Every American who has served in any war, and has witnessed blood-shed up-close and personal, knows that there is more to deal with than the present, unsanctioned war at hand. There is also an unconventional war fermenting in our minds. I say “ours” because although I served five years in the Navy, and may have not been stuck in the agonizingly searing deserts for months on end, there are certain “things” I have observed first-hand that will be forever singed in my mind. There are some who will unwittingly crack a half-smile when conversating about the subject, but don’t expect to get too much detail out of a curious question. It’s bad enough to have to witness, live through it and carry that burden on both shoulders; it’s another thing to retell it and relive it for your entertainment. It may sound contemptuous, but many of the ones who keep quiet find it a bit easier to adjust to civilian life.
It’s no different with the young men who serve at Firebase Restrepo, an outpost in the Korengal Valley deep in injurious Afghanistan. Restrepo is a 2010 documentary that focuses on Battle Company, 173rd Airborne Infantry, shot from the perspective of these soldiers, where the Grim Reaper may appear from around the corner at any given time. The outpost, a mere meters from their main base, was christened “Restrepo” in honor of one of their fallen men, PFC (Private First Class) Juan “Doc” Restrepo.
The film/documentary, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, is expected to air on National Geographic Channel sometime this year. I encourage anyone with the slightest sense of interest in what these men deal with on a daily basis, while we’re back at home, watching the Super Bowl and enjoying life, to catch this. Hopefully, someone will pick this up for distribution, even if it’s a limited run. Check below for a behind-the-scenes look at life with Viper Company in the Korengal Valley.
