Vietnam vets shut down The Butler movie because of Jane Fonda

Vietnam vets shut down Fonda movie showing in Wellsville
Wellsville Daily
By John Anderson
Daily Reporter
Posted Sep 01, 2013

Moviegoers in Wellsville had a choice of two movies on Friday night, once they walked past a group of Vietnam veterans 20 strong.

The veterans, who were right around the corner from their American Legion post at the Grand Theater on North Main Street, were upset Jane Fonda was portraying former First Lady Nancy Reagan in the movie, "The Butler."

'These guys are Vietnam vets and when you are 18, 19 or 20 and you hear she is applauding planes being shot down ... and I don't know what is true and not true, but it burns in your mind," said Skip Merrick, one of the protesters. "One my my jobs (during the Vietnam war) was seeing the planes off and making sure they were back. When one plane did not come back in the order I sent them out ..."

Merrick's voice trails off. But the chants of "Vets don't forget, no Fonda here," from the protesters rang on from 6 p.m. to almost 10 p.m.

According to the theater release, The Butler, "Tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man's life and family."

The first five people to go to the 7 p.m. showing opted to see Grown Ups 2, a comedy, showing in the smaller theater upstairs.
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