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Read it in the 
Fort Polk participates in filming of
Vietnam documentary
By
Sgt. MIKE KIESER
Guardian
staff writer
Many
service members took their first ride to battle alongside a friend who
wouldn’t return. Others never made it to battle as their helicopter crashed
into the dense jungle canopy from a barrage of small-arms fire. To a Vietnam
veteran, these types of flights may have been the most prolonged moments of
their lives. It was during those excursions that soldiers loathed the Huey,
which has become known as an icon of the conflict. During the journey, the
familiar “whop-whop-whop” of the blades drowned out all sound, leaving
soldiers with thoughts of impending battle, of home, loved ones, hopes, dreams,
mom and dad and more.
A
return flight could be just as upsetting. For a first-timer, innocence had been
lost. So much had happened since the last flight, and again, the sound of blades
slicing through the air left soldiers sequestered with their thoughts ––
pondering over friends who didn’t return. At the same time, many felt
relieved that at least they had made it.
After
more than 30 years, many Vietnam War veterans still grapple with what they saw
and heard in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Unlike soldiers returning from WWII,
there was no welcoming home, no ticker tape parade and many Americans quickly
forgot the sacrifices that service members had made in an attempt to uphold a
struggling democracy. Since then, the road to recovery has been arduous, and
many veterans still toil. Fort Polk recently participated in “the healing
process” when a UH-1 Huey landed at Honor Field Saturday to film for the
upcoming documentary “In the Shadow of the Blade,” by Arrowhead Film and
Video group. The documentary follows the historic flight of a restored Huey
across America to backyards of Vietnam veterans and family members, memorials,
reunions and anywhere they can find someone affected by the conflict. Filmmakers
stated they wish to tell the story of those who served, how they were affected
by the war and who they have become since.
“We
are trying to bring honor and respect to veterans and local heroes. This is a
chance for them to tell their tale.
During one stop, I met a gentlemen who began telling his story, and when he
finished many of his friends had questions themselves. After all this time, they
hadn’t known he was awarded two Silver Stars,” said Rev. Bill McDonald,
a former Army Huey crew-chief/door-gunner in Vietnam and Arrowhead’s Huey flight crew chaplain.
As
the last stopping station before Vietnam for many infantrymen, local veterans
said the Huey had to pay homage to Fort Polk.
“I
felt they should come and suggested it since about 60 percent of infantry troops
during the Vietnam War received training at Fort Polk, and all warrant officer
candidates used to complete basic training here,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4
Larry Castagneto, U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment . “Also, the Huey is
becoming increasingly rare in the Army and this is one of the last few places
that have them. They will probably be phased out within a year or two.”
In
addition to putting “hometown heroes” in the limelight, McDonald said the
filmmakers have a more important mission.
“This
is also an opportunity for us to share in the healing process. Some veterans are
able to cry when they come and look at a Huey for the first time since the war.
One soldier’s family said it was the first time he cried in more than 30
years. We call them tears of healing. Some of us (veterans) were able to move
on. It is time for all of us to move on,” said McDonald.
During
the stop to Fort Polk, filmmakers interviewed selected personnel at Polk Army
Airfield Oct. 11, and spoke to people who attended Saturday’s event to film
their story. Several Vietnam infantrymen were present and many former Huey
pilots and crew chiefs attended.
Retired
Sgt. Willard Davis, former infantryman and Huey crew chief, said he found the
event to be a healing experience.
“I
came here to see the Huey ... it has a lot of meaning to me. I can’t talk
about the experiences I’ve had, they are just too painful,” he said.
While
many soldiers came to gaze at the relic of their youth, others came to fly the
machine that had flown them into places many would rather forget. Those who were
able to pilot the craft said they were elated –– they had loved flying the
Huey. What they didn’t love is where it took them.
“The
night before they told me that I would be flying the Huey I didn’t sleep. Many
of my friends felt the same. I had a friend come from New Hampshire just to fly
the Huey for five minutes. I have a love and respect for the aircraft. The
immense shadow of the blade touched everyone,” said Castagneto.
In
addition to the conflict’s veterans, many
Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk soldiers came to pay their
respects, including several soldiers from the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th
Infantry Regiment, and current Huey pilots and crew chiefs.
Blackhawk
crew chief Spc. Thomas Charles, USAAD, said he also found the event special. His
father and uncle both fought in the war and each has stories, he said.
Castagneto
and many other veterans said they hope younger generations are able to learn
from the documentary.
“I
want people to learn and hear the story,” he said. “The story has been told
over and over again, but this is different. This will even give the junior
enlisted soldiers’ points of view. They are often overlooked,” he said.
McDonald
said he hopes younger generations learn who the veterans are.
“I
used to think I was a hero, very noble and courageous, until I met the veterans
we’ve encountered during the documentary,” said McDonald. “The veterans we
are meeting are doing great things. Many of them are returning to Vietnam to
help establish hospitals, schools or clinics and more. Seeing this side will
help,” McDonald explained.
After
being visited by about 80 people, the Huey took off for its next destination.
The helicopter actively served in Vietnam from September 1966 until January
1967. Since being damaged three times by enemy fire, including a crash resulting
from small arms fire, the 1965 helicopter has found its present journey across
America relatively easy. After all, the Texas Air Command Museum and Vietnam era
helicopter pilots from Fort Rucker, Ala. were able to patch up its old wounds to
bring the Huey back to near its former glory. McDonald said that he hopes future
flights will help veterans recover from their battle scars, too.
For more information on the documentary, stopping locations or the
Huey, visit www.intheshadowoftheblade.com
or www.vietnamexp.com . Filmmakers said
the project is about half finished and they hope to sell the documentary to HBO
or another major network upon completion.
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