Educational Media Reviews Online

The biggest mistake of the anti-Vietnam War movement was the way Vietnam War veterans were treated because of the antiwar feelings. The Way We Get By demonstrates that America learned from that mistake and is trying not to repeat it with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The film follows the lives of three troop greeters from Bangor, Maine who stand to greet and say farewell to all the soldiers leaving and returning from war. The film is more about them than the soldiers. They are elderly, have lost their spouses, and express their individual patriotism in this unique manner. They are called to the airport at all times of the day or night, especially difficult during Bangor’s typically snowy and cold winters. They never complain. Troop greeting gives them all a renewed purpose in life and they all swear they will continue until their own health no longer permits. The filmmakers wisely stay out of the frame. These lives, though typically American, are heroic and diverse. In an especially touching scene, Jerry walks through a warehouse buying club picking out boxes of candy to hand out to returning soldiers. He is so careful to choose only the best kinds. Ultimately they face their own losses and their own dying with as much dignity as they greet the soldiers. The Way We Get By looks at life cycles in a new and unique way. It is a film that belongs in every library collection.