I Married the War

The symptoms of PTSD are necessary combat survival skills in war, but when not "dialed down" when the soldier comes back home, these same wartime survival mechanisms can create misery. -- Laura Daniero Nickel

Just when I think I'm at peace, something seems to blow up, and then I'm not. -- Terri Topmiller

I Married the War is a documentary film giving voice to wives of combat veterans from World War II to the present-day Middle East wars. From every corner of our nation, women have waited and welcomed our warriors back from battle, only to discover that the conflict followed their husbands home.

Directed by Betty Rodgers and Ken Rodgers, the candid stories in this film bring to life the ways in which families are impacted and forever changed by the unique personal struggles, victories, and defeats experienced by our country's veterans. Hear about sharing a marriage with a WWII Medal of Honor recipient, a Vietnam War corpsman, an Iraq War survivor.

The wives in I Married the War recognize hyper-vigilance, isolation, the quick temper, and the emotional escape that are manifestations of post traumatic stress. As a result of traumatic brain injury, they have dealt with their husband's memory loss and reduced ability to express themselves. They have battled their spouses' substance abuse and survivor's guilt. They have nursed their veterans' mangled bodies.

Wives feel isolated in their personal struggles until realizing they share experiences with women and families around the nation and the world. Hear how they have learned to adapt, how some have built on their husbands' strengths, and how some have discovered their own strengths and reestablished their identities in the process.

Terri Topmiller

I was born in 1950 in Boise, ID, and lived most of my life in the area around Boise. I have one sister (Deb) and one brother (Jim). After graduating … Read More

Sally Doell Jackson

Sally was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1929 to a close-knit, fun-loving family. Her mother was a nurse, her father a hardworking woodsman who also helped build highways, and she … Read More

Laura Daniero Nickel

Born in Athens, Greece, and raised in California, Laura Daniero Nickel is a former Army parachute rigger and former teacher of dance and fitness. A creative soul with an occasional … Read More

Gloria Jabaut

Gloria was born in 1933 in Santa Clara, California, at the home of her paternal grandparents on their 60-acre orchard. She was the only child of James S. Silva and … Read More

Carman Hinson

Carman was born in 1977 in Beaumont, Texas, to Noel and BJ Pryor. She has two younger sisters and was raised out in the country in deep Southeast Texas with … Read More

Anne Ohki

Anne Ohki was born in Sonoma County, California, in 1924, near the Russian River. She and her family were interned in Granada Relocation Center in Colorado at the beginning of … Read More

Sally Zepeda

Soila L. Zepeda (Sally) was born in Rocksprings, Texas. She grew up in this little country town. In 1969, she married Luis, the man of her dreams, and moved to … Read More

Anne Jackson

Anne Potts Jackson graduated from Texas Tech University in 1991 with a degree in Secondary Education, and received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Baylor University School of Law in … Read More

Francine Jones

Francine was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she and her siblings were raised in a nurturing environment. Her father worked for the railroad. Francine married her husband, Bruce, after he … Read More

Precious R. Goodson

Precious was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She is the oldest of three siblings and was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She met her husband, Leonard, in 1998 and they were married … Read More

Stacie Vaughan

Stacie Vaughan grew up in Columbus, Indiana, with family roots still deep in Harlan, Kentucky. She was raised by a loving, tight-knit family that valued strong morals and unconditional love. … Read More

Your support today will help this important film cross the finish line!

The interviews are truly amazing. The honesty and no-holds-barred openness of the wives are developing into a very powerful documentary. These women, wives of combat veterans from several conflicts in America's history, will touch hearts and change lives.

As we continue editing and post-production to complete the film, we invite you to participate in this project with your donation large or small. I Married the War has the potential to help thousands--if not millions--of spouses who have experienced the after-effects of war returning home with our veterans. The film offers encouragement to those spouses and families, demonstrating they are not alone in learning to adapt to the physical and mental injuries brought home from the battlefield. The broader public, which may have little direct experience with war and its aftermath, will also gain an understanding that war doesn’t necessarily end when the fighting stops. Your support now will be a powerful force in this important narrative.

There are two ways to donate.

Contributions of less than $500

Thank you for helping to make this film possible. Donations made directly to Syringa Cinema, LLC, and/or under $500 are not tax deductible. If you wish to make a direct online contribution, please follow this PayPal link. You do not need to have a PayPal account to donate using this method; you may use a credit card.

Or you may mail your check payable to:

Syringa Cinema, LLC
PO Box 44
Kuna, ID 83634

Contributions of $500 or more

For donations of $500 or more, we are working with the Boise Film Foundation (501(c)3), our non-profit fiscal sponsor, to provide you with a tax deductible means of supporting this film.

To donate $500 or more directly online via PayPal (you will need to have a PayPal account or set up a free account when making the donation), please click on the button below and type in IMTW in the notes field just below the amount. The Boise Film Foundation acts as fiscal sponsor for multiple projects, so you must type in IMTW to ensure the funds are allocated to I Married the War.

You can also mail a check made payable to the Boise Film Foundation, with IMTW written in the notes section of the check, to:

Boise Film Foundation
2260 Parkside Drive
Boise ID 83712

Story

Updates

Meet Sarah Baker, Composer

The Wives