Remember Us - Documentary tells of war families' pain

By John R. Ellement Globe Staff / November 10, 2007

Carlos Arrendondo's pain and the life and death of his Marine son, Lance Corporal Alexander Arredondo, are not part of a new documentary about families from New England that lost loved ones in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

But Arrendondo was at Northeastern University in Boston last night, watching a preview of the 90-minute New England Cable News documentary. He came at the invitation of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who had invited dozens of others like Arredondo.

"It's important for the community to see and remember all of our sons and daughters who paid the ultimate sacrifice," said Arredondo, of Roslindale.

"No matter what their position is on the war, we have the same pain," he said.

The documentary, produced by NECN executive editor Iris Adler and titled, "Remember Us," will be broadcast tomorrow night at 7 in honor of Veteran's Day, said Philip S. Balboni, founder of NECN.

In opening remarks, Balboni said he is a Vietnam-era veteran and wished that "I could say all of our fellow citizens remember our sacrifice, but I think we know the honest answer is many do not," he said. "And that is what motivated us at NECN to produce 'Remember Us,' so we can honor and remember those who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The state's senior senator, accompanied by his wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, met privately with the dozens of family members who came from across New England.

The survivors and deployed military families are invited to Gillette Stadium on Dec. 10 for an event supported by the New England Patriots and the Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation, named after an Abington man killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. More information is available at jeffcoombsfund.org.

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