Garett Reppenhagen, an Iraq war veteran, spoke to students following the screening of the documentary The Ground Truth. (Michael Pickering)
A soldier returning home without one hand. A soldier spending 9 months in jail for speaking out against the war. A soldier who hung himself months after returning from his tour of duty.
These are just some of the stories told in The Ground Truth, a documentary film from Focus Features that was shown to audiences at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
As a part of a campaign involving Focus Features and the national organization Campus Progress, a free screening of The Ground Truth drew students to Bachelor Hall Tuesday evening, with the hopes of getting a soldier's perspective regarding the war on terror.
As Miami's representative of College Progress, junior Stephanie Lee organized the event wanting to spread awareness about the consequences of the war from the front lines.
"This kind of film is important for people our age to see because it gives a face to the reality of this kind of war," Lee said.
The Ground Truth not only emphasizes the physical effects of the destruction through images and video of the war, but also depicts the emotional ramifications the war has on veterans once they return.
Through soldier testimonies, the film highlights psychological injuries and the difficulties veterans face while readjusting to civilian life.
"We all become casualties because psychologically, you're completely changed by (war)," said Sean Huze, a marine corporal, in the film about living with the guilt of soldiers' actions in the war.
After the screening, Miami junior Robert Winslow said that soldiers are still just people.
"They should not be forced to lose their humanity through incredibly traumatic experiences, forcing them to make horrific choices that destroy their sense of morality and self-worth," Winslow said.
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Iraq veteran Garett Reppenhagen, who spoke in a discussion following the screening, said soldiers are like servants who serve the populous and do what they're told, which in this case is to go to war and kill.
"The military is the bullet, but society pulls the trigger," he said, stating that citizens determine if war is needed.
Reppenhagen spoke about the desire for citizens to take ownership of the military, preferring bumper stickers that say "support our troops" rather than "support the troops."
"It says 'that's my soldier, he fought for me' and shows the entire country taking ownership of the military, rather than just one public figure," Reppenhagen said.
Reppenhagen also spoke about difficulties accessing veteran benefits.
"Americans assume that veterans are being taken care of, but veterans come home and find that there are 600 patients to every doctor, and hear of others waiting six months to a year to have their claims filed in order to receive benefits,"
Reppenhagen said. "If we are a country that can't afford to support our veterans, then we are a country that can't afford to be at a war."
Lee emphasized the impact of this war on the generation at Miami.
"We're a generation who has never known a world of peace," Lee said.
Reppenhagen credits this mind-set belonging to children of a world constantly at war to movies, toys and growing up in a world post-September 11. Even so, he said very few people really know what is going on in the battlefield and some don't even know that there is a battle still being waged.
Reppenhagen believes the only way to learn what the war was really like is to talk to veterans who experienced it firsthand.
"Talking to them is like punching a hole in the wall," he said. "If you talk to enough veterans, you will punch more holes and the picture will become crystal clear."
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