Winter Soldier (1972)

For three days in 1971, former US soldiers who were in Vietnam testify in Detroit about their war experiences. Nearly 30 speak, describing atrocities personally committed or witnessed, ... See full summary »

Stars:

Rusty Sachs, Joe Bangert, Scott Shimabukuro

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rusty Sachs	...	Self
Joe Bangert	...	Self
Scott Shimabukuro	...	Self
Kenneth Campbell	...	Self
Scott Camil	...	Self
John Kerry	...	Self
Steve Pitkin	...	Self
Jonathan Birch	...	Self
Charles Stevens	...	Self
Fred Nienke	...	Self
David Bishop	...	Self
Nathan Hale	...	Self
Michael Hunter	...	Self
Murphy Lloyd	...	Self
Carl Rippberger	...	Self

Storyline

For three days in 1971, former US soldiers who were in Vietnam testify in Detroit about their war experiences. Nearly 30 speak, describing atrocities personally committed or witnessed, telling of inaccurate body counts, and recounting the process of destroying a village. The atrocities are casual, seem routine, and are sanctioned or committed by officers. Images from the war illustrate the testimony; there's a side discussion among veterans about racism and a couple of interviews about the soldiers' self-realization. The testimony appears in the US Congressional Record on April 6 and 7, 1971. A "winter soldier" contrasts with Paine's "summer soldier and sunshine patriot."

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Plot Keywords:

year 1971 | 1970s | vietnam war veteran | detroit | michigan | 

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Taglines:

Freedom cannot survive in darkness. This film illuminates the truth See it now. The people in it are our brothers, husbands, sons and loved ones.

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Genres:

Documentary | History | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Sir! No Sir! (2005)

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Soundtracks

Draft Board Blues
Written and Performed by Watermelon Slim

User Reviews

watch a banned documentary

People will believe what they want to believe. That's about it. I have no doubt that these men were telling the truth. They weren't trying to one up one another-who could brag about killing children. They were trying to show that atrocities were common in Vietnam, which they were. It's too bad more veterans don't talk about their experiences. The more people know about warfare, the less likely they will be to support it. And that was the aim of the Winter Soldier panel. And that is why it was banned. The American media was so scared of this documentary, they refused to show it. The truth needs to be concealed or ignored, so that the U.S. government can continue interfering militarily in the affairs of other countries. The US media has continued to conceal coverage of combat footage since the Vietnam War. Just recently Wikileaks exposed combat footage that would have outraged Americans from coast to coast, yet it was only mentioned on CNN and not shown, and not mentioned or shown on all the other network and cable news. So the truth is more than ever ignored. Let the censorship continue.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 2010 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Stratiotes tou heimona

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,825

Company Credits

Production Co:

Winterfilm Collective, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Winterfilm Inc.

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1