The realities of the war on terror have hit Sesame Street, where Elmo is coping with the death of his heroic uncle Jack. The upcoming Sesame Workshop video features Elmo's war veteran dad, Louie, is aimed specifically at US military families coping with the loss of a parent during the on-going wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sesame Street consulted with the Defense Department for the script to avoid any explicit mention of combat or the war for the sake of healing children. This segment is part of a documentary that is scheduled to air on PBS in April, which also includes the stories of four real families who have suffered a loss.

In one of the scenes, Elmo is on a family picnic with Aunt Jill and cousin Jessie and forgets about his uncle's death, asking "Where's Uncle Jack?" Elmo's mom reminds him that Uncle Jack died, which caused some obvious discomfort for Jessie. Then, Elmo's dad Louie sits down with Jessie to encourage her to talk about her feelings:

"It helps to talk to someone about the way we feel, like we're talking now. Sometimes it feels better than keeping it all inside," he says.

Elmo's dad, Louie, knows all too well- he has deployed before.