American Veteran
Today, America has nearly 18 million living military veterans, from the “Greatest Generation” to men and women coming home from recent tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. They join the now-silent ranks of American veterans reaching back to our earliest conflict, the Revolutionary War.
AMERICAN VETERAN is a four-part documentary series tracing the veteran experience across the arc of American history and exploring the present-day divide between civilian and veteran communities. From the citizen-soldiers returning from the Revolution to today’s warrior class, it is a deeply moving story, illuminating the veteran experience and drawing civilian viewers into an unfamiliar culture.
Every voice featured in American Veteran, from narrators to interviews to scholars, is a veteran’s. Every story these veterans relate contributes to our exploration of the shifting relationships, over time and today, between Americans who have served in the military and those who have not.
AMERICAN VETERAN: KEEP IT CLOSE is a 10-part digital video series as part of the American Veteran project. Hosted by Shain Brenden, the digital series draws connections between these objects and other items that are important to the civilian viewer, to create a tangible connection between veterans and those without the veteran experience.
Share your story using the hashtag #AmericanVeteranPBS with a photo as a veteran or civilian. Learn more about joining the conversation - Objects of the Veteran Experience.
Episodes
About Season 2021
AMERICAN VETERAN is a four-part documentary series tracing the veteran experience across the arc of American history and exploring the present-day divide between civilian and veteran communities. From the citizen-soldiers returning from the Revolution to today’s warrior class, it is a deeply moving story, illuminating the veteran experience and drawing civilian viewers into an unfamiliar culture.
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Episode
Episode 1: The Crossing
“There is a very stark line between before boot camp and after boot camp,” a veteran recalls. As recruits take the oath to serve, they leave the civilian world to become a soldier, sailor, marine, airman or woman. This is the start of their transformation. Hosted by TV host and Marine Veteran Drew Carey.
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Episode 2: The Mission
Military life shapes servicemen and women in profound, unexpected ways. Veterans’ stories showcase the raw impact of these experiences: A Coast Guard recruit who helped ferry soldiers on D-Day. A pilot who remotely guided bomber drones over Afghanistan. A Marine who became the first Latina general. Hosted by Senator Tammy Duckworth, Iraq War Veteran (Army) and Purple Heart recipient.
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Episode
Episode 3: The Return
Hollywood war stories mostly end with the hero’s return. In reality, the road back to civilian life is less certain. For some, there were ticker-tape parades; for others, protests, anger and silence. Some veterans return home full of confidence, while others think, “What am I going to do now?” Hosted by actor Wes Studi, Vietnam War Veteran (National Guard) and Native American (Cherokee) activist.
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Episode 4: The Reckoning
“Those who went into the service and those who did not, we are two different realities,” a Veteran decides. But Veterans don't all feel the same. Some like “Thank you for your service”; others feel it's “bumper-sticker deep.” Veterans reflecting ask how veterans and civilians can move America forward together. Hosted by J. R. Martinez, Army Veteran, actor, and motivational speaker.
