suit in his office at SMPD headquarters.
In the opening scene, the girls walk into the bathroom, giggling nervously, searching for Abraham. The bathroom looks cold and uninviting, a pile of Abraham’s belongings sitting on the counter.
The teenagers are about to give up on the interview when they see Abraham coming in from outside, a smile on his face.
The stories of the two men take completely different directions following each man’s exit from the Vietnam War. Following his service, Abraham speaks of how his mother took him to a psychiatrist located on Broadway and Euclid Street. The psychiatrist turned him away, saying he was “property of the U.S. government,”Abraham said.
Abraham was later admitted to the Veterans Administration. Eight years after he left the service, Abraham found his new home in the auto repair shop, which was not identified in the documentary.
“If I had never been in the service, I would have a big mansion in Cabo San Lucas,” Abraham says in the film. “Now I’m here, working on cars day and night.”
“From the people I met, Renee and Abraham, they made me appreciate (vets more), the next time I see guys that were in the Vietnam War asking for money, I’ll think OK, and give them money.” — Magallanes said
“Whenever I saw people with signs saying they were from the Vietnam War, I thought they were lying,”
Following the end of the war, Talbot had about 10 free days before he enrolled in college. It was difficult to adjust to college life, calling his first day on campus a culture shock. While in college, Talbot found comfort in an organization for veterans.
The girls believe one of the biggest differences between Abraham and Talbot, perhaps the defining reason why their lives are so different, is family support.
Talbot came from a supportive family, Morales said, while Abraham has not seen his four sisters and one brother in decades. During the documentary, Abraham speaks of how he hasn’t seen his sisters since they allegedly stole $14,000 from him.
But aside from the differences, the two men are united by the scars from their experiences during the Vietnam War, both choking up as they reflect on their time in combat. Abraham wipes his tears away, remember reading in the newspaper about his friend from high school who died while serving in Vietnam. Talbot’s voice shakes as he talks about the fear of dying in war.
“The first time I went to Vietnam, I didn’t think I could die,” Talbot said.“The second time I knew I could die. I saw how easy it is to die.”
The interviews were an emotional experience for the young filmmakers, who say they cried during the interviews. Lessons were learned during the process for Magallanes and Morales, who say they now see homeless people in a different light and admitted they were a bit nervous about their interview with Abraham.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 21, 2007. Read the original PDF.