Film · 2021 · Documentary

My Father’s Brothers

Jack Kelley volunteered for Vietnam. As an army captain, he routinely led his company of 140 men on patrols in the jungles near Biên Hòa. Ill-conceived orders came down from higher command: On June 29, 1966, Capt. Kelley was to spread his platoons 1,000 meters apart in order to cover more area while looking for Vietcong forces. During the patrol, the 3rd platoon stumbled upon an embedded Vietcong main force battalion. Outnumbered by nearly 10 to 1, the platoon was blindsided by a fierce attack. The triple-canopy jungle was dense and the terrain muddy, making rescue all but impossible. The film is a journey to understand what the filmmaker's father and seven survivors went through in 1966, and what they continue to go through today. Some volunteered for the army as teenagers. Others were drafted. Some went back to Vietnam years later with the hope of finding closure and peace.