Veteran and filmmaker Ron Osgood (center) interviews veteran Arthur Barham (left) for the documentary Just Like Me: The Vietnam War -- Stories From All Sides. Photo courtesy Ron Osgood.
Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Friday, October 26, 2018
(BLOOMINGTON) - In observance of Veterans Day and to honor community members who have served in the armed forces, those who have experienced war firsthand, and their family members, the City of Bloomington will present the documentary film Just Like Me: The Vietnam War — Stories from All Sides, by local filmmaker and Vietnam War veteran Ron Osgood, Saturday, November 10, at 11 a.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall (401 North Morton St.).
The screening will be followed by reflections on war shared by a panel of local veterans of several conflicts, who will engage audience members in stories and discussion. The event is free and open to the public.
The 2018 Regional Emmy-winning documentary Just Like Me represents the Vietnam War from multiple perspectives including those of Hoosier veterans, North and South Vietnamese veterans, and the filmmaker's own in an effort to collapse distinctions between enemies and humanize the experience of war. The film is part of a larger project that includes an archive of oral histories at the website vietnamwarstories.indiana.edu. Among other screenings, Just Like Me will be shown as a closing event for the "Remembering Vietnam" exhibition at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. January 3, 2019.
Veteran and filmmaker Ron Osgood (center) interviews veteran Arthur Barham (left) for the documentary Just Like Me: The Vietnam War -- Stories From All Sides. Photo courtesy Ron Osgood.
A veteran featured in the documentary -- along with other local veterans and refugees from conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan -- will be on hand after the hour-long screening to share their impressions and respond to audience questions and comments.
"With this program, we hope to honor individuals who have served their country or been touched by war, express our gratitude for their service, extend our compassion for their suffering, and learn from their experience," said Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton. "I encourage our families to bring everyone from children to grandparents to this special program."
Professor Emeritus in the Media School at Indiana University, Osgood taught courses in video design and production and currently teaches documentary film courses for the Indiana University Honors College. The veteran first tackled the subject of the Vietnam War in the film My Vietnam Your Iraq, an official selection at eight film festivals, broadcast on PBS in 2011.
The City's veterans recognition continues Sunday, November 11 at RCA Park with the Bicentennial Veterans Day 5K Run/Ruck, presented by the Department of Parks and Recreation in conjunction with the Indiana Army National Guard.
Starting at 1 pm, the event includes a 5K trail run and a 5K ruck challenge, a military-inspired group exercise in which participants run while carrying a weighted pack.
Military members from the various branches will lead the event, and veterans services will be on site to offer information to service members and their families.
Registration for the Bicentennial Veterans Day 5K Run/Ruck is available at the following link: https://bloomington.in.gov/recreation/programs/10573.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.