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Gifts from a journey in a Vietnam-era Huey
Austin American-Stateman ^
| Feb 8, 2005
| Brad Buchholz
Posted on 02/08/2005 11:06:58 AM PST by ladtx
Gifts from a journey in a Vietnam-era Huey
Austin's Cheryl and Pat Fries gambled everything on a dream film project and came away with the kind of fulfillment that is greater than money or fame.
Sarah Beal
Pat and Cheryl Fries finished editing 'In the Shadow of the Blade' in the summer and the movie will have its television premiere Thursday on the Military Channel.
|
By Brad Buchholz
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
For the past five years, Pat and Cheryl Fries of Austin have gambled everything on a movie their own movie. It's the project of their lifetime, a feature-length documentary called "In the Shadow of the Blade." At its focus: the Vietnam War.
The Frieses' objective was to tell a human story about Vietnam veterans by flying a vintage UH-1 "Huey" combat helicopter across America in a journey of reconciliation. From the beginning, the husband-and-wife team had such strong faith in their documentary and the creative idea behind it that they loved it almost like a child. They spent money on it, boldly. And they allowed themselves to dream:
Maybe someone in Hollywood will discover it and put it in theaters. Maybe it will air on PBS. Maybe, just maybe, it will even make some money. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at austin360.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blade; channel; documentary; helicopter; huey; military; militarychannel; militaryhistory; shadow; vietnam
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
21
posted on
02/08/2005 2:40:19 PM PST
by
E.G.C.
To: ladtx
Spent a lot of time in Kansas on UH-1's in USAF going to ICBM sites in early 70's. SAC 72-76. Love the birds but I never saw Nam.
22
posted on
02/08/2005 2:41:56 PM PST
by
Conspiracy Guy
(Reading is fundamental. Comprehension is optional.)
To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
23
posted on
02/08/2005 2:50:26 PM PST
by
JLO
(Minnesota Nice)
To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
Great! Looking forward to watching .... we will NEVER forget!
24
posted on
02/08/2005 2:51:13 PM PST
by
4CJ
(Laissez les bon FReeps rouler - Quo Gladius de Veritas - Deo vindice!)
To: Professional Engineer
Ah yes! The Huey ride. Click the pic.:-)
25
posted on
02/08/2005 3:37:45 PM PST
by
SAMWolf
(You're only young once; you can be immature forever.)
To: SAMWolf; snippy_about_it; Professional Engineer
Yup, them's muh boys.
Happy Target Tuesday and Happy Mardi Gras.
26
posted on
02/08/2005 3:48:06 PM PST
by
CholeraJoe
(On the third day, the Lord invented the Remington bolt action rifle so that man could hunt dinosaurs)
To: CholeraJoe
Hey Cholera Joe.
Nothing better to rearrange yer insides. :-)
27
posted on
02/08/2005 3:57:22 PM PST
by
SAMWolf
(You're only young once; you can be immature forever.)
To: CholeraJoe
28
posted on
02/08/2005 4:02:03 PM PST
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
To: ladtx
29
posted on
02/08/2005 5:04:55 PM PST
by
sweetiepiezer
((((((((((((((MARINES))))))))))))))
To: ladtx
I got to fly on a UH-1H while on the way back from our last deployment when I was on the USS BOXER (LHD-4) in 1997. I had a great ride courtesy of my brothers in the USMC. I, being a sailor will never forget the thrill. You "slick" pilots are a special breed. This one's for you!
LOW FLIGHT
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I've auto'ed,
and met the rising brush
Of non-paved terrain - and done a thousand things
You would never care to -
skidded and drooped and flared
Low in the heat-soaked roar.
Confined there,
I've chased the earthbound traffic, and lost
The race to insignificant headwinds.
Forward, and a little up, in ground effect
I've topped the General's hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk, or even Phantom flew.
And, shaking and pulling collective, I've lumbered
The low trespassed halls of Victor Airways,
Put out my hand, and touched a tree.
-Anonymus
30
posted on
02/08/2005 6:09:26 PM PST
by
Colt .45
(Navy Veteran - Pride in my Southern Ancestry! Chance favors the prepared mind.)
To: Colt .45
LOW FLIGHT
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I've auto'ed,
and met the rising brush
Of non-paved terrain - and done a thousand things
You would never care to -
skidded and drooped and flared
Low in the heat-soaked roar.
