The Stories Vietnam Veterans Never Told with Filmmaker Sid HolmesThe Stories Vietnam Veterans Never Told with Filmmaker Sid Holmes
Untold Valor: Veterans Recovery in Action
Filmmaker Sid Holmes talks about his documentary *The Wait*, which follows Vietnam veterans’ lives from childhood through combat and beyond, and how sharing these long-suppressed stories can be cathartic. The conversation stresses the importance of speaking openly, involving younger generations, and seeking support rather than suffering alone.
23:28•25 Jun 2026
Untold Vietnam Stories: Filmmaker Sid Holmes and The Wait
Episode Overview
- Veterans’ stories can hold decades of unspoken trauma that eases slightly once someone genuinely asks and listens.
- Starting accounts with childhood shows who veterans were before war, giving context to how service reshaped their lives.
- Sharing experiences, whether on camera or in a stage reading, can feel cathartic for many veterans.
- Younger generations, especially children of veterans, benefit from hearing these stories to understand family and social history.
- Veterans are urged to seek help through the VA and other resources rather than suffering in silence.
“"There's no need to suffer in silence. Absolutely no need."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with filmmaker Sid Holmes centres on untold Vietnam veteran stories and why sharing them matters so much. Sid talks about his three-part documentary, *The Wait*, which follows 11 Vietnam veterans and CBS newsman Ed Bradley. Rather than jumping straight into combat, he starts with childhood, building a picture of who these men were long before they put on a uniform.
As Sid puts it, most documentaries "only hear about what happened" in service, but he wanted people to see "the process of how a soldier is created" and how that shapes a life. You’ll hear how a chance encounter with a deeply troubled co-worker, a Vietnam vet living with PTSD, sparked Sid’s determination to record these hidden stories.
He refinanced his home, quit his job, and set out to film what became six hours of interviews, all without a narrator so viewers can connect directly with each veteran. Some of the moments he shares are raw: a veteran calmly explaining why his unit killed a new lieutenant to avoid a suicide mission, another man having a flashback mid-interview that Sid had to gently talk him through.
Yet many found the experience "cathartic", finally being asked about their lives from childhood to the present day. Sid has since turned the film into a stage play read by veterans, opening space for conversation, pain, and relief in a shared setting. He also stresses how vital it is for veterans to talk to their children and younger generations about their experiences, and to seek support rather than "suffer in silence".
If you or someone you care about has a military background and unspoken stories, this episode might nudge you to ask one simple question: "Will you tell me about it?"
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