[Music]
memory is a powerful thing there are
some events that stick in the mind
forever defining the difference between
before
and after and instantly redefining
everything that matters
for the soldiers and families of the
Army’s first Cavalry Division memories
of April 4th 2004 still loom large where
the hell is everyone
stories summed up in a single date that
is come to be known simply as black
Sunday you make memories on days like
April 4th that you never forget about no
matter how much you want to reconciling
these memories can be the work of a
lifetime
simply revisiting them takes an uncommon
bravery everybody was scared and we’re
all human I thought I was gonna die out
there me creating these moments his work
of another kind requiring an equally
uncommon passion I took the
responsibility very seriously that this
was a true story and we’re dealing with
real-life people I am humbled to be a
part of this I feel so much privileged I
feel very honored to tell this story 13
years after black Sunday National
Geographic and a dedicated team of
filmmakers are bringing these events to
life working hand in hand with the
soldiers and families who were there to
tell their stories and honor the memory
of those who were lost I owe it to them
to do this the best that I can because
the country should know this is first
look the long road home sir
[Music]
April 4th 2004 was the fourth day in
Iraq for a 1st Cavalry Division platoon
so 19 men were out on sanitation duty
how is this warrior’s work none of these
men had ever been in combat before
welcome to Sadr City Jackson they
thought they were going to keep the
peace over there we wanted to work with
the people and do something positive and
not just roll in there like an
occupation force let’s try to keep the
peace everyone return to base
Roger that Lancer six and then just as
they’re about to head back to their
Forward Operating Base listen is that
they were ambushed within minutes we
came under fire from essentially all
directions sure their vehicles became
disabled we gotta get the hell off of
this straight so they had to seek
shelter in the sea and became trapped
with a family in the middle of this maze
but no one had any idea where they were
we just heard something happened in Sadr
City it is just a peacekeeping mission
I’ll be fine
so now equally newly-arrived men who
didn’t know the city had to go in in
unarmored Humvees and open trucks to get
their brothers sitting ducks a litany of
rescue attempts went out to try to get
to where these guys were pinned down
stay alert
Lancer six and rescue two are inbound
three more blocks the Delta sir
burning debris ahead on the way their
roads are blocked off and they’re
shooting at them from all angles it was
an extraordinarily grave and costly
rescue mission
it knocked the wind out of everyone
soldiers there and Iraq and then also
everyone at home losing to somebody and
then just said there was an ambush in
Baghdad four soldiers did what I think
you’re always somewhere deep down
waiting for that call and hoping that it
never comes no one’s contacted you know
I’ve been an attack in Iraq the person
who fights overseas isn’t the only one
at war the whole family goes to war boy
what’s happening platoon was ambushed in
Sadr City for dead at least 40 wounded
we are all very mindful of our solemn
responsibility in telling this story and
we are especially mindful today on April
4th which this year marks the 13th
anniversary of black Sunday and the
battles in Sadr City that we are
retelling the world today’s been more
than I could have imagined from the
moment that we got together this morning
with the crew and the cast and our guys
did the moment of silence I thought that
was a perfect way to start the day I’d
like to read the names of the Fallen we
will observe a moment of silence at the
beginning of the whistle and a whistle
will mark the end thank you all it was
very emotional I remember crying the
numerous times in front of complete
strangers but it was a bonding moment I
just to be actually here with gold star
family members and the people whose
children died coming out to try to save
me really put a new perspective on pain
because it’s been so that I’ve been
avoiding for a long time it’s you know
how do you walk it to somebody and say
you know I’m alive did your son died you
know I’m then shown pictures of your
kids
it was a rough day but I’m glad it
happened because a lot of healing for me
individually just happened that day even
though it took a lot of time but it was
a good experience good Black Flag’s I
didn’t realize it just had those until
now that was just put those up look
spot-on doesn’t a lot of other veterans
are able to go back to their
battlefields whereas we won’t
I don’t think we’ll do it anytime in
this lifetime this little thing on the
wall over here gets me cuz I remember
that spot and they did a pretty good job
of reproducing it the the writing over
here on the side now I get this
opportunity while they’re young just
still be able to go through and see it
