Tag Archives: PBS

From California to Maine, thank you vets

Just wanted to say to every man and woman who serves in uniform or who has served in uniform – from Maine to California – thank you for your service. Your sacrifices and the sacrifices of those who have fallen are not forgotten.

As I grow older and the men and women who are called to serve seem to be getting younger and younger, I have a growing appreciation for the commitment and love of country it takes to don a U.S. military uniform. I am awed by you all.

I am also impressed by a group of people who have been there for servicemen and woman going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Maine Greeters. Members – mostly elderly, some for the wars and some against the wars – have greeted servicemen and women going and returning from war at the airport in Bangor, Maine, for years and a documentary on the group is being shown tonight on PBS’s POV. Please check out local listings and check out the documentary. I believe the documentary will be online after this evening for about a month if you cannot see it tonight. The documentary is as much about aging as it is about greeting servicemen and women going to and returning from war.

Again, veterans, thank you!

Tune in to ‘The Way We Get By’ on Veterans Day

The Way We Get By - Click to Watch the Trailer

The Maine Greeters have offered smiles, handshakes, thanks, free cookies and cell phones to 900,000 or so servicemen and women going through the airport in Bangor, Maine, on their way to Afghanistan and Iraq. From all accounts, the simple acts of kindness, pride and patriotism mean quite a bit to the men and women the Maine Greeters see.

The son of one of the Maine Greeters, Aron Gaudet, made a documentary film on the group, “The Way We Get By,” which is being shown Wednesday – Veterans Day – on PBS’s POV. It shows what the three main Maine Greeters do for servicemen and women, but also shows a different side. One of them, a World War II vet, is a staunch supporter of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, while the others have their doubts. All three are facing illnesses or loneliness or simply the fears associated with growing older.

Please check local listings and consider turning on PBS on Wednesday evening. It is not about being for or against war. It is about the men and women who serve, whether they are in a uniform or offering a smile, cookie and a cell phone.