Editor's note: Military Times will spotlight a group of GI Film Festival selections regularly in the run-up to the festival.
The Category: Beyond Service
The Films: "Devil Dogs," "Gary Sinise: Always Do a Little More," "The Pacific Soldier," "The Vietnam Wall Guy" and "Welcome Home."
The Breakdown: The life of a service member, or a member of a military family, comes with certain high expectations. But we've all met individuals in various walks of life who are somehow able to meet those expectations and then exceed them, either as part of their profession or in other areas. These five films look at the exceptions to the rule, the standouts among those who already give so much.
- "Devil Dogs" puts viewers at the center of urban warfare in Fallujah, following the fictional story of an embedded photojournalist attempting to chronicle, and make sense of, the chaos.
- "Gary Sinise: Always Do a Little More" travels with the well-known actor and military advocate, explaining his motivations for touring the globe in support of service members.
- "The Pacific Soldier" tracks service by Hawaiians in every war since World War II. Written, produced and directed by a three-time DoD Military Videographer of the Year.
- "The Vietnam Wall Guy" gives a window into the life of Jan C. Scruggs, the man behind the Vietnam Veterans Memorial who continues to seek ways to honor the nation's fallen service members.
- "Welcome Home" packs the stories of five Vietnam War veterans into eight minutes, showing their struggles upon their return from combat.
The Trailers (where available):
The Screenings: The five films will screen at the Navy Memorial Theater on Sunday, May 28, starting at 3 p.m. Tickets are available here; passes to the entire festival also are available.
The Rundown: For more on these films and others, visit the GI Film Festival's official site.
