Tag Archives: Our Trip

“Our Trip” – Documentary of 12 veterans’ return to Vietnam will show at Marge’s Donut Den on July 10

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(Courtesy, pxhere.com)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


A viewing of Our Trip, a documentary produced by Vietnam veteran Tom Sibley, will be hosted by Marge’s Donut Den in Wyoming on Wednesday, July 10 at 2 p.m.

Our Trip follows 12 Vietnam veterans back to Vietnam in 1995. Using WKTV Community Media facilities, Sibley produced the 40-minute video under Mr. Sid’s Video Series with footage and photographs taken by the returning veterans and Grand Rapids Press staff that accompanied them. Recorded interviews with participants after the trip were also included.

(Courtesy, pxhere.com)

The Our Trip experience

After a brief history of the United States involvement in Vietnam, the video combines the veterans’ wartime experiences via the various stages of the trip. Sibley said the trip was special and inspiring, but all veterans were “amazed by the warm welcome and friendliness of the people we met.”

The trip included a search for the helicopter crash site that killed pilot Floyd Olsen, a friend of one of the trip veterans. The crash site was located near the village of Hong Ha. Friends and relatives of Olsen later built a medical clinic at the village.

A visit to an orphanage found the veterans interacting with the children and then painting the orphanage. A year later, one of the veterans and his wife completed an adoption of two girls he met while at the orphanage.

Meaning, healing, and peace

“The video…says a lot about the Vietnam experience and what it means to be a veteran,” said James Smither, GVSU Veterans History Project Director, at a previous screening of Our Trip.

A discussion moderated by Smither will follow the Our Trip viewing.

Veterans screen video of return to Vietnam, discuss war experiences and healing

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(Courtesy, Tom Sibley)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


Veterans gathered for a screening of Our Trip on Feb. 1 at the Grand Rapids Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH).

Our Trip follows 12 Vietnam veterans back to Vietnam in 1995. Using WKTV Community Media facilities, Vietnam veteran Tom Sibley produced the 40-minute video with footage and photographs taken by the returning veterans and Grand Rapids Press staff that accompanied them. Recorded interviews with participants after the trip were also included.

The Our Trip experience

(Courtesy, Tom Sibley)

After a brief history of the United States involvement in Vietnam, the video combines the veterans’ wartime experiences via the various stages of the trip. Sibley said the trip was special and inspiring, but all veterans were “amazed by the warm welcome and friendliness of the people we met.”

The trip included a search for the helicopter crash site that killed pilot Floyd Olsen, a friend of one of the trip veterans. The crash site was located near the village of Hong Ha. Friends and relatives of Olsen later built a medical clinic at the village.

A visit to an orphanage found the veterans interacting with the children and then painting the orphanage. A year later, one of the veterans and his wife completed an adoption of two girls he met while at the orphanage.

Meaning, healing, and peace

Approximately 90 were in attendance for the video showing. James Smither, GVSU Veterans History Project Director, provided historical background and invited those in attendance to share their stories.

(Courtesy, Tom Sibley)

“Several of the veterans discussed how their faith had helped them get through their war experiences and make peace with them,” Smither told WKTV.

Showing the video at the MVH allowed residents to participate, Sibley said. Smither added that it brought an audience of people who had not seen it before.

“Many of them were Vietnam veterans, and two of them were in the video and had never seen it,” said Smither. “The video also says a lot about the Vietnam experience and what it means to be a veteran, so it was an appropriate venue. We drew a good crowd, and they clearly appreciated the video.”

After the video, all were invited for a social time with cake and coffee prepared by Connie Ceton and MVH staff.

MVH Volunteer Coordinator Gretchen Muir and Activity Director Becky Smit organized the event.