Iowa brewer’s passion project reunites veterans separated by war
Updated: 6:27 PM CST Feb 11, 2019
Iowa brewer’s passion project reunites veterans separated by war
Updated: 6:27 PM CST Feb 11, 2019
WEBVTT VIETNAM. >> MARSHALLTOWN’S BREWERY IS OVER FLOODING -- OVERFLOWING WITH BUTTERFLIES. 50 YEARS AFTER THIS I WILL FARMBOY LEFT FOR VIETNAM, HE’S ON HIS WAY. >> WE DON’T KNOW WHERE HE WENT. >> IN THEIR 20’S, THE MEDICS WERE BUDDIES, UNTIL THE WAR WITH THEM UP. >> I WAS SO HAPPY GETTING HOME ALIVE, I JUST WANTED TO GET ON WITH MY LIFE. >> A 50 YEAR GAP. WAS ABOUT TO CLOSE. >> LOCAL HOME, BUDDY. YOU LOOK GOOD. >> SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. 50 YEARS. >> IT’S BEEN A LITTLE OVER 50 YEARS. >> I GOT WOUNDED WAY TOO MANY TIMES. >> I JUST GOT WOUNDED WHAT’S, BUT THAT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME. >> A FEW MINUTES DIDN’T SCRATCH THE SURFACE. BECAUSE GOOD OL’ DAYS DOMINATE EVERY REUNIO BUT VETERANS? >> YOU ARE KIDDING ME. >> THEY HAVE ENOUGH STORIES TO FILL A DOCUMENTARY. >> I WAS ALWAYS SAYING, I HOPE I GET TO TAKE ANOTHER REST. >> COINCIDENCE DIDN’T BRING JOHN VANDEHAAR AND STEVE HOOK TOGETHER. >> WHEN YOU CALLED AND SAID YOU TALK TO HIM, I ABOUT FELL ON THE FLOOR. >> IT WAS THE BREWER WHOSE LOVE FOR BEER IS NOTHING COMPARED TO HIS PASSION FOR VETERANS. >> I HAVE TEARS IN MY EYES, ABSOLUTELY. FOR THESE PEOPLE TO SHARE PART OF THEIR LIFE WITH YOU IS VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL. >> SO SPECIAL? EVERY TIME HE INTERVIEWS VETERANS, ROGER BROWN THROWS A PARTY. >> HE HITS RECORD AND JUST LISTENS. >> I WAS THINKING AND IN 60 MACHINE WOULD BE NICE. >> THEY WILL START TO TALK AND THEY ARE NOT LOOKING AT YOU ANYMORE. IN THAT ONE MOMENT YOU CAN TELL THEY ARE BACK IN THAT MEMORY. >> HISTORY BOOKS ARE FILLED WITH DATES. ROGER’S FOCUS IS ON THE VETERANS WHO WERE THERE. >> THIS PERSON HAD A NAME, HAD A HEARTBEAT, HAD THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS. ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF MY SERVICE, FROM THE DAY I GOT MY DISCHARGE. JUST TRYING TO FIND AN AUDIENCE THAT APPRECIATES IT. >> JOHN FOUND IT AND HIS BUDDY FROM 52 YEARS AGO AT A BREWERY IN MARSHALLTOWN. >> IT’S JUST THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD. ROGER’S STILL WORKING ON HOW >> THESE INTERVIEWS WILL BE SHOWCASED BUT HE HAS ABOUT 65 VETERANS ON HIS LIST AND HE’D LOVE TO TALK WITH MORE. YOU CAN CONTACT HIM ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE IOWA RIVER BREWING COMPANY. ERIC HANSON, vlog 8 NEWS, IOWA'
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Iowa brewer’s passion project reunites veterans separated by war
Updated: 6:27 PM CST Feb 11, 2019
A Marshalltown brewery overflowed with tears this when two Vietnam veterans saw each other for the first time since the war. Coincidence didn't bring John Vandehaar and Steve Hook together. The smiles and nerves are part of a homegrown project to capture frontline stories from Iowa veterans. vlog’s Eric Hanson and photojournalist Cortney Kintzer captured the reunion 50 years in the making in and learned more about the passion project in this edition of “This Is Iowa.”
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa —
A Marshalltown brewery overflowed with tears this when two Vietnam veterans saw each other for the first time since the war.
Coincidence didn't bring John Vandehaar and Steve Hook together.
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The smiles and nerves are part of a homegrown project to capture frontline stories from Iowa veterans.
vlog’s Eric Hanson and photojournalist Cortney Kintzer captured the reunion 50 years in the making in and learned more about the passion project in this edition of “This Is Iowa.”