New WY PBS doc follows veteran’s return to Vietnam

After nearly six decades, Vietnam veteran Lt. Lee Alley returned to Vietnam with a different perspective—one shaped not by war, but by reflection, reconciliation, and the passage of time.

Lt. Alley made the journey last year as part of filming for the upcoming Wyoming PBS documentary “Home from the Vietnam War.” The film will receive a community first look screening on Saturday, March 28 as part of a special event honoring Vietnam veterans at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois.

“One of the reasons I agreed to go on the trip is that I wanted to see Vietnam and meet the Vietnamese people with a different set of eyes,” says Lt. Alley. “Being there as a young soldier, I witnessed very little aside from death or destruction. It’s a beautiful country, and I have great respect for it. My eyes are not tainted by war.”

Veterans, families, and community members are invited to attend the day-long program, hosted in partnership with the National Museum of Military Vehicles, Wyoming PBS, the Wyoming Veterans Commission, and the Wyoming Department of Education.

The event recognizes National Vietnam Veterans Day (March 29) and Wyoming’s Veterans Welcome Home Day (March 30). 

Lt. Alley, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and Purple Heart for his leadership during the 1967 Battle of Firebase Cudgel, is featured in the documentary alongside Vietnamese refugee John Nguyen. The film follows Lt. Alley as he revisits Vietnam decades after the war, reflecting on combat, returning home, and the possibility of reconciliation.

The event begins at 10 a.m. with a tour of the Vietnam War Gallery, led by museum Founder and Chairman, Dan Starks, followed by a special Blackhawk landing with Gov. Mark Gordon, a Welcome Home Ceremony, and a drum circle. Attendees will also view “Victory on the Battlefield and in Peace,” a short educational video developed in collaboration with the museum and the Wyoming Department of Education, offering a concise historical overview of Vietnam from French colonization through the Vietnam War and its lasting impact.

The day concludes with the community first look screening of “Home from the Vietnam War,” followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Wyoming PBS CEO, Joanna Kail, with Lt. Alley, wife Ellen Alley, and award-winning filmmaker Mat Hames of Alpheus Media. 

For a complete schedule, visit: https://www.wyomingpbs.org/vietnam/