HBO to Debut "Wartorn: 1861-2010"

Today, in honor of Veteran's Day, HBO will debut a new documentary, "Wartorn: 1861-2010." Executive Produced by Emmy winner James Gandolfini, "Wartorn: 1861-2010" chronicles and explores post-traumatic stress (PTSD) in the military and its far reaching effects on veterans and their families--from the Civil War to today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Says Gandolfini, "We should be aware of what's happening. Unless people start thinking about it, one way or another, it's not going to stop."

"Wartorn: 1861-2010" draws upon stories of American soldiers who have experienced the invisible wounds caused by PTSD, and includes intimate journals and letters, photographs, first-person interviews with veterans of WWII, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In an interview with HBO, Producer Matthew O-Neill shared why the filmmakers were so committed to sharing the plight of the American soldier. "The Iraq and Afghan wars are not just the longest wars in American history, they are being fought disproportionately by a very small number of people," says O'Neill. "The burden is being borne by that small number and their families and most Americans ignore it because it's not touching them directly."

At an advanced screening at the Pentagon, the documentary was attended by some of the military's top brass and soldiers' families. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Douglas Wilson, remarked the film was an "honest portrayal of a difficult problem." General George Casey, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army called PTSD the "defining military health issue of our era."

General Peter Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, who is interviewed in the film, best sums up the need for more intervention and awareness, "You're fighting a culture that doesn't believe that injuries you can't see can be as serious as injuries that you can see."

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