Leesburg’s LakeFront TV has been honored with a 2025 Telly Award for the broadcast of the Vietnam War documentary “Manchu: A Brotherhood of Sacrifice,” created by LakeFront TV videographer and editor Matt Wilcox.
An award that recognizes excellence in television, digital, and video content worldwide, the Telly “reflects LakeFront TV’s ongoing commitment to producing meaningful, high-quality programming that informs and inspires the community,” station manager Anna Marie Chwastiak said in a media release.
The documentary takes viewers back to the holiday season 57 years ago, when a group of young men spent the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas in the tall grasses of Vietnam near the Cambodia border.
The deep bonds, sacrifices and lived experiences of the veterans of the 9th Infantry Regiment/4th Battalion, known as “The Manchus,” are recounted. The battalion landed at Vũng Tàu in 1966 and joined the 25th Infantry “Tropic Lightning” Division at Củ Chi Base Camp near Saigon. The U.S. Army infantry has a deep battle history, and its name traces back to 1855 in China during the Boxer Rebellion.
They suffered a staggering blow in late 1968, just days before Thanksgiving, during a fierce engagement that left 24 dead and more than 50 wounded. Among the fatalities were 18 Manchu soldiers and six helicopter crew members.
Despite their injuries, one soldier in the regiment, David Hosenfelt, recovered and returned to his unit. The documentary shows that Hosenfelt reunited with a fellow battalion soldier, Stan Adams, years later, highlighting the bonds that formed during and after battle.
“The creation of ‘Manchu: A Brotherhood of Sacrifice’ itself is an inspiring story of dedication and collaboration,” writes The Veterans Breakfast Club.
Through interviews and historical storytelling, the documentary poignantly honors the courage and legacy of those who served.
“The sad part is that the conflict really shaped who they would be,” Wilcox told the Daily Commercial about his Vietnam vet interview subjects. “A lot of them have had what you would expect, the problems of Vietnam, and as young kids, you know, 18, 19, 20, going off to that war, they have all suffered from it. So, it’s not just a brotherhood of being in combat and serving as a group and coming home and realizing that they share the pure horror that they went through.”
From a young age, Wilcox, now 36, had a passion for learning about history. He grew up in Spring Hill and began working on the Manchu film while still in high school. His Springstead High shop class teacher, Steve Knowlton, a veteran who served with the Manchus, inspired the project, so he was the first soldier to be interviewed for the film.
“I worked with Mr. Knowlton on that, and I had his story, but then I got into documentary work later on, and I wanted to actually tell his story,” Wilcox said. “So, when COVID hit, I went over to see Mr. Knowlton, safely, obviously. We sat down in his shed for probably four or five hours, and I interviewed him, and I said, ‘Your story’s wonderful, but I need to find more people who lived this, who were with you.’ And that’s where it became an interesting history project.”
The filmmaker now lives in Umatilla and has a wife. His film has Manchu soldiers with connections to Orlando and Clermont. (Daily Commercial will follow up with interviews with 9th Infantry vets from our region in a future story.)
“So excited that PBS picked up the ‘Manchu’ documentary and it received national recognition,” said Lakefront TV’s Chwastiak.
“‘Manchu’ represents the heart of what we strive to do — tell meaningful stories, preserve history, and honor the people who have shaped our community and our nation. He came to our station a year ago, right before Thanksgiving. Besides being one of our talented shooters and editors, he also hosts our Salute to Veterans program and hosts the Wreaths Across America.”
Manchu vets also have a website that documents their experiences, manchu.org.
In his “Christmas: 1968” essay on the site, Robert Chavous gives a moving account of one of his battle memories:
“I got hit in the arm from a piece of shrapnel. It hurt so bad, but I put it out of my mind. After the air strike, about 20 minutes later, I could hear carts with oxen pulling them. I figured they were moving the wounded and dead away. I knew by sunrise the N.V.A. soldiers would be gone. They wouldn’t take a chance of getting caught in the daylight in open rice paddies with the air force around. I thanked God when I saw the sun peek up, especially since a few hours earlier I had said my last rites.”
Fast-forward to today, in Lake County. Wilcox has publicly thanked Chwastiak, who’s known in the community as “Dr. Anna Marie,” for the opportunity to share his film on LakeFront TV, and he thanked the city of Leesburg for being first in the nation to air his film.
The film is touching in its depiction of the soldiers’ bond, but heartwrenching, too. To better comprehend the mindset they had about their duty and sacrifice, just read the M-A-N-C-H-U motto. The letter H says, “Hardships and misery are my companions. I am at my best when conditions are at their worst.”
“Couldn’t be prouder of film director Matthew Wilcox,” said Rita Russell Adams, wife of Manchu battalion soldier Stan Adams. Rita credited Wilcox for working “tirelessly for four years,” donating his time and talents to bring recognition to the battalion that suffered numerous losses and even had soldiers bravely return to the line of fire after injury. Wilcox expressed gratitude for her immense contribution to the film.
For more information about LakeFront TV, log onto LakeFrontTV.com or to watch “Manchu: A Brotherhood of Sacrifice,” visit PBS at pbs.org/video/manchu-brotherhood-of-sacrifice-hnzpe2
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Leesburg’s TV station wins award for Vietnam documentary
Reporting by Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial / Daily Commercial
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial | USA TODAY Network
