This interactive experience was based on the story of Lou Frank. Lou joined the military in 1967 and was sent to Vietnam as an Air Force Cargo Specialist. He was stationed at Da Nang for 18 months. He felt his job of unloading food, medicine, and ammunition was vital for the war effort and extended his tour. Lou and his comrades were occasionally under fire while unpacking supplies, important for frontline troops. In his spare time, he recorded letters home and played basketball with the local Vietnamese children. While he might have goofed around with his friends in the mud, Lou wasn’t an excessive drinker or experimental drug user during his time in the service.
In December 1968, Lou surprised his family when he appeared without warning at their doorstep for Christmas. Later, he spent seven days in Australia for his second R&R. On occasion, he and his friends would travel to China Beach, just east of Da Nang, to relax on its sandy shores. Lou carried out the difficult task of loading caskets into cargo planes bound for the U.S. To this day, he still remembers that young, blonde kid he viewed in a body bag. Lou didn’t attend college when he returned home. Instead, he searched for the right career. He married his high school sweetheart, Lorraine, bought a house, and raised a family. Now, he teaches others about his war experiences by reenacting. The person he portrays? Himself.
