Young Americans

Raw.

That one word sums up what I've seen in the trailer of Pat Dollard's Young Americans (link on this page definitely NSFW), a documentary shot over seven months in places like Fallujah and Ramadi in the Sunni Triangle of Iraq with U.S. Marines.

Dollard was injured in an IED attack on his Humvee on February 18.



The HMMWV Dollard was in when it was destroyed by an IED in Ramadi, Iraq.

Unlike others reporting events in Iraq who were injured by IEDs, a Google News search reveals just one only article about Patrick Dollard in Iraq. I guess if you aren't reporting the right stories you don't deserve much of a mention.

The trailer I viewed for Young Americans is, if anything, excruciatingly raw, often vulgar, but almost certainly real footage of how frontline Marines act after the networks retire back to the Green Zone.



Private Zachary Kother (left), Pat Dollard (center), Lance Corporal Eric Cybulski (right). survived the IED attack that killed Lt. Almar Fitzgerald and Corporal Matthew Conley.

Dollard himself is something of a controversial figure, a former Hollywood agent and producer (read more here) that looks like a cross between Anthony Perkins and R. Lee Ermey who generates strong opinions from those who know him.

All the footage taken in Dollard's seven months in Iraq in Ramadi, Fallujah and other part of the "Triangle of Death" were shot by Dollard himself or the Marines he was with, and the 600 hours of high-def footage is being edited into a 15-20 hour ultra-reality series for cable.

Dollard's "Young Americans" trailer isn't pretty, isn't politically correct, and isn't going to be liked by many people.

In short, it's war.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 09:26 PM

Comments

1 I saw the trailer the other night, and I've been thinking about it since.
"real" and "powerful" are the descriptors I'd use.
"i don't want your love, and I don't need your respect", the words from the soundtrack, pretty much say it all.
These guys are so committed, so good, that the blatherings of the left aren't even a flea bite to them.
And flashing photos of Kerry, Dean, Moore, and various traitors while the song screams "**** you" makes a point that the left might just want to take notice of, but probably won't.

Posted by: rickinstl at June 08, 2006 09:57 AM (MvmeX)

2 Actually, the NY Times ran a really well written story on Dollard in their Arts section about a month ago. The article has since become a "Times Select" article, but here's proof:

http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?query=Patrick+Dollard&srchst=nyt

Posted by: Keram at June 08, 2006 10:37 AM (X/ioP)

3 Needs.To.Be.Heard.

Posted by: chris Muir at June 08, 2006 06:14 PM (+CRDT)

4 To me, Dollard resembles a young Jack Webb. Not a bad thing.

Posted by: SouthernRoots at June 09, 2006 11:08 AM (jHBWL)

5 I too would watch this when it's ready to air! I wonder which cable channel will air it?
BTW, what's that song used in the trailer?

Posted by: Macker at June 11, 2006 03:27 PM (0zaL9)

6 according to a comment on the H/I site, the song is Blood For Blood's "Ain't Like You"

Posted by: Jackson at June 12, 2006 10:25 PM (rZpOI)

7 I heard it's going to be on HBO, not sure if it's fact or rumor.

Posted by: susan at June 14, 2006 11:56 PM (4RqHJ)






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