Coverage of Lady Jessie: A Vietnam Story in the American River Messenger
The American River Messenger is a community-oriented newspaper produced and distributed to serve readers primarily in the greater Sacramento area. From the Messenger:
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - It was an unusual pairing during the Vietnam War. Future Navy pilot Richard C. (Dick) Perry and the Gambling Grandmother of Reno, Jessie Beck, met in 1953, while she worked part time at Harold’s Casino. Jessie, a University of Nevada in Reno student, and her husband Fred were running the Keno concession where Perry worked.
The compelling story of their developing friendship tells of the events in their lives, which together with Perry’s death, impacted thousands of our country’s fighting men in Vietnam from 1966 to 1975. Their story was recently turned into a short film, “Lady Jessie - A Vietnam Story” which can be seen on KVIE 6 Sacramento the weekend prior to Veteran’s Day.
On October 30, a free viewing of the 28-minute film, parts of which were filmed in Roseville, was shown at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento. Following the film Beth Ruyak, host of Insight, Capital Public Radio, shared the stage with five surviving members of Perry’s fighter squadron VA-164 as they spoke of their experiences and feelings 50 years later.