1.

WHAT:  Screening of "The Ground Truth" (2006), documentary film on US Iraq war soldiers
WHO:  United for Peace of Pierce County
WHEN:  Thursday, October 5, 2006 — 6:30 p.m.
WHERE:  First Congregational Chuch, 209 South "J" St., Tacoma, WA 98405

2.

[From the web site of "The Ground Truth"]

SYNOPSIS

"The Ground Truth" stunned filmgoers at the 2006 Sundance and Nantucket Film Festivals.

Hailed as "powerful" and "quietly unflinching," Patricia Foulkrod's searing documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences. The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans -- ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq -- as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home -- with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all -- the truth.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

This film is not about the right or the left, or about blue or red states. It is about the hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers who have been released by the military after serving in Iraq -- and the truth they hope to share with their fellow citizens.

I produced and directed "The Ground Truth" because I felt it was time to stop hiding behind the politics. No one was writing or talking about thousands of invisible injured soldiers, for the most part young men returning to young wives who must now be their caregivers.

It became clear, while filming, that the broken hearts and shattered lives that I was seeing were profound and pervasive -- whether the soldiers and their families were for or against the Iraq War.

I wanted to show how insidious and deep the effects of killing in combat truly are -- whether in self-defense or not -- so we could create a national dialogue about our "consciousness of killing." I also felt I had to capture the aloneness and despair many returning soldiers silently experience when their psychological and physical needs are not recognized or provided for.

Those needs for soldiers have not changed since Harold Russell and "The Best Years of Our Lives." It is sixty years later, and we need to recognize not only that the U.S. is in very different war circumstances but also that our fighting men -- and, now, women -- face tremendous challenges back home.

So I tried to create a film that might blow the yellow ribbons off the trees, and encourage people to really wrap their arms around our soldiers and their families. I wanted us to sit with the broken hearts and troubled minds of these young veterans, so we can take responsibility for their suffering that is being experienced in our name.

And most important, I wanted to share with all Americans the profound wisdom these young men and women have to impart. Their first step to healing is our listening.

Patricia Foulkrod
June 2006

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Patricia Foulkrod (Director/Producer) -- A New Jersey native, Patricia Foulkrod began her film and television career as an assistant in news and public affairs at WNET-TV, New York City's PBS flagship station (Channel 13). After working her way up to producing some of the station's programs, she further honed her producing skills on industrial films for such companies as Boeing, Mercedes Benz, Air France, and Disney.

After moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980s, she line-produced the acclaimed 70mm documentary "The Living Seas" and produced and directed "They're Doing My Time," an hour-long PBS documentary about children whose mothers are in prison. She later executive-produced a CBS telefilm adaptation of the latter, entitled "Locked Up: A Mother's Rage," which was directed by Bethany Rooney and starred Cheryl Ladd and Angela Bassett; and co-produced the six-hour documentary series "The Native Americans," for Turner Broadcasting System. MO< Ms. Foulkrod has since worked as a producer of independent feature films, among them Éva Gárdos's award-winning "An American Rhapsody" (on which she was also second unit director), starring Scarlett Johansson, Nastassja Kinski, and Tony Goldwyn; Richard Squires's "Crazy Like a Fox," starring Roger Rees and Mary McDonnell; and Richard Shepard's "The Linguini Incident," starring Rosanna Arquette and David Bowie.

During the state of California's recall race in 2005, Ms. Foulkrod served as the Southern California Grassroots Director for Arianna Huffington's Governmental campaign. She also created Peace on the Beach, an event for which thousands of people came together to form a Picasso aerial image for peace. She has organized additional aerial images (with John Quigley) for Greenpeace, and for homeless war veterans, as part of the Discovery Channel's NOW outreach effort.

Rob Hall (Editor) -- Rob Hall's work on "The Ground Truth" was nominated for the Best Editing award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Alternating between NYC and L.A., he has edited and produced award-winning feature films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. He recently signed with Piranha Pictures as a director for music videos and commercials.

Mr. Hall has earned two Emmy Award nominations for his work on the popular children's series "Bear in the Big Blue House," and has owned and operated his own post-production house, The Editor's Union.

He recently completed his directorial debut, the documentary feature "Take Back the City," about one man's struggle to bring political and social justice into the city council of Tampa, Florida.

Reuben Aaronson (Cinematographer) -- Emmy Award winner Reuben Aaronson has been shooting, directing, and producing documentaries for three decades. He has traveled all over the world to make films about the human experience.

