'It's about time': Movie about Bud Day in the works

Retired Air Force Col. Bud Day has signed a contract for a movie about his life.

The local war hero said he signed with a filmmaker from Hollywood who is writing a screenplay. Day said the project is in its “infancy” and was reluctant to give many details, but mentioned that Jon Voight has agreed to be part of the project.

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Day, who lives in Shalimar, said he doesn’t know what the filmmaker has in mind, and it hasn’t been decided whether the film will be war movie or a love story. He will review the script as it’s being written and will stop the project if he disagrees with the filmmaker’s vision.

Tom Rice, owner of Magnolia Grill, said one scene he’d like to see is Day reuniting with his wife after returning from Vietnam. A well-known photo titled “Together Again” shows Day and his wife Doris at March Air Force Base in 1973.

“That sums it all up — flag in the background and the two of them running for each other,” Rice said.

Retired Air Force Col. Bob Gates, who called Day one of his best friends, said “it’s about time” for a movie about the man many call the most decorated veteran alive.

Gates said he’d like to see all the details of Day’s experience as a prisoner of war — from the torture he suffered to his escape. He said images of POWs in Vietnam would put a perspective on the debate over treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

He said Hollywood once portrayed America as a strong and proud country in the days of John Wayne, but is now dominated by “left-wing liberals.” Still, he thinks whoever makes the movie will “do the right thing.”

“We don’t want a Sean Penn or some people like him — they’ve gotta be on the righteous side, on the best side of America,” Gates said.

Day, a Medal of Honor recipient, gained national attention when he campaigned for fellow POW John McCain in 2008. He also appeared in TV ads with Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and POWs for Truth before the 2004 presidential election.

An actor to play the lead hasn’t signed on yet, Day said. He said “poor quality” actors that had bombed performances would not be in his movie.

“I know who some of them are, and I know none of those are gonna be playing my part,” Day said.

Day said he was excited to sign the movie deal, but is cautious because he had agreed to two or three projects in the past that fell through. He said he’s made a lot of trips to Hollywood, but nothing has panned out.

In one case, the filmmaker died during a trip from Europe to the United States.

“It’s hard to get just boiling hot excitement,” Day said.

Day declined to give any more names of people involved in the project.

“I don’t want to create a lot of speculation,” he said.

Rice said many snowbirds who come to town know about Day, but are “astounded” to learn he lives in the area and still practices law. Rice called him an “asset to the community.”

“We’ll do the premier party here in Fort Walton,” Rice said.