Vietnam War History: An Elegant and Elegiac Perspective

when⁢ Vietnam veteran Ed Emanuel wrote the memoir “Soul Patrol” (2003), the act felt like sending a message in a bottle. Despite a decades-long career in film, Emanuel carried ⁤troubled ⁣memories of serving on one of the frist ⁣all-Black special operations Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol teams from 1968-1969. Though deeply bonded in combat, the men had lost contact. He hoped ⁤the book woudl reach them,and perhaps,they would find their way back to him. It did. They did. and reunions began.

In director⁣ J.M. Harper‘s documentary “Soul Patrol,” premiering at the ‍ Sundance‍ Film Festival,the veterans gather for ⁤their final reunion in 2024. The ⁢film features Emanuel,⁣ along with fellow “LURP” team members Thad Givens, John Willis, Lawton Mackey Jr., Norman Reid and Emerson Branch Jr., among others. “Soul Patrol” adds a little-known chapter to the understanding of both the Vietnam War and Black history.

The documentary opens with the sounds⁢ of insects and distant helicopters, layered with ⁣a choral hymn. An intertitle displays⁤ a quote ⁤from Frederick Nietzsche: “He ‍who has a why to live for ⁤can bear almost any how.” Scenes show soldiers moving cautiously in shadows, accompanied by narration setting the stage for a harrowing encounter.In Cu Chi, within the ⁤Tay Ninh province, Emanuel experienced an out-of-body experience that has ⁣stayed with him.

“Soul Patrol” then cuts⁤ to a present-day ⁤grocery ⁤store, where Emanuel⁢ and his partner, Anita Sue Wallace, shop. Soldiers in combat gear also wander the aisles-a creative device representing the figures from Emanuel’s past who continue ⁢to haunt him,including a younger version of himself (played by⁣ Myles Simms-aur),helmeted and carrying ⁤an M-16 rifle.