Four Vietnