Tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 9 p.m. ET/PT– only a few days before Veterans Day — National Geographic Channel debuts “The Long Road Home,” a clear-eyed, unsparing look at a deadly ambush on U.S. forces in Sadr City, an impoverished, densely populated suburb of Baghdad, Iraq, on Palm Sunday, April 4, 2004.
It’s based on the book of the same name by ABC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz, who said:
“There is nothing that has been more meaningful in my career than this, and not just because of the story, and not just because of those interviews, but because I’ve maintained the relationship — because these guys are my brothers, and their spouses are my sisters.”
The eight-episode drama launches with a special two-hour premiere tonight. The series moves to its regular date and time of Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Nov. 14.
The large cast includes Michael Kelly, Jason Ritter (“Kevin (Probably) Saves the World”), E.J. Bonilla, Kate Bosworth, Sarah Wayne Callies, Noel Fisher and Jeremy Sisto.
“The Long Road Home” was filmed in and around Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, from which the soldiers in the film were deployed, and where their families lived. A replica of Sadr City was built nearby, and actual Fort Hood buildings were used, including the chapel.
The episodes switch between the war front and the home front, showing the attack from multiple points of view, and goes back into the personal lives of the soldiers.
A warning to parents — the battle scenes are harrowing and realistic, and the film deals honestly with the complex emotions both at home and in combat. But, if your kids are mature enough, it’s worth watching with them. There is some rough language, but it’s kept to a minimum.
Eight soldiers died on April 4, 2004, and many more were wounded, called by some “Black Sunday” or “Dark Sunday.” As outlined in this detailed military blog on the incident, Task Force Lancer 2-5 Cav (2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment) were ambushed while on routine operations (making rounds escorting Iraqi “honey wagons” collecting sewage) in the narrow streets.
With soldiers trapped and pinned down, rescue operations were sent out, and a battle ensued.
The eight killed were Spc. Robert R. Arsiaga, 25; Spc. Ahmed Cason, 24; Sgt. Yihjyh L. “Eddie” Chen, 31; Spc. Israel Garza, 25; Spc. Stephen D. Hiller, 25; Cpl. Forest J. Jostes, 22; Spc. Casey Sheehan. 24 (described in the military blog as a “devout Catholic”); and Sgt. Michael W. Mitchell, 25.
Some of the survivors participated as consultants on film, including Aaron Fowler and Eric Bourquin. At the TV Critics Association Press Tour this past summer, they said:
Fowler: It’s definitely a part of the healing process, because I’ve had the ability, over the past three months during production, to walk through with everybody and go through my individual and group memories in three dimensions in real time.
Borquin: I hope the audience takes home the sacrifice, and that they understand that the story is about family. It’s about sacrifice. It’s about, “Nobody can do it alone.
Fowler: I would hope that, after watching this, the viewer gets a more complete understanding of the total picture of not only the soldiers, but of the family members and the Iraqis, the different perspectives involved with the fight, and the repercussions of how individuals dealt with that.
It’s a part of the story that has never been told yet, and I’m excited that they get it out there. I would like America to have a complete understanding of exactly what my friends and family sacrificed.
A few years ago, NatGeo did “Inside Combat Rescue,” a heartbreaking yet inspiring reality series following the U.S. Air Force Pararescue Teams, a k a the PJs, who fly into combat zones to rescue and treat wounded service members and civilians. It also presented “Restrepo,” a documentary about U.S. soldiers in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan.
Together, they represent some of the most honest, fair and heartfelt portraits of the U.S. military, not glossing over the warts or the dangers but showing great respect for the men and women who serve.
In its details, frankness, and unflinching devotion to telling the story of the men of that fateful Palm Sunday, “The Long Road Home” further burnishes NatGeo’s reputation as a worthy chronicler of of the modern military.
Only one percent of Americans serve in the all-volunteer military, and in many parts of the country, vast numbers of people neither are related to, nor even know, any active servicemembers or recent veterans.
If you’re willing to watch with compassion and without pre-judgment, “The Long Road Home” introduces you to some of our finest and bravest young Americans, asked to do an impossible task in an impossible place during an impossible time (as indeed, many soldiers have been throughout history).
Included in the press kit is this prayer:
Merciful God,
We ask you to bring peace to these men as they go out in faith.
Give them courage, Lord,
Courage to perform their duties with honor and dignity.
May they be triumphant in victory, as they show mercy to our enemies.
Out of the depths, we call to you, O Lord.
Protect these men,
Be their constant companion and their strength in battle.
Tough they enter the unknown, let their faith be of comfort.
Bless these brothers, and help them remain steadfast in their mission.
Amen.
Images: Courtesy National Geographic Channel/Kate O’Hare (collage)
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