Confined there,
I've chased the earthbound traffic, and lost
The race to insignificant headwinds.
Forward, and a little up, in ground effect
I've topped the General's hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk, or even Phantom flew.
And, shaking and pulling collective, I've lumbered
The low trespassed halls of Victor Airways,
Put out my hand, and touched a tree.
-Anonymus
Not any other "LowFlyer" but an Army Pilot could have written this poem.. The others talked about flying low, we did it. Also, the Army trained ALL the armed forces except the USAF & Navy (but they couldn't fly anything except starch-wings anyway!) @ Fort Wolters near palatial Miserable Wells, Texas. I have some permanent scars on my ass from trainees who wanted to make a new type of flight.
As for the movie: Shadow of the Blade"...I went to Austin for the premier 18 months ago. It was a documentry well worth your time if you ever rode in a Huey...brought chills to my backside! Several friends helped them make that film...they all looked so much older than me!
31
posted on
02/08/2005 6:38:11 PM PST
by
FlyLow
( A democRAT is so bereft of reality he doesn't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt.)
To: FlyLow
But if you look at the aircraft mentioned, I believe it was either a Navy or Marine Helicopter jock. And the Navy DID have Huey pilots in Vietnam, they were called the Grey Wolves. MOF my last LCDR that I worked for on the BOXER was a Huey pilot. No starched wings there!
32
posted on
02/08/2005 6:53:39 PM PST
by
Colt .45
(Navy Veteran - Pride in my Southern Ancestry! Chance favors the prepared mind.)
To: snippy_about_it
Been away for a while. Suffered a ghastly fracture of my lower leg. Fell down my inside wood steps and hit every step on the way down. Slammed into the front door with my head. Broke my left leg in 4 or 5 places and separated my right shoulder. Ended up with a titantium rod and 4 or 5 screws in my leg, and two in my shoulder.
Getting better.
33
posted on
02/08/2005 7:44:22 PM PST
by
CholeraJoe
(On the third day, the Lord invented the Remington bolt action rifle so that man could hunt dinosaurs)
To: CholeraJoe
oh, that's terrible! I will send you a picture to make your smile.
34
posted on
02/08/2005 8:29:27 PM PST
by
bitt
(Kerry "Hanoi"s me)
To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
To: CholeraJoe
36
posted on
02/08/2005 8:38:24 PM PST
by
bitt
(Kerry "Hanoi"s me)
To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; SAMWolf
GREAT!
Sam, consider yourself flagged.
37
posted on
02/08/2005 9:22:16 PM PST
by
Valin
(Work is a fine thing if it doesn't take too much of your spare time)
To: ladtx
IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE
We were the soldiers brave and true
Who rode upon you in our youth
You took us into battle and carried us back to base-camp
091 you were faithful to us all during a war called Vietnam
Carrying troops, supplies, mail, Donut Dollies, Nurse, USO, and wounded
Chris-crossing the muddy paddies, rubber plantations, and jungle canopied
You were wounded yet went on, completing your missions for your men
But that was many years ago
You have seen the bravery, the death, the dying, and the surviving
You have so many stories that went with you
One persons story caused a dream to take shape to fly another mission
To fly the last mission telling the stories of the men, women, and children
Whom you have touched
In the shadow of your blade
We now can rest and tell your stories
Of the people who were impacted by you
Lift us high into the sky and fly in awesome glory
Like you did a long time ago
Giving the world the true story of forgotten men, women, and children
From a war fought so long ago
You have one last mission to go forth across this land
Landing and bringing those folks on the last leg of a journey
All the way HOME
Mission accomplished a job well done indeed
I no longer hate that sound of an in-coming huey rotor song
It is now the sound of a Welcome Home song
After 35 years it is time for both of us to rest
We both know we did our best our story is finally complete
For we are HOME at last
Copyright 2004, Kerry Doc Pardue
38
posted on
02/08/2005 9:31:16 PM PST
by
Valin
(Work is a fine thing if it doesn't take too much of your spare time)
To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
Thank you for pinging me to this wonderful story.
39
posted on
02/08/2005 10:03:40 PM PST
by
BykrBayb
(5 minutes of prayer for Terri, every day at 11 am EDT, until she's safe. http://www.terrisfight.org)
To: CholeraJoe
OWWWW! Geezy Pete! Glad to hear you're getting better. Dang boy, time to slow down!
40
posted on
02/08/2005 10:05:53 PM PST
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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