300
Vietnam Vets and their supporters leave Ontario, California on motorcycles heading
for the Vietnam Memorial, otherwise known as "The Wall" in Washington,
D.C. Their journey takes them across America and through their own personal
pain and grief. They ride in remembrance of those who did not come home. Ultimately,
they ride for themselves and their own healing. Along the way, they visit Vietnam
Memorials and Veterans Hospitals. On the road to "The Wall", they
encounter the "Welcome Home" that they never received. Many people
offer support in various forms, from families waving flags on overpasses, to
entire towns being decorated for the event, to dinner being served by volunteers
to over the 300 Vets and supporters. For many Vets, this was their first exposure
to the unbridled appreciation from the public.
The
film focuses on five Vets, from varied backgrounds, and their common goal of
coming together to heal. Through their own words, we hear their stories of the
past, getting drafted, going to war, experiencing the loss of a close friend,
and the shutting down and coping with these strong emotions and memories. Interwoven,
we see the "Run" and the healing.
"'Homecoming',
I think connects the past with the present and delineates the physiological
aftereffect that was inaugurated decades ago", commented Thomas Shreffler,
Vietnam Vet 1970-71. One "Run" participant, Bob Trimble, is reunited
with his brother who also served in Vietnam. They support each other in their
personal growth and develop a special love and understanding that continues
past the "Run". "Homecoming" is a film about the Warriors,
not the Vietnam War.
continued
