Search - Last Letters Home - Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq on DVD

The consequences of war, up close and very personal

K. Kasabian | Silicon Valley, CA | 03/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Last Letters Home is as close as anyone wants to come to experiencing the death of a loved one in wartime. Filmmaker Bill Couturie takes a back seat in this powerful documentary, allowing mourning families to tell their own stories about those they loved and lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Each family reads aloud their last letter, then recounts in their own words the day that changed their lives forever. It is at times difficult to watch as family members struggle to hold onto all that they have left - letters, photographs and memories of happier times.

Pain and pride redraw the lines on the faces of the survivors as they read the precious letters aloud. Watching Lloyd Byers read his son Josh's letter is like watching a proud father's dreams being cruelly snuffed out. Over and and over, the viewer's heart is broken as another family bravely recounts their very personal struggles.

Last Letters honors all fallen soldiers, but the film is largely about the families' attempts to go on in the face of nearly unbearable sadness: A mother's only son. A young wife, pregnant with her husband's third child, whom he'll never see. A woman sharing a Mother's Day card she received from her fallen son after his death. It is hard to imagine that these are only 10 of more than 1,500 dead as of this writing, that 1400 other stories of heartache and loss go untold; the emotional toll seems too great.

Last Letters, then, is a sober document that honors all those personally affected by war, those gone but not forgotton and those who are left to remember."

A must for ANY American - young and old alike

J. Lockhart | Mundelein, IL United States | 03/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this when it aired on TV and was lucky enough that I Tivo'd it. I then replayed it again with my 8 year old son in the room. I prefaced that these are the heros we pray for, these are the people we remember on Verteran's Day, these are the men and women that we are most thankful for. Yes, I fought tears more times during this show than any I've ever watched. But it's real. It brings the reality of sacrifice to bear. Yes, it's dificult to see these families missing their husbands, wives, sons, and daughters - but it allowed me to teach my son about pride, commitment, honor, duty, and most importantly respect. I didn't realize the value of this lesson until about two weeks later. We were in the mall and he saw a new naval enlistee. Proactively he walked up to the young man, offered up his small hand, and said "Thanks". Folks, I've never been more proud in my life. This DVD helps us all remember and is a phenomenal tribute to the brave men and women who gave all when their country asked them to. It is inspiring to see the pride that remains in their families for what they have done. This is indeed the greatest country in the world. I'm proud to be an American!"

Intensely emotional DVD

E. Mafi | Long Beach CA | 05/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Strangely, this video humanizes the soldiers entirely but doesn't deliberately demonize the war. It draws you into the unfathomable emotional baggage borne by the surviving family members that no one, regardless of his or her opinon of the war, wants any American to have to suffer.

The grief that erupts as the family members read the last letters their deceased loved ones in the armed forces wrote to them draws the viewer in, as well. One soldier even wrote a farewell letter to his wife and children, somehow sensing that it was his last letter.

Every American should see this to understand the profound and permanent sacrifice that so many of their countrymen are making for the liberation of Iraq.

Some of the soldiers asked for prayers, so: Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis: Requiescant in pace."

We need to see this

Lois J. Waldron | sun city, az USA | 06/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's difficult to watch without crying or at least tearing up. Everyone should see this and examine their conscience."