N.M. documentary nominated for Emmy

      A documentary on a New Mexico family’s loss which led to the first major Vietnam veterans’ memorial is a finalist for a regional Emmy Award.

      The documentary tells the story of Victor “Doc” and Jeanne Westphall who took their son’s GI life insurance and began building the memorial overlooking Angel Fire, N.M.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Jim Goss photo)

      The son, Marine 1st Lt. Victor David Westphall III, was killed in battle on May 28, 1968, near Con Thien, South Vietnam.

      On This Hallowed Ground: Vietnam Memorial Born From Tragedy is one of three nominees for an Historical Documentary Emmy, which will be presented Sept. 19 by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter.

      Sarah Kanafani of Albuquerque is the documentary’s producer and director. Kanafani owns Luminance Pictures, which has been producing documentaries and promotion videos for major national and New Mexico companies and institutions for years.

      On This Hallowed Ground already has won:

• Two Telly Awards for Best Documentary in Online Media and Best Editing in Non-Broadcast. Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens.

• The 2020 REMI Award from WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.

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      On This Hallowed Ground was two years in the making, beginning when the David Westphall Veterans Foundation asked Kanafani to produce a short video to show at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which has been operated by the state Department of Veterans Services since July 1, 2017.

      Kanafani was contacted by the Westphall Foundation when the Memorial’s Huey helicopter was transported to Roswell to be refurbished, repainted, and restored to its Vietnam War appearance. Transportation and restoration costs were donated by state agencies, private companies and their employees.

      As Luminance Pictures worked on the short video, Kanafani sensed a much larger story was waiting to be documented.

      She began scheduling interviews with Westphall Foundation board members and Vietnam War veterans. Two of the veterans had been Huey pilots during the war.

      In the interests of full disclosure, I should explain I was one of the pilots interviewed. I have served on the Foundation board for years and I flew the Memorial’s Huey on combat missions in 1967 when it was assigned to the 118th Assault Helicopter Company at Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.

Ron Milam narrating documentary

      The other pilot interviewed in the documentary was my good friend Tom Baca of Albuquerque, who also served in the 118th AHC before transferring to the II Field Force flight detachment. Tom could not recall flying the Memorial’s Huey, but he had an encyclopedic memory of flying combat missions.

      Tom and I described our experiences flying Hueys in combat.

      Early this past Sunday, Tom died in an Albuquerque hospital after battling cancer for months. Tom welcomed the opportunity to be a part of the documentary. He told me many times over the years how peaceful and refreshed he felt whenever he visited the Memorial.

      Other Westphall board members with speaking parts in On This Hallowed Ground are Chuck Howe, president; Chuck Hasford, treasurer; Richard “Dick” Dickerson, secretary; Walter Westphall, son of Doc and Jeanne Westphall and brother of David Westphall; and Ron Milam. All are military veterans, most having served in the Vietnam War.

Victor Westphall

      Milam is the documentary’s commentator, who explains the war’s impact on the U.S. society and Jeanne and Victor Westphall’s lifetime roles in building the memorial. He is associate professor of history at Texas Tech University in Lubbock and was an infantry advisor to Montagnard forces during the Vietnam War.

      Kanafani said of the documentary’s nomination: “We are honored this important film has led to our first Emmy Award nomination. My wish is this nomination furthers the exposure of such an incredible story of bravery, loss, and healing.

      “The contribution Doc Westphall and his wife made to the soldiers, fallen and living, their families and to our nation is like no other. Grappling with the heartache of war and the pain of losing a son or daughter in war is never easy. But for this man, he went a step further and built a chapel of healing to honor the dead on both sides, uniting us all in peace and brotherhood.

Chuck Howe in documentary scene

      “It was an honor to work on such an important story and my hope is the knowledge of this chapel and the family behind it will spread and will find its place in the hearts of many.”

      The Memorial originally was named the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel, dedicated to the memory of David Westphall and the other 16 Marines who died with him at Con Thien in 1968.

      The chapel was dedicated on the third anniversary of David Westphall’s death, on May 22, 1971. It was the first major Vietnam veterans memorial in the United States and inspired the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was completed in 1982.

      Over the years, the Memorial has been operated by the Disabled American Veterans, the Westphall Foundation, New Mexico State Parks, and the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services.

      The Memorial includes the Chapel, an adjacent Visitors Center, a Gift Shop, a Veterans Memorial Walkway, an amphitheater, a Memorial Garden, and the gravesite of Jeanne and Victor Westphall. More than 45,000 people visit the Memorial each year.