The Vietnam Grunt Museum and Lynd Living will host Hollywood actor/filmmaker Matthew Modine in a Sept. 9 fundraiser in Shavano Park to raise money and awareness for the nonprofit museum.
According to a news release, Modine will showcase his “Full Metal Jacket Diary,” an exhibit of 17 black-and-white photos he took on the set of Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 Vietnam War movie, “Full Metal Jacket.”
The actor, who played a Marine grunt in “Full Metal Jacket,” will permanently donate the photos to the Vietnam Grunt Museum, which is located on the ground-floor of Lynd Living’s corporate headquarters, 4499 Pond Hill Road, home of a real estate development and management company.
Lynd Living CEO David Lynd said in a statement that when Modine agreed to donate his photos to the museum, there arose an opportunity to do something special for veterans, active military personnel and the greater San Antonio community.
“So, we have organized a big public event around the occasion and having [Modine] come to here to talk about his collection and his role in the movie,” Lynd said.
The release said the Sept. 9 fundraiser at the museum/Lynd Living headquarters kicks off at noon with an invite-only meet-and-greet between the actor and local veterans, followed by a lunch on the building’s third-floor rooftop area known as the sunset terrace.
Later that evening, from 5-10 p.m., Modine will lead a public event that will feature an outdoor screening of “Full Metal Jacket,” which follows Modine’s character and fellow recruits from a brutal boot camp to traumatic fighting in the streets of Vietnam.
The fundraiser will include food trucks, drinks, music and a wellness center where attendees have a chance to test technologies meant to help combat stress and anxiety.
Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for active military and veterans. The event will also be livestreamed.
Money raised from donations, merchandise sales and corporate sponsorships will support the museum’s mission to assist veterans with a variety of needs, the release said.
Sponsorships range from $5,000-$100,000 with each level offering different benefits. Vendor sponsorships are also available. Those wishing to buy tickets, make a donation or become a sponsor should visit https://one.bidpal.net/modine/welcome.
“Through his art and celebrity, I think Matthew has the power to attract and educate a whole new generation of people about the Vietnam War and the sacrifices so many young Americans made for our country,” Lynd’s Chief Vision Officer Christopher Jett said.
The 1,400-square-foot Vietnam Grunt Museum chronicles the role that U.S. Army and U.S. Marine grunts played in the Vietnam War via artifacts, audio recordings, letters, news articles and documentaries curated from war veterans and their families, the release said.
The museum was originally proposed by the company’s founder, Mike Lynd Sr., who was an infantry officer in 1968-69.
Lynd Sr. continues to support veterans, hosting lunches for Purple Heart recipients, veteran nurses and school groups on Lynd Living’s sunset terrace. He has partnered with the San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families, the GI Forum, and the U.S. Veterans Administration to find permanent housing solutions for homeless vets, the release said.
Lynd Sr. said he, his family and colleagues look forward to the Sept. 9 fundraiser.
“It should be a fun evening, but also an opportunity to inform people what we are trying to accomplish with the museum. We want to tell the story of the war through the eyes of frontline fighters who played a significant role to keep our country safe and free but, quite frequently, did not receive a warm welcome home,” Lynd Sr. said.
