August 2 – 4, 2012 is the anniversary reunion of In the Shadow of the Blade in New Orleans, Louisiana and we are hoping every ITSOTB cast member, crew member, LZ coordinator, supporter and fan will be there to join the celebration!

We’re so excited that the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association has invited us to celebrate ten years of ITSOTB as part of its annual gathering. And where better than New Orleans, midway on the ITSOTB route – yeah, we know it’s hot as Vietnam there that time of year but hey- nobody’ll be shooting at you. Great food, jazz, all of us together in New Orleans…it doesn’t get more cool than that, right?

VHPA is graciously providing us with our own ITSOTB gathering room and two nighttime film screening slots on the program. On Thursday August 2 at 8:00 p.m., we will premiere our newest documentary (more on that in a bit), and on Friday August 3 at 8:00 p.m. we’ll be doing a special “Anniversary Cut” screening of In the Shadow of the Blade!

Let us know if you’d like to attend and we’ll send you registration information.  Can’t wait to see you.

  ]]> http://intheshadowoftheblade.com/archives/170/feed 0 http://intheshadowoftheblade.com/archives/23 http://intheshadowoftheblade.com/archives/23#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:00:53 +0000 itsotb http://intheshadowoftheblade.com/?p=23 Ten years ago next year, a war-battered Huey helicopter lifted off on a beautiful fall morning from a Fort Rucker ceremony on a documentary film mission to capture the untold stories of Vietnam War veterans and their loved ones.

Photo by Sarah Beal. (c) 2001.

Since then, Huey 091 and In the Shadow of the Blade have been the catalysts for lifelong connections, emotional reunions, educational initiatives, and many, many tributes to our nation’s veterans.  It’s one of those things that’s worthy of celebrating.

The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association has invited us to do just that, as In the Shadow of the Blade marks its tenth at the annual VHPA reunion 2-4 August 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  You’ll for sure wanna join the ITSOTB cast and crew for this great reunion!   We’ll be posting more info soon on special room rates and event schedules (including a very special film screening).  For now, start putting those pennies in the jar and save the date, because it just won’t be the same if you’re not there.

Huey 091 in Austin, Texas. Photo by Sarah Beal. (c) 2001.

The geographic and political realities of Vietnam called for a new kind of warfare, one the U.S. Army termed “Airmobile.” Remote battle zones, mountains topped in old-growth hardwood jungles, and poorly developed roads eliminated motor vehicles as a means of quickly moving masses of troops and supplies. Helicopters took over. In Airmobile warfare, flocks of helicopters took troops and supplies to strategic locations, monitored operations from the air, engaged in battle, and evacuated forces. The famed U.S. Army 1st Cavalry joined aviation units already in Vietnam to pioneer Airmobile operations, trading its horses for helicopters and creating an archetype followed by the 101st Airborne, the 1st Aviation Brigade, and several other aviation units and smaller detachments.

Many helicopters were used in Vietnam, but none was as widely employed as the Huey. The UH-1 “Iroquois,” popularly dubbed the Huey, is known as “the workhorse of the Vietnam War,” used by all military forces for troop transport, medical evacuation, and combat assault. Hueys transported soldiers and supplies to the lines as the horses for a modern cavalry.  More than 7,000 Huey helicopters served in Vietnam and nearly half were lost.  2,177 Huey crew members were killed in action.

The Huey’s single rotor blade pops the air with a unique WHOP WHOP WHOP, and this sound was ubiquitous in the war zone.  Every person who served or lived in Vietnam during the war will tell you that more than any sight or smell, it is that sound that brings the war back in an instant.  It was this connection that In the Shadow of the Blade director Patrick Fries knew would be the catalyst for a remarkable documentary.  By once again connecting veterans to their icon, he imagined, he could evoke emotions that would unlock their powerful stories.  It was a great idea, and it would take a great deal of creativity, tenacity, and determination to make it happen.

In the Shadow of the Blade sunset. Photo by Sarah Beal. (c) 2001

The ITSOTB community started with the documentary’s historic cross-country flight, as people came out to backyards and farmyards to answer the call of  those blades popping the air.  It was a mission that brought a level of healing and reconciliation that changed the lives of everyone who participated, including the crew.  What started as a film quickly took on a life of its own, as an ever-growing community followed the journey.

That community has expanded through the years as the movie has done its work.  In public screenings and in classrooms and in living rooms around the world, In the Shadow of the Blade and its iconic UH-1 Huey helicopter “091″ have  turned the lock of long-boxed up memories for thousands of Vietnam veterans, allowing families and school students and general audiences to turn to them with the awe they earned when they fought a far-away war that their nation had turned against.

If you are one of those veterans, thank you.  Thank you for serving, thank you for persevering, and thank you for coming here.  We hope you will join our ITSOTB family by sharing your story so that others may learn.  Welcome home.

If you are not a veteran, but have come here to learn, we welcome you as well.  Feel free to ask a question or post a tribute, or just to float around and listen.  Some of the greatest people in this country are the men and women who served in Vietnam, and we are honored to introduce you to them.

A couple of ground rules…An important part of what made ITSOTB work was our commitment from the beginning to stay away from politics.  Our emphasis is on the stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things when their country called them to do so.  There’s plenty of space in this world spent on political controversy and division; this isn’t one of them.  Please keep your comments and questions focused on education and tribute.  For those of you who aren’t veterans, please always remember that more than 58,000 American sons, husbands, brothers and friends laid down their lives in the Vietnam War.  For those who did come home – and for the loved ones of those who didn’t – this space where we gather to remember and discuss their war is sacred ground.  Your respect is expected.

Our newly remodeled website will, we hope, continue the conversation and expand our community, and provide all of us with opportunities to learn and connect.  And it will also be a place where we recount the ITSOTB experience as we move toward our ten-year anniversary celebration in early August, 2012.  So hop on board, strap in, and pull pitch with us as we continue the ride…In the Shadow of the Blade!