2008 Woodie Awards
Documentary on Vietnam veterans debuts at SJU
Andrew Dombalagian '09
Issue date: 12/8/06 Section: News
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"Vietnam: Homecoming," a documentary following several veterans of the Vietnam War in the days leading up to Operation Homecoming, made its public debut at Saint Joseph's University on Dec. 6. This film, presented by Lou Reda Productions, Inc. and the History Channel, is set to make its world premiere on the History Channel on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 CT. The 50 people who gathered in Mandeville Hall's Wolfington Teletorium on Wednesday, however, were treated to a preliminary screening of the documentary.
The introduction to the presentation and to guest speakers was given by Dr. Alison Williams Lewin, Associate Professor of the department of History, which sponsored this event. This panel of speakers was composed of Gary Kulik, former editor of American Quarterly, current curator at the Winterthur Museum, and conscientious objector during the war; Dr. Jon Bjornson, psychiatrist and Vietnam veteran; and Chris Coyne, associate professor of finance at SJU and Vietnam veteran.
The documentary was filmed by camera crews embedded with the families of four Vietnam War veterans preparing to attend Operation Homecoming in Branson, Missouri. Operation Homecoming, held in June of 2005, was an attempt to give a welcome back and thank you to the Vietnam veterans who were given no parades or celebration when they returned home over three decades ago.
The subject for this production was the effects of the war on veterans Pervis Crowe (from Indiana), Stanley Parker (Georgia), John Hedrick (Missouri), and Mike Cook (Texas), as well as their families. These men discussed in the film their experiences in the war, the memories they carry, retrospectives on the war itself, and the stresses they are left with 30 or 40 years afterwards. Some spoke of the communication difficulties they had within their own families and the stresses placed on their marriages.
Also mentioned were the needs for psychological and pharmaceutical support, as well as dependence on alcohol and thoughts of ending their lives. An underlying theme for the feature, and possible source for these pressures, was the condition known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), popularly thought of being tragically prevalent among war veterans.
The introduction to the presentation and to guest speakers was given by Dr. Alison Williams Lewin, Associate Professor of the department of History, which sponsored this event. This panel of speakers was composed of Gary Kulik, former editor of American Quarterly, current curator at the Winterthur Museum, and conscientious objector during the war; Dr. Jon Bjornson, psychiatrist and Vietnam veteran; and Chris Coyne, associate professor of finance at SJU and Vietnam veteran.
The documentary was filmed by camera crews embedded with the families of four Vietnam War veterans preparing to attend Operation Homecoming in Branson, Missouri. Operation Homecoming, held in June of 2005, was an attempt to give a welcome back and thank you to the Vietnam veterans who were given no parades or celebration when they returned home over three decades ago.
The subject for this production was the effects of the war on veterans Pervis Crowe (from Indiana), Stanley Parker (Georgia), John Hedrick (Missouri), and Mike Cook (Texas), as well as their families. These men discussed in the film their experiences in the war, the memories they carry, retrospectives on the war itself, and the stresses they are left with 30 or 40 years afterwards. Some spoke of the communication difficulties they had within their own families and the stresses placed on their marriages.
Also mentioned were the needs for psychological and pharmaceutical support, as well as dependence on alcohol and thoughts of ending their lives. An underlying theme for the feature, and possible source for these pressures, was the condition known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), popularly thought of being tragically prevalent among war veterans.
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