A Documentary Based on the Writings of Soldiers

Operation Homecoming is a unique documentary that explores the firsthand accounts of American troops through their written words, and offers a profound window into the human side of the war being fought in Iraq.

The film evolved out of a National Endowment for the Arts project that gathered the writing of soldiers and their families who have participated in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Interviews and dramatic readings by such actors as Robert Duvall, Josh Lucas, Beau Bridges, Blair Underwood, Justin Kirk, Aaron Eckhart, Chris Gorham and John Krasinski, transform selections from this collection of writing into a deep examination of the experiences of the men and women who are serving in America’s armed forces. At the same time the film provides depth and context to these experiences through a broader look at the universal themes of war literature.

The writing in Operation Homecoming covers the full spectrum - poetry, fiction, memoir, letters, journals, and essays. The stories recounted here are sad, funny, violent, and uplifting. Yet each one displays an honesty and intensity that is rarely seen in explorations of the war. conflicts.

The film was made possible through the generous support of The Boeing Company, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Independent Television Service.

Winner of Two Emmy Awards

The documentary, based on the National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) remarkable anthology and program on wartime writing, received two Emmy® Awards in the News & Documentary category.

The film, which aired on PBS in April 2007 as part of the America at a Crossroads series, received awards in two categories: Outstanding Informational Programming - Long Form and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Music and Sound.

About the Film

The film depicts powerful writings featured in Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families (Random House, 2006).

Selections show a range of emotions. “Camp Muckamungus” by Airman Edward “Parker” Gyokeres is a wry look at the absurdities of day-to-day life in the desert. “Road Work” by Jack Lewis is a heartbreaking account of the unintended victims of a roadside accident in northern Iraq.

The film contains dramatic readings by actors including Robert Duvall, Blair Underwood and the contributors themselves.

Interviews with established writers Tobias Wolff (In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War) and Tim O'Brien (The Things They Carried) explore the larger themes of wartime writing. "Once again, The Documentary Group has been recognized for its unforgettable presentation of the troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "We are delighted that the Operation Homecoming program has inspired this compelling work."

Made Possible by the National Endowment for the Arts

The source for the award-nominated film and the book is the groundbreaking NEA program, Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience.

Since 2004, the NEA Operation Homecoming writing program has collected the stories of U.S. military personnel and their families. With support from The Boeing Company, Operation Homecoming has brought more than 60 writing workshops to troops at more than 30 domestic and overseas military installations from Camp Pendleton in California to USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf and Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.

Among the original workshop teachers are distinguished writers Tobias Wolff, Jeff Shaara, Marilyn Nelson, Richard Bausch, Bobbie Ann Mason, Joe Haldeman, and Mark Bowden. The program now brings writing workshops to VA medical centers and affiliated centers in the U.S. and abroad.

In tandem with the workshops, the Arts Endowment has offered an open call for writing submissions to active military personnel and their families. This ongoing call has resulted in more than 1,200 submissions and 12,000 pages of writings.

Almost 100 of the submissions to the NEA were featured in the Operation Homecoming anthology. Edited by noted expert on wartime correspondence Andrew Carroll, the anthology was named one of the "Best of 2006" in nonfiction by The Washington Post Book World.

Other Operation Homecoming Resources

Operation Homecoming has been administered by the NEA in partnership with the Southern Arts Federation. The initiative was made possible by generous support from The Boeing Company, which has helped the NEA bring numerous quality arts and arts education programs to military communities nationwide and overseas. Information on Operation Homecoming, a guide for writers, essays, streaming video of writing workshops, and audio clips are available at www.OperationHomecoming.org.
About the National Endowment for the Arts