Last Letters Home - we honor their words-HBO tonight

[Guest]

Tonight at 21:00, HBO presents a special documentary honoring those who participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom by featuring the letters home from those who will not be coming back.

Just for the 1-hour period HBO will broadcast on general cable without non-subscriber blocking.

We will never forget those who served us at home and overseas.

"When I was engaged in the Vietnam War, I would write home often. Family was the highest priority, of course, but you also write to your friends. In peacetime, you tell them everything. When the war's on, you might hold back. Even when I was writing to my dad, it was never about miltary matters; it was personal stuff. That's what those letters are for - to connect."

-Sen. John McCain, from his introduction to LIFE's book Last Letters Home

Produced and directed by Oscar®- and Emmy® Award-winner Bill Couturié (HBO's Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam), this one-hour documentary is an intimate, deeply moving tribute to American troops recently killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. From the troops' hometowns, family members of eight men and two women read aloud their loved ones' poignant and extremely eloquent final letters, some of which were not received until after news of the troops' deaths had been received. These readings are accompanied by emotional remembrances and insights from grieving wives, mothers, fathers, children and friends, and punctuated by photos supplied by the families as well as The New York Times, which produced the documentary with HBO in association with LIFE Books.

Last Letters Home: Voices of American Troops from the Battlefields of Iraq premieres, appropriately, on Veterans Day 2004: Thursday, November 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. In an effort to reach as many Americans as possible with this tribute, HBO and participating cable affiliates will open its signal during the telecast, making the program available to almost all cable households, not just pay-cable subscribers.

[DOC22 1]

WAS ANYBODY ABLE TO WATCH THIS? I TRIED BUT RCN PUTNAM KEPT THE DAMN CHANNEL BLOCKED!GRRRRR

[Guest VFDJrSqd02]

It was on channal 99 for me. I have Cablevision.

[DOC22 1]

Mike, did you see it ? If so, was it as good as I think it was?

[Guest]

Saw it. Pretty tough to watch especially the reading of the letters received by the families after the burials. Credit to the producer, did the film with a lot of respect.

All the problems I "think" I have are nothing compared to what these and other families are trying to cope with.

May they stay strong and know our prayers are with them.

[DOC22 1]

Thanks for the info, and you're absolutely right, hoss, just when you think you're overrun with problems, just take a look down the road, there's somebody out there worse off. my thoughts are with those and all of the families of vets all over.

[Guest VFDJrSqd02]

i havent watched it yet... my friend recorded it so im going to watch it 2morrow or some time and my US History teacher said we may watch it in class. I will tell you how it was after i watch it.

[DOC22 1]

Thanks, Mike, I would really appreciate that.

[Guest]

jnb, did you see it ?

H.