to hug each and every one of those Soldiers and never let them go.  So ladies, if you're a fan of big, strong men who love and fight for their country, and who have actual feelings, let's just say that "People Magazine" got it all wrong.  The men of "Restrepo" are the sexiest men alive. 

For more information about the documentary, you can check out the film's website.  I watched the video on Netflix, but it is also uploaded on YouTube.

  PFC Juan Sebastian Restrepo

Photo courtesy of Iraqwarheroes.com.