feel it touch it kick the dirt lettuce
ting our eyes the only thing that’s not
here the smell right now it’s been an
incredibly massive operation here in
Fort Hood these are the two houses right
here
the scope of this set is just incredible
we’re standing at the end of an 800 foot
long road so we’ve constructed 1,500
feet worth of Sadr City in various
interpretations there’s over a hundred
buildings that we have constructed to
recreate Sadr City this is more than
three football fields long it is the
largest set working in North America
today I have a photograph of you
standing right here so the photograph is
you like this
you took your helmet off and you got in
a lot of trouble for taking your helmet
off Martha Raddatz is a news
correspondent that had spent time with
us over in Iraq she really saw the
experience that we had had was something
significant and she just kept coming
back throughout our year that we were
there when I was writing the book I
never imagined that someday I would see
this recreated yeah
I’d heard the story about this battle
and reporters were also caught up and
covering policy or covering where were
they at WMDs that we’d forgotten there
was a war going on good to see you how
are you no one had asked them those
questions and I think for them and for
their spouses just talking about that
was healthy and helpful like there was a
guy about 100 yards that way that’s the
first guy I can clearly remember gauging
engaging once we were on the rooftop
when Mike Medavoy first sent me the book
I just fell in love with it it wasn’t
just a story about what it’s like to
really go to war for the first time for
the American soldier but also for the
American military family
she loves the troops and it’s proven and
everything she does I felt like this
civilian bridge to the military I could
talk to the spouses in ways that their
husbands sometimes didn’t talk to them
I feel like she rescued all these
soldiers all these families from being
lost to history and that that is the
work that we are carrying forward here
[Music]
the soldiers in this story are the
everyday guys stay safe out there Thomas
well there is close to Hugh and me as
anybody can be most of them never
imagined they would be in combat none of
them had ever fired a weapon at an enemy
or had been fired on by the enemy I
think that just made the heroism and
bravery of that day all the more
extraordinary the scope of the story is
really enormous the structure that I
proposed was very ambitious where we
would have eight main characters who we
follow through the entire event almost
in real time and each hour would mark
one of the big defining moments in this
battle it represented this fascinating
puzzle to put together well who do you
choose what hour belongs to which
character
we are very honored to be doing this
project with the support and assistance
of the United States Army and Department
of Defense who have been such amazing
partners to us from the beginning
Miko’s dedication to this project is
infinite
he has taken years to reach out to the
families to soldiers to get every detail
right we kept in contact through emails
and the news constantly sending me
pictures he has been wonderful through
the whole thing
it’s almost like closure it’s a
different kind of closure that was his
gift to us
Oh meet you he loves these guys he loves
them like I do
he loves these families he knows them
like I do shooting the two directors
that were working with our Phil Abraham
and Mikhail Solomon one of the things
that we knew about Phil Abraham from the
work on Mad Men and Sopranos is that he
was very much interested in the journey
of the character and was able to focus
on that as being a guiding storytelling
principle I almost nearing black I’m not
sure how long we have now we’ll come and
read one we’re gonna get you out over I
wanted someone who would really get to
the heart of who these characters were
and phil has done a remarkable job with
that Mikael did Band of Brothers and
it’s been wonderful being able to
entrust him to realizing all these
battles and ways that feel new every
time
we realized the marryin of the two types
of storytellers was going to give us an
emotional journey that was a character
journey but also could bring us into
what the experience of war was like at
all times be aware
this is a skilled and highly prepared
enemy who is coordinated a citywide
attack
[Music]
what struck me about this story was that
these wives back home had no idea that
their husbands were in the middle of a
terrible terrible battle their lives
were just going on until that moment
when they knew if their lives changed
okhla tunes been attacked the wives all
rely on each other please get them home
to us they also turned to the readiness
group which helps them cope with the
very specific stresses that having a
husband deployed create always remember
that you’re not alone family readiness
is family having served in the Army
gives LeAnn Valesky a perspective that a
lot of the other wives don’t she knows
