A round of applause was heard moments after the screen went dark during an advanced screening of a Vietnam War film Aug. 17.
Army & Air Force Exchange Service held a free advanced screening of "The Last Full Measure" in Fort Jackson's Post Theater for service members, Family members, retirees and some invited guests from across the Columbia, South Carolina area. Even S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster attended the show.
Julian Adams, who is one of the film's producers and actors, Todd Robinson, the film's writer/director, and Sidney Sherman, executive producer, introduced the movie to the audience and participated in a Q&A session afterward.
The makers of the film spent roughly "15 years or more" to bring the story to the big screen, Adams said while introducing the film. "My hats off to my friends who over the years stuck with it for so long."
"This was really inspiring the whole way through," he added.
Even though the story was "done slowly, it was the kind of thing where you realize, this is one of the stories that you want to tell."
The movie stars Sebastian Stan, includes Christopher Plummer, Diane Ladd, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Alison Sudol, John Savage and Jeremy Irvine as Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger. The showing was dedicated to the late Peter Fonda who played a veteran in the film.
"This film is an extraordinary example of the sacrifices that service members make for all of us," said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, the Exchange's senior enlisted advisor. "We're happy to help provide a free screening of this great movie for military members and their families."
"The Last Full Measure," R-rated for depictions of war and violence, recounts the true story of Pitsenbarger, an Air Force pararescueman, who continually faced danger throughout more than 250 combat missions in Vietnam. During a rescue mission on April 11, 1966, he was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone, heavily under fire, but he stayed behind to save the lives of 1st Infantry Division Soldiers and he was killed.
The movie is scheduled for release in October.
(Editor's note: Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Meyers with AAFES Public Affair contributed to this article)
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