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
Upcoming: December 2025 Trip
Dave Mann
Dave comes from Illinois. His father, David R. Mann, was an engineer with the Army. He was in Vietnam just six weeks before he was killed on May 28, 1969 at Dak To in the Kontum Province. Dave never knew his father; he was killed before he was born. But Dave has made it his mission to get to know him. Dave recently told his story in this powerful and very moving Honor Flight podcast episode.
Sandy Lindsey and Suzan Newman
Sandy and Suzan are the children of Army Major Erman “Mink” Newman Jr. He arrived in Vietnam in March of 1966 and served as a Ranger Advisor near Danang. On August 12, 1966, Major Newman was training SVN rangers when his group came under attack, and he was killed. Our initial call to discuss the trip took place on Major Newman’s birthday.
Wendy Zimmerman
Wendy’s father, Charles “Chuck” Owens Jenkins, Jr. was in the Army Special Forces. He was killed early in the war on June 10, 1965 in the Battle of Dong Xoai when his camp was overrun by Viet Cong. Wendy was two months old when he died, and she has been comforted through the years knowing that he was able to see photographs of her. As a teenager, poetry became her place of sensemaking and refuge from the war’s impact on her family, and it sustains her to this day. Wendy is humbled to participate in fellowship with the Vietnamese, walk in the footsteps where our fathers walked, and offer her love and support to her sisters and brothers in loss.
Dawn Bryant Mather and Jason Mather
Dawn’s father was Army Pilot Donald Ray Bryant, who was killed in a mid air collision over land on June 27, 1966 in Tuy Hoa. His accident was caused by two different air traffic controllers giving conflicting instructions to Pilot Bryant and the pilot of the other aircraft, a truth Dawn found out long after the fact. Like many of us Dawn has wanted to go to Vietnam for a long time, and the 2 Sides Project mission really appeals to her. She also likes the idea of going with fellow sons and daughters. Dawn lives in central Ohio with her husband Jason, who will be on the 2025 trip as well.
Dona Stewart Raynor
Dona’s father was Air Force Staff Sergeant Donald David Stewart. He was killed on December 11, 1965 in the Khánh Hòa Province, south of Tuy Hòa. That date and location may look a bit familiar: Mr. Stewart was the loadmaster on the same flight as Jan Wieneke’s father, Major Robert Milvoy Horsky. Jan and Dona have met before, and were recently at September's Rosette Ceremony at the Courts of the Missing Monument in Honolulu. Dona has also been to Vietnam before. She went in 2007 with her mother, who had spend a year tracking the crash site. They sent villagers to the actual site, which took two days over mountainous terrain. Incredibly the villagers came back with boots and even a tooth. We will be honoring Jan and Dona’s father from a spot away from the crash site, which sits in treacherous terrain, but we’ll be in sight of it. Amazing these two daughters will be together for that!
Past trips:
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.”
Lynn McNally Dynice
Lynn lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts and is the daughter of USMC Captain Paul McNally, who was killed on June 6, 1965 near the Chu Lai airport off the coast, also south of Hoi An. Captain McNally was the pilot of one of two helicopters which collided midair shortly after takeoff from the USS Iwo Jima. The crash claimed the lives of eight squadron members. Lynn’s grandmother was active in the Gold Star Mothers from its start, and was involved in the building of The Living Memorial Hospital in Lien Hiep, Vietnam. It is still a functioning hospital.
Jan Wieneke and Dave Bushroe
Jan and Dave are childhood sweethearts from Arizona who are newly based in Utah. Jan’s father, Air Force Major Robert Milvoy Horsky, was killed on December 11, 1965 in the Khánh Hòa Province, south of Tuy Hòa. His plane was carrying three other Americans and 81 ARVN paratroopers when it crashed into a remote mountain. Jan’s family was initially told there would be no remains, but they got a call from the US government in 1979 saying 17 bags of bones had been recovered, a few of which were buried in a group grave in Arlington. Other remains of the ARVN paratroopers were buried in Westminster, California in 2019. Jan’s father’s is the only person from the crash whose remains could not be confirmed found.
Bradley Seltzer
Bradley is Wendy Zimmerman’s 31-year-old son, and he’ll be the first grandchild to go on a 2 Sides Project trip. He works in nonprofit development and lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Bradley is excited to discover more about the people and culture of Vietnam. And as someone who loves conversation, he is eager to hear firsthand about the impact of the war on both sides.
Kirstin Hamman
Kirstin’s dad was Air Force Captain Thomas Ralph Hamman, who was part of the 18th SOS and flew AC-119s. She was born in Okinawa on October 1, 1970, where he was stationed. Captain Hamman was walking to his plane on the Danang Air Base (now the commercial airport) to prepare for a mission on June 15, 1972 when he was struck by the first rocket of the night. Kirstin grew up mostly in Texas but currently lives in Hawaii, where she practices as a Circuit Court Judge
Kimberly Enderle
Kim is the youngest daughter of Air Force Major Clyde Wilson Enderle. Clyde left for Vietnam in August 1969 and served as UH-1P instructor pilot with the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. He was killed on March 19, 1970, when the aircraft he was flying took ground fire, then crashed 12 miles east of Ban Me Thuot. Kim was four years old when her father died. She followed in his footsteps, and served in the U.S. Army as a UH-60 helicopter pilot from 1986 to 2011. During her 25-year career Kim served eight years abroad including tours of duty in Korea, Kuwait, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Iraq. She was serving in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. After her retirement she worked as a government contractor with the State Department at the U.S. mission in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she researches and writes about women Vietnam veterans. She’s excited to learn more about the experience from the other side, and to potentially visit the Vietnamese Women's Museum established and operated by the Vietnam Women’s Union, and dedicated to Vietnamese women veterans.
2024, 2018, 2015
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.
