NCO catches acting bug in new Clint Eastwood film

  • Published
  • By Valerie Joseph
  • 21st Space Operations Squadron Public Affairs
ONIZUKA AIR FORCE STATION, Calif. --  There is a 'movie star' among us, and he's appearing at a theater near you.
 
Tech. Sgt. Nathaniel Heskew, with the 21st Space Operations Squadron at Onizuka Air Force Station, Calif., appears in the new Clint Eastwood film, "Flags of Our Fathers," that opened in theaters Oct. 20. 

"Flags of Our Fathers" brings to the big screen one of the most crucial and bloodiest battles of World War II - the struggle for the island of Iwo Jima - which culminated with what would become one of the most iconic images in history: five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. 

Sergeant Heskew was stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, during the summer of 2005 when he heard about a casting call for movie extras. After showing up for photos and being measured for uniforms, he subsequently received a phone call congratulating him on being selected to portray a Marine and a member of the 6th Platoon, a heavy artillery unit. 

The sergeant explained that Iceland was chosen as a location for the war scenes in the movie because the desolate topography and black, volcanic-like soil closely resembled that of Iwo Jima. Other scenes were filmed in Los Angeles, Chicago and Japan, he said.
Before getting anywhere near a movie camera, Sergeant Heskew and the rest of his 'platoon' underwent a week of training, including safe procedures for entering and exiting a Higgins Boat landing craft and proficiency in the use of Howitzers and M1 rifles.
"It was important we looked professional, like we knew what we were doing with those big guns," Sergeant Heskew said. 

After watching the instructors demonstrate using 75-mm and 155-mm Howitzers, they put Sergeant Heskew and the others in four-man groups to practice. His job was to take the shell from one man and pass it to another, who then loaded it in the gun, after which the fourth man fired the weapon. 

The Lancaster, Calif., native described the realism of the scenes with the use of ordinary water bottles. 

"They used liter-sized bottles filled with water," he said. "The bottles were loaded into artillery shells packed with gunpowder; and when the gun fired, the bottle disintegrated and the water looked like smoke. The sound of the explosions was extremely loud, even though live rounds weren't used." 

Sergeant Heskew said he spent about five weeks on the set where a typical day meant arriving a 6 a.m. and often not leaving until 8 p.m. Breakfast and lunch were provided by Hollywood caterers, he added. 

He described the experience as "a lot of sitting around" and waiting to be called for a scene. In one scene that was supposed to be a close-up shot, his landing craft broke down. 

"We were dead in the water," Sergeant Heskew said, "and they just left us there for hours while they filmed other scenes." 

Sergeant Heskew has seen "Flags of Our Fathers," and said it's a very good movie.
Although the fast-paced, chaotic nature of the film made it difficult for Sergeant Heskew to see himself in the movie, he said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would definitely like to do it again. Meeting actor Adam Beach, who plays Ira Hayes didn't hurt either. 

"I was amazed at how well all the scenes we filmed came together," he said, "just like a puzzle."