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TO CONGRATULATE PRODUCER AND ACTOR JULIAN ADAMS OF COLUMBIA ON THE NATIONWIDE RELEASE OF THE LAST FULL MEASURE, A MOVIE THAT CHRONICLES THE BRAVERY OF WILLIAM PITSENBARGER, A U.S. AIR FORCE PARARESCUEMAN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, AND THE EFFORTS OF FAMILY AND FELLOW SERVICE MEMBERS FOR POSTHUMOUS AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR.
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are pleased to learn of the recent nationwide release of The Last Full Measure, a war drama film produced by Julian Adams of Columbia, among others. Written and directed by Todd Robinson, the movie stars Sebastian Stan, Christopher Plummer, Diane Ladd, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irvine, Bradley Whitford, and the late Peter Fonda; and
Whereas, the movie is inspired by the true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger, a U.S. Air Force Pararescueman, also known as a PJ, who personally saved over 60 men. On April 11, 1966, during a rescue mission that was part of Operation Abilene, he was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone heavily under fire near Xa Cam My, but he stayed behind to care for the wounded and dying Charlie Company soldiers, before making the ultimate sacrifice in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. He flew on almost 300 rescue missions during the Vietnam War to aid downed soldiers and pilots; and
Whereas, born in Piqua, Ohio, in 1944, William Pitsenbarger joined the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school in 1962. During his basic training in 1963, he volunteered for pararescue. On what would be his final mission in 1966, after attending to wounded soldiers, waving off the rescue helicopter, hacking splints out of vines, and building improvised stretchers out of saplings, he joined the others in the firefight to try to hold off the Viet Cong. In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, he gave the "last full measure of devotion," as he was killed by snipers during the ambush. When his body was recovered the next day, one hand still held a rifle and the other clutched a medical kit; and
Whereas, the film also paints a poignant picture of the efforts undertaken by his parents, his fellow airmen, and the soldiers who fought in the bloody battle, as well as their wives, to petition for the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor for Pitsenbarger, a process that took more than thirty years. A fictional Pentagon staffer tasked with investigating the request interviews veterans who witnessed Pitsenbarger's extraordinary valor, played by members of the star-studded cast, and in the process, uncovers the reasons behind the decades-long denial of the medal; and
Whereas, producer Julian Adams, who was born, raised, and currently lives in Columbia, was relentless in his efforts to bring the project to the big screen, which took more than a decade. Also an actor in his own right, he plays a mud soldier in the movie; and
Whereas, the film takes viewers on an emotional journey from the halls of the United States Pentagon, to the jungles of Vietnam, to our nation's neighborhoods where brave veterans and their families live daily with their loss and grief. It's a story of survival, honor, heroism, acceptance, and the lasting impact of combat; and
Whereas, in South Carolina, there were special screenings of The Last Full Measure in August of 2019 at Fort Jackson for service members and veterans. Similar screenings took place at military bases across the nation, leading up to the film's nationwide release on January 24, 2020; and
Whereas, April 30, 2020, marks the forty-fifth anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, congratulate producer and actor Julian Adams of Columbia on the nationwide release of The Last Full Measure, a movie that chronicles the bravery of William Pitsenbarger, a U.S. Air Force pararescueman during the Vietnam War, and the efforts of family and fellow service members for posthumous award of the Medal of Honor.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Julian Adams.
This web page was last updated on January 29, 2020 at 12:51 PM