Private Project

The First Casualty of Lake County

This is a documentary film short of Henry C. May Jr., who in 1965 was reported as the first casualty of Lake County Illinois in the Vietnam war. It features his account of what happened on the battlefield and in the years after. Now 70 years old, he'd like to get his Marine dress blue uniform that did not make it back with him from Vietnam.

  • Frank Harris III
    Director
    Journey to the Bottom of the n-Word
  • Frank Harris III
    Writer
    Journey to the Bottom of the n-Word
  • Frank Harris III
    Producer
    Journey to the Bottom of the n-Word
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 8, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Frank Harris III

Frank Harris III is a journalism professor at Southern Connecticut State University and a columnist for the Hartford Courant. He is from Waukegan, Illinois and holds degrees from Southern Illinois University and The University of Texas.

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Director Statement

I was just a young boy when I saw Henry May's picture on the front page of the local newspaper in August 1965. The 19-year-old Marine was reportedly the first Vietnam casualty in the county. This short film describes what happened on the battlefield, his return home and his life today.