what it’s like to stand in shoes like
your husband’s the Lord never gives us
more than we can handle her I wish I had
your faith self-doubt is something that
we all face Gina had enemy had multiple
facets relating to that one of them was
being a new mom but then also
participating in the care groups the way
that she did that was very new for her
Gina had to learn to become a leader in
that way I promise as soon as we’re able
we will contact you and hopefully with
good news so she’s an extraordinary
woman I feel very very honored to play
her playing a real person who went
through this it’s an extreme
responsibility and it’s not when I take
lightly the best I can do is honor her
story and play the situations that have
been written as truthfully as possible I
love you Alpha Company in this story was
mostly african-american and Hispanic
soldiers I want to make sure at the
diversity of our armed forces was
accurately represented and again their
case we looked at who had interesting
stories that could speak to the unit as
a whole I got a bad feeling man just
said close and I just thought there was
something so beautiful about the
friendship between Robert RCR Inez reale
Garza who are just these ordinary guys I
never had a brother before you I was
surprised how close they came to those
characters they really did capture who
those people are
[Music]
michael kelly is a brilliant actor and
he plays lieutenant Gary Valesky our
commander in the field I’m a general of
Pulaski I mean probably one of the
coolest moments I’ve had in my life
everything I do is to try to figure out
how I can help them because last time I
looked there was no ground chicken at
the door that’s the number one night
it’s a private especially once I
understood fully for the first time how
every one of his men that I’ve talked to
said they’d follow him into hell I got
it
molesky yeah it’s such a love and warmth
toward his men so I wanted to find an
actor who could embody flawlessly those
two qualities and Michael is just
extraordinary brother right NASA a
Crusader loader who was killed you find
out his first name when where he was
from yes sir I wanted to do the best job
I can do because it’s a man that I now
idolized in life you guys want to make
it back to base without any more
casualties huh then we have to work
together
EJ buddy uh plays lieutenant Shane
agüero who showed uncommon valor and
leading his guys and even when all hope
was lost it kept hope alive the number
of places that building can come under
fire from in retrospect there’s a lot
more than this game the problem was it’s
also a lot harder to get here first
which defines us
he is an unassuming hero but when it
comes down to it he’s the guy you want
by your side when you’re at war
we will never forget our brothers what
they did for us and there will be time
to grieve Jason Ritter plays captained
enemy is this incredible character who
despite being wounded multiple times
went back out in the field to rescue
these guys and led his troops into the
eye of the storm
[Music]
Robert miltenberger to me is one of the
most fascinating characters in the story
he’s deeply embittered by the fact that
he’s been stopped lost and on top of
that and has to certainty that he’s
going to die it’s pretty impressive the
fact that you were able to cut out and
that in the calm in the midst of all
that was uh I’m probably surprised me
too I was never scared
I was never scared I guess I was ready
yeah
it was my time I was ready Robert
actually is in some ways healthier than
some other soldiers that weren’t
consciously aware of the sadness the
tragedy of it all there’s no glory out
there no heroes it’s just death
[Music]
markku day I had you worked I’m playing
Jos amantani I’m the midpoint between
the Iraqis and the Americans delish we
are I’m constantly having to choose
where my allegiance is life Johnson sir
take it sir you cannot give him a weapon
some of the soldiers distrust my
character because their lives are at
stake
and they don’t know me this was a
well-planned ambush somebody tipped the
enemy off to our movements I’m playing
sergeant Eric Burke when his squad
leader he kind of represents the
violence of action
he’s the bulldozer a guy you don’t want
to mess with our first choices said yes
on this show for the cast and nowhere
was that more important than in the
homefront the way we shot the show we
did all the homefront work up front so
literally nine ten days after shooting
began we never saw our ladies again ever
you know before he left
sure he said in ancient times wives went
to war with their husbands
I guess we still do that in a way
everyone who’s been a part of this has
taken it on like a personal mission to
shine a light on this event and to honor
it in the best way that we can are you
two together that’s good we would
believe to do right by them cool and to
get to meet the real heroes that we’re
portraying and have them bring us in for
a hug and say hey man we think you’re
gonna do a great job we trust you and
you have our blessing I feel so much
