Wyoming Marine's Vietnam memories featured in new documentary

J.C. Dye was 19 years old when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was stationed at fire support bases in Vietnam for two years. He has since returned to Wyoming, where he now lives in Fremont County.

Dye is one of six veterans featured in a new documentary called Crossing the Threshold. An excerpt from the film is currently touring the state. It will be shown in Riverton on Nov. 10, in Jackson on Nov. 11, and in Lander on Nov. 12.

The film focuses on how these men and women adjusted to life after their military service. Dye grew up on a ranch in Montana before his time in the Marines. He is also a nationally recognized painter and sculptor. In a June interview with Wyoming Public Radio, he discussed his experiences.

Dye sustained a head injury during his tour in Vietnam. He said he can recall being in the A Shau Valley, where his unit was overrun one night. After that incident, he has no memory of the following five months. He returned to a ranch job within a few days of coming home. He described the transition as a blur, noting that he kept busy with work and raising children.

Dye admitted that he drank heavily for many years after his service. He said the drinking escalated until his pancreas failed and he was hospitalized. He viewed his art career as a way to occupy his mind during that period. He now lives in Lander, where he maintains an art studio on Main Street.

Dye said he joined the film because he wants to share the realities of war with the public. He believes society often treats conflicts as distant events because modern warfare relies on drones and machinery. He said his post-traumatic stress disorder is largely triggered by memories of children burned by napalm. He noted that the term PTSD was not widely known when he returned from Vietnam.

He criticized the way the government treats veterans compared to its spending on new wars. Dye said he believes the country has billions of dollars for new conflicts but struggles to care for those who served in past ones. He stated that he loves the country but is less fond of its government. He also mentioned that counselors suggested medication to help him feel happiness, but he declined to change his mental state.

Dye said he has not laughed uncontrollably in 50 years. He described himself as sad but kind to others. He used the analogy of a ranch manager who gambled and drank while the cattle starved. He asked why that manager would be given the job back and a higher wage, comparing the situation to how voters treat politicians.