Honor Flight Documentary To Be Released
MILWAUKEE - "My philosophy is, I'm not afraid of death. Death doesn't scare me. What scares the hell out of me is how I've got to live," says one World War II veteran in a trailer for an upcoming Honor Flight documentary.
"It's a meditation on gratitude, on freedom and on mortality," says one person describing the movie.
Among the other things you'll hear and see:
"Once you've been in combat with people, you have an affinity for life for those people."
| Related content: • Click here to watch the Honor Flight movie trailer • Click here to volunteer or donate to the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight |
"This is the first time I've ever talked about this."
"There's only a few (veterans) left, but the ones that are alive have a very strong bond."
Director Dan Hayes with Freethink Media says the whole project started, nearly, on accident.
"I actually just showed up in D.C., and I'd heard about the program," said Hayes. "I said, 'That sounds like a good video project."
He initially put together a five-minute piece, but things snowballed fast when he went on an Honor Flight.
"I had to do a full movie, because there was so much material. It was such a compelling story. It brought goose bumps. What can I say?"
"I think people will get a sense that this is more than veterans going out to see granite walls and their memorial," said Stars and Stripes Honor Flight Chairman Joe Dean.
"It's a fountain of youth and a fountain of companionship, and a day of renewal for them as they get together with their peers and they revert back to the 19 and 20-year-olds that they were in the 1940's when they defended this nation."
Dean explains that they're always looking for volunteers to share their time, talent and treasure, and he hopes this movie will motivate people to get involved.
Hayes says to him, this movie is about more than military service.
"I describe Honor Flight as a vehicle for people, family, friends, loved ones, to communicate how much they appreciate the people in their lives. It's about saying 'I love you because you're a great dad, and you've been there for me.' "
Hayes hopes the audience feels the same, and you can get a sneak peek before the November release by looking at a trailer that's out now.
He calls the emotion behind the Honor Flight project a visceral reaction.
"You have to be a scrooge not to feel it."
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