responsibility and I also feel so much
privilege Michael
I owe it to them to do this the best
that I can because the country should
know we’ve been incredibly fortunate on
this project to actually meet and be
counseled by the soldiers who were part
of this battle we wanted our actors to
go through a boot camp not only to learn
to move properly and act properly as
soldiers but also for the bonding
experience that that would provide we
put together a week-long boot camp that
not only incorporated the basic infantry
skills weapons handling tactics things
like that but also understand the weight
and the gravity of what the actors are
representing both me this force-on-force
stuff is to make you guys as close as I
can get without actually shooting at you
feel what it’s like to be in a gunfight
Mike Baumgarten and juerga Denman who
were our chief technical advisors led
the boot camp with two real-life
veterans of this battle Eric Berkman and
Aaron Fowler
we would run drills of clearing houses
patrolling streets
and fail over and over you guys put a
dude out you guys your guys are gonna
photo the street with stop and then
we’ll squash the last three or four
dudes
they don’t compromise so we recognized
pretty quickly that we’re gonna get it
right period we’re gonna go the route
that went into the building last time
and we’re just gonna instead we’re gonna
peel get to the edge of that building
feel into the staircase that make sense
do it slow and steady communicate the
actions were asking about the proper way
to hold the weapons how to shoot move
and communicate I approve of his
training he has his finger where it’s
supposed to be here look how well all
these guys are patrolling there watching
the corners they’re checking doors are
passed it off yeah it looks good it
looks good
all the actors you want to get as much
correct as possible they can easily
remove us from the process and just do
what they want but they did they care
about this story we’re holding them to a
standard making them do 20 good reps
before we were good for them to move on
just so that when they get out here and
there’s cameras in their face and their
their tire they’ll remember my team
let’s all do a buddy system
take your mag out pull your ball back
yeah it was kind of amazing because at a
certain point we could notice what each
other we’re doing and sort of police
each other a little bit and say get your
elbow down or you got to keep your
barrel not aimed at your fellow soldier
we were thrown into scenarios that none
of us felt comfortable with but you know
Mike and Jarek who kept telling us just
do your best
Mike kept saying you’re given principles
to live by and you must make the best of
a bad situation at all times we all got
each other’s backs
all you want to do is get their praise
because these are guys who really lived
it
so we all really busted our ass to do it
for me is the first time where I tried I
really felt like like we were really my
brother yeah and as an actor that’s what
I’m looking for by this thing so thank
you for making that all happen thank you
Mike
[Applause]
the bootcamp really did bring everybody
together in a really wonderful way the
bond on this set is something special
it’s been amazing having the army as our
advisor because I always wanted this to
be as authentic as possible
I want to thank everyone here in Fort
Hood we have been welcomed here with
such love and care it’s been amazing and
we are eternally grateful for that so
wild don’t make it back he thinks your
place in the movie version they could
like Tom Cruise nice too tall you screw
you man we were gonna get this story
told no matter how long it took we
initially developed it as a three-hour
feature it’s been so extraordinary now
to be able to bring an even more fully
realized version of this expanding it to
eight hours together with National
Geographic these were the guys that we
wanted to take this journey with they
understood the importance of the
material and why we had been sticking
with it for so long they have been such
amazing partners from the very beginning
they were attracted the ambition and
complexity of the project
National Geographic is famous for
telling the truth I love that that
making honest real hard-hitting
television this is the closest we can
get without being there ourselves
they ambushed us to dry out the rescues
now they’re gonna come for us for real
when you watch it you literally feel
that you are trapped in a situation with
our characters you will feel exactly
what those soldiers and what those
families felt
the events of April 4th 2004 happened so
quickly and instinctively that their
true impact could only be revealed in
hindsight what has emerged looking back
all these years later is a portrait not
just of courage and sacrifice but one of
family not just at home and on the front
lines but now on both sides of the
camera as well it is a bond that serves
as a fitting tribute to the memory of
those who were lost
[Music]
[Music]
you
memory is a powerful thing there are
