Community Corner

Free Screening Of 'Last Full Measure' For Veterans

The movie's not out until next year but veterans can see the film, a labor of love for a Westhampton man, for free. Here's how to get tix.

Lisa Finn,Patch Staff

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — Veterans will be able to see a new movie, "The Last Full Measure," for free at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center soon.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m., The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center will screen the film for an audience of veterans, free of charge, ahead of its wide release.

Written and directed by Todd Robinson, the film recounts the true story of William Pitsenbarger, a U.S. Air Force pararescueman who continually faced danger throughout more than 250 combat missions in Vietnam, a release said.

During a rescue mission on April 11, 1966, he was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone, heavily under fire, but he stayed behind to save and defend the lives of his fellow soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division and was killed, the release said.

Then, 32 years later, Pitsenbarger’s father sought the help of a Pentagon investigator and other surviving veterans of Operation Abilene to procure the Medal of Honor to honor Pitsenbarger posthumously.

The film stars Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Alison Sudol, Diane Ladd, Amy Madigan, John Savage, and Bradley Whitford, the release said.

"For writer/director Robinson, whose family has been deeply rooted in Westhampton since the 1600s, making this film has been a labor of love for twenty years," the release from the WBPAC said.

Originally hired to adapt a book by Jack Brehm for the big screen, Robinson traveled to many air bases to conduct the research, including the 106th at Gabreski Airport, the release said.

"As he spoke with the airmen on these bases, it became clear that Pitsenbarger was their patron saint. A chance encounter with Pitsenbarger’s father, who was a speaker at a Kirtland Air Force Base’s graduation, proved to be transformative for Robinson," the release went on.

“He was speaking about the loss of never seeing his son fall in love or have a child of his own —that William would never know firsthand the love he had for his son. Then it became personal for me, and I saw the movie in my mind," Robinson said.

Robinson also said knew he didn’t want to make a movie about battles, but rather, a meditation on how our veterans are not the only ones carrying the burden of war.

Tickets can be reserved by emailing Allison at allisonf@whbpac.org or calling the box office at 631-288-1500.