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Brothers In Arms

2003, Movie, NR, 0 mins

Brothers In Arms: Review

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Paul Alexander's barely feature-length documentary offers a heartfelt if somewhat sketchy look at John Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam and the men with whom he served. In 1969, the then 26-year-old Lieutenant Kerry was assigned to command one of the Swift Boats that patrolled the Mekong Delta. Serving under him were five seasoned soldiers who all, including Kerry, were volunteers. Del Sandusky, a self-described "average kid" from Illinois was the helmsman and the crew's leader; Massachusetts-born Tommy Belodeau served as the radioman; Gene Thorson, a farm boy from Iowa, was the engineer; former Boy Scout Mike Medeiros was the after gunner; and South Carolina-born David Alston maintained the weapons systems. Kerry and his new crew didn't immediately hit it off. Sandusky remembers him as "quiet and reserved" and a "spit-and-polish" type. But the young lieutenant soon earned his men's respect, performing above and beyond the call of duty on several occasions, including the often-reported incident during which he leapt off his boat to pursue a Vietcong soldier armed with a rocket launcher; Kerry later received a Silver Star for his actions. Although they only served together briefly, the six men formed a lasting friendship that survived a difficult homecoming. All — with the exception of Medeiros, who doesn't recall having any problems readjusting to civilian life — wrestled with depression, prejudice and, in some case, alcoholism and suicidal thoughts. Kerry became an outspoken opponent of the war, a decision that didn't please all of his crew. Medeiros admits to having been "a little crestfallen" by his lieutenant's anti-war campaign (in time, his views changed). But they remained close and during his re-election campaign in 1996 Senator Kerry enlisted his friends' help countering accusations that he had committed war crimes. The film ends with footage of Kerry announcing his presidential bid, with all the surviving members of his old crew looking on (Belodeau died in 1997). Even at a brief 68 minutes, the documentary contains some powerful moments, notably a tearful Alston discussing his wife's death. But overall it's a superficial effort — director Alexander is reluctant to ask his subjects (including Kerry himself) too many tough questions, which means we don't learn much beyond what's already known about Kerry's Vietnam experience. Those curious to know more would do well to check out George Butler's excellent documentary GOING UPRIVER, which provides a more in-depth look at what happened during and after the war, and Kerry's role in those events. leave a comment --Ethan Alter
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