"We're all in this together."
Jack Lyon received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Navy Commendation with Combat V and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry during his two tours in Vietnam as Marine platoon commander.
Thirteen years after the rice paddies and jungles of Vietnam, and an arduous homecoming, Jack and four other vets formed the Vietnam Veterans of San Diego, with the intent to serve the needs of their neglected Vietnam veteran community. Their program has since then changed it’s name to the Veteran’s Village of San Diego to reflect what they have always been doing: helping restore the lives of all veterans in need. Currently, Jack offers physical and spiritual support to combat injured Marines at Balboa Naval Medical Center, and he stays true to the Marines’ motto, Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful). The City of San Diego recently honored Jack with the 2014 Keith M Turnham Humanitarian Award. |
Along with 4 of my good Veteran friends , I attended the Founding Convention of the Vietnam Veterans of America in 1983. It was an intense experience as we saw and learned that we, in San Diego, were not alone in organizing for the benefit of the Vietnam Veterans---this was and is a National Organization of significant accomplishment and good works. The key message of that convention was that "never again would one generation of Veterans abandon the next"---we would work to bring them home and lift them up.
This documentary is intended to illustrate that goal and to show that yes, we are all in this together . John Giannini filmed the founding Convention and came to film this Documentary as a follow up. John himself is a combat Veteran and is the son of a Marine from Guadalcanal and other campaigns in the Pacific. Beyond his skill, he knows the topic from the inside out. |