Tales of Patriotism and Brotherhood

In this gripping 44-minute feature developed by AARP, veterans share personal stories from the front that are forever burned into their memories.

AARP salutes and celebrates the service and sacrifices made by veterans to keep our nation free. To honor those who served and still serve, the Members Only Access program re-released The Battle I’ll Never Forget, a documentary that follows the stories of three U.S. veterans as they describe a pivotal battle in which they fought, along with expert commentary and archival footage from the battlefields.

Navy veteran Philip Hollywood recalls his time aboard the USS Melvin during the Battle of Surigao Strait, part of the largest naval battle of World War II. Army Col. Tony Nadal recounts fighting at LZ X-Ray in the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, the first major battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces. And Army sergeant first classand Silver Star recipient Gary Villalobos tells of sacrifices made to clear a town of insurgents during the Battle of Tal Afar in the Iraq War.

Produced by AARP Studios and originally aired on the American Heroes Channel, the one-hour special features critical battles in American warfare, vividly recounted by soldiers who lived to tell the harrowing tale.

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AARP supports efforts to empower veterans in communities across the country. To learn more, visit AARP’s dedicated web page for veterans to find a variety of resources for active duty, reserve and retired military service members, including health resources, discounts, information on accessing veterans’ benefits and more. You can also watch additional interviews on AARP’s veterans YouTube page.