In addition to "The Ground Truth," other documentaries that he has been the director of photography on include the Academy Award-winning "Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie," directed by Marcel Ophüls; National Geographic's "Gauchos" (for which he was an Emmy Award nominee; directed by Judith Dawn Hallet) and "The Last Frog" (for which he won an Emmy Award, and was also the editor on; directed by Allison Argo); and the Academy Award-nominated "Fine Food, Fine Pastries, Open 6 to 9" (directed by Dave Peterson).

In the narrative feature realm, Mr. Aaronson was second-unit director of photography on Terrence Malick's award-winning "The Thin Red Line" and Darnell Martin's highly-rated telefilm "Their Eyes Were Watching God."

Among the documentaries that he has directed, produced, and photographed are "Women on Top" (about women coming to positions of power; currently in production) and "Only If You Can Act" (about Helen Hayes; for PBS' American Masters series).

Dave Hodge (Original Music) -- Dave Hodge's professional music career began when he was a teenager. At that time, he studied music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston and McGill University in Montreal; and toured extensively with the groups One and Bran Van 3000.

In addition to those groups, he began performing with such notable artists as Benny Golson, Macy Gray, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Feist. After some 2,000 live shows, he segued into record production, specializing in major label albums and remixes. His first production gig was for reggae great Gregory Isaacs.

Over the past eight years, Mr. Hodge has produced albums and/or remixes for -- among other artists -- Brandy, Janet Jackson, Pharcyde, and Carly Simon. He currently tours with the band Broken Social Scene.

In his capacity as creative director at the L.A. office of Finger Music and Sound Design, he recently did sound design for "Ashes and Snow," photographer Gregory Colbert's unique ongoing multimedia exploration of animals and their interaction with human beings. He has also done, with Michael Brook, mixes on that project for DVD and inside the Nomadic Museum.

ABOUT OUR SOLDIERS AND VETERANS

Robert Acosta, Specialist, U.S. Army -- When Robert Acosta turned 18, he joined the army to get out of Santa Ana and see the world. He says, "If it weren't for the army, I'd probably be locked up right now." On July 13, 2003, a grenade was thrown into his Humvee. As he tried to throw the grenade out, it exploded. Acosta's left leg was shattered, and he lost his right hand. Mr. Acosta and his longtime girlfriend Sandy Restrepo now work with Orange County, California area high school students, presenting alternatives to military recruitment.

Charles Anderson, HM2 -- Charles Anderson served in the United States Navy from 1996-2005. He was deployed to Kuwait in February 2003 with the Marine Corps' Second Tank Battalion, and "crossed the line" into Iraq on March 20, 2003 in the first wave of the war. Like 30% of Iraq War veterans, he returned to the United States with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), for which he was discharged in 2005. Since his discharge, he has been a strong advocate for ending the slaughter in Iraq and caring for our troops when they return. He has written several articles, has camped outside the President's ranch in Texas, and has been arrested challenging an unconstitutional county ordinance. He most recently co-founded Bake Sales for Body Armor, a campaign to purchase needed equipment for our troops. He lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he attends Tidewater Community College.

Aidan Delgado, Specialist, U.S. Army Reserve -- Aidan Delgado was born in Tallahassee, Florida but spent the majority of his life overseas, traveling according to his father's diplomatic assignments. He lived for seven years in Bangkok, Thailand, four years in Dakar, Senegal, and seven years in Cairo, Egypt. In the year 2000, he graduated high school in Cairo and came back to America to attend college. In 2001, after attending New College of Florida for just over a year, he enlisted in the Army Reserve. In January of 2003 his unit was mobilized and ultimately sent to Iraq. In Iraq, he applied for Conscientious Objector Status and relinquished his weapons. He served one year in Iraq and after returning his application for CO status was approved and he was Honorably Discharged from the United States Army on January 7th 2005. Since the end of his military service, he has returned to the New College of Florida and completed a Bachelor's Degree in Religion. He has also become extremely active in the peace movement, traveling around the country speaking to students, activists, and citizen groups about the harsh realities of the Iraq War. He is an active member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.

Kelly Dougherty, Medic and Military Policeman, U.S. Army National Guard -- Kelly Dougherty served eight years in the U.S. Army National Guard. She was deployed in the Balkans from 1999-2000, and in Kuwait and Iraq from February 2003 to February 2004. Ms. Dougherty became the co-founder and Southwestern coordinator of Iraq Veterans Against the War, and has spoken extensively in the U.S. and abroad. She graduated from the University of Colorado in 2004 with a BS in Biology, and is now attending ultrasound school.

