"Boy, it really brought back memories," Bodine tearfully said to Pearson after embracing him. "I lost it when you guys flew over."

When he was 20 years old, Bodine served as a U.S. Army Cavalry helicopter doorgunner during the Vietnam War. But, one long night was especially memorable. Bodine and the pilot heard a radio call that as many as seven severely injured men needed to be transported to safety. The first helicopter attempting the rescue was shot down, but after a second attempt, the pilot of a second Huey was able to land the helicopter.

However, after cramming six injured soldiers into the Huey Helicopter, Bodine noticed a seventh soldier who had been shot nine times. The soldier said, "If you don't get me in that helicopter, I will die."

Bodine ripped out the passenger seat and assisted Pearson to the empty space. Pearson, now a paraplegic, survived the injuries, and Friday at Pasadena's First United Methodist Church marked the first time the pair had seen each other since that fateful night.

In fact, both former soldiers knew nothing about each other - who they were or where they were from - but Bodine was finally able to track Pearson down approximately one year ago. The emotional reunion brought back memories for both men, fond memories and those better forgotten. And all of the raw emotion was caught on tape for "In the Shadow of the Blade," a documentary focusing on Vietnam veterans impacted by the Huey Helicopter; the film is expected to be released next summer.

"We didn't always get the welcome we wanted when we came home, so this is your welcome home," said Mike Venable, a Southwest Airlines pilot who has been donating his time as a helicopter pilot for the past five weeks. "That's what this is all about - bringing people together. This is such an honor for me and the other guys."

The crowd waved U.S. flags and clapped as Pearson's helicopter, escorted by two National Guard Apache Helicopters and a third camera-mounted helicopter owned by Arrowhead Film and Video, landed. Pearson jokingly said he was glad he wasn't forced to jump out of the helicopter as it hovered off the ground as soldiers often did during the war.

"When I got home from Vietnam, a couple of people came by," Pearson said. "This is the biggest welcome I have ever had. We didn't get a welcome at all (after returning from Vietnam.)"

Pearson's wife Sue said she appreciated the hero's welcome, a welcome they should have received more than 30 years ago, she said.

"I've got to thank you for saving Connie," Sue Pearson tearfully said to Bodine while still aboard the Huey Helicopter. "Connie's been through a lot all these years; he's a trooper."

Arrowhead Film and Video Creative Director and Producer Cheryl Fries said the company hopes to document "the more human side of Vietnam."

"We want to tell their story. We want to capture the real person, not the stereotype," Fries said. "This has been like the welcome home parade they never got. People have been thanking them for their service. The mission itself has become more important than the film."

Arrowhead crews headed to the Houston's Veteran's Hospital Friday afternoon as they continue to travel across the nation to capture war stories that may have been buried, but not forgotten. But today, for Bodine, memories have resurfaced, and he's glad they did.

"I had him in my mind all this time, all this time..."