FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — March 7, 2005 — The League of Grateful Sons, a new documentary chronicling the journey that sons and grandsons took last March to the black sands of Iwo Jima in honor of their fathers who fought there in 1945, is being released for screenings in churches and other venues across America this Memorial Day.
“This Memorial Day, we are encouraging churches, veteran’s organizations, and other groups to screen The League of Grateful Sons in their communities,” explained Doug Phillips, executive producer of the film and president of Vision Forum Ministries. “We must honor the veterans of the Second World War, and screening our film is one way of doing that. It is our pray that this documentary will be a tool that will inspire the younger generation to connect with the WWII vets — to ask their stories, to hear their heart, and above all, to show them honor.
On March 12, 2005, Phillips journeyed with his two eldest sons to Iwo Jima for the sixtieth anniversary of the battle. With him came fathers who fought on the island, joined by their sons and grandsons. Other sons came whose fathers never left the volcanic ash during the bloody conflict with the Japanese in 1945. The League of Grateful Sons, a powerful new documentary, tells the stories of these men.
“We are compelled by a sense of urgency to honor the faith of our WWII fathers before they are gone,” remarked Phillips, “More than a thousand WWII vets die every day, and soon they will be no more. We have little time left to say ‘thank you.’ Our passion is to honor these men and to encourage our generation to ask their fathers of the providences of God in their lives, in keeping with the Fifth Commandment, ‘Honor your father and mother.’ This message is at the heart of our documentary, The League of Grateful Sons.”
The League of Grateful Sons was produced as part of The Faith of Our Fathers Project, an ongoing work of Vision Forum Ministries to tell the stories of the providence of God through the families that make up American history. Shot on location on Iwo Jima, Texas, Hawaii, and Guam, and featuring an original score, the film premiered last October at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and is now being distributed on DVD through various retails outlets nationwide.
“The League of Grateful Sons is not just another war film,” observed Phillips. “It is the true story of how faithful fathers and honoring sons unearthed generational lessons for the sons and daughters of our day within the context of the defining battle in Marine Corps history — the epic battle for Iwo Jima.”
“We pray that God will work in hearts wherever this film is screened,” concluded Phillips, “that the old warriors will find hope in knowing that their stories will not die with them and that the younger generation will strive to supercede the legacy of these great men.”
Visit www.leagueofgratefulsons.com for more information on how you can screen the film in your community. To interview Doug Phillips about his vision for this project, contact Wesley Strackbein at media@leagueofgratefulsons.com.