Gunner Palace

[walker 0]

Hi all

I just saw this documentary on More4 the cable TV channel.

http://www.channel4.com/more4/documentaries/doc-feature.jsp?id=88

It was remarkably well made and not all gung ho as some who had not seen it thought.

It is available on DVD

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424129/

Read the reviews there.

Some info here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunner_Palace

There is little or no real violence shown all though there are several eyewitness reports on the violence the soldiers were involved in.

In one seen a soldier talks about killing someone for the first time amid all his protestations to his being over being affected by it and him saying it was him or me his inner guilt and stress at having to kill someone is portrayed in his eyes. I hope the guy is getting counseling.

Another hauting seen is a one of the women soldiers talking about a coleague injured in a mortaring.

Sadly several of the soldiers and interpreters died during or soon after it was made.

One of the best documentaries on Iraq from the US soldiers viewpoint I have seen. At times it is reminiscent of old Vietnam documentaries. For those mission makers in OFP the film is a must for getting an idea of the flavour of the Iraq war.

The length of time taken in its filming means it adequately portrays the changes in the soldiers attitude to the war. In particular it deals with the change in attitude of the soldiers when they return for their second deployment.

The seen with marines discussing their up armored Hummers in reply to the $87 billion government budget for up armoring as they explain they got the hi-tec armor from scrap metal they got off the street it is both hilarious and frighteningly sad.

I dare say that it must have frightened some of those in TBA as the veteran soldiers attitude to why they were there had changed radically by their second deployment. It reminded me somewhat of the UK armies attitude at the end of WWII when views of the returning soldiers as to incumbent conservative government and prime minister lead to the next decades labour party victories.

A must watch; I recommend it to anyone.

Now off to see Baghdad ER for that violence and bloodshed missing in Gunner Palace. For those of you able to get More4 on Cable or Freeview if in the UK or Satelite Gunner Palace is repeated in about 2 hours from now.

Kind Regards Walker