Jim Driscoll, Founder of Vets4Vets -- Jim Driscoll founded Vets4Vets last year to provide peer support on a nonpartisan basis for all Iraq-era veterans.  Over 100 Iraq-era veterans have already attended three-day Vets4Vets (V4V) workshops, most of them more than once. They now lead V4V projects in 60 cities across the country. Jim led an infantry platoon in combat in Vietnam in 1968-9 and won a Bronze Star with a combat "V."  He got his Ph.D. from Cornell in Organizational Behavior, his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his B.A. from Harvard. He taught at M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management for seven years and was a labor-management mediator and arbitrator. For over twenty years, he has worked for a variety of social justice organizations, been active in 12-step programs and peer counseling (Reevaluation Counseling) and attended Quaker Meeting. Based on those experiences, he set up Deep Democracy in 2004 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to encourage the wider use of  support groups and other peer-empowerment approaches in a variety of settings. Vets4Vets is a program of Deep Democracy.

Sean Huze, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps -- Sean Huze (originally from Baton Rouge, LA) was a working actor in Los Angeles until 9/11. The following day, Mr. Huze walked into the Marine Corps recruiter's office in Hollywood, CA and enlisted into the USMC. Serving as an infantryman with 2nd LAR, he saw action from Nasirya to Tikrit. The unit pushed the furthest north of any Marine Corps unit during the invasion. Mr. Huze received an honorable discharge in 2005, related to an injury he sustained in Nasirya. He was awarded a Certificate of Commendation citing his "courage and self-sacrifice throughout sustained combat operations" while in Iraq. He has also been awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Promotion for Corporal, The Presidential Unit Citation, The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. Mr. Huze is the author of the critically acclaimed plays Sandstorm: Stories From the Front, which had two successful runs in L.A. as well as in Washington, D.C., and Weasel, which made its debut at the Kennedy Center's Page 2 Stage Festival. He recently completed his third play, The Dragon Slayer, which addresses Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and is slated for a film adaptation.

Denver Jones, U.S. Army Reserve Specialist -- A native of rural North Carolina, Denver Jones had already been in the Army Reserves for over fifteen years when he re-enlisted after 9/11 and was deployed to Iraq. Mr. Jones was in a Humvee accident that shattered his spine and damaged his bladder. In addition to now being completely disabled, Mr. Jones has been battling PTSD.

Joyce & Kevin Lucey -- Joyce and Kevin Lucey are the parents of Jeffrey Lucey, a U.S. soldier who took his life after returning home from military duty in Iraq. Lucey signed up for the Marine Reserves straight in December, 1999 -- his first semester of college. In February 2003, one month before the invasion, he was shipped out to Iraq. He was deployed there for five months, during which he fought in the battle of Nasiriyah. He returned to the U.S. later that year. A few months after his return, Jeffrey's parents, Kevin and Joyce, began noticing signs of what they later came to know as post-traumatic stress syndrome. In late May 2004, during Memorial Day weekend, they had Jeffrey involuntarily committed to a military veteran's hospital after he ignored his parents' and sister, Debbie's pleas to seek help. The hospital discharged him after a few days. Three weeks later on June 22, Jeffrey Lucey took his own life. He was 23 years old. His father, Kevin came home to find his son had hung himself with a hose in the cellar of their house. The dog tags of two Iraqi prisoners he said he was forced to shoot unarmed, lay on his bed.

Jimmy Massey -- Jimmy Massey served 12 years in the United States Marine Corps. During his career, he was an Infantry Instructor at the Marine Corps Boot Camp in South Carolina, a Recruiter in North Carolina, and a Platoon Staff Sergeant during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was medically discharged in December 2003 and has been rated 100% totally and permanently disabled by the Veterans Administration. Since February of 2004, Jimmy has been traveling around the world speaking of the atrocities he saw and participated in while in Iraq. He has written a book that has been published in France and is currently being considered for publication in other countries around the globe. Jimmy currently lives in North Carolina with his wife, Jackie.

Camilo Mejia, Sgt. U.S. Army National Guard -- On May 21, 2004, 28-year-old Sgt. Camilo Mejia is a former member of the Florida National Guard who was charged with desertion and sentenced to one year in prison for refusing to return to fight in Iraq. Camilo spent six months in combat in Iraq, then returned for a 2-week furlough to the U.S. In March 2004 he turned himself in to the U.S. military and filed an application for conscientious objector status. Mejia was placed under court-martial and claimed that he left his post in order to avoid duties that could be considered war crimes: more specifically, the abuse and torture of prisoners. On May 21 Mejia was convicted of desertion by a military jury and sentenced to a year in jail and a bad conduct discharge. Under Article 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, conviction on the charge of desertion during time of war can result in a sentence of death. Mejia served his time at the Fort Sill military prison in Lawton, Oklahoma. During his time in custody he was recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience. Camilo Mejia was released from prison on February 15, 2005. Since his release, he has spoken out about his experiences and his opposition to the war in Iraq.

