Troop Greeters Get Spotlight
Documentary shows dedication of volunteers at Bangor airport
by Josie Cellone
The volunteers at Bangor International Airport have greeted more than 800,000 troops returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. As the main departure and arrival point for troops serving the country around the world, Bangor has become an unlikely character in the global war on terror.
The documentary “The Way We Get By” chronicles the Maine Troop Greeters, who line the airport ramps to welcome home returning troops with a simple handshake and a “thank you.”
The film screened on Capitol Hill last week with an introduction by Dr. Jill Biden, and will open in 40 cities across the country, including theaters near military installations in San Antonio, San Diego and Columbia, S.C. (View upcoming screenings here.) A national television broadcast is scheduled for Veteran’s Day at 9 p.m. on PBS.
Director Aron Gaudet said he would love to screen the documentary in Iraq or Afghanistan for the troops, many of whom would recognize his three central characters – Bill, Joan and Jerry – who were there to say goodbye when they left America.
Gaudet spoke with MilSPOUSE.com about stumbling on this incredible story of volunteerism and the importance of giving back to military families:
How did you learn about the Maine Troop Greeters?
Joan is my mom and she joined up with the greeters in the very beginning. She went from always being home to never being home, and one day she said, ‘Call my cell phone instead.’ I was like, ‘Mom, why do you need a cell phone?’ It didn’t quite register why she was gone 16 hours a day.
Did you realize the magnitude of what your mom was doing or did you have to see it in person to understand?
I really did have to see it. Bill said one day he went to the airport at 3 a.m. and didn’t leave until 11 p.m. The Soldiers that go through are always surprised they’re still there when they come back from their tour. At their age, they’re wondering, are these people going to continue doing this? They’re so dedicated and committed, troops feel like there are people who are thinking about them the whole time they’re gone.
How did you choose your other subjects? Did you know Bill or Jerry growing up?
No, I’d never met them. The very first flight I saw was at 2 a.m. near Christmas. Earlier that day Bill had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and yet he was there greeting troops. Bill hadn’t let anyone into his house for five years since his wife died. So when we saw how he was living, we wanted to know, ‘Who is this guy?’ He’s going through so much and all he cares about is greeting the Soldiers.
Jerry’s always surrounded by Soldiers, and we thought, ‘Who’s the guy getting these guys in stitches?’ He has so many good one-liners. He’s really got the whole routine down.
What has been the response?
One thing I’m really proud of with this movie is that it’s not political. So many wars movies hit you over the head with politics. This is about supporting your troops. Even in the movie it’s touched on, it doesn’t have to be troop greeting, there are things in every community you can do to make things better. What you do could have this ripple effect across the country.
Watch the trailer here.
What part of the film has been most precious to you?
There’s a part in the movie where Bill is going through some pretty dark times, and he says he feels like he’s outlived his usefulness. Now we’ve been taking Bill on the road for the screenings, and night after night, he gets a standing ovation.
Who’s manning the airport with Bill, Joan and Jerry on the road?
It’s tough! You take them on the road even a couple days, and they start going through withdrawal. I’m sure they land in Bangor and just start greeting troops. There’s a list of about 200 people who are considered main troop greeters, and there’s a core group of 25-30 there all the time. There’s somebody there for every flight when it lands.
Why Bangor?
It’s the eastern-most airport in the U.S., and it has a really long runway; there was a military base there at one point and it’s even an emergency landing site for the space shuttle. It’s also a small airport where there’s not a lot of traffic, so if three military flights come in and troops fill the terminal, it’s not really disrupting.
One of our favorite scenes is the one that shows the room full of troops, talking on the free cell phones you provide, with huge smiles on their faces calling home for the first time.
You’ve gotta love the tough old mean Sergeant, who sternly takes the phone and pounds out the numbers, then says, ‘Hi mom!’
Any scenes that stand out for you?
One of the funnest things to film was this Soldier who’d never seen snow before, and one of his buddies takes him outside the airport and says, ‘You gotta go make a snow angel.’ To me it was just really fun to see that. He said, ‘We went from Iraq to snow.’ As long as they know they’re back on U.S soil, it’s such a weight lifted. You’ll see the troops walk outside and get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground.
Read about one milspouse who joined the greeters here.