Piece Comment

Review of The Silent Generation: From Saipan to Tokyo


With Memorial Day coming up, this would be a good piece for programmers to check out. This documentary focuses on the generation of soldiers who were the "tough it out" men before the diagnoses of "post-traumatic stress." The "Silent Generation"--the ones who wouldn't, couldn't talk about the horrors they experienced without fear of going mad. Producer Helen Borten skillfully interviews men who admittedly have never shared their memories of the people they did not want to kill, the fellow soldiers who fell beside them, the women and children slaughtered before their eyes. The stories are unforgettable and necessary for us to hear and to remember. It is an important historic document that could and should be aired as long as there is war.