The Greatest Beer Run Ever True Story

Image Source: Everett Collection

Portraying a real-life determine is just not out of the realm for Zac Efron. The actor beforehand reworked into the terrifying however charismatic serial killer Ted Bundy for Netflix’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” and now, he is returning to the display in one other true-story adaptation, “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.” The upcoming Apple TV+ movie is predicated on the 2020 memoir “The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War” by Joanna Molloy and John “Chickie” Donohue, the latter of whom is performed on display by Efron.

Directed by “Green Book” and “Dumb and Dumber” filmmaker Peter Farrelly, the film follows Donohue as he travels to Vietnam on the top of the Vietnam War to convey beers to his pals in fight. Seriously. The plot itself sounds wild, so let’s dig into the actual story behind “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” which hits Apple TV+ on Sept. 30. Here’s what truly occurred.

Who Is John “Chickie” Donohue?

Donohue was born in 1941 and grew up in Inwood, NY, as reported by The New York Times. From 1958 to 1964, he served within the United States Marines Corps as a service provider seaman, although he didn’t enlist within the Vietnam War upon his return from the Philippines and Japan. By 1967, Donohue had already lost numerous neighborhood pals and childhood buddies to the struggle and was angered by the rising antiwar demonstrations throughout the nation, which he felt have been disrespectful to these preventing.

One evening in November 1967, Donohue took a seat at Doc Fiddler’s, an Inwood bar he frequented, and watched antiwar protests unfold on the TV display in entrance of him with different patrons. Upon seeing the information report, the bar’s proprietor, George Lynch, allegedly vocalized his assist for the troopers and stated (by way of The New York Post), “Somebody ought to go over to ‘Nam, track down our boys from the neighborhood, and bring them each a beer!”

Donohue took Lynch’s feedback to coronary heart — actually. He made it his personal mission to convey some brews to his Inwood pals in Vietnam. But the best way to get there? The age-old saying “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” actually utilized to Donohue, who obtained a job as an oiler on the Drake Victory, a ship chargeable for delivering ammunition from New York to Vietnam.

With a duffel bag crammed with beer and data on the place to seek out his soldier pals, Donohue set sail to finish his mission.

Image Source: Getty / Matt Winkelmeyer

What Did John “Chickie” Donohue Do in Vietnam?

It took over two months for Donohue to reach in Qui Nhon harbor in Vietnam, per the Times. Upon his arrival, he first met buddy Tom Collins, who later recalled saying on the time, “Chickie Donohue, what the hell are you doing here?” From there, Donohue traveled all through the war-ridden nation in seek for his pals, bypassing intense checkpoints and fight zones with little to no details about their whereabouts. According to the Post, he hitchhiked and was capable of speak his manner onto army helicopters and planes, partially as a consequence of fabricating a narrative {that a} buddy, Sergeant Rick Duggan, was his stepbrother.

Throughout his beer run, Donohue efficiently reached 4 of his pals — Collins, Duggan, Kevin McLoone, and Bobby Pappas — all amid lethal battles like Khe Sanh and even the Tet Offensive. In all, he spent two months in Vietnam and safely returned to New York in April 1968.

Where Is John “Chickie” Donohue Today?

Upon his return to New York, Donohue was met with pleasure and celebration from his pals at Doc Fiddler’s, together with proprietor Lynch. In his ebook, “The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War,” Donohue recalled Lynch saying to the patrons within the bar (by way of the Post), “To Chickie, who brought our boys beer, respect, pride — and love, godd*mn it!”

Donohue ultimately purchased Doc Fiddler’s in 1970 and operated the bar for a number of years, per HistoryNet. For the rest of his career, he labored as a miner, digging practice and water tunnels in New York. After retiring, Donohue teamed up with New York Daily News author Molloy to jot down the ebook in 2020, and he usually recounts his story to veteran circles within the larger New York space.

“The Greatest Beer Run Ever” is a wild journey from begin to end. Catch the unbelievable story on Apple TV+ on Sept. 30, and watch the trailer under!