some events that stick in the mind
forever defining the difference between
before
and after and instantly redefining
everything that matters
for the soldiers and families of the
Army’s first Cavalry Division memories
of April 4th 2004 still loom large where
the hell is everyone
stories summed up in a single date that
is come to be known simply as black
Sunday you make memories on days like
April 4th that you never forget about no
matter how much you want to reconciling
these memories can be the work of a
lifetime
simply revisiting them takes an uncommon
bravery everybody was scared and we’re
all human I thought I was gonna die out
there me creating these moments his work
of another kind requiring an equally
uncommon passion I took the
responsibility very seriously that this
was a true story and we’re dealing with
real-life people I am humbled to be a
part of this I feel so much privileged I
feel very honored to tell this story 13
years after black Sunday National
Geographic and a dedicated team of
filmmakers are bringing these events to
life working hand in hand with the
soldiers and families who were there to
tell their stories and honor the memory
of those who were lost I owe it to them
to do this the best that I can because
the country should know this is first
look the long road home sir
[Music]
April 4th 2004 was the fourth day in
Iraq for a 1st Cavalry Division platoon
so 19 men were out on sanitation duty
how is this warrior’s work none of these
men had ever been in combat before
welcome to Sadr City Jackson they
thought they were going to keep the
peace over there we wanted to work with
the people and do something positive and
not just roll in there like an
occupation force let’s try to keep the
peace everyone return to base
Roger that Lancer six and then just as
they’re about to head back to their
Forward Operating Base listen is that
they were ambushed within minutes we
came under fire from essentially all
directions sure their vehicles became
disabled we gotta get the hell off of
this straight so they had to seek
shelter in the sea and became trapped
with a family in the middle of this maze
but no one had any idea where they were
we just heard something happened in Sadr
City it is just a peacekeeping mission
I’ll be fine
so now equally newly-arrived men who
didn’t know the city had to go in in
unarmored Humvees and open trucks to get
their brothers sitting ducks a litany of
rescue attempts went out to try to get
to where these guys were pinned down
stay alert
Lancer six and rescue two are inbound
three more blocks the Delta sir
burning debris ahead on the way their
roads are blocked off and they’re
shooting at them from all angles it was
an extraordinarily grave and costly
rescue mission
it knocked the wind out of everyone
soldiers there and Iraq and then also
everyone at home losing to somebody and
then just said there was an ambush in
Baghdad four soldiers did what I think
you’re always somewhere deep down
waiting for that call and hoping that it
never comes no one’s contacted you know
I’ve been an attack in Iraq the person
who fights overseas isn’t the only one
at war the whole family goes to war boy
what’s happening platoon was ambushed in
Sadr City for dead at least 40 wounded
we are all very mindful of our solemn
responsibility in telling this story and
we are especially mindful today on April
4th which this year marks the 13th
anniversary of black Sunday and the
battles in Sadr City that we are
retelling the world today’s been more
than I could have imagined from the
moment that we got together this morning
with the crew and the cast and our guys
did the moment of silence I thought that
was a perfect way to start the day I’d
like to read the names of the Fallen we
will observe a moment of silence at the
beginning of the whistle and a whistle
will mark the end thank you all it was
very emotional I remember crying the
numerous times in front of complete
strangers but it was a bonding moment I
just to be actually here with gold star
family members and the people whose
children died coming out to try to save
me really put a new perspective on pain
because it’s been so that I’ve been
avoiding for a long time it’s you know
how do you walk it to somebody and say
you know I’m alive did your son died you
know I’m then shown pictures of your
kids
it was a rough day but I’m glad it
happened because a lot of healing for me
individually just happened that day even
though it took a lot of time but it was
a good experience good Black Flag’s I
didn’t realize it just had those until
now that was just put those up look
spot-on doesn’t a lot of other veterans
are able to go back to their
battlefields whereas we won’t
I don’t think we’ll do it anytime in
this lifetime this little thing on the
wall over here gets me cuz I remember
that spot and they did a pretty good job
of reproducing it the the writing over
here on the side now I get this
opportunity while they’re young just
still be able to go through and see it
feel it touch it kick the dirt lettuce
