Chicago Premiere of “Until They Are Home”

Aug. 7, 2012 - PRLog -- CHICAGO (September 7, 2012) –  Kelsey Grammer narrates a new documentary from Filmmaker Steven C. Barber – “Until They Are Home” – chronicling the search for the remains of missing U.S. Marines of World War II killed in the Battle of Tarawa in November of 1943.  Featuring country music superstar Clint Black’s original song "She Won't Let Go, the film premieres in Chicago on Sunday, September 9, 2012 at 6 p.m. at AMC River EAst 21 (322 Illinois Street) in Chicago. Join Congressman Dan Lipinski, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office, Alderman Balcer and our service-members at this very special evening in Chicago.

Directed by Barber, produced by Matthew Hausle and Tamara Henry and executive produced by Tim Shelton, “Until They Are Home” brings to light the extraordinary dedication of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team members, largely unsung heroes who, until now, have been unrecognized while working in the shadows.  These young men and women returned in 2010 to the site of one of the most horrific battles of World War II in order to bring home fallen military heroes.  Their efforts on the island of Tarawa have provided some closure after 69 years, recovering the remains of a few U.S. servicemen and flying those remains back to American soil.

http://vimeo.com/46113256



The Pentagon originally activated the JPAC on Oct. 1, 2003, to research and recover the remains of more than 83,000 unaccounted-for Americans from foreign wars in order to support the Department of Defense’s personnel accounting efforts.  The command is located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and identifies an average of six missing servicemen each month while utilizing the largest and most diverse forensic skeletal laboratory in the world.  JPAC has more than a dozen teams that travel the globe on recovery missions, and “Until They Are Home” is the story of one of those missions.

Sequel To Award-Winner

“Until They Are Home” is the much awaited sequel to the award-winning “Return To Tarawa: The Leon Cooper Story,” narrated by Academy Award®-nominee Ed Harris, which won “Best Documentary” honors at the Staten Island Film Festival and was nominated for “Best Documentary” at the Milan International Film Festival.  

Cooper, 94, a Chicago native, is one of the few remaining survivors of the battle of “Bloody Tarawa” and this first film tells the story of Cooper’s February 2008 return to the battlefield where he bravely fought 65 years earlier.  Cooper was a young U.S. Navy commander of a group of Higgins landing crafts that ferried U.S. 2nd Marine Division troops to Red Beach during the November 1943 invasion.  The battle was the U.S. military’s first major amphibious assault on Tarawa, a fortified Japanese stronghold, located in a series of coral reef atolls in the Pacific’s Gilbert island group.  It is approximately 2,500 miles southwest of the Hawaiian islands and currently within the Republic of Kiribati.

During Cooper’s stirring 2008 return visit to Tarawa, he was able to confirm firsthand many disturbing conditions about that site where the remains of several hundred Americans still lie neglected and forgotten on the island.  In addition, Cooper learned there is still live ammunition scattered everywhere on the densely populated island, and that huge piles of garbage lie on Red Beach, the hallowed ground where hundreds of Americans were killed and wounded by Japanese gunfire.

Deeply disturbed by what he saw while back on the island, Cooper dedicated his life to garner local support for his restoration plan to clean up the beach and the island, including the building of a modern incineration facility to relieve the island’s issues of refuse disposal.  He also targeted U.S. governmental support to repatriate the remains of his fallen comrades while it is still possible.

Public Can Help

While Cooper is pleased with JPAC’s preliminary efforts in 2010 to recover the remains of a few American MIAs from Red Beach, Cooper will not rest in his efforts to bring massive public awareness to the hundreds of U.S. Marines and other members of the Armed Forces “still” buried at Tarawa in unmarked grave-sites… until they are home.

To that end Cooper is encouraging Americans, who want ALL remaining U.S. MIAs buried at Tarawa to be returned home to their families, to join in his campaign to influence the U.S. government this action needs to be completed as once promised.  To participate, sign the online petition to bring the remains of these American MIAs home: UntilTheyAreHome.com/petition.  

About Vanilla Fire Productions:
Founded in 2006 by Steven C. Barber and Tamara Henry, Vanilla Fire Productions is a full service video and film production company that strives to create works that emotionally connect with audiences. Vanilla Fire specializes in servicing the entertainment and advertising industries in traditional and new media and also helps create projects by bringing content creators and advertisers together to develop sponsored and branded entertainment for distribution. Vanilla Fire is located in Santa Monica, California.  For more information on Vanilla Fire Productions and its films, visit: vanillafire.com and untiltheyarehome.com and at facebook.com/untiltheyarehome and twitter.com/untiltheyarehome.
In addition to the “Until They Are Home” world premiere in Chicago on Sunday, September 9 2012, Vanilla Fire Productions will be releasing the upcoming documentary “Carrier Classic” on Veterans Day 2012.  Barber’s newest film chronicles 48 hours at sea with the crew of the Carrier Carl Vinson, and was shot exclusively during “The Carrier Classic” basketball game held on the deck of the carrier Nov. 11, 2011, in San Diego.  More information is available at carrierclassicmovie.com.

About The De Bella Agency:
   Founded in 2009 by Linda De Bella,  The De Bella Agency  is a marketing and management agency specializing in the arts and culture. The De Bella Agency would like to thank AMC Theatres for  helping us bring this premiere to Chicago, to Alderman James Balcer who was instrumental in gaining attention to the film in Chicago and bringing public awareness to the film and its cause,  Congressman Dan Lipinski for his strong support of the film, its cause and our veterans and to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn for his support of the film and our veterans.   Sequel To Award-Winning Documentary “Return To Tarawa” Chronicles JPAC Mission To Recover MIA’s from World War II’s Bloody Battle of Tarawa;

Country Music Sensation Clint Black’s Original Song “She Won’t Let Go” Featured in Film

One of Battle’s Few Remaining Survivors Leon Cooper Leads Online Movement to Bring Home
All MIAs Still Buried At Red Beach


“I highly recommend the long-awaited sequel of “Return to Tarawa.” Don’t miss the premiere of ‘Until They Are Home.’” – LARRY KING

“Don’t miss this important film… a remarkable journey of positive dedication and patriotism.”– JOHN SAVAGE (The Deer Hunter, The Onion Field, The God Father III)

“’Until They Are Home’ is a gripping film telling the story of men and women of JPAC and their efforts to fulfill America’s promise to bring home lost Marines who lost their lives in the legendary World War II Battle of Tarawa.  It’s a movie that touches all Americans.”
– JOE MANGANIELLO (HBO’s True Blood):

“Don’t miss this 2012 Memorial Day spectacular.” – SEAN PATRICK FLANNERY (Powder, The Boondock Saints, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles



MEDIA CONTACTS:

Vanilla Fire Productions
Steven C. Barber
stevencbarber@gmail.com

The De Bella Agency
312.259.6161
ldebella1@me.com