P.O.V. | The Way We Get By | PBS

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2009/waywegetby On call 24 hours a day for the past five years, a group of senior citizens has made history by greeting nearly 800,000 American troops at a tiny airport in Bangor, Maine.

"The Way We Get By" by Aron Gaudet, airing on PBS November 11, 2009 (check local listings), is an intimate look at three of these greeters as they confront the universal losses that come with aging and rediscover their reason for living. Bill Knight, Jerry Mundy and Joan Gaudet find the strength to overcome their personal battles and transform their lives through service. This inspirational and surprising story shatters the stereotypes of today's senior citizens as the greeters redefine the meaning of community. PBS airdate: November, 2009. Check local listings and more http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2009/waywegetby

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• veterans
• seniors
• senior
• citizens
• aging
• aarp
• iraq
• war
• greeting
• soldiers

[robinsongable]

They actually made a movie about these folks in Main that greet soldiers. Here is the trailer from PBS.

[mooersrealty]

Troop greeters are valuable citizens making a local Maine community rich, special, unforgetable.

[lasscle76]

@MaskedPhrogg...100% dead on. Some people say things that are ignorant because they are too lazy to find out about what's really going on in the country. This war is being fought purely for financial gain of U.S. Corporations/banks. Past example? Sadam Hussein and Iraq. We destroyed their country and after the war, guess who fixed it up? U.S. Corps like Halliburton. We destroy so we can rebuild and get paid. We loan money so they can owe and be in debt and have to give up their oil, or property

[asmarquis]

great film

[spareaxe]

@Dilliboy63 You put a pretty good spin on yourself, the film is really about what these senior citizens are doing... meeting troops who come back and seeing them off again. Nothing about war.

[jklharris]

Funny, if none of them can ever get over here to harm us, 9/11 and Fort Hood would never have happened. If you don't agree with the war, fine, don't agree with the war. However, the men and women of today's armed forces either enlisted or reenlisted knowing full well that they would have to fight for this country, and didn't bat an eyelash to answer that call. If this country were to be attacked again, they would be the ones going to fight that enemy. Consider them heroes because they will fight

[LadyDivia]

When my brother came home, these people met him as he came off the plane. He said it was the nicest thing that anyone could have done for him. Whether you agree with the war, or not, is not the point. These three seniors have found a purpose in life, and they are touching others' lives in the process. It's a beautiful thing.

[maskedphrogg]

What the ...

These fine fellows were lied to, mistreated by their own government, put in harm's may to defend the interests of private corps.

And now you want to further humiliate them for having the audacity to come home.

A whipping would be to good for you.

[Dilliboy63]

i guess this is supposed to put a positive spin on all the destruction these troops are causing overseas? 92 489 civilian iraqi casualties since the start of the iraq invasion.. doesn't seem right.

[ubuibiok]

Thank you ... *****