Wounded vets turn to comedy

One of my soon-to-be-former-workmates sent us a link from Fox News in regards to a new documentary coming out about wounded veterans who turn to being comedians to help them recover from their injuries;

“Comedy Warriors” features five severely wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:

— Marine Corps Reserve vet Rob Jones, who was wounded by an IED and underwent above-knee amputations in both legs.

— U.S. Army warrior Bobby Henline, whose Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad in 2007, burning 38 percent of his body. His head burned to the skull and his left hand had to be amputated.

— Former Army Captain and helicopter pilot Darisse Smith, who suffered a lower back injury that led to permanent nerve damage, forcing her to have a spinal cord stimulator implanted to block the pain signal between her leg and her brain.

— Joe Kashow, who served with the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq and was wounded by a roadside bomb, leading to the amputation of his right leg below the knee.

— Steve Rice, a retired US Army 1st lieutenant, who lost his left leg below the knee after he was blown up by an IED in Iraq in 2003.

Now all five American heroes have stepped into new territory, exploring the mending powers of comedy with cameras on them every step of the way. “Comedy Warriors” follows them as they work with professional comedy writers and A-list comedians, including Bob Saget, Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black and B.J. Novak, who help them create and deliver stand-up comedy routines, culminating in a big performance night at two of L.A.’s top comedy clubs.

The documentary is being rolled out to theaters and on-demand markets. You can find out where you can see it at Comedy Warriors. Watch the trailer;

Category: Veterans Issues