Haunted by a Deadly Deployment in Afghanistan, a Brotherhood of Marines Reunites to Heal
(Los Angeles, CA/date) – VOCES “American Sons” follows a brotherhood of Marines a decade after their deployment to Afghanistan, as they struggle to overcome the trauma of combat and the loss of many of their comrades, including their dear friend, Corporal JV Villarreal, who was killed in action by an IED. The story of their time in Afghanistan is told through the video diary that JV recorded for his family back home. This personal, powerful footage provides a haunting window into what these young Marines experienced together. Now, a decade after JV’s death, his brotherhood of Marines continues to get together, helping each other cope with lingering trauma and strengthening the unbreakable bonds formed in war. A poignant exploration of grief and resilience, VOCES “American Sons” honors the service of these young men and spotlights the need for mental health support for veterans.
“American Sons,” produced by Laura Varela and directed/produced by Andrew Gonzales, had its World Premiere at SXSW 2025 and won the Audience Award at the Houston Latino Film Festival. The film premieres on the PBS series VOCES on Monday, January 12, 2026, 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app.
“While ‘American Sons’ focuses on Corporal Villareal, his family and the men of his unit, India Battery 3rd Battalion 12 Marine Regiment, it ultimately tells the universal story of what veterans face after service – PTSD, TBI, loss of purpose, grief, survivor’s guilt, anxiety, isolation, loneliness – and the eternal Marine Brotherhood that binds them together forever,” says Gonzales. “As the film came together, it became clear that their stories could help other veterans who might see themselves in someone on that screen.”
“We’re proud to present this powerful documentary,” says VOCES Executive Producer Sandie Viquez Pedlow. “It’s a reminder to us all of the difficult journey that so many veterans face when they return from war and how important it is to make sure they get the help and services that they so deserve.”
“BPM is delighted that our Jacquie Jones Memorial Fund award helped bring this important film to the public,” says Leslie Fields-Cruz, executive director of Black Public Media. “’American Sons’ delivers a story that too often gets lost in public conversations about war, military expenditures, veterans and the families of fallen and wounded soldiers. We can’t wait for the viewing public’s reaction.”
VOCES “American Sons” will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO.
VOCES “American Sons” is a co-production of Infinite Warrior LLC, Latino Public Broadcasting, Black Public Media, with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by Bexar County and the City of San Antonio Arts and Culture.
About the Participants, in Alphabetical Order
Corporal Billy Branch served with JV. Half Irish, Half Nicaraguan, Billy lives in Hialeah, Florida, outside Miami. His father was an Army man.
Sergeant Jonathan Eckert was attached to India Battery as a dog-handling specialist, a job he still does today in the private sector. He was the last person to speak to JV moments before he died. Jonathan attributes staying in the military for a year or two after deployment and seeking psychological help while there as the reason he was able to transition a little easier than most veterans.
Captain James Ferguson was a high-ranking officer in the unit. After his deployment, he and Sergeant St. Cyr started The Warrior Reunion Foundation.
Corporal Theesit “Ty” Klinman served with JV. Ty came to the US at age nine from Thailand and was inspired by 9/11 to join the Marines.
Scott Olson is a Getty Images staff photographer and a former Marine. He volunteered to cover the war in Afghanistan and shot photos of JV and his unit before and after JV’s death.
Corporal Angel Rios was JV’s best friend. Angel is Puerto Rican, was raised in New York, and now resides in Tampa, Florida. Angel was gravely injured by an IED early on in the deployment, yet survived.
April Villarreal Rodriguez is JV Villareal’s sister. In 2011, she brought JV’s footage to producer Laura Varela, hoping to find a way to tell his story.
Staff Sergeant Jorge Segura was the Sergeant on Patrol when Angel Rios was injured.
Gorge Serna did not deploy to Afghanistan; however, he was part of the unit and was close to JV. Gorge was asked to accompany JV’s remains from Dover Air Field back home to his family in San Antonio.
Staff Sergeant Andrew St. Cyr was the sergeant who trained JV and his fellow Marines at Camp Pendleton. St. Cyr went to Afghanistan early and, when the rest of the unit arrived, he had already been shot and was leaving Afghanistan. St. Cyr dealt with years of survivor’s guilt and eventually got help. Inspired by the experience, he and Captain James Ferguson started The Warrior Reunion Foundation, which provides low to no-cost reunions for veterans at key years post-deployment.
Yolanda Villarreal is the mother of JV and April. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, and is a Gold Star Family Member (non-active). Every year, Yolanda hosts a memorial for JV at her home. The Marine brothers call her Mom, and they are her surrogate sons.
