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SPIRITUAL WARRIOR
ISSUE #6 October 2000 - Bill McDonald, Editor
THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE
The filming of the documentary "The Shadow of The Blade"
is still moving forward and footage has already been shot in Florida. This epic
undertaking is the brain child of Arrowhead Video and Film Company. The idea is
to record on film, the lives of those men and women who have had their life
experiences changed or altered in some way by their association with the Huey
– either directly (as with Veterans) or indirectly (as with the children and
spouses of veterans). They are hoping to fly a restored Huey across the country
doing interviews.
I have included some of the email messages to members of the 128th
Assault Helicopter and myself, to give you a feel of where this project is
going. If you wish to participate in the project go the Discussion Group from
the Tomahawk web page and look for the articles on the film there with more
information.
Coming soon to an LZ near you...we hope.
E-MAIL MESSAGES ABOUT PROJECT
Dear E.N;
First, you should know that the genesis for the idea comes from a dream Patrick
has long held to pay tribute to the Vietnam veteran pilots with whom he has
flown in helicopters while filming. The preliminary research we have done has
solidified his commitment and won me over from mildly interested to passionately
involved.
At this point we are preparing the prospectus we will take to investors and
those who will be key players in the take-to-the-skies process. This prospectus
consists of two elements: a short film "trailer" and a print piece.
Patrick is in charge of the first; I am compiling the second. During this
process, we have, through Gary Roush at the VHPA, been able to take a crew to
the reunion in Washington D.C. and, with the VHPA's help and the help of the
Vietnam Helicopter Crew Members Network, begun to collect examples of the kinds
of stories we hope the film will share.
What a wonderful process it has been so far! We are finding enormous,
enthusiastic support from veterans who are eager to share not only their
experiences with the Huey in Vietnam, but the ways the War has influenced their
lives. The resulting product is becoming a wonderfully touching collection of
personal stories that symbolize the Vietnam Huey experience, pay tribute to the
service and heroism of its soldiers, and break apart "the myth of the
Vietnam veteran," all centered around this helicopter.
On a completely personal level, I want you to know I have been deeply affected
by the telephone interviews I've done with these individuals. Over and over I
find myself chilled by their bravery, awed by their skill and the abilities of
the Huey, and moved by their loyalty to their fellow soldiers. But most of all,
I am finding that this process is fundamentally changing something in me. As a
child during Vietnam, I grew up with a media image of the War and its veterans
that I'm discovering is grossly distorted. Hearing the words from the men who
were there has profoundly altered my perception. And this is what we hope our
film will do for a mass audience.
So I think you can see that we are out to accomplish exactly what you hope for.
When you talk about heroism and comradely, you are talking about the very things
we are. And that brings me to your story.
The angle I see is your contact with the veterans of the 128th, which
illustrates beautifully the continued comradely of the veterans and the ways in
which they embrace survivors of those KIA. It would be a moving story to help
you meet them at one of our Huey fly-ins and perhaps visit Arlington with you.
However, this would be on film for what we hope is a mass audience. Can we do it
without revealing your father's identity? Would we/you want to? Even if we did,
would we inadvertently create complications in the lives of people who have
already experienced a loss? But would it help them to know about you?
These are issues for you to consider, and perhaps Reverend Bill can help you. (I
have copied this message to him.) I want you to know that we are extremely
mindful that we are walking through sacred ground with this project and do not
want to in any way and will not exploit anyone for this film. It is designed to
be a tribute and, perhaps, a door for healing. The War has already cost many
much and we have nothing but respect for those who served and those who
sacrificed. However, your story certainly has the potential to be a unique and
moving part of the project, if you so choose, particularly as you are a military
aviator yourself.
So, think it over and get back to me either through email or phone . In the
meantime, I have attached a couple of the stories I've collected, which will be
used in our print piece. Please do not share them as it is proprietary
information. But maybe it will help you with your decision. I think you'll be
particularly touched by "It's Not Just A Name
on the Wall," the story of another child searching for answers about her
father, also KIA.
Either way, thank you for responding, and thank you for your service.
Cheryl Fries
E-Mail Continues
Thanks to all of you, we are moving ahead with our proposal for the film we
are calling "In the Shadow of the Blade". The first weekend in
October, we'll be taking a crew to Ft. Rucker to film that significant place,
the museum, and veterans of the 9th of the 1st Cav (I hope I said that
correctly) who will be gathered there. There's a rumor we'll have a flying Huey
there also.
At that point, we hope to have enough footage, combined with your photographs,
8mm films, and cockpit voice recordings, to put our promotional trailer together
with the theme song which is in composition and original music from The High
Price Help (a wonderful collection of original songs written and recorded by a
quartet of Vietnam heli pilots). The print proposal is drafted and in the
proofing stage. Once we have final okay from our veteran experts on the copy,
we'll add some graphics and print the color copies for sponsors. Already we've
had some preliminary interest from some potentially big players. We're pretty
excited.
Pull for good weather for us in Florida. I'm hoping to get a Huey ride...maybe I
can learn what "pull pitch" is really like!
A huge thank you to each of you, more than I can say. I will keep you posted as
we progress, send you a proposal, and look forward to your comments. It will be
my great honor to meet you all one day.
Cheryl
ARROWHEAD FILM & VIDEO
3407 Guadlupe Street, Suite A
Austin, TX 78705
Web site: www.arrowheadfilms.com
Email: info@intheshadowoftheblade or cfries@arrowheadfilms.com
Production Credits
1994 Award of Merit: International
Association of Business Communicators
1993 CINE Golden Eagle Award: The Colorado River Trail
documentary narrated by Tommy Lee Jones and following the course of the
Colorado River through Central Texas
1992 Houston International Film Festival, First-Place Documentary: The
Adventures of the Abilene Boys
PBS documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite and chronicling the adventure of
three elderly men as they retraced a canoe trip from the youth.
1989 CINE Golden Eagle Award: Pointless Pollution: America’s Water
Crisis documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite and aired on PBS
examining the environmental concerns caused by non-point source pollution.
A MOMENT WITH BILL
The filming of this documentary will bring a lot of emotions into focus that
may have been buried for thirty or more years – but it will also aid in the
healing for many of us. It is a chance to focus on events and a time, that has
long been in the shadows. I am praying that this project proceeds forward, with
all the blessings of my fellow veterans and their families.
This is a spiritual adventure and can help us all evolve together as a
country and a family. I am giving this project 100 percent of my support and
am asking for all of you to do the same.
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