Brothers in Arms (2003)

In 1969, during the Vietnam War, Senator John Kerry was one of a handful of soldiers assigned to a "Swift boat," a small reconnaissance vessel that patrolled the rivers in search of North Vietnamese camps hidden in the thick jungles along the banks. Like most of the Swift boat crews, Kerry's company came under attack several times during its hitch in Vietnam, and the horrors of combat and the emotional weight of the war's legacy proved to be a great obstacle to overcome for these soldiers. Brothers in Arms is a documentary that profiles the men who served in the Swift boat crew -- Kerry is included, but not given particular emphasis -- and discuss in detail their experiences in Vietnam, the difficulties they encountered after returning home, and how they each came to terms with their traumas and moved on. Directed by Paul Alexander, Brothers in Arms was one of two films about John Kerry's Vietnam experiences scheduled to be released in the fall of 2004, as he was in the midst of a campaign for president.