AmateisGal
I'll Lock Up
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This documentary, made in 1946, was banned by the U.S. Army and was not released until 1980. However, the film itself was so badly damaged that it was nearly impossible to watch. Thanks to the efforts of the National Archives, it's been fully restored and you can watch it free at this link.
http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/let-there-be-light-1946
I'm in the middle of watching it now, and it's absolutely heartbreaking.
I think there's a common misconception that WW2 veterans returned and resumed with their normal lives with nary a problem. While that was true for some, far more had a much tougher road to slog. There have recently been some great studies done on this subject, including Thomas Childers' Soldier from the War Returning that address this problem. This film, if it had been allowed to be released, probably would have gone a long way toward helping out countless numbers of vets and their families through this difficult time. I suspect, however, that the U.S. Army didn't want the truth of the psychological affects of the war on soldiers to be known to the general public, and in so doing, they put the vets on a heroic pedestal that while, yes, they deserved, also made it harder for them to admit to the troubles they faced after they returned.
http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/let-there-be-light-1946
I'm in the middle of watching it now, and it's absolutely heartbreaking.
I think there's a common misconception that WW2 veterans returned and resumed with their normal lives with nary a problem. While that was true for some, far more had a much tougher road to slog. There have recently been some great studies done on this subject, including Thomas Childers' Soldier from the War Returning that address this problem. This film, if it had been allowed to be released, probably would have gone a long way toward helping out countless numbers of vets and their families through this difficult time. I suspect, however, that the U.S. Army didn't want the truth of the psychological affects of the war on soldiers to be known to the general public, and in so doing, they put the vets on a heroic pedestal that while, yes, they deserved, also made it harder for them to admit to the troubles they faced after they returned.