In Vietnam, over 10,000 American lives were saved by the actions of over 4,000 military working dogs and their handlers. This is the story of US Army SSgt Robert Hartsock, the only handler to have ever received the Medal of Honor.
SSgt Robert Hartsock had the most dangerous job in Vietnam-walking point in the jungles of Southeast Asia as a scout dog handler. Working side-by-side with his German shepherd Duke, both with a bounty on their head from the enemy, Bob Hartsock becomes the only handler in the history of the United States to have ever received the Medal of Honor. Problem is, no one knows about it...until now.—Jim Huggins
August 1967 was a time of war...a war being fought at home and abroad. It was a war that reached deep into the heart of America and chose a young man to serve at a time when honor and virtue were ridiculed by many. His plans for the future forever altered, Bobby answered the call. He left behind everything he knew and loved. Except his character.
Along the way, he learned first-hand the true meaning of loyalty, service, and sacrifice from an unlikely teacher. A military working dog named Duke. A German shepherd Bobby learned would stand by his side no matter what. One of over 4,000 dogs sent to Vietnam, Duke teaches Bobby what it means to trust another with their life-as well as to give it for another and without hesitation.
On February 23, 1969, during one of the most intense battles of the Vietnam War, Bobby is faced with the ultimate test of character standing by his platoon commander as they face a certain defeat by a massive and overwhelming force. It is a defeat that will cost the lives of every man, and dog, on the base. Inspired by true events, FORGOTTEN HEROES is a compelling and compassionate story of honor against all odds...and the legacy left behind by the enduring bonds of loyalty forged in the fires of war.
Professor Emeritus Richard Walter (UCLA TFT) teaches that it's not important for an audience to feel good at the end of a story. Rather, it's only important that they feel. That premise, perhaps more than anything, is the guiding principle and distinction for telling The Robert Hartsock Story. This story is a documentary and therefore a story of facts, but will be told such that the facts evoke emotions. We would also like to note that while the events take place during the Vietnam War, this is not a war story. This is a story about courage, commitment, and character so it's critical the audience feel the tension and, to some degree, the fear and loss that our characters experience.
The foundational elements to the story will be the first-hand accounts and interviews from the men who lived these events and knew Bob Hartsock best. As you listen to their testimony, you begin to get a real sense of who he was and it's at this point we incorporate interviews with family and friends from his home in Cumberland, MD. As the story progresses, we introduce the dogs into the storyline and ultimately show the bond between the dogs and their handlers as well as the bond between Bob Hartsock and his comrades.
We conclude with the events at The Battle of Dau Tieng. This is one of the least known yet most crucial battles of the Vietnam War. And it is the significance of this battle that defines Bob Hartsock whose actions define the outcome of this all-important conflict. Now that the fog of war has lifted from that era, we can see now how this battle also defined the remainder of the war.
Finally, though we know the Medal was presently posthumously, the story is set such that the viewer remains hopeful for a different outcome of our hero because we have put the viewer by his side.
In addition to many first-hand interviews, we've incorporated Vietnam-era footage as well as current regional (Allegheny mountain area) footage as well as rare archive photos in an attempt to transport the viewer visually from here and now to back then. We have not "staged" or "re-enacted" any elements of this story. The entire production design has been intended to make The Robert Hartsock Story a documentary without the documentary feel.