ting our eyes the only thing that’s not
here the smell right now it’s been an
incredibly massive operation here in
Fort Hood these are the two houses right
here
the scope of this set is just incredible
we’re standing at the end of an 800 foot
long road so we’ve constructed 1,500
feet worth of Sadr City in various
interpretations there’s over a hundred
buildings that we have constructed to
recreate Sadr City this is more than
three football fields long it is the
largest set working in North America
today I have a photograph of you
standing right here so the photograph is
you like this
you took your helmet off and you got in
a lot of trouble for taking your helmet
off Martha Raddatz is a news
correspondent that had spent time with
us over in Iraq she really saw the
experience that we had had was something
significant and she just kept coming
back throughout our year that we were
there when I was writing the book I
never imagined that someday I would see
this recreated yeah
I’d heard the story about this battle
and reporters were also caught up and
covering policy or covering where were
they at WMDs that we’d forgotten there
was a war going on good to see you how
are you no one had asked them those
questions and I think for them and for
their spouses just talking about that
was healthy and helpful like there was a
guy about 100 yards that way that’s the
first guy I can clearly remember gauging
engaging once we were on the rooftop
when Mike Medavoy first sent me the book
I just fell in love with it it wasn’t
just a story about what it’s like to
really go to war for the first time for
the American soldier but also for the
American military family
she loves the troops and it’s proven and
everything she does I felt like this
civilian bridge to the military I could
talk to the spouses in ways that their
husbands sometimes didn’t talk to them
I feel like she rescued all these
soldiers all these families from being
lost to history and that that is the
work that we are carrying forward here
[Music]
the soldiers in this story are the
everyday guys stay safe out there Thomas
well there is close to Hugh and me as
anybody can be most of them never
imagined they would be in combat none of
them had ever fired a weapon at an enemy
or had been fired on by the enemy I
think that just made the heroism and
bravery of that day all the more
extraordinary the scope of the story is
really enormous the structure that I
proposed was very ambitious where we
would have eight main characters who we
follow through the entire event almost
in real time and each hour would mark
one of the big defining moments in this
battle it represented this fascinating
puzzle to put together well who do you
choose what hour belongs to which
character
we are very honored to be doing this
project with the support and assistance
of the United States Army and Department
of Defense who have been such amazing
partners to us from the beginning
Miko’s dedication to this project is
infinite
he has taken years to reach out to the
families to soldiers to get every detail
right we kept in contact through emails
and the news constantly sending me
pictures he has been wonderful through
the whole thing
it’s almost like closure it’s a
different kind of closure that was his
gift to us
Oh meet you he loves these guys he loves
them like I do
he loves these families he knows them
like I do shooting the two directors
that were working with our Phil Abraham
and Mikhail Solomon one of the things
that we knew about Phil Abraham from the
work on Mad Men and Sopranos is that he
was very much interested in the journey
of the character and was able to focus
on that as being a guiding storytelling
principle I almost nearing black I’m not
sure how long we have now we’ll come and
read one we’re gonna get you out over I
wanted someone who would really get to
the heart of who these characters were
and phil has done a remarkable job with
that Mikael did Band of Brothers and
it’s been wonderful being able to
entrust him to realizing all these
battles and ways that feel new every
time
we realized the marryin of the two types
of storytellers was going to give us an
emotional journey that was a character
journey but also could bring us into
what the experience of war was like at
all times be aware
this is a skilled and highly prepared
enemy who is coordinated a citywide
attack
[Music]
what struck me about this story was that
these wives back home had no idea that
their husbands were in the middle of a
terrible terrible battle their lives
were just going on until that moment
when they knew if their lives changed
okhla tunes been attacked the wives all
rely on each other please get them home
to us they also turned to the readiness
group which helps them cope with the
very specific stresses that having a
husband deployed create always remember
that you’re not alone family readiness
is family having served in the Army
gives LeAnn Valesky a perspective that a
lot of the other wives don’t she knows
what it’s like to stand in shoes like