About the Filmmakers
Laura Varela (Producer) channels her upbringing on the US/Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, into her work, transcending cultural, linguistic, and physical borders through film and contemporary art installations. Based in San Antonio, Texas, she is a producer for the VoxFem Network, a platform for innovative, international women artists and changemakers. Her work as a Producer/Director/Writer for documentary films further underscores her commitment to social justice movements and her mission to use art and storytelling to uplift the Latinx/Chicanx community.
Varela’s documentary, As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos, was broadcast nationally on PBS. Her documentary short, with Anne Lewis, Un Trip: Raúlrsalinas and The Poetry Of Liberation, won numerous awards and was broadcast on PBS stations across Texas as part of the “Frame of Mind” series. She is the Associate Producer on Anne Lewis’s film A Strike And An Uprising (In Texas!). Varela’s projects have received funding from Latino Public Broadcasting, Black Public Media, California Humanities Documentary Fund, Humanities Texas, ITVS Diversity Development Fund, The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture National Fund for the Arts, the Bexar County Public Arts Fund, and the City of San Antonio Arts and Culture. She is a 2025 Wyncote Filmmaker Fellow.
Varela lectures and screens her work nationally and internationally at cultural centers and Universities. She taught classes on documentary film in the Department of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Texas San Antonio. Varela is an alumnus of the PBS Producers Academy, the NALAC Leadership Institute, the NALIP Producers Academy, the NALIP Latino Media Market, and the Creative Capital Professional Development Workshop. She is a graduate of the University of Texas Department of Radio-TV and Film. Artist Residencies include Swarthmore College, Art for Change, NYC, and the Hochschule Niederrhein, Faust Academy, and the University of Bielefeld in Germany. She is currently developing a feature film, Queen Of The Accordion, based on the life of Conjunto musician Eva Ybarra, and the documentary Rebecca Flores: Under The South Texas Sun with Anne Lewis.
Andrew Gonzales (Producer/Director) is a versatile documentary filmmaker, director, editor, and cinematographer. His recent documentary shorts, including Standing Rock: A New Nation, Here: The Garrett Scott Story, and Right In Front Of Us, tackle pressing issues such as environmental activism, disability rights, and the US-Mexico border crisis. Beyond his documentary work, Gonzales produces content for agencies focused on corporate responsibility, green technology, and social change. In 2018, he took home several honors from film festivals, including Brooklyn’s Latino Short Film Festival, the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival, the Festigious International Film Festival, the Top Shorts Online Film Festival, and the IndieFest Film Awards. In 2015, he and filmmaker Laura Varela took top prize in the 80/20 Foundation’s City on The Rise Film Competition at The San Antonio Film Festival.
About VOCES
Produced by Latino Public Broadcasting, the acclaimed PBS documentary series VOCES features the best of Latino arts, culture and history and shines a light on current issues that impact Latino Americans. Devoted to exploring the rich diversity of the Latino experience, VOCES presents new and established filmmakers and brings their powerful and illuminating stories to a national audience — on TV, online and on the PBS app. Luis Ortiz is series producer; Sandie Viquez Pedlow is executive producer. Follow us on Facebook and X.
About Latino Public Broadcasting
For over 27 years, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) has been developing award-winning film and digital media that explores the history, arts and culture of Latino Americans, bringing these powerful and illuminating stories to a national audience on PBS — on TV, online and on the PBS app.
LPB projects have spotlighted Latino contributions to the arts (Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined, John Leguizamo’s Road to Broadway, Raúl Julia: The World’s a Stage); told the story of Latino icons from Cesar Chavez to Dolores Huerta, Tito Puente to Celia Cruz, Ruben Salazar to Roberto Clemente; explored history and politics through a Latino lens (John Leguizamo’s American Historia, Latino Vote 2024); and told stories from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Latin America (Water for Life, Reportero), many as part of its signature PBS series VOCES.
LPB programs have won over 130 awards, including three prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards as well as Emmys, Imagen Awards and the Sundance Film Festival Award for Best Director, Documentary. LPB has been the recipient of the Norman Lear Legacy Award and the NCLR Alma Award for Special Achievement – Year in Documentaries. Sandie Viquez Pedlow is executive director of LPB; Edward James Olmos is co-founder and chairman. Follow LPB on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Linkedin and Bluesky.
About Black Public Media
Black Public Media supports the development of visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. For nearly 50 years, BPM has addressed the needs of unserved and underserved audiences. BPM-supported programs have won five Emmys®, 10 Peabody Awards, five Anthem Awards, 14 Emmy® nominations and an Oscar® nomination. BPM continues to address historical, contemporary, and systemic challenges that traditionally impede the development and distribution of Black stories.
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Contact:
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