Most all of the 17 stars of the new Stories of Chelsea documentary “Vietnam Veterans” were at the Village Conference Center at the Chelsea Comfort Inn on Veterans Day for the premiere of their film.
And for some of them, such as Tony Keezer, watching the finished product was harder on them than originally being interviewed for the documentary.
The film showed a very balanced view of the Vietnam War from both old news reels as well as from the mouths of those who experienced it firsthand. From their thoughts about their original draft notices to their experiences at boot camp.
The local veterans talked candidly about what it was like to head to a foreign country that some couldn’t have found on a globe before their draft notices arrived; to what it was like to spend a year — or as one Vietnam veteran calculated, 91 million seconds — before they could get back home.
Among those interviewed were John Glidewell, Milton Wood, Tom Zatkovich, Tom Power, Norman Wetzel, Walt Herndon, Tom Heidtman, Gary Maynard, Dennis Stoffer, Craig Maier, Michael Muha, Jim Alford, Keith Haab, Tony Keezer, Dennis Schumann, Rod Anderson, and Tom Steele.
From their initial impressions: “The heat, it was so hot. The smell. The air. It was a jungle type of damp, a foul smelling place,” one veteran said.
To not knowing who the enemy was and thinking they’d never make it back alive, the Vietnam veterans spoke about their fears and their feelings about the war.
“We couldn’t tell the enemy from the friendly,” several of them said.
They talked about landmines and how carefully they had to walk — not on the paths through the jungle terrain, but along the sides of the paths — trying to avoid being blown up. They’d closely observe what was on the ground, and step gingerly, sometimes sideways, and as quietly as possible in each others’ footprints to avoid potential disaster.
“It’s been 46 years and there’s not a day I don’t have flashbacks,” one Vietnam veteran admitted.
However, some did take the time to admire the countryside. “If you could look past the barbed wire and the sandbags, Vietnam was a pretty country.”
And they did admit to have some fun while on leave in places such as Hawaii.
However, when the veterans got back from Vietnam, some said they didn’t dare wear their uniforms off base because of all the anti-war sentiment. Many simply didn’t talk about it because they did not know how other people in the community felt about the war.
However, more than 40 years later, many of the veterans who fought in Vietnam feel the full support of the Chelsea community and they are thanked for their service. Not just on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but anytime they wear a uniform, ball cap, jacket or sweatshirt that identifies them as a Vietnam Veteran.
For Filmmaker Rob Coelius of Video Farm Productions and the Chelsea District Library, the 53-minute Vietnam documentary is the sixth film in five years, said Bill Harmer, library director.
Vietnam Veterans was made possible by the support of the Friends of Chelsea District Library, VFW Post 4076, the American Legion Post 31, as well as the contributions of many private donors.
The documentary will be available for online streaming at StoriesofChelsea.org.
In addition, it can be purchased at the library for $15.
Please enjoy the slideshow of those in attendance at the premiere on Veterans Day, 2013, and be sure to say thank you to all those veterans who served this country.
