It Really was the Trip of a Lifetime!

It Really was the Trip of a Lifetime!

Topic Author: Jeff Thelen

Posted: 8:59 AM Jun 1, 2010

Replies Posted: 3 comments

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Hi all!

Sorry for the delay in getting you a new blog. I've been knee deep in getting my "Trip of a Lifetime" 1/2 hour special done.

And it's still fresh on my mind, so it's what we're going to talk about today.

After more than 20-years in the business (between radio and TV) the series has become one of my favorite stories of all time. The soldier meeting his son for the first time and my story playing a small part in bringing Rhonda Mertes' killer to justice are the others.

From the Never Forgotten Honor Flight people and my boss who let me do the story... to the editors who worked magic with the video I shot... to the production people who got the stories smoothly on the air, thanks to everyone who helped put it together!

The day we went to D.C. I worked from 3am to midnight. (not a complaint, just a fact) I could go to work later the next morning to start working on the series, but was awake by 5am. Part of that is the shift I work. But mostly it was because that series of stories was already writing itself my head and I couldn't wait to get to the station to put it down on paper. (or on computer as we do these days)

I was exhausted for about a week afterward and can't imagine how the vets must have felt, since most of them are in their 80's. But, they probably handled it better than me, since that generation is a lot tougher. Mr. Brokaw was right when he called them "The Greatest Generation." They really are! Can you imagine what the world would have been like if the right side hadn't won WWII?

So, hope you enjoyed watching the "Trip of a Lifetime" series and 1/2 hour special as much as I enjoyed doing it. For me, it really was the trip of a lifetime.

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by Ann Location: Wausau on Jun 2, 2010 at 11:18 AM

Jeff, Your work on this project is so important. Sadly, I have missed seeing your finished product. Would the station consider producing DVDs and selling them? Perhaps they could donate a portion of the proceeds to the Honor Flight project. I wonder how many of the veterans and their families would appreciate having such a DVD as a permanent memento of both the trip and their service to their country.

Hi Ann, the whole 1/2 hour special and all the other stories we've done are now on line. Just click on the "Trip of a Lifetime" tile on the front page of our webchannel. As for the vets getting copies of the series, many already have. J

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by paula Location: Stevens Point on Jun 1, 2010 at 05:12 PM

Thank you for the fantastic special Trip of a Lifetime. It was great to see and hear the veterans reflect on the time spent fighting for our county and their return home to their families. I had tears in my eyes listening to the stories of survival and loss the soldiers were willing to share, for those are the real stories that need to be told. Thanks again for helping our veterans experience something so special and well deserved.

Thanks for the kind words! J

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by Sharon Location: Hazelhurst on Jun 1, 2010 at 10:17 AM

The special last night was absolutely great. There are a lot of great veterans out there from the other wars/skirmishes also. Think about doing a special on the Bay of Pigs survivors. The real story needs to get out, not just what's written in the history books.

Thanks for the kind words and suggestion! J

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