Reporter's Notebook

Heroes all over the place

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The war stories panel wasn’t the only place to find heroes at the GIFF. I was lucky enough to cross paths with a delegation from  Paralyzed Veterans of America, who had sponsored the screening of “The Men.” The movie was Marlon Brando’s screen debut, and while the flick didn’t last long at the office, it tells the story of the birth of the PVA, an organization that has raised $3 billion since its founding in 1946.

The group’s purpose is to assist and advocate for wheelchair-bound and otherwise paralyzed veterans. By speaking up on the Hill (and, when necessary, in the courts), the group has ensured handicap accessability at Metro stations throughout Washington, D.C.; at U. Michigan’s Big House; and at the new Washington Nationals (baseball) Park.

“When you’re first injured, you think your life’s over,” said Homer Townsend, a Marine Corps vet and executive director of the PVA. The group’s first mission, he said, is to knock off that myth for each individual.

One way the PVA gets vets feeling active and self-assured again is through sports. In its first years, the PVA organized the first-ever wheelchair basketball games, and this year held the 26th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

The group wanted to show “The Men” because they’re believers in the power of film to bring people into the lives and struggles of others. The GIFF was a major boon for them.

“It’s wonderful to see movies that celebrate patriotism and celebrate the american soldier, and the veterans,” said Nancy Hogan, associate executive director of veterans benefits. “I think it’s a great concept. We’re really happy to have been a part of it this year.”

Townsend also appreciates “The Men” as the first in a series of movies showing the generational shift in attitudes toward paraplegics. While Brando has a tough time getting respect in the film, in today’s movies, “you see a guy come home who has a leg missing, and he stays in the military,” Townsend said. “When I first got hurt I was crippled, you know? Then I was disabled, and now I’m inconvenienced.”

PVA Director of Communications Mark Daley thinks “The Men” is ripe for a remake, with so many veterans returning injured from the Middle East. Ashton Kutcher would make a good Brando, he said. Hear that, Hollywood?

From left: Maurice Jordan (Army vet, PVA deputy executive director); Nancy Hogan (Army vet, PVA associate executive director); Homer Townsend (Marine Corps vet, PVA executive director); Mark Daley (PVA communications director)