An inside look into the war.

I always assumed television was that one time of the day where I can sit back, allow my mind to wonder freely and possibly be entertained for an hour or so. That was then, this is now and what was once called “the great wasteland” has morphed into outlet for hard hitting made for television documentaries that you will find nowhere else.

I watched two documentaries over the weekend that were hard-hitting true stories of but a part of the war in Iraq, Baghdad ER, an HBO production and Combat Diary: The Marines of Lima Company, A&E Television. These two documentaries not only provided a small window into two events, which took place in the war on terrorism in Iraq, but demonstrated the valor and professionalism of the men and women who are fighting it day in, day out.

Baghdad ER is not for everyone, as it portrays the realities of war. Here is a blurb quoted from the HBO site that says it all in a nutshell.

“12-time Emmy® Award winner producer/director Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill capture the humanity, hardships and heroism of the US Military and medical personnel of the 86th Combat Support Hospital, the Army's premier medical facility in Iraq. Sometimes graphic in its depiction of combat-related wounds, BAGHDAD ER offers an unflinching and honest account of the realities of war.”

Baghdad ER, HBO provides a very graphic overview of a military emergency room during wartime, as I said above, it is not the show for everyone and it is a very emotional experience and may prove too emotional for some people.

Combat Diary: The Marines of Lima Company, A&E Television, is an inside peek at what these Marines went through during their deployment. Here is the blurb from the A&E Television site.

“Featuring candid interviews and never-before-seen video, we tell the story of the hardest hit combat unit of the Iraq war. Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, a reserve unit out of Columbus, Ohio was deployed to Iraq from February 28-September 30, 2005.”

This documentary contained actual footage as recorded by the Marines themselves and each Marine explains each event as it unfolds on the screen. I highly recommend that everyone watch this documentary; I assure that you will walk away with additional insight into the events taking place in Baghdad.