Jim Kirlin, a Vietnam veteran and alumnus of Father Judge High School in Philadelphia, is making a documentary on the school’s 27 graduates killed in the Vietnam War, writes Tommy Rowan for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Judge lost more graduates in Vietnam than any other Catholic or private school in America. The 27 young men killed in action left a hole in the hearts of both their alma mater and their Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood.
And while they have been honored with a large granite monument bearing their names at the school’s entrance, Kirlin wants more.
“What’s really compelling about this is families are saying this is helping them heal,” said Kirlin.
The film’s producers from Irish American Films of Philadelphia have set up a crowdsourcing campaign to raise $30,000 for the film.
According to Shawn Swords, director of operations at Irish American Films, the documentary will focus on the soldiers, and touch on student life at the school during and after the war.
“The Vietnam War, for a lot of us, was shoved in the background,” said Kirlin. “We want to pull it back up.”
Read more about the documentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.
