'They Shall Not Grow Old' Returning Home Clip

World War I Documentary Directed by Peter Jackson

[TheCopyNinja]

“The first night I came home, I got into my old bed. It’s the first bed I laid in since I joined the army. When Mother brought my cup of tea up in the morning, she found me fast asleep on the floor.”

I don’t know why, but this one has always stuck with me. There’s something very significant about it that I just can’t quite figure out.

[oopik]

They were deemed cowards for not going to fight and then shunned when they returned. Just shameful.

[kitharrison]

The lads going back home to this is arguably the most shameful thing of the whole war. Nobody cared, nobody could ever understand or fathom what these boys went through, so they simply ignored and disregarded them.

[lancetennenbaum]

Those men were a different breed. As one of them said in a different part of the film, "there was a job to be done, and you just got on and did it "

[terragthegreat]

Dick Winters (from band of brothers) once said that one of the reasons he never like talking about the war was because people never knew the right questions to ask. They'd ask about the dumb, trivial things and just never really even comprehend the parts of war that really mattered.

Also I suppose it's bittersweet that one day they would be able to find more people who could understand their experience, but it would be their children.

[bertk]

Just sucks that veterans in all wars get treated like that

[mikaelpeake]

It always gets to me at the end. When store owner said where you been on nights. Not knowing his customer has been fighting for his country

[uglybugly]

“on nights” holly shit what a good quote

[ArchiveAcheron]

U.S. Veterans came back home from the War end of 1918 & early 1919, and they came home just as Prohibition of Alcohol was made Law in America. A Veteran coming home from horror of War and could not legally relax and have a drink to numb the War being fought within his psyche. Imagine.

[Naidyonov]

"There may be right on both sides...But I think war is HORRIBLE. Everything should be done to avoid war." It was so simple, yet coming from a veteran, and the way he says it it's just makes it chilling.

[ooztscc]

Brave men. Too bad they were treated like that. May the "life after this life" give them better.

[evanhaddad]

Just stunning. I highly encourage everyone to read All Quiet in the Western Front and its lesser known sequel, The Road Back. The latter really shows you how the fighting just ended abruptly and German soldiers returned to revolution and economic destruction.

It always boggles my mind how, even in those old days, people didn’t give any respect to the soldiers. How tragic.

[thomassmith]

At the end...they are talking about us....

[flbquol]

Poor lads. End tune Is ‘bombed/gassed last night’

[ryanmurphy]

Like every war veterans dont get looked after its a disgrace

[augustineirigoyen]

History has proven you right sir it was not worthwhile

[subaruadventures]

Still happens to this day, civies dont get it.

[rstein]

The thing is the men didn't just lose their jobs because they took long leave of absence due to fighting.

During the war women were hired to fill the men's shoes such as working in factories for the first time. And while this was dangerous and unpleasant work, women finally got a chance to do a job especially to help with the war effort. And obviously many women kept their jobs making the men redundant.

And unfortunately like any war Britain was greatly effected by the conflict such as economy losses causing many jobs to be axed and effecting business and trade which lead towards the great depression though it was the USA that was mostly effected. Britain obviously didn't become poor but the war took it's toll on the economy.