your husband’s the Lord never gives us
more than we can handle her I wish I had
your faith self-doubt is something that
we all face Gina had enemy had multiple
facets relating to that one of them was
being a new mom but then also
participating in the care groups the way
that she did that was very new for her
Gina had to learn to become a leader in
that way I promise as soon as we’re able
we will contact you and hopefully with
good news so she’s an extraordinary
woman I feel very very honored to play
her playing a real person who went
through this it’s an extreme
responsibility and it’s not when I take
lightly the best I can do is honor her
story and play the situations that have
been written as truthfully as possible I
love you Alpha Company in this story was
mostly african-american and Hispanic
soldiers I want to make sure at the
diversity of our armed forces was
accurately represented and again their
case we looked at who had interesting
stories that could speak to the unit as
a whole I got a bad feeling man just
said close and I just thought there was
something so beautiful about the
friendship between Robert RCR Inez reale
Garza who are just these ordinary guys I
never had a brother before you I was
surprised how close they came to those
characters they really did capture who
those people are
[Music]
michael kelly is a brilliant actor and
he plays lieutenant Gary Valesky our
commander in the field I’m a general of
Pulaski I mean probably one of the
coolest moments I’ve had in my life
everything I do is to try to figure out
how I can help them because last time I
looked there was no ground chicken at
the door that’s the number one night
it’s a private especially once I
understood fully for the first time how
every one of his men that I’ve talked to
said they’d follow him into hell I got
it
molesky yeah it’s such a love and warmth
toward his men so I wanted to find an
actor who could embody flawlessly those
two qualities and Michael is just
extraordinary brother right NASA a
Crusader loader who was killed you find
out his first name when where he was
from yes sir I wanted to do the best job
I can do because it’s a man that I now
idolized in life you guys want to make
it back to base without any more
casualties huh then we have to work
together
EJ buddy uh plays lieutenant Shane
agüero who showed uncommon valor and
leading his guys and even when all hope
was lost it kept hope alive the number
of places that building can come under
fire from in retrospect there’s a lot
more than this game the problem was it’s
also a lot harder to get here first
which defines us
he is an unassuming hero but when it
comes down to it he’s the guy you want
by your side when you’re at war
we will never forget our brothers what
they did for us and there will be time
to grieve Jason Ritter plays captained
enemy is this incredible character who
despite being wounded multiple times
went back out in the field to rescue
these guys and led his troops into the
eye of the storm
[Music]
Robert miltenberger to me is one of the
most fascinating characters in the story
he’s deeply embittered by the fact that
he’s been stopped lost and on top of
that and has to certainty that he’s
going to die it’s pretty impressive the
fact that you were able to cut out and
that in the calm in the midst of all
that was uh I’m probably surprised me
too I was never scared
I was never scared I guess I was ready
yeah
it was my time I was ready Robert
actually is in some ways healthier than
some other soldiers that weren’t
consciously aware of the sadness the
tragedy of it all there’s no glory out
there no heroes it’s just death
[Music]
markku day I had you worked I’m playing
Jos amantani I’m the midpoint between
the Iraqis and the Americans delish we
are I’m constantly having to choose
where my allegiance is life Johnson sir
take it sir you cannot give him a weapon
some of the soldiers distrust my
character because their lives are at
stake
and they don’t know me this was a
well-planned ambush somebody tipped the
enemy off to our movements I’m playing
sergeant Eric Burke when his squad
leader he kind of represents the
violence of action
he’s the bulldozer a guy you don’t want
to mess with our first choices said yes
on this show for the cast and nowhere
was that more important than in the
homefront the way we shot the show we
did all the homefront work up front so
literally nine ten days after shooting
began we never saw our ladies again ever
you know before he left
sure he said in ancient times wives went
to war with their husbands
I guess we still do that in a way
everyone who’s been a part of this has
taken it on like a personal mission to
shine a light on this event and to honor
it in the best way that we can are you
two together that’s good we would
believe to do right by them cool and to
get to meet the real heroes that we’re
portraying and have them bring us in for
a hug and say hey man we think you’re
gonna do a great job we trust you and
you have our blessing I feel so much
