Ken Plant has a family history of military service dating back to the Civil War. A pre-med student in 1969, he had to take a semester off from college and his lottery number came up… he was drafted.  So Ken enlisted in the Marines. Injured during advanced infantry training while preparing new Marines for Vietnam, he was reassigned as a correspondent, specializing in photography and journalism.

Assigned to the Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force, he covered demonstrations in Washington D.C. and military operations in the Atlantic and throughout the Western Pacific, including documenting classified missions with U.S. and allied specialized units.

Ken continued his career in service to the military working for the U.S. Army and Army Reserve until his retirement in 2016. He continues to volunteer with organizations focused on serving veterans including the Marine Corps Combat Correspondent Association (USMCCCA), Disabled American Veterans, the American Legion and the Army Reserve Association.

Nearly 50 years after the Vietnam War began, many vets of the era are dying – and many more will – underscoring a critical need to document their experiences and acknowledge their sacrifices.

The Telling Project is a national performing arts non-profit that uses theater as a tool to deepen civilian understanding of the military experience. The resulting performances give veterans a platform to tell their stories and give audiences an opportunity to listen.

For the first time, The Telling Project brings together a group of veterans from a single war – Vietnam.

Through a series of candid and emotional interviews, founder Jonathan Wei and director Max Rayneard identify a cast, craft the unique memories into a script, and empower the veterans to perform on stage. Follow five Vietnam War veterans and family members on a journey as they shape their experiences into a powerful culminating stage performance.

Watch a preview of Minnesota Remembers Vietnam: The Telling Project:

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