WASHINGTON D.C. - “We Are Veterans” is a collaboration of local PBS stations, partner organizations, veteran service organizations, and communities to leverage resources to raise awareness about the well-being of veterans and their families. Americans for the Arts and on behalf of the collaborative National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military and its partners joins as a proud supporter of this initiative.

“The story of how veterans and their families are using the arts to heal, to connect with their communities, and even to impact the creative industry workforce and art world at large is one worth sharing. These creative veterans are unsung heroes — and now thanks to “We Are Veterans”, their voices will be heard,” said Robert Lynch, president and CEO, Americans for the Arts. “There are more than 22 million veterans in the United States today. Yet the sacrifice and contributions that they and their families make on a daily basis is a story yet to be fully told.”

“We Are Veterans” is part of a larger, multi-year, PBS event that includes live concerts, documentaries, summits, television programs and online engagement. Some episodes, like “Craft in America” (November 2014), focus especially on the role arts play in veterans’ lives.

The National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military was launched in 2012 to advance the arts in health, healing and healthcare for military service members, veterans, their families and caregivers. In 2013, Americans for the Arts released Arts, Health and Well-Being Across the Military Continuum—White Paper and Framing a National Plan for Action, identifying the need to raise visibility for the value of the arts as part of the healing and wellness journey, as well as strengthening family and community ties. “We Are Veterans”, with its strong emphasis on the arts is a major step forward in meeting this goal. Future local programs and community events will further highlight the white paper and its themes.

The PBS national television programming list for “We Are Veterans” includes but is not limited to the following:

COMING BACK WITH WES MOORE

May 13, 20 and 27, 2014, 8-9 p.m. EST

This three-episode series, executive-produced by best-selling author and veteran Wes Moore, tells the story of Moore’s search for answers to some of the most difficult questions facing vets returning from war. Each episode focuses on a different stage of coming home: “Coming Back,” “Fitting In” and “Moving Forward.”

NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT (2014)

May 25, 2014, 8-9:30 p.m.; rpt. 9:30-11 p.m. EST

Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise co-host the 25th anniversary broadcast of this night of remembrance honoring the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home, and all those who have given their lives for our country.

DEATH AND THE CIVIL WAR: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (encore)

May 26, 2014, 9–11 p.m. EST

Drawing heavily on “This Republic of Suffering,” Drew Gilpin Faust’s acclaimed book, the program explores a critical aspect of the Civil War experience: the implications of the war’s staggering and unprecedented death toll.

D-DAY 360

May 27, 2014, 9–10 p.m. EST

This film re-creates the landscape of D-Day, a logistical effort on a scale never seen before or since: 3,000 planes dropped 23,000 airborne troops behind German lines, and 7,000 ships delivered around 20,000 military vehicles and 130,000 soldiers onto the beaches. Once on shore, the troops had to negotiate 2 million mines buried in the sand and hundreds of miles of barbed wire, while dodging the shells and bullets fired by 40,000 German defenders.

NOVA “D-Day’s Sunken Secrets”

May 28, 2014, 9–11 p.m.

NOVA has exclusive access to a unique collaboration among military historians, archaeologists and specialist divers to carry out the most extensive survey ever done of the seabed bordering the legendary beachheads of Normandy.

FALL 2014 (air dates TBD)

MAKERS: WOMEN WHO MAKE AMERICA “Women & War”

September 2014

This episode from the MAKERS series looks at American women’s increasing participation in war — from Vietnam to the present — as nurses, soldiers, journalists, diplomats and spies. 

HOMEFRONT

November 2014

Military families and experts from all branches of service come together to illuminate the shared experience and culture of the military community.

CRAFT IN AMERICA “Service”

November 2014

This episode tells the stories of exceptional craftsmen and craftswomen who have served their country and provides an important perspective on the power of art not only to inspire, but also to heal.

WINTER/SPRING 2015 (air dates TBD)                                                                

LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM:  AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

The film chronicles the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War as a number of heroic Americans took matters into their own hands, engaging in unsanctioned and often makeshift operations in a desperate effort to save as many South Vietnamese lives as possible.                                 

FALL 2015

LATINOS AND VIETMAN

This documentary examines the Latino experience during the Vietnam War. Framing the documentary is a profile of two siblings, Everett and Delia Alvarez, who fought on opposite sides of the war, one as a POW and the other protesting at home.

FALL 2016                                                                                                                 

VIETNAM          

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s series explores the history and meaning of the Vietnam War by focusing primarily on the human experience of the conflict, using the eyewitness testimonies of “ordinary” people — both American and Vietnamese — to paint a vivid picture of what it was like in the U.S. and Indochina.

The “We Are Veterans” website will include trusted resources for veterans and their families as well as information on how to share stories and connect with local community resources. The conversation in support of veterans will continue on social media using #WeAreVeterans on Facebook and on Twitter and online at www.weareveterans.org

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Learn more at www.AmericansForTheArts.org

PBS offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 109 million people through television and over 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. www.pbs.org