“Restrepo” is a critically aclaimed documentary about a military unit deployed to the Korangal valley in Afghanistan in 2007-2008. The film is now showing on O’ahu at the Mililani Stadium 14 theaters until Tuesday, August 17. Here’s a short excerpt from the Honolulu Star Advertiser review:
Clinard and Sgt. Mitchell Raeon, who were both on the deployment with the Italy-based 173rd Airborne Brigade and now are stationed at Schofield Barracks, spoke with audience members about “Restrepo” after the film was shown Friday at the Mililani Stadium 14 theaters.
The 90-minute documentary will play in Mililani at least through Tuesday, theater representatives said.
“(Almost) every last person in the theater stayed and there was a slew of questions,” said Staff Sgt. Amber Robinson, a spokeswoman for the 3rd Brigade at Schofield.
Soldiers who were there and the film’s makers have spoken to audiences around the country about the hardships in eastern Afghanistan and the fallout from that service.
Eastern Kunar and Nuristan provinces, meanwhile, have a past unwanted connection to Hawaii and a possible future one, as well.
On the same 2007-2008 deployment by the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom of Aiea was killed along with eight other soldiers when an overwhelming force of militants attacked his platoon in the village of Wanat in the neighboring Waigal Valley.
Five Pearl Harbor Navy SEALs were killed in June 2005 in an ill-fated commando mission and the subsequent crash of a rescue helicopter in Kunar, two events in which a total of 19 lives were lost.
The 3,800 soldiers of Schofield’s 3rd Brigade have been tapped for duty in Kunar and Nuristan when they deploy to Afghanistan in the spring.
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