The Real American: The Evan Thompson Story. (2024)

For forty-five years, Evan Thompson waved an American flag for fighter jets during top-secret training runs as they passed over his desert home. No matter what time of day, no matter what he was doing, he dropped everything to wave an enormous flag as fighter pilots soared overhead. His lifelong dedication earned him the legendary name, The Real American. His unwavering support for American military reverberates with a common thread of our unsung heroes that has defined what it means to be a real American throughout history. This film explores what drove a man to selfless patriotism, and showcases those heroes who stand alongside him, beyond expectation, in their service to America. After our capture of Osama Bin Laden in 2012, American troops on the ground were assigned the insurmountable task of helping to ensure that Afghanistan remained a free and democratic country. Air force pilot Lt. Col. Chris Beckman's story perfectly illustrates that challenge. His use of the "escalation of force" scenario and how it was applied to avoid civilian casualties was incorporated into modern tactical close air support training that is still taught to Air Force pilots today. Doris Miller was a Navy sailor who, during World War II, wasn't trained or permitted to man weapons on board his ship. But when Pearl Harbor was attacked, he disobeyed orders and shot at the incoming bombers, saving the lives of his fellow sailors. Many believe that the civil rights movement began on December 7th, 1941 with the actions of Doris Miller. We follow his story through to today with the people committed to a memorial statue in his hometown of Waco, Texas, to the ultimate recognition of a Naval aircraft carrier bearing his name - an honor typically saved for Presidents. By August of 2021 when Kabul fell to the Taliban, our forces had been in Afghanistan for twenty years. A temporary peace was negotiated to evacuate our military and those who worked alongside our troops. They had two weeks to accomplish that mission. We witness the passion and determination of two heroes who were part of Task Force Pineapple. When our active-duty servicemen were overwhelmed in Afghanistan, Scott Mann, Travis Peterson and many others mobilized whatever resources they could to bring Americans and those who fought alongside us home. Their efforts continue today. Heather Penney was ordered to take down any commercial aircraft that had been hi-jacked in her F-16 on September 11th, 2001. With no weapons on board her plane, the only way she could accomplish her mission was to crash into the jumbo jet. Little did she know that the passengers of Flight 93 were busy being American heroes.