First, we lost our fathers. Then we lost even more.
Some of us lost connections with extended family.
Others lost memories of what our fathers looked and sounded like.
We lived for decades in the shadow of the Vietnam War.
The American Side: Portraits
Mike Walling
Mike is a lifetime resident of the state of Arizona. His brother is Jeff Walling (below) and his wife is Dina Walling (right). Mike’s father was Lieutenant Colonel Charles Walling. He was a pilot in the Air Force who was shot down on August 8, 1966, 35 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. Lt. Col. Walling was listed as missing in action until 2011, when his remains were positively identified and he was returned to the United States to be laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery. Mike’s hope for the Vietnam trip was to embrace and enjoy it. “I'm thrilled to go and see the sites and have closure, and to interact with the sons and daughters.”
Debbie Eller
Debbie is the daughter of Air Force Captain Johnny Howard Godfrey. Doug Godfrey is her brother. Captain Godfrey was killed on January 11, 1966, and he remains missing in action. Debbie was 10 years old when her father was shot down, and she went to Vietnam with distinct memories of him. She also traveled with a memento of their relationship: a wish bone from the last Thanksgiving turkey the family shared, just days before Johnny left for Vietnam. He’d promised his little girl that they’d break it when he came back. Debbie preserved that bone over the years, taking it with her on every move around the world. She and Doug finally broke it together at Johnny’s crash site, and cast its pieces into the water.
Barbara Brumet
Barbara’s father, Air Force Captain Robert N. Brumet, was killed on April 9, 1964. The 2018 trip is a return visit to Vietnam for Barbara, and this time she'll be with her sister, Bonnie (right). “My father was considered a military advisor because he was there before the U.S. was officially involved. His casualty happened before the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, and he had a Vietnamese observer with him who also died, as did the family in the home that the bombs hit. I visited my Dad's crash site in 2008 and learned firsthand the extent of the loss. It was very difficult for both sides. I am excited to be with the other trip members and to again visit this beautiful country and its wonderful people.”
Jill Hubbs
Jill is the daughter of Cdr. Donald Richard Hubbs, a Navy pilot. It has been 50 years since his aircraft launched from the USS Yorktown in the Gulf of Tonkin and disappeared off the North Vietnam coast. Jill produced the documentary film They Were Our Fathers, which aired nationally on PBS and showcases the stories of others who lost fathers in the war. Jill was also one of the first to travel to Vietnam, back in 1993. “I was worried how I would be received. Perhaps our Vietnamese hosts were anxious as well. Our countries had fought, but we felt no animosity. What we shared was the tremendous cost of war that impacted generations. I want to return to Vietnam with others – but I really need to, to continue my journey. I want to show respect for my father by laying flowers in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, but the most important thing I can do to honor him is to be a bridge to friendship, peace
and understanding between the people of our two countries.”
Susan Mitchell-Mattera
Susan is a Senior Advisor to the 2 Sides Project. Her father, James C. Mitchell Jr., was in the Navy and was killed near Cao Lanh City on January 8, 1970. "My Dad's helicopter was shot down two days after his birthday, and two days before he was scheduled to come home forever. I went on the inaugural 2 Sides Project trip, and want to return to Vietnam to bring
hope and healing to others who travel the same journey. On both sides, we have yet to fully understand this war, but I believe we will be able to work together to show the world forgiveness
comes from meeting the other side with an open mind and heart. I want to be an Ambassador of Hope for future generations to heal from wars. Let peace begin with me and within me.”
Dina Walling
Dina is also a lifetime resident of the state of Arizona and the wife of Mike Walling. She was the first spouse on a 2 Sides Project trip, and she gave everyone the support and encouragement of a close family member. She was “beyond excited” to go to Vietnam. “It's full circle from when I first came into the Walling family. I remember one of the first conversations that we had on the phone when Mike and I were teenagers and started dating. He told me the whole story about his Dad. I was flabbergasted. I'd never had met anyone who lost a parent during the war. It always shook me, and obviously still does.”
Doug Godfrey
Doug was born in Germany and has been a long term resident of the state of Arizona. His sister is Debbie Eller and his father is Air Force Captain Johnny Howard Godfrey. On January 11, 1966, Captain Godfrey crashed on a close air support mission over Soc Trang Province, South Vietnam. He remains unaccounted for. Doug met Jeff Walling at a Sons and Daughters event in Washington D.C., and when the possibility of a trip to Vietnam arose, he asked the Walling brothers and his sister to go. That kickstarted the whole 2024 trip. “I know this trip will enhance my life. The coolest part is doing it with this group.”
Jeff and Lisa Walling
Jeff was Mike Walling’s brother, and Lisa Jeff’s wife. Jeff’s father was Lieutenant Colonel Charles Walling, an Air Force pilot who was shot down on August 8, 1966. Walling remained missing in action until his remains were positively identified in 2011, and he was returned to the United States to be laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery. Ultimately Jeff and Lisa could not go on the trip, but they watched from afar and FaceTimed with Mike as he visited their father’s
crash site. Jeff passed away on July 2, 2024. He is remembered as a gentle and caring man who lived for and loved his family.
