SDPB presents a free, 60-minute preview of never-before-seen footage from THE VIETNAM WAR, the new 10-part, 18-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.The screening is Friday, August 25, at 11am at the Rosebud Sioux Veterans Affairs Building, located at 2 Legion Avenue in Rosebud, near the Rosebud Fairgrounds. The event is being held in conjunction with the Rosebud Fair, Wacipi, and Rodeo.
In addition to the screening, Francis Whitebird will provide opening remarks. A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Whitebird served 19 months as a Combat Medic during the Vietnam War and has been awarded a Combat Medical Badge as well as a Purple Heart. Whitebird’s father, Noah Whitebird, was a WWII Lakota Code Talker and Whitebird’s grandfathers fought in the Battle of Little Big Horn and the Battle of Rosebud. Whitebird’s two sons served in Iraq. A graduate of Flandreau Indian School and South Dakota State University, Whitebird holds a Masters in Education from Harvard University. Whitebird was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs by Governor George Mickelson and currently serves on the South Dakota Historical Society Board of Trustees.
The screening is free and open to the public. A meal and reception for Vietnam veterans and their families follows the screening. During the reception, SDPB producers will be on-hand to record interviews with Vietnam War & Vietnam Era Veterans, and others who have stories to share.
ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR: A FILM BY KEN BURNS & LYNN NOVICK
THE VIETNAM WAR is a ten-part, 18-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that will air on SDPB this Fall – Sunday, September 17, 2017. In an immersive 360-degree narrative, Burns and Novick tell the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. The Vietnam War features testimony from nearly 100 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both sides.
THE VIETNAM WAR: LEGACIES & LESSONS IN SOUTH DAKOTA
For more information, see SDPB.org/Vietnam. And tune in to SDPB TV, Radio, and Digital for local interviews and information about screenings and events in conjunction with THE VIETNAM WAR.