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 Iraq War veterans carry Tomas Young up the Capitol steps in Washington DC. Kevin McKinney/Courtesy Photo
After spending only five days in Iraq in the back of a large truck with about 25 other soldiers, Thomas Young was shot.
“It was like shooting fish in a barrel,” said his mother, Cathy Smith.
Young was rushed to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center — he was paralyzed from the shoulders down.
While in the hospital, his mother asked him if there was anyone in the U.S. Capitol he wanted to meet. His answer was Ralph Nader, who Smith said was one of the first to express his opinions against the war.
During their meeting, Nader brought with him a good friend, Phil Donahue. Smith said Donahue, ex-talk show host turned producer, expressed an interest in developing Young’s story on a larger scale.
The finished work, a documentary titled, “Body of War,” will be showing at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre Oct. 3.
The documentary is hosted by the University of Idaho Martin Institute, but was brought to Moscow by the work of an unnamed group of community members.
One community member, Sid Eder, said the group banded together after realizing the “invisibility” of the war. For the most part, Eder said, people are unaffected by the war and have little idea about what goes on each day.
As a learning experience, the group held a film series at the Kenworthy last year. After several showings sold out, Eder said the group decided to make the series an annual event.
“Body of War” took third place for the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. It was also named best documentary by the National Board of Movie Review and narrowly missed a chance at an Oscar.
Initially, co-producer Ellen Spiro was selected to introduce and answer questions about the film. After an unexpected health issue, Smith offered to take the position. Eder said Smith will offer a unique perspective.
“As a mother she feels very keenly about this war,” he said. “For her, there was an opportunity to speak to young people.”
Smith said she is excited to answer questions from the university crowd.
“You are the people who have open minds,” she said. “You are the ones who listen attentively — you are not the ones I fight against.”
Smith is a self-proclaimed outspoken opponent of the war.
Young enlisted on Sept. 13, 2001, Smith said, to fulfill a duty he and most Americans at that time felt they had to accomplish.
“We saw the president standing on rubble and we were spurred to patriotism just like everyone else,” she said. “We wanted retribution.”
Smith said Young was “fully prepared to fight the war” but it never occurred to anyone in the family he would be going to Iraq.
Once Young heard the news, Smith said he was immediately “despondent.”
After expressing his displeasure to his commanding officer he was directed to the chaplain. Smith said the chaplain’s advice was once Thomas got to Iraq and “started shooting people, he would feel better.”
Despite their history of military experience, Smith said the family does not agree with war at any cost, which is what Young felt he was being asked to do.
After Young was injured, Smith began looking for a support group and came upon an organization called Military Families Speak Out. Smith said the group wasn’t exactly what she was looking for, but found solace educating others about the war.
“Most people are not fortunate enough to get to see the unbelievable injuries of the war,” Smith said. “People wanted to listen to (Young’s) story.”
When the film was being made, Smith said getting used to the camera was difficult for everyone.
“We’re not camera people,” she said. “We’re Midwesterners, very quiet. We go to a concert and see people from 50 rows back and that’s our excitement.”
Cameramen followed the family for two years, shooting about 4,000 hours of video before production began.
Smith said the goal of the documentary is not to inspire but to show the repercussions of the war.
“We’d just as soon live our normal life,” Smith said. “But it was very important to us that the face of this war not be anonymous.”
Smith said their work has been hard, but there have been benefits.
“I could sit here and drop names of people we’ve met all day long,” she said. “Would I do it again? Not a chance in hell. I would go back (in time) … and Thomas could stand at Target and make six dollars an hour.”
Smith said she attributes Young’s recovery to the sense of meaning he gained from telling his experience.
“He had a purpose,” Smith said. “That truly saved his life. To have a purpose and be able to help other people gives them a good reason to go on.”
Although the documentary contains a lot of old video footage from congress and the war, Smith said she considers the video to be less of an anti-war film and more of a “love story” about what the family has experienced.
Young is currently in a rehab facility in Chicago. Smith said he is gaining mobility in his arms and his speech is getting better. She credits his recovery to the family’s “gallows sense of humor.”
“That’s basically how we deal with everything,” she said.
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