DGA Memorial Day Premiere set for Monday May 25th, 2015 at the Directors Guild of America

LOS ANGELES - April 27, 2015 - PRLog -- Military Filmmakers Steven C. Barber and Tamara Henry, along with director Matthew Hausle and Executive Producers Scott Minerd and Eloy Mendez, are proud to announce "Return to the Philippines: The Leon Cooper Sequel." This sequel to the wildly successful "Return to Tarawa" which released and debuted on Discoveries Military Channel 2009-2013, continues the legacy of the last WWII Veteran in the fight, 95-year-old Leon Cooper who was a Higgins boat commander in six majored pacific campaigns, alongside Eddie Albert.

This insightful documentary is the second Netflix acquisition from Vanilla Fire and follows Mr. Cooper (Malibu, CA) as his voice and words fall on deaf ears from the White House, members of congress, and both of his California state senators, Feinstein and Boxer, when Cooper flies back to Manila, where he had fought in 1944, with General Douglas MacArthur's troops, for the retaking and liberation of the Philippine islands by the Japanese during WWII.

Leon Cooper is the last WWII veteran who is actively shining the light of the 88,0000 MIAs that have not returned home from WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Ed Harris (who narrates for a second time for Vanilla Fire) gives an eloquent tutorial of Leon's journey back to the Pacific that is complimented with some beautiful and sometimes graphic historical footage from the Bataan Death March to the bombing of Manila.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WzAKBZ1O0k&feature=youtu.be&t=49s


Vanilla Fire: Serves the Military, Passes the Torch and Continues the Legacy.

As Vanilla Fire has been known for its original music featured in its films. Vanilla Fire has twice landed its films on the Oscar Shortlist in 2010 and 2012 thanks to original songs written and performed by country legend Clint Black. Vanilla Fire is heating things up again with two new hit songs.

John Mellencamp, 63, has generously donated "Troubled Man" from his latest album Plain Spoken. The rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor is known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock. Mellencamp rose to superstardom in the 1980s yielded a string of Top 10 singles including "Hurts So Good," "Jack & Diane," "Crumblin' Down," “Pink Houses,” "Small Town," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.," "Paper in Fire," and "Cherry Bomb." He has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has amassed 22 Top 40 hits in the United States, and has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning one.
Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10, 2008. His biggest musical influences are Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, James Brown and The Rolling Stones. "Mellencamp's songs document the joys and struggles of ordinary people seeking to make their way, and he has consistently brought the fresh air of common experience to the typically glamour-addled world of popular music." Mellencamp's rock 'n roll is stripped of all escapism, and it looks directly at the messiness of life as it's actually lived. In his music, mortality, anxiety, acts of God, questions of romance and brotherhood, and crises of conscience all collide and demand hard decisions."

Kenny C. has generously donated "Coming Home" for the movie. KENNY C is an upcoming country star, having released his first album on May 27th 2014 - released at #22 on the top 100 albums of the year for country music by iTunes. As an inspirational writer, his new song Coming Home is incredible, speaking for every soldier that has ever been to war. It speaks for the unknown soldier, the soldier that is serving now and the ones that never came home. This song is not only for this movie, but for America and all the brave men and women that have fought for our country. Kenny Cederholm grew up in Redondo Beach, CA. All his songs are from life experience so you can feel what he feels. Kenny is recording in Nashville with Dean Miller, recording in the same studio as many great artists including Faith Hill, Randy Travis, Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins and Rascall Flatts. DeanMillerEntertainment.com

This 65 minute documentary was edited and written by the Emmy nominated editor Jay Miracle known for Fog of War and 20 Feet From Stardom fame.

Information on Return to the Philippines, the Leon Cooper story can be found at www.vanillafire.com and www.ReturnToThePhilippines.com and http://vanillafire.weebly.com/return-to-the-philippines.html

94-Year-Old WWII Veteran Ignored By Two U.S. Senators and U.S. Philippine Ambassador

Vanilla Fire Returned from the South Pacific Summer 2014 for a WWII Feature Documentary Feature entitled Return To The Philippines: The Leon Cooper Sequel.

Filmmakers Steven C. Barber and Matthew Hausle returned home from the South Pacific with 94 year old WWII Veteran Leon Cooper who was in 6 battles in WWII as a Higgins Boat Commander ferrying Marines into the beaches for battle.

Vanilla Fire and Leon Cooper were welcomed home at a Gary Sinise Foundation event in West Los Angeles along with legendary actor/producer/director Clint Eastwood. Photos can been seen at the Facebook via the website:
http://vanillafire.weebly.com/return-to-the-philippines.html