Former Army sergeant Anthony Anderson decided to take a walk to help deal with his thoughts – a very long walk.
The documentary “Almost Sunrise” tells the story of Milwaukee-area veterans Anderson and Tom Voss , who fought with depression and thoughts of suicide after their experiences in Iraq. They decided to walk from Milwaukee to Los Angeles — 2,700 miles — meeting many like them along the way.
“All on the way that Tom and I walked, we met hundreds of veterans and their families, heard their stories, and were able to share our stories with them,” Anderson said.
Anderson said he hopes the documentary will help highlight veterans’ moral injuries – what he calls “injuries to the soul” – that impact them in more complex ways than diagnoses and medication. He also wants to highlight the way veterans’ mental health struggles affect their loved ones
“If you’re a family member struggling to understand what can I do and what is my veteran loved one going through, this is a way to hopefully maintain that hope and maintain that focus that this person can get better and find the resources they need to live a happy and healthy life,” Anderson said.
“Almost Sunrise” was screened in Oak Creek with Anderson in attendance on Thursday August 8 2022.
You can hear our full interview with Anthony Anderson in the player at the top of the page.