NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — More than 50 years ago, John Chick Donohue made a difference by bringing beers to his friends serving in Vietnam, a story that is now adapted as an Apple TV+ movie.
In 1967, Donohue brought two cases of beer to his friends fighting in the war after the bartender and his local pub in Inwood made an off-handed comment about bringing the boys a beer, and Donohue took it to heart.
The marine veteran and merchant seaman hopped a ship, then hitchhiked all across the war-torn country.
"You did your duty," he said. "The country called you. You went."
Five years ago, WCBS 880 shared Donohue's story told in the book "The Greatest Beer Run Ever." It's now a motion picture directed by Peter Farrelly. It's now a motion picture directed by Peter Farrelly.
Donohue thinks the film, featuring Bill Murray, Russell Crowe and Zac Efron, did a "great job" of telling his story.
"I didn't know who [Efron] was in the beginning, but as soon as I mentioned his name to my 13-year-old granddaughter -- one of my grandchildren -- she [said], 'Oh, poppy, he's this and he's that he's this and he's at," Donohue said.
He observed the "High School Musical" alum on set, adding it brought him "back to the real scene."
"I remember those feelings I had, and he was expressing [them] just like I felt them on the screen," Donohue continued. "So I thought that was amazing."
It was a perilous journey tracking down four buddies in a war zone chick. Donahue had some close calls. He found himself in Saigon during the Tet Offensive.
"I think when they [came] back, they were men and while they were there, they were men, But they went over there as boys," he said.
Donahue said he would do it all over again.
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