responsibility and I also feel so much
privilege Michael
I owe it to them to do this the best
that I can because the country should
know we’ve been incredibly fortunate on
this project to actually meet and be
counseled by the soldiers who were part
of this battle we wanted our actors to
go through a boot camp not only to learn
to move properly and act properly as
soldiers but also for the bonding
experience that that would provide we
put together a week-long boot camp that
not only incorporated the basic infantry
skills weapons handling tactics things
like that but also understand the weight
and the gravity of what the actors are
representing both me this force-on-force
stuff is to make you guys as close as I
can get without actually shooting at you
feel what it’s like to be in a gunfight
Mike Baumgarten and juerga Denman who
were our chief technical advisors led
the boot camp with two real-life
veterans of this battle Eric Berkman and
Aaron Fowler
we would run drills of clearing houses
patrolling streets
and fail over and over you guys put a
dude out you guys your guys are gonna
photo the street with stop and then
we’ll squash the last three or four
dudes
they don’t compromise so we recognized
pretty quickly that we’re gonna get it
right period we’re gonna go the route
that went into the building last time
and we’re just gonna instead we’re gonna
peel get to the edge of that building
feel into the staircase that make sense
do it slow and steady communicate the
actions were asking about the proper way
to hold the weapons how to shoot move
and communicate I approve of his
training he has his finger where it’s
supposed to be here look how well all
these guys are patrolling there watching
the corners they’re checking doors are
passed it off yeah it looks good it
looks good
all the actors you want to get as much
correct as possible they can easily
remove us from the process and just do
what they want but they did they care
about this story we’re holding them to a
standard making them do 20 good reps
before we were good for them to move on
just so that when they get out here and
there’s cameras in their face and their
their tire they’ll remember my team
let’s all do a buddy system
take your mag out pull your ball back
yeah it was kind of amazing because at a
certain point we could notice what each
other we’re doing and sort of police
each other a little bit and say get your
elbow down or you got to keep your
barrel not aimed at your fellow soldier
we were thrown into scenarios that none
of us felt comfortable with but you know
Mike and Jarek who kept telling us just
do your best
Mike kept saying you’re given principles
to live by and you must make the best of
a bad situation at all times we all got
each other’s backs
all you want to do is get their praise
because these are guys who really lived
it
so we all really busted our ass to do it
for me is the first time where I tried I
really felt like like we were really my
brother yeah and as an actor that’s what
I’m looking for by this thing so thank
you for making that all happen thank you
Mike
[Applause]
the bootcamp really did bring everybody
together in a really wonderful way the
bond on this set is something special
it’s been amazing having the army as our
advisor because I always wanted this to
be as authentic as possible
I want to thank everyone here in Fort
Hood we have been welcomed here with
such love and care it’s been amazing and
we are eternally grateful for that so
wild don’t make it back he thinks your
place in the movie version they could
like Tom Cruise nice too tall you screw
you man we were gonna get this story
told no matter how long it took we
initially developed it as a three-hour
feature it’s been so extraordinary now
to be able to bring an even more fully
realized version of this expanding it to
eight hours together with National
Geographic these were the guys that we
wanted to take this journey with they
understood the importance of the
material and why we had been sticking
with it for so long they have been such
amazing partners from the very beginning
they were attracted the ambition and
complexity of the project
National Geographic is famous for
telling the truth I love that that
making honest real hard-hitting
television this is the closest we can
get without being there ourselves
they ambushed us to dry out the rescues
now they’re gonna come for us for real
when you watch it you literally feel
that you are trapped in a situation with
our characters you will feel exactly
what those soldiers and what those
families felt
the events of April 4th 2004 happened so
quickly and instinctively that their
true impact could only be revealed in
hindsight what has emerged looking back
all these years later is a portrait not
just of courage and sacrifice but one of
family not just at home and on the front
lines but now on both sides of the
camera as well it is a bond that serves
as a fitting tribute to the memory of
those who were lost
[Music]
[Music]
you
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