"When I Came Home" is a powerful 2006 documentary about homeless veterans in America: from those who served in Vietnam to those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The film looks at the challenges faced by returning combat veterans and the battle many must fight for the benefits promised to them from the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration.
The film, which Variety called "angry and urgent," and New York magazine called "fiercely moving," tells the story of Herold Noel, an Iraq War veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and living in his car in Brooklyn. "When I Came Home" reveals a system that is still failing many of our veterans and the veteran's struggle to make that difficult transition from active duty to veteran.
The film, which was directed by Dan Lohaus and won the "New York Loves Film Best Documentary" Award at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, features Paul Rieckhoff, the Iraq War veteran and executive director and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), as well as MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy.
Although "When I Came Home" is four years old, its message is even more powerful now than it was when it came out. When it was released, a promo for the film said there were some 500 homeless veterans from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. That number has grown to more than 9,000, according to the VA. If you would like to purchase the film, contact: dan@whenicamehome.com
Here's a trailer from the film:
