Wednesdays, April 2 - 23, 2025 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 / Stream now with KPBS Passport!
AMERICAN VETERAN is a four-part series that illuminates the veteran experience with a stunning range of voices from today and across the arc of American history. This multi-platform initiative traces the veteran experience through a broadcast series, podcast, and digital shorts. Every voice featured is a veteran’s.
From the citizen-soldiers returning from the American Revolution to today’s warrior class, they tell a deeply moving story, highlighting personal remembrances, drawing civilian viewers into an unfamiliar culture, and highlighting the evolving relationship between Americans who have served in the military and those who have not.
TV episode narrators are: TV host and former Marine Drew Carey; Iraq War Army veteran Senator Tammy Duckworth; actor, Vietnam War veteran (National Guard) and Native American (Cherokee) activist Wes Studi; and actor, motivational speaker and Army veteran, J. R. Martinez.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: “The Crossing” Encore Wednesday, April 2, 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - As recruits take the oath to serve, they leave the civilian world to become a soldier, sailor, marine, airman or woman. This is the start of their transformation. Narrated by TV host and former Marine Drew Carey.
Episode 2: “The Mission” Encore Wednesday, April 9 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Join host Senator Tammy Duckworth to learn how military life shapes servicemen and women in profound and unexpected ways. Veterans’ personal stories showcase the raw impact of these experiences from D-Day to Afghanistan.
Episode 3: “The Return” Encore Wednesday, April 16 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Join host Wes Studi to explore the road back to civilian life. For some veterans there are ticker-tape parades; for others, protests, anger and silence. Some recall the confidence they brought home, while others think, “What am I going to do now?”
Episode 4: “The Reckoning” Encore Wednesday, April 23, 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Join host J.R. Martinez as veterans reflect on their experiences in the military, the divide between those who have served and those who have not, and the ways veterans and civilians can work together to move America forward.
Watch On Your Schedule: The series is available on demand with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members supporting KPBS at $60 or more yearly, using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.
Credits: Produced by Insignia Films. Stephen Ives and Leah Williams directed the series, which is written by Stephen Ives and Gene Tempest. The series producer is Amanda Pollak. The digital series, “American Veteran: Keep it Close,” is produced by Blue Chalk, producer Mariko Fujinaka and supervising producer Natalie Taylor. The podcast, “American Veteran: Unforgettable Stories,” is a production of Insignia Films for GBH, produced by Curtis Fox with sound design by Ian Coss and production and distribution support from PRX.
Funding for AMERICAN VETERAN is provided by The Wexner Family Charitable Fund, Battelle Memorial Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Analog Devices.
