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Wandering Souls

Series: Shared Weight
From: Center for Emerging Media
Length: 00:58:55

Story of a Vietnam Veteran's return of personal effects taken from the body of the N. Vietnamese soldier he killed. Read the full description.
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Piece Description

The Vietnamese believe that if the dead cannot be buried in the land of their home village among their ancestors, they will wander the earth forever. In Vietnam, there are 300,000 war dead who are missing in action and considered wandering souls. "Wandering Souls", produced by the Center for Emerging Media, and narrated by Marc Steiner of WYPR in Baltimore, is the story of Vietnam Veteran, Homer Steedly, who killed a North Vietnamese medic, Hoang Ngoc Dam, in 1969, removed the documents he was carrying, and sent them home to his mother. Thirty-five years later, after being rediscovered in his mother's attic, Homer felt compelled to return the documents to the family of the soldier he had killed. This is the story of how Homer returned the documents to the Vietnamese family, and brought Dam's "wandering soul" to rest on the family altar.

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Review of Wandering Souls

This is an incredibly well-told story full of imagery and emotion.

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Review of Wandering Souls

I was moved to tears by this documentary--the elements of violence, sorrow, love, repentance, and forgiveness in a true account were compelling. The Vietnamese music enriched the story. I found it spiritually nourishing and inspiring.

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Review of Wandering Souls

Firstly, this is a fantastic story. Manna from heaven for any radio producer. It could so easily have been called 'Homer's Odyssey' - a Vietnam veteran called Homer kills a Vietnamese soldier and thirty-six years later sends back to the soldier's family the letters and documents taken from his body. There is some truely wonderful and moving material in this programme. Weaving between accounts from the Vietnamese family and from Homer and his acquaintances. Both sides to the story are told. For once a face to the enemy. Yes, flesh and blood like anyone else.
I do thoroughly recommend this programme and so why haven't I given it five stars? Because it could have been an exceptional piece of radio.
It falls short because, despite the great use of music (although sometimes too long) and the high production values, it's just not tight enough. For my ear, the narrative was too intrusive and broke the power. It invaded a highly charged space. I would love to hear this programme edited down to half an hour. Then I'd willingly give it five stars plus.

Broadcast History

WYPR/The Marc Steiner Show/May 30, and July 5, 2006
KQED September 17,2006

Transcript

Shared Weight: 30 Years after the Fall of Saigon:

WANDERING SOULS
Produced by the Center for Emerging Media

BILLBOARD

TWO YOUNG SOLDIERS MEET ON A JUNGLE TRAIL, ONE LIVES, ONE DIES. THEIR FATES ARE CONNECTED FOR 40 YEARS.
[sound montage]
I?M MARC STEINER....JOIN US FOR ?WANDERING SOULS?, PRODUCED BY THE CENTER FOR EMERGING MEDIA. FIRST, THIS NEWS . . .


Segment A ?


HELLO, I ?M MARC STEINER AND WELCOME TO THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF STORIES ABOUT A WAR THAT SEEMS AT ONCE VERY DISTANT BUT ALWAYS WITH US ?. THE WAR BETWEEN AMERICA AND VIETNAM ? WE?VE CALLED THE FIRST OF THESE STORIES, WANDERING SOULS BECAUSE THE VIETNAMESE BELIEVE THAT THERE?S A SPIRITUAL BOND BETWEEN THE LIVING AND THE DEAD AND THAT UNLESS A SOUL CAN COME HOME TO ITS BIRTHPLACE .. IT WILL WANDER FOREVER.

EIGHT OF US DECIDED TO GO TO VIETNAM?3 OF US WERE V...
Read the full transcript

Timing and Cues

00:00 - 00:59 BILLBOARD
01:00 - 06:00 NEWS HOLE
06:00 - 06:29 MUSIC
06:30 - 20:59 SEGMENT A
21:00 - 21:59 CUTAWAY
22:00 - 41:29 SEGMENT B
41:30 - 42:29 CUTAWAY
42:30 ? 58:59 SEGMENT C [INCLUDES CREDITS]

Additional Files

Related Website

http://www.centerforemergingmedia.com