Post by SOL Owner on May 17, 2014 8:56:26 GMT -6
The Profound Question Haunting Our Soldiers
BY TIM SCHMIDT - USCCA FOUNDER
"Will you think less of me when I have to kill someone?"
That's the question Mike Ulanksi asked his mother, LeAnn Ladwig, when he called home to Monument, Colorado after arriving in Iraq for his first tour of duty.
They are chilling words, to say the least.
They are words that reveal the profound sadness that exists deep within a soldier's heart. They are words that represent a separation between those who have seen war and those who have not; an intense loneliness that creates walls and stirs up demons. They are words that hint at an alarming trend of helplessness among our nation's greatest patriots. Ultimately, they are words that indicate—now more than ever—the need for healing.
And if anyone can understand that need for healing—for personal redemption—it's Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, the two Iraq War veterans who embarked on a 7-month, 2,700-mile journey across the nation—an epic pilgrimage called Veterans Trek—for that very reason.
Before leaving Milwaukee for the long walk to Los Angeles, Anderson recalls searching for "something sustainable...that was not anger."
Along the way, Voss and Anderson both sought that "something," and crossed paths with people from all walks of life who brought them a little closer to it. The duo met people like Ulanski, who walked 12 miles with the pair despite injuries sustained in combat that prohibit him from any strenuous activity. People like Ladwig, who shared her son's deeply personal question and her own heartache, and who opened her home to the men for 8 days over Thanksgiving. People who had seen combat—some more than once—and people who had lost loved ones there.
What Tom and Anthony's Trek also helped to do is uncover an incredibly stark and troubling reality among our veterans, one that paints a picture of isolation and hopelessness.
I could offer you shocking statistics on veteran suicides, or tell you why it's so imperative that we start investing in the emotional and spiritual well being of our soldiers, but suffice it to say there is someone out there who can tell it better than I can. Michael Collins is an award-winning director, and he was there to capture Tom and Anthony's amazing journey. He has transformed that journey into a documentary in production. It's called Almost Sunrise.
Almost Sunrise is Tom Voss' story. It is Anthony Anderson's story. It is Michael Ulanksi's story. It is your story, and my story. It is the story of the human spirit and of human redemption. Director Michael Collins notes that "despite the overwhelming challenges, this film is A STORY OF HOPE."
Please take 5 minutes to watch this video to learn more about Almost Sunrise:
(I have to be honest, I couldn't make it through the whole thing without tearing up.)
When it comes down to it, there is no real way to understand the physical and emotional sacrifices our veterans have made to preserve our freedoms. And there is certainly no way we can ever repay them for those sacrifices. But we can do this one small thing to make a difference.
And so I passionately urge you to donate to this important cause if you can. As little as $5 can help ensure this production sees the light of day. And If you can't donate, please help to spread the word about a film that has the power to ignite change and promote healing for a group of people who deserve the absolute best life has to give.
Now, I want to return for a second to that profound question from Mike Ulanski:
www.sunrisedocumentary.com/Sunrise/THE_FILM.html
BY TIM SCHMIDT - USCCA FOUNDER
"Will you think less of me when I have to kill someone?"
That's the question Mike Ulanksi asked his mother, LeAnn Ladwig, when he called home to Monument, Colorado after arriving in Iraq for his first tour of duty.
They are chilling words, to say the least.
They are words that reveal the profound sadness that exists deep within a soldier's heart. They are words that represent a separation between those who have seen war and those who have not; an intense loneliness that creates walls and stirs up demons. They are words that hint at an alarming trend of helplessness among our nation's greatest patriots. Ultimately, they are words that indicate—now more than ever—the need for healing.
And if anyone can understand that need for healing—for personal redemption—it's Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, the two Iraq War veterans who embarked on a 7-month, 2,700-mile journey across the nation—an epic pilgrimage called Veterans Trek—for that very reason.
Before leaving Milwaukee for the long walk to Los Angeles, Anderson recalls searching for "something sustainable...that was not anger."
Along the way, Voss and Anderson both sought that "something," and crossed paths with people from all walks of life who brought them a little closer to it. The duo met people like Ulanski, who walked 12 miles with the pair despite injuries sustained in combat that prohibit him from any strenuous activity. People like Ladwig, who shared her son's deeply personal question and her own heartache, and who opened her home to the men for 8 days over Thanksgiving. People who had seen combat—some more than once—and people who had lost loved ones there.
What Tom and Anthony's Trek also helped to do is uncover an incredibly stark and troubling reality among our veterans, one that paints a picture of isolation and hopelessness.
I could offer you shocking statistics on veteran suicides, or tell you why it's so imperative that we start investing in the emotional and spiritual well being of our soldiers, but suffice it to say there is someone out there who can tell it better than I can. Michael Collins is an award-winning director, and he was there to capture Tom and Anthony's amazing journey. He has transformed that journey into a documentary in production. It's called Almost Sunrise.
Almost Sunrise is Tom Voss' story. It is Anthony Anderson's story. It is Michael Ulanksi's story. It is your story, and my story. It is the story of the human spirit and of human redemption. Director Michael Collins notes that "despite the overwhelming challenges, this film is A STORY OF HOPE."
Please take 5 minutes to watch this video to learn more about Almost Sunrise:
(I have to be honest, I couldn't make it through the whole thing without tearing up.)
When it comes down to it, there is no real way to understand the physical and emotional sacrifices our veterans have made to preserve our freedoms. And there is certainly no way we can ever repay them for those sacrifices. But we can do this one small thing to make a difference.
And so I passionately urge you to donate to this important cause if you can. As little as $5 can help ensure this production sees the light of day. And If you can't donate, please help to spread the word about a film that has the power to ignite change and promote healing for a group of people who deserve the absolute best life has to give.
Now, I want to return for a second to that profound question from Mike Ulanski:
www.sunrisedocumentary.com/Sunrise/THE_FILM.html