‘The Last Full Measure’ tells true story of heroic Vietnam soldier, 30-year battle for Medal of Honor
“The Last Full Measure” will hit theaters at the top of 2020 and tells the true story of William "Pits" Pitsenbarger, a U.S. Air Force pararescuemen who saved over 60 men in more than 250 combat missions during the Vietnam War and why it took 30 years for him to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Written and directed by Todd Robinson, the film centers around the Battle of Xa Cam My and Operation Abilene in which Pitsenbarger was killed, the government secrets that followed, and the 30-year battle to ensure "Pits" received the recognition he deserved.
The movie features a cast of notables, led by Sebastian Stan (“Avengers: Endgame”), and Jeremy Irvine (“War Horse”). As well as Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Christopher Plummer, Diane Ladd, and taking his final bow, Peter Fonda.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The trailer shows the soldiers recounting how they prayed for a miracle while lying in the fields of Vietnam and their prayers were answered by Pitsenbarger. Pitsenbarger was never awarded the Medal of Honor despite the countless of lives he saved and how, three decades later, one Pentagon staffer fights to make sure his memory is honored.
“We give you praise that this young man will show us that the sacrifices of the fallen will never be forgotten,” said Plummer, who portrays Frank Pitsenbarger, father of the fallen soldier, is heard praying in the clip.
The Rated R film is set in two time periods, first, during a rescue mission in 1966, where viewers will see William H. Pitsenbarger is offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of the combat zone but instead he opted to stay behind to save and defend the lives of his fellow soldiers of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division. And while he saved over 66 men, he was killed during the bloodiest battle of the war.
“The Last Full Measure” then moves ahead Thirty-two years where respected Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman (Stan) who is “on a career fast-track is tasked with investigating a Congressional Medal of Honor request for Pitsenbarger made by his best friend and PJ partner on the mission ( Hurt) and his parents (Plummer & Diane Ladd). Huffman seeks out the testimony of Army veterans who witnessed Pitsenbarger’s extraordinary valor, including Takoda (Jackson), Burr (Fonda) and Mott (Harris). But as Huffman learns more about Pitsenbarger’s courageous acts, he uncovers a high-level conspiracy behind the decades-long denial of the medal, prompting him to put his own career on the line to seek justice for the fallen airman,” the film’s synopsis reads.
Collider.com reported that the film was originally shot in 2017 but its release was delayed.
“The Last Full Measure” will be showing in theaters nationwide on Jan. 24.
