11-11-09

VETERANS DAY

In case you missed it...

• Rosie and google Pete opened the show discussing the issues they had with the leaf blowing man who works during the show's taping.

• It was Wednesday so JaHeRo was in the studio. Helene talked about her evening and how she went to see the English film An Education last night which she called "abominable." Janette spent the evening searching for one of her favorite TV shows Modern Family only to realize it was not Wednesday night so the show wasn't on. Janette and other members of the studio described and recommended the show to Rosie. Rosie said she was going to try to catch it on hulu.

• Rosie set the tone for the day's show saying in honor of Veterans Day they would dedicate the show to celebrating our military and asked that only veterans call into the studio today. Rosie then recommended the website In Their Boots where you can find a series of amazing first person interviews about what it is like to live in and live with a member of the military.

• Rosie spoke to caller Taryn Davis, a 23 year old widow who's young husband died in Iraq. Taryn created the website The American Widow Project who's mission is to share the stories of the women who have lost loved ones to war. Taryn told a raw and beautiful account of the loss of her beloved husband Michael and the depression she suffered after losing him. To see the trailer for the American Widow Project click HERE.

• Rosie then interviewed Helen Benedict Professor of Journalism at Columbia University and author of Edge of Eden and The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq. Helen spoke about her award winning book and how she has found that women still have to fight to be recognized as soldiers and to be able to be heard in the military.

• Rosie took many calls from Veterans who told their heroic stories from war.

• Rosie then interviewed Emmy Award winning Phil Donahue who along with Ellen Spiro produced and directed the documentary Body of War. Body of War is a story about a young Iraq war vet Tomas Young, who was shot 5 days after his arrival in Iraq and paralyzed for life. The documentary tells of the daily struggles Tomas must deal with and highlights the challenges our wounded veterans face everyday. Eddie Veddar from Pearl Jam wrote the theme song for the movie entitled No More. Listen to the Eddie talk about both Tomas and Phil and sing the song HERE. Read the lyrics to the song HERE at www.pearljam.com. Rosie called the film "as real as it gets" and recommends it to her listeners. You can purchase the documentary HERE.

• Rosie mentioned how her friend Georgette Mosbacher introduced her to Bill White who has raised millions for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and then encouraged her to go to the Fisher House that provides free or low cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers. It was when Rosie visited Brooke Army Medical Center she met John McCain (who she "loved") and Hilliary Clinton (who was late to the event) where Rosie got to see the soldiers' struggles first hand.

• Rosie closed the show honoring our veterans and asking our country to bring our men and women home. She then played the song Bring Him Home by Colm Wilkinson from the musical Les Miserables.