INTERVIEW with Scott L. Reda

Vietnam Vets Are Stars of Reda Productions’ Films

Any war is a mosaic of many individual this “micro” history is just as important stories—and those are the stories docu- as the “big picture” history. And by tell- mentary maker Lou Reda Productions Inc. ing these stories I think we gain a fuller wants to tell in new films about the Vietnam understanding of the war. War. The company, founded in 1978 in Easton, Pennsylvania, has been producing Where are your sources for Vietnam film? documentaries on military history for the We’ve tapped the National Archives, the History channel and other TV networks for Department of Defense, various news orga- more than 30 years, beginning with World nizations like NBC and the BBC and other War II: The War Chronicles in 1982. public sources, but our most cherished Recent additions to the company’s 100- collection is home movies—8 mm, Super 8, plus hours of shows include WWII in HD, etc.—that were shot by servicemen and which won an Emmy in 2010, Vietnam in women on their own personal cameras. HD and Brothers in War, a film narrated These films are unique in that they capture by Charlie Sheen that tells the story of a very personal aspect of the war that you an infantry company in Vietnam. Reda just don’t find in the “big” sources.

Productions has more Vietnam films in Scott L. Reda the works. Scott L. Reda, managing direc- How do you discover historic film that tor and son of founder Lou Reda, gives a Have you sold the series to a network? is not stored in government archives preview of coming attractions. Charlie Sheen loved doing Brothers in or other well-known repositories? War. He fell in love with our show, with We’ve spent years working with veterans What’s the biggest the personal stories of the veterans and the groups, small museums, personal collec- project you’re working on? whole genre. He was great to work with, tors and anyone else with home movie We have a miniseries, tentatively titled his manager is a really great guy, and we films. We are constantly asking various Vietnam: Uncensored, in development. all hit it off. Both Charlie and Bob were so groups to publish notices, post them on It is a co-production with Bob Maron impressed with the show they came to us their websites, email their group members of New Epic Entertainment. Bob is also and said, “We would love to do something and share on social media. Our goal is to Charlie Sheen’s manager. The series focuses with you guys.” So we put together a series find those films that are tucked away in on personal films shot by servicemen in- proposal, and now Bob is pitching it for someone’s attic or basement before they get country and at home. It will be co-narrated us. His target is a network like HBO or lost, are accidentally thrown out or simply by Charlie and his father, Martin Sheen. Showtime, and he’s pretty confident that deteriorate too much to use. In recent This will be the first time they have collab- he can sell it. months we’ve had really great responses orated on a Vietnam project—something with lots of people coming forward to both have wanted to do since Charlie How many episodes would it have? share their films. starred in Platoon and Martin starred in It’s 12 parts, and each episode will focus on Apocalypse Now. a particular theme, time frame or battle. How many Vietnam veterans We’re going to look at the battles that have given you their films? Why the word “uncensored” in the title? haven’t gotten a lot of press and aren’t Hundreds. Every day we get emails from The film is a very raw, straightforward look well-known by most people—the “un- men and women who have a film to offer. at the war from the soldiers’ perspectives. named” battles, if you will. We’ll mention Often they’re not even really sure what’s Just an honest look at what they experi- Hamburger Hill, the and on it. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard, enced, felt, went through, thought, etc., told so forth, but we don’t want to rehash the “Well, I haven’t looked at it in 40 years.” We in their own words. They can say whatever battles that have already been looked at over clean the film, we digitize it and then we they want in our interviews—there’s no and over again. Our programs also tend return it to the veteran along with a DVD

DECEMBER 2014 agenda, no politics. to focus on the personal stories because copy. We also have a couple of Vietnam 16 PHOTOS COURTESY LOU REDA PRODUCTIONS INC. Lou Reda Productions films an REDA PRODUCTIONS’ interview with veteran Steve VIETNAM WAR SHOWS Hopper for Brothers in War. ◆ Brothers in War, 2014, Vietnam Vets Are Stars of Reda Productions’ Films National Geographic Channel ◆ Vietnam in HD (six-part series), 2011, History channel ◆ Vietnam: Homecoming, 2007, History channel ◆ Unsung Heroes: The , 2002, History channel ◆ Unsung Heroes: Camera Martyrs of Vietnam, 2001, History channel

veterans who assist us with logging the months of the war. Ideally, the air date actually like. They won’t be able to hear film by watching it and making detailed would be April 30 of next year—the 40th firsthand experiences or try to understand description notes. anniversary of the evacuation of Saigon. what veterans felt about the war and what they were doing at that time. What are you seeing in those films? Do you see opportunities for Unless we make an effort to record Because they were shot by the soldiers additional Vietnam documentaries? their stories now and preserve them for themselves, you see the real day-to-day We’re developing two other Vietnam films future generations, this part of history will conditions and experiences. There’s very that I would love to produce. One is titled die with the veterans. And with the 50th little combat, for obvious reasons, but there The Two Front War: Black America’s Fight anniversary coming up, it’s good timing are great details of everyday life in-country. in Vietnam and at Home. It explores the too. I think 10 years ago these guys may It’s also very compelling to see the faces of experiences of African-American soldiers not have opened up as much. But it’s their these guys and their buddies—see them in Vietnam and the ways in which the war time now. They want to open up. screwing around on R&R, hanging out intersected and conflicted with the civil together, etc. That really brings home the rights movement. It is commonly argued that the U.S. personal aspect. The other film’s working title isThe lost the war in Vietnam, despite our Boys of P-burg: A Small Town During the battlefield victories. How do you deal Where did the troops get their cameras? Vietnam War. It’s about the town I grew with that in films? Wouldn’t Americans A lot of these guys were in Japan and up in, Phillipsburg, New Jersey. During prefer to see Japan surrendering on the Australia, where they could purchase the war, P-burg was home to only about deck of the USS Missouri? cameras. Guys who had cameras in- 18,000 people. About 300 guys from The way things ended in 1975 doesn’t negate country would often sell them to other our township served, and 13 boys from or tarnish the incredible acts of bravery GIs when they left. Phillipsburg High School were killed in and sacrifice that individual American Vietnam. For a place as small as P-burg, men and women put forth during the war. How much archival footage does Reda that was incredible. Their personal stories are just as inspiring Productions have from its history films, as the stories of World War II. and how much is Vietnam-related? What would you like viewers to learn I think the more people understand what We have about 15,000 total hours of foot- about the Vietnam War from your films? these guys went through, the more they’ll age, including about 1,000 hours related When we did Vietnam in HD, I asked want to see. Vietnam in HD and Broth- to Vietnam. We are supplying Ken Burns’ one veteran what he would like viewers ers in War both rated very well. I think company with a lot of footage for his series to come away with, and he said, “Just a we’ll see more and more programming on Vietnam [scheduled for the 2016-17 better understanding of what these men on Vietnam. H season on PBS]. and women went through.” Fifty years from now, people will still Vietnam veterans with films they would like Any other Vietnam films in the works? be able to debate whether the Vietnam to share with Reda Productions can email the I’ve been meeting with the Smithsonian War was right or wrong, but they won’t be company at Vietnam@louredaproductions. Channel for a show about the last few able to ask Vietnam veterans what it was com or call 610-258-2957. 17