Product Details

• Actors: Maj. William Henderson, 2nd Lieut. William Brown, Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, John Butler
• Directors: Doug Phillips
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Digital Sound, Dolby, DVD, Full length, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Vision Forum Films
• DVD Release Date: October 28, 2005
• Run Time: 74 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000CNEEO8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,119 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

What is the godly legacy of the fathers of World War II? Their story has not been told — until now!

More than 406,000 Americans died during the Second World War, leaving an estimated 183,000 children fatherless. Hundreds of thousands of other fathers did return from war, some who tragically never connected with their children. But within the ranks of the survivors and the heroic dead were a remarkable collection of men who made it a life mission to speak the providences of God and the meaning of manhood to the boys who would fill their shoes. Through wartime letters and present-day pilgrimages to the bloody battlefields of their youth, the ancient warriors have spoken. Their thankful children rise to honor and surpass their legacy. They are "The League of Grateful Sons."

Meet tough-as-nails Marine "Colonel" Bill Henderson, and P-51 Mustang flyboy Bill Brown. Now in their eighties, these ancient warriors return to the black sands of Iwo Jima to disciple a new generation in the art of Christian manhood. Joining these men are sons whose fathers never returned — the Isacks brothers and "Johnny Boy" Butler — all heirs to a treasure trove of fatherly wisdom penned from the battlefield.

Shot on location on Iwo Jima, Guam, Hawaii, and in Texas, and directed by veteran filmmaker, Geoff Botkin, "The League of Grateful Sons" will leave you grateful for America’s heroic fathers and motivated to surpass their legacy.

Bonus Features:
• "Target: Invisible" — a dramatized bombing mission over Japan explaining the use of radar (playing time 7 mins.)
• "War Time Memories" — historic photos from the Pacific and home-fronts
• "Trip of a Lifetime" — photos highlighting the sixtieth anniversary journey to Iwo Jima

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent, Moving Film, March 19, 2006

By 

Tim Challies (Oakville, Ontario) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The League of Grateful Sons (DVD)

In Prophetic Untimeliness Os Guinness argued, successfully I think, that our culture has an irrational and dangerous fixation on the present and future. Our emphasis on the latest and greatest comes at the expense of all that the past has to offer us. Tragically, this distaste of the past has become prevalent in the past and we, as Christians, risk having to re-learn lessons that we would already know were we to keep one eye fixed firmly in the past.

The League of Grateful Sons is an organization dedicated to preserving memories from the past, and in particular, the memories of fathers who fought during the Second World War--to pass the legacy of these men to another generation. This war took the lives of 182,000 American fathers. Hundreds of thousands of fathers did return, but many of these never took the opportunity to share their legacy with their children. With thousands of war veterans dying every day, the opportunities are growing ever more seldom. But within the ranks of these survivors of the war are a collection of men who made it their life mission to tell others of the providences of God and the meaning of manhood. These men have sought to share their experiences with later generations and to begin to build a legacy in their sons and their grandsons. We can honor God by honoring these men and encouraging them to share their what God has taught them. They can, in turn, honor God by attempting to leave a legacy for coming generations.

The Faith of Our Fathers Project has released a DVD entitled The League of Grateful Sons that examines a few of these great war heroes as they return to one of the bloodiest and most infamous battlefields of the war: Iwo Jima. The film introduces "Colonel" Bell Henderson, a hardened Marine who maintained moral purity throughout the war, Bill Brown, a fighter pilot who was shot down and later rescued, and other men who fought bravely for a cause they believed in. It follows them as, for the first time in sixty years, they walk upon the black sands of Iwo Jima. But this time, rather than being accompanied by their friends, they walk arm-in-arm with their sons and grandsons. They pause and reflect, recalling events still as clear in their minds today as they were six decades ago. They share the past so they can build a better future.

"Our goal with The League of Grateful Sons," writes Doug Phillips," is to honor the sacrifice for freedom made by these men, and all who fought during the Second World War, and to pass on their legacy to the next generation. May this story inspire you and your family to keep their memory alive, and to preserve the heritage of your own fathers for generations to come." This story is inspirational. It is deeply and profoundly moving. It is a testament to the power of God, not only in his acts of providence in the lives of these brave men, but in motivating them to share their stories with a generation in desperate need of godly heroes.

The League of Grateful Sons is a beautiful film that will move you to tears and leave you grateful for the peace we enjoy today, and for the brave men that fought for that peace, several generations ago.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Godly Machismo: Heroes of WWII and Their Legacy..., November 23, 2006

By 

Encompassed Runner (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The League of Grateful Sons (DVD)

This documentary thank you to the heroes of WWII chronicles the 2005 trip of a group dubbed "The League of Grateful Sons," who traveled to Iwo Jima to walk in the footsteps of their fathers, grandfathers, greatgrandfathers, and role models of the best of godly manhood. The movie includes archival footage, live footage, and interviews with veterans and with family members who share the legacy of their fathers' heroism.

One of the more moving parts of the movie was the reading of letters from the soldiers. One poignant letter to a son arrived on the same day the son's letter to him arrived Return To Sender, and was written on the day before the beginning of the Battle of Iwo Jima. In another example, a hero left behind a 5-year-old son along with more than 1200 pages of letters, with such fatherly wisdom as: "My dear little boys, Dad doesn't want you to ever be a bully. I want you to always fight against anyone who tries to be one. I want you to always help the smaller fellow...above all my boys, have courage. Have courage to do the things that you know are right...God Bless You, Daddy"

This is the testimony of the men God providentially used as vehicles to preserve our nation's freedoms, men who fought against statism and for their families, countries, faith, and a way of life. It is a passing of the torch and a call to remember them and the generation they represented by seeking out their testimony before it is too late, as the few survivors are now in their 80s.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent documentary, June 1, 2007

By 

Michelle Polk (Mississippi, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The League of Grateful Sons (DVD)

of what men can do even when they go through hard battles. We all know war is tough and this dvd brings out men who learned to go and be the heros that we all need in this life.