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Never Forget: A Veteran's Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness

Andy Adkins

In 2001, Vietnam War veteran Tom Reilly lives with a haunted past he has struggled to forget. His father, Ed, has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Though they have not spoken for years, Tom visits Ed at a retirement community for the first time in 25 years—the fighting continues, but the healing begins. Tom has tried to live a simple life. After the tragic death of his wife years earlier, he is left to raise his son alone. Chris has never met his grandfather. Yet, when the three of them meet, Chris and Ed form a unique bond, helping Tom better understand his own father. Chris interviews Ed for a high school history project and, while listening to his father answer questions about WWII, Tom internalizes his own answers about Vietnam. They dare to compare their wars and hear each other’s combat stories for the first time. Ed knows there isn’t much time left to repair what was broken between them. With the help of a resident psychologist and an aide in the memory unit—both with deep, personal connections to Vietnam—Ed encourages Tom to begin the difficult journey of healing and forgiveness. The question is, can they resolve their differences before it’s too late—for both of them?
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