Decorated war hero Scott Alwin documentary to be presented at Hoard Museum in May

A screening of a documentary about the life of the late Capt. Scott Alwin will be held next month at the Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson.

Alwin, a resident, during his formative years, of Fort Atkinson, was inducted into Madison’s William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital Hall of Heroes in 2021.

Alwin is best known for his prowess and courage as a helicopter gunship pilot during the Vietnam War. He served in Vietnam between 1967 and 1972.

His life ended, in 1976, in a car collision with a drunken driver while he was traveled on military business between Fort Benning, Ga., and Washington, D.C. He was 31.

An earlier story bout the 2021 indiction ceremony, including a history of the soldier’s life, is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/fort-hero-inducted-into-middleton-memorial-veterans-hospital/.

According to a recent news release, the museum’s screening of the documentary, titled: “Honor In The Air,” will be held Friday, May 3, at 9 a.m. and again Saturday, May 4, at 10:30 a.m.

Screenings will be held on the first floor of the Hoard Historical Museum, 401 Whitewater Ave., Fort Atkinson.

Within the release, groups of more than 10 people who may wish to attend a screening are encouraged to contact the museum staff in advance of the chosen screening time and confirm seating.

Members of the Alwin family will be in attendance during the upcoming screenings and will place on display “personal items belonging to Scott Alwin and connected to his military service,” the release stated.

Screenings are free and open to the public.

As stated in the release, the documentary focuses on Alwin’s service in Vietnam and includes interviews from other soldiers who served with him.

“Alwin is the most highly decorated Wisconsin Vietnam War helicopter pilot. He is believed to have been awarded the most air medals in any branch of the service for the … history of military flight. He was officially awarded 136 air medals for combat service during his service, but his battalion records indicate he earned over 207 medals,” according to information released by the museum. 

The release continued: Honor In The Air was created in recognition of Alwin’s service and the service of his fellow soldiers as part of the 50^th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s conclusion.

The release further noted: “Scott was the oldest son of 16 children. As a young man, he attended Concordia Seminary to become a minister, but as conflict in Vietnam grew larger, he resigned and enlisted in the Army to fly helicopters. He initially refused to fly helicopter gunships, or attack helicopters, during his first tour, but eventually transitioned to flying them in the hopes that his actions might help save other U.S. soldiers’ lives. Early in his career he developed a counter-rotational maneuver to counteract helicopter tail-rotor failure and perfected it with his unit safety officer. His maneuver is still standard training for all pilots.” 

Alwin was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver and Bronze Stars, several Purple Hearts, and numerous other commendations, the release continued.

He met and married, in 1969, his wife Du Thi Duong “Teresa” Alwin-Nguyen in Vietnam with whom he had two children, Scott and Heather. 

The release read: “As the Vietnam War ended, he was dismayed by the actions of the U.S. government and, in protest, he resigned his officer’s commission. He returned to the U.S. and was stationed at Fort Benning.”

The Hoard museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact the museum by phone: 920-397-9914, email: info@hoardmuseum.org, or visit its website: www.hoardmuseum.org.