Documentary about rural veterans, their families and communities will air on PBS tonight

A documentary highlighting the disproportionate amount of service members from rural areas will air tonight on many public broadcasting television stations. Where Soldiers Come From was the centerpiece of a panel discussion during the 2011 gathering of the National Rural Assembly in which the filmmaker Heather Courtney and combat veteran Dominic Fredianelli discussed the experience of rural youth in active military duty.

The film "follows the lives of young men from Michigan's Upper Peninsula who enlist in the National Guard and are deployed overseas." In a release from the National Rural Assembly, it is described as "a complex and moving portrait of rural young people, their families and loved ones, and the communities that both celebrate their youths' military service and worry about their hometown boys' safe return. It's a realistic and compassionate look at rural America that will resonate for many communities across the country."

To check your local listings for times when the film will be shown, click here. This is Bill Bishop's review of the film from the Daily Yonder, and here you can find the film's trailer.