Veteran Responses
"I am a Marine Corps veteran who was in the Nam early in the war (2085339). I am now 74. Memories from those 13 months are still the most difficult to accept and integrate in my soul. I am still angry that I was betrayed by our government and that all the lives lost appear to have been wasted. No event since has had a greater impact on my life than my service there. I do not discuss the war with my wife or children. I went to see the dance because a student in the company invited me. I am not sure I would have gone had I known it was about a company of soldiers in a battle. I was riveted, I marveled over the beauty of the dancers and the astonishing choreography. Some of what I have held inside came flowing out; there was the pain of loss over the men I knew who died in other battles, the sobbing which I did not know I was capable of, the relief, the gratitude that a choreographer could tell the story of my suffering that I have never voiced for myself. Our current veterans who have had multiple tours would benefit from seeing this remarkable dance. The piece is an Iliad for our times."
- Bernard T Ehrhardt, Brooklyn, NY
"I experienced excerpts of the production of Robin Becker's 'Into Sunlight' at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and was awestruck by its power. As a retired Navy Psychiatrist, still actively working with Service Members & their families, I have never witnessed a single modality capture the conflicts & emotions of war trauma like this production. Into Sunlight highlights the issues of trauma, grief, and loss. I believe that it breaks through the density of these frozen emotions and gently moves the residue out of the body and soul in rippling waves. One is lifted to a higher peace. Into Sunlight needs to be available to every Service Member & Military family for their healing journey."
-Linda J. Fuller, D.O. Captain, Medical Corps, U. S. Navy, Retired
"Good Morning, I am a Vietnam veteran and am writing to share with you my experience at a recent screening of a very moving and important film INTO SUNLIGHT. It tells the story of the horrors of the war in Vietnam in 1967 and the state of unrest in the United States at that same time. The film combines news footage of the period, interviews with people involved, and dance performed by an extremely talented group of dancers. The representation of the events of this era through dance evoked strong emotions, touching me in a way that I had not felt before. These feelings, which came from deep within me, caught me off guard. Instead of holding back my emotions I let them out; I cried and it felt good. In a room full of strangers I felt comfortable enough to share my emotions about my Vietnam experience, which took place at the exact same time as INTO SUNLIGHT. The Vietnam war divided our nation and we still have not healed the wounds of both those who served and those who did not, as well as the country itself. This powerful film addresses this in an inclusive and sensitive way. I thank the dancers and the filmmaker. INTO SUNLIGHT is truly a must-see, particularly for all veterans."
- Tom Mooney