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Outlook: New York to Vietnam: The greatest beer run ever?

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Chickie Donahue and a friend stand in front of a sandbag shelter in Vietnam

26/09/2022 GMT

New York to Vietnam: The greatest beer run ever?

BBC World Service - Outlook, New York to Vietnam: The greatest beer run ever?

'Chickie' Donohue took beers across the world to boost his friends serving in Vietnam

When Chickie Donohue got word of low morale among his friends fighting in Vietnam in 1967, he embarked on an  almost 9,000-mile mission to show his support — one beer at a time.

In 1967 New Yorker John 'Chickie' Donohue travelled into the belly of the Vietnam War to hand-deliver beers to his friends. A civilian, Chickie relied on his charm and wit to get him to where he needed to go. But what began as a short morale-boosting adventure soon became much more treacherous as Chickie found himself caught up in the deadly Lunar New Year attacks on what was then Saigon. This interview, by Mariana Des Forges, was first broadcast in February 2021. Chickie's epic mission is now the subject of a Hollywood movie starring Zach Efron.

Luis Cassiano describes himself as a cultural and environmental activist. For years he brought music into his favela in Rio. Now he's trying to turn the favela’s roofs into pockets of lush greenery in a bid to keep cool during the city’s scorching summers.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Andrea Kennedy

(Photo: Chickie Donohue in Vietnam. Credit: Courtesy of Chickie Donahue)

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