Veterans’ Storytelling Workshop

[Jim Sheppard]

The Information below has been submitted for publication in the next edition of the Association Newsletter. Dick Guthrie asked that I post this here for him as well.

Veterans’ Storytelling Workshop
From our time together more than forty years ago, we all have stories to tell. Some of us have done so on the “War Stories” page of our Association Website, but surely, all of us have stories we haven’t yet told. In some cases, they are too painful, or seem too scary to share with anyone beyond those who lived them with us. These chronicles celebrate the exploits of our buddies -- some of whom are gone -- and the stories deserve to be saved for posterity.
I know from my own experience that telling these stories is a way to deal with the pain they continue to cause us.
I have just learned about a unique opportunity to get my stories told -- and saved for all time in the Library of Congress. I’m already signed up, and I think some of you might be interested as well.

WHAT is this?
During this four-day Veterans Storytelling Workshop, a qualified staff will guide participants through the process of:
• becoming storytellers
• crafting their story into its most compelling and interesting form
• getting comfortable telling their account on camera
• integrating their own memorabilia -- photos, objects, letters and music -- into our narrative
• preserving the stories in digital format for submission to the Library of Congress where these accounts will join thousands of other stories already archived in the Veterans History Project.

WHO’s doing this?
Some of you may recall the 1999 reunion in Kansas City when Brian Thomas, Toby Milroy and I gave a presentation about our ’98 trip back to Binh Dinh. My cousin, David Baker is the one who crafted that PowerPoint presentation. It inspired a number of our members to press for another return visit to Vietnam, and in 2001, David came with us. He later produced a compassionate documentary of that trip, titled In Their Own Words. Bob Melendez and Russ Roth and I were at the film’s opening in Santa Fe several years later.
David Baker’s Skyhorse Company is committed to keeping alive the art of storytelling in this modern world of sound bites and twitter feeds. They know how to empower us to use technology and become the teller, but also the director, producer, and distributor of our own story.
Once crafted, we’ll preserve the accounts with easy-to-use digital technologies. The end product surely will educate and inform our families, communities and our society. This should make the world more aware, more compassionate, more understanding of our experiences.

WHO’s invited to participate?
Veterans, but also interviewers, or even those who want to tell the tale of a beloved veteran who is no longer around to tell his or her story.

LIBRARY of Congress?
There, the American Folklife Center runs The Veterans History Project (http://www.loc.gov/vets/vets-home.html). This initiative collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of all American war veterans -- from World War I in 1914, up through the current Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. They’re doing this so that future generations may hear directly from veterans, and better understand the realities of our wars
It takes just “Five Easy Steps” to join in the Veterans History Project. But getting started tends to be the most difficult step to take. This is where Skyhorse can help.
At the end of the four-day retreat and workshop, each participant will have a compelling story, properly formatted for submission to the Veterans History Project. And we will also take home a copy of our story, to share with friends and family -- and the Ichiban1 website.

WHERE? WHEN
The first workshop will be in Silver City, NM on 9-11 September. If you’d be interested in coming, please contact David Baker, djb@skyhorsefilms.com , 505-469-1967.
Depending on interest, Skyhorse may be able to schedule an orientation at our 2012 reunion. Let David know if that would be attractive to you.
Meanwhile, I plan to be in Silver City, NM in September, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Warm regards,

Dick Guthrie

[sam barnhart]

There are probably many men that log onto this web site who do not know or understand who Dick Guthrie is... So permit me to tell you....

Back in 1967, CPT Guthrie... USMA 1965... arrived at For Hood and took charge of Company B. Shortly thereafter, we learned that we would be going to Viet Nam and CPT Guthrie led us on a summer of training at Fort Hood to get us ready for our deployment. He was a very stern taskmaster... focused on getting us as prepared as possible for the mission we would face. CPT Guthrie did everything possible to make sure that we understood the task and that we were prepared... I truly believe that his training saved many lives.... we were prepared.

He truly cared about his men and was in the field leading them through many firefights and took every casualty to heart.... I cannot explain in words how great a leader he was....

I has been 45 years since I met CPT Guthrie back in 1967 and I have thought about him many times in my successful business career.... I learned leadership and compassion form him and I am eternally grateful to have known him...

ICHIBON!!!!

Sam Barnhart... Advance Party... Aug 67 > 68

BY THE WAY... the summer of 67 at Fort Hood was every bit as hot as the summer of 2011. When we were not training in the field, we dragged our mattresses out of the barracks to the field next door to sleep.... it was hotter then than it ever was in Viet Nam...

[pcfrmr]

Hi guys, I would like to be in NM in Sept for the forum. I, however, will not be able to. I made application for, based on my Purple Heart earned while in A/1/50, and received a ride to DC on the Northern Colorado Honor Flight. We leave CO on Sunday, 9/11 and return on Monday 9/12. It will be an honor to travel with WWII, Korea, and 8 Viet Nam vets to tour the Memorials in DC.
Will report following the trip.
GOMF, Bob Wuestenberg