ITSOTB is not only winning hearts and minds but also awards! The latest recognition comes from being chosen as the best film at the Houston International Film Festival. It was the judged the best out of the hundreds of entries. Pat and Cheryl Fries continue to take this film to new levels and heights. Their dream has become a vehicle for healing so many veterans.

Scheduled showings of the film:

Saturday May 15 11:00 a.m.
Dothan, Alabama--Fort Rucker Post Theater
Sponsored by the 13th Combat Aviation Battalion
Free and open to the public.
Tentative second screening Sunday May 16th
For information, contact Larry Castagneto, ljc75@hotmail.com

Liberty County, Georgia,
Memorial Day, 2004!
There will be three Memorial Day showings of In The Shadow of The Blade in Coastal Georgia, home of ITSOTB's first backyard landing.

Friday, May 28 7:00 p.m.,
Hinesville, Georgia-- Brewton Parker College Auditorium
For information, 912-884-6401 or popz@coastalnow.net

Saturday, May 29 4:00 p.m.
Savannah, Georgia-- Norman B. Elmore Theater, Historic Savannah State University, 3219 College Street
For information, 912-484-6967 or nwm.1555@aol.com

Monday, May 31 1:00 p.m.
Fort Stewart--Woodruff Theater
For information, 912-884-6401 or popz@coastalnow.net
Sponsored by Vietnam Veterans of America Georgia Chapter 671, Vietnam Veterans of America Georgia Chapter 789 and LZ Liberty.
All showings are free and open to the public.
 

June: Atlanta, Georgia
June 16th: Dallas-- Southwest Airlines
June 25th Indianapolis--Vietnam Helicopter Crew Members Association Reunion
July 2nd Dallas--Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Reunion
 

Poet, Author and Veteran Crew Member of the ITSOTB    Bill McDonald - Does Book Signing with Maria Shriver

Bill McDonald was a featured author of his publisher at the 2004 LA Times Book Festival in April at the campus of UCLA. Over 150,000 people showed up for the event. Bill shared his book signing booth with the First Lady of California Maria Shriver who took home a signed copy of his book "A Spiritual Warrior's Journey" for herself and the Governor.

He also attended the state conference on Suicide Prevention this past week in Sacramento where he rubbed elbows with two very special women - actress Mariette Hartley and State Senator Jackie Speier. He also got to meet and talk to former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher (Under the Clinton and Bush administrations)
 

Actress Mariette Hartley with Bill McDonald
May 7, 2004

Some websites for Ms. Hartley
http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/hartley/hartley.html
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0305/28/lkl.00.html
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0366866/bio
http://www.donnica.com/celebrities/00006862.htm
http://www.starsofhollywood.com/mariette_hartley.html
http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1420k.htm

Emmy Award winning actress Mariette Hartley has established herself as one of the most celebrated actresses in the industry through her impressive career in television, film and theatre. She recently starred in the Broadway production of “Cabaret” and in 2002 she starred in the national tour of the award winning play, “Copenhagen” for which she was nominated for a Helen Hayes award and received the League of American Theatres and Producers National Touring Broadway Award.

Hartley has appeared in dozens of television shows from, “M*A*S*H”, and “The Incredible Hulk”, to, “Law and Order: SVU.” A three-time Clio Award winner for her Polaroid commercials with James Garner, she also hosted the CBS Morning Program and is currently hosting her ninth season of the acclaimed “Healthy Solutions” television series.

Hartley started her career as a protégé of Eva LaGalienne and a member of John Houseman’s American Shakespeare Festival.
 

She is the national spokesperson for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which honored her with their Humanitarian Award for her outstanding work in the field of suicide prevention and research. Her outspoken advocacy for mental health programs has also lead her to be the national spokesperson for bipolar disorder.

For her involvement with organizations combining mental illness and her commitment to creating public awareness and understanding about this illness, she was honored by the Southern California Counseling Center, and received the PSYCHE Award from the L.A. County Psychological Association. She was also the first recipient of the California Family Studies Center “Life Achievement Award” for her strength and ability to overcome family difficulties and received an honorary doctorate from Ryder College. Additionally, she received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith. She was the recipient of
the 1997 Silver Ribbon Award from the University of California at Irvine’s Brain Imaging Center Committee and is on the Board of Directors of the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center.

Mariette Hartley is also involved with the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, SOJOURN, M.A.D.D., and she hosted an educational video entitled, “How To Stop The One You Love From Drinking And Using Drugs,” which is part of Paramount Home Video’s ongoing, “Strong Families, Safe Families”, series. She was also named Outstanding Mother of the Year by the National Mother’s Day committee, in Washington D.C.

Her autobiography, “Breaking The Silence”, published by Putnam was a best seller in hard cover and paperback. Through her many charitable activities, she has become one of the top motivational speakers in the country. Hartley’s accomplishments were recognized with the installation of her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


                                                    

Link to Senator Jackie Speier's personal website
http://democrats.sen.ca.gov/senator/speier/
email address: senator.speier@sen.ca.gov


  

Links to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher PHd
http://www.99jams.com/medicine/david-satcher.htm
http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2002/021109e.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/satcher.htm

"A Salute to Veterans" 
Hosted by The Vietnam Experience

All veterans in the area of Elk Grove, California are invited to hang around the old town coffee house "BT's Place" (9090 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove) on Saturday May 22nd from noon to 4 p.m.

Poetry reading by Bill McDonald at 2 p.m.
"Open mic" poetry readings by other veterans & other poets
Representatives  from veteran organizations will be there to hand out information on PTSD and benefits.
Free blood pressure screening
Book signing

Come hang around the old coffee house and spend the afternoon with your bother veterans.

All are welcomed to come |
Non-veteran are most welcomed!