On June 23, 2007 his mother’s birthday, Joel House was killed by an IED while on patrol in Taji, Iraq. He was 22. On November 30, 2007 Blair Emery was killed by an IED while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq. Blair was 24. Both soldiers were from Lee, Maine.

Welcome to Lee Maine is a film about a small close-knit community in rural Maine; (pop 845) that must deal with devastating news that it has become the smallest community in America to lose two sons in the Iraqi War. Lee, Maine is a town with strong Christian, patriotic and traditional values that struggles to overcome it’s heartbreak. While many have very different views of the war, they are united in their support of the families and each other in their loss.

Each death is devastating in a small community like Lee where everyone knows each other and families have grown up with each other. Lee is the epitome of small town rural America.

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes in the midst of his grief Paul House, father of Sergeant Joel House has a dream. His dream is to build a retreat in the beautiful Maine woods that will become a safe harbor for other families who have lost loved ones in combat. His dream is that the families will come to the Maine woods and experience the beauty and solace of the outdoors and share the experience of their loss with other Gold Star families.

Paul enlists Bill Emery, father of Sergeant Blair Emery in his dream. They speak to community members. They speak to all who will listen. Through their relentless efforts and dogged determination they finally get the chance to present their dream to the Governor of Maine. The governor becomes totally supportive in making the dream a reality.