Demond Mullins, U.S. Army National Guard -- Demond Mullins grew up in Brooklyn. After seeing an Army commercial and being challenged to join by his girlfriend, he enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard for a college education. He served five years with the National Guard, and was deployed overseas in 2004. After a year in Iraq, he returned home. Soon after, he joined Iraq Veterans Against the War. His service with the National Guard was completed in early summer 2006; he also recently completed his senior year at Lehman College in the Bronx, after finally receiving confirmation of his educational benefits from the military.

Perry O'Brien, Medic -- Perry O'Brien spent eight months in Afghanistan as a medic with the 82nd Airborne. He was discharged as a conscientious objector (CO), and was one of the founders of http://www.peace-out.com, a comprehensive online guide for soldiers seeking CO status. Mr. O'Brien, a member of Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War, is currently finishing his BA at Cornell University.

Paul Rieckhoff, 1st LT. Platoon Leader, U.S. Army National Guard -- Paul Rieckhoff enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in September 1998, and served in the Reserves as a Specialist with the 812th Military Police Company. Later, while working at J.P. Morgan on NYC's Wall Street, he transferred to the U.S. Army National Guard, graduating from Officer Candidate School in June 2001 as a Distinguished Military Graduate. Mr. Rieckhoff left his position at Morgan on September 8, 2001, with the intention of completing additional military training. 9/11 changed his plans. He soon served as a Platoon Leader in Iraq, returning to the U.S. in February 2003. Determined to educate the American public about the war, and the conditions that U.S. soldiers face not only in Iraq but also at home, Mr. Rieckhoff created IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; formerly Operation Truth). IAVA now counts among its members thousands of troops in the war zone and at home who work together to create change. Mr. Rieckhoff still serves in the U.S. Army National Guard; his first book, Chasing Ghosts, an account of his experiences, was published in May 2006.

Stephen L. Robinson -- Steve Robinson is a former Airborne Ranger and Instructor at Ranger School. He served as Executive Director of the National Gulf War Resource Center from September 2001 to January 2006. He is a Gulf War veteran and a recognized expert on Gulf War Illness and chemical and biological weapons exposures. Robinson also previously served on the 12-member Veterans Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses and as a Special Advisor to Vietnam Veterans of America. He currently serves as the Government Relations Director for Veterans for America.

3.

'TRUTH' OF TROOPS IN IRAQ GETS PAST POLITICS
By Claudia Puig

USA Today
September 21, 2006

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2006-09-21-review-ground-truth_x.htm

"The Ground Truth" is a cinematic call to arms. It asks that we not only support the troops but also bear witness to their anguish, no matter what position we may have on the war in Iraq.

It is a documentary for those who proudly emblazon yellow ribbons, and for those who vehemently oppose the war. It should also be seen by those who may be uncertain what to think.

This troubling and gripping chronicle of the men and women who served in the military is profoundly moving. Through interviews with a half-dozen American soldiers who returned from fighting in Iraq scarred in myriad ways, we get a visceral sense of the heavy burden they have borne.

The film -- spanning recruitment through deployment in Iraq and back to U.S. civilian life -- is told from the vantage point of several strikingly articulate, candid, and gravely disillusioned military personnel. Most sign up with hope and belief in the cause. Some regarded a military stint as a way of gaining career training, believing the recruiters who lured them with promises of top-notch medical and educational benefits.

Once there, some say, they were haunted by the sight of dead children. They return home alienated, guilt-ridden and depressed. Some come back missing a leg, an arm or otherwise disfigured. They contend that the government minimizes their physical and psychological pain.

While on duty, Marine Jimmy J. Massey lamented the toll of casualties -- including women and children -- from an attack on an Iraqi town. When his superior asks why he's so glum, he explains that being responsible for so many dead and wounded Iraqis made it a "bad day." He is sharply reprimanded by the officer, he says, with the rejoinder: "No, that's a good day."

This is undeniably one of the year's most compelling films, and also one of the saddest. Unflinching, disturbing and fascinating, "The Ground Truth" never weighs in on the merits of the war, nor engages in Bush-bashing. This is how these soldiers feel and there is no denying their sense of outrage.

Documentaries like this one have a valuable place in the world of film. Clearly, this is not intended to be an objective news report. Still, you wonder why there were no interviews with soldiers who felt their time in Iraq was well-spent.

It is not clear whether director Patricia Foulkrod tried to find such people and was unable to, or decided to focus solely on the war's gut-wrenching effects on the psyche.

The voices of these brave young people reverberate hauntingly. A Marine named Sean Huze is plagued by his experience in Iraq. Images of the destruction of villages and murder of innocents remain with him once he's back home with his wife. "Your purpose (in the military) is to kill, make no mistake," Huze says. "There was nothing honorable about what we did. And that broke my heart."