21 Guns

21 Guns is a documentary series produced by TotalAccess which was selected for transmission on Network Six during the Summer 2008 schedules. It aired during the Tuesday/Wednesday overnight periods at 12.45am.

The five part series takes an intimate glimpse into the lives of three families who have lost their loved ones while serving their country in the ongoing war, looking at how their loss has affected them as the war continues.

The Rivera family lost their son Javier shortly after the war in Iraq began due to a roadside bomb. The first year following his death was spent fervently fighting through red tape to get his remains sent back home. Javier left a pregnant wife in their Arizona bungalow, who has had to learn how to raise a child on her own. His parents have become anti-war activists, driving their Winnebago cross-country to lead protests and assemblies.

Randy Mackinaw had completed a successful and incident-free tour in Iraq, and was home for a one month break before starting a second tour. On his first weekend home, he was killed just yards away from his home by a drunk driver. While sorting through his personal effects, his friends in the barracks discovered a personal diary he had written. They had not opened it since learning of his death, deciding it was only right to hand-deliver it to Randy's grieving parents.

Abby Turner was killed by friendly fire during her third tour in Afghanistan. Upon returning home, she was to have started a bakery and cafe in her hometown in Delaware, her life's dream. Now, two years on, her widowed husband is struggling to keep her dream alive as the bills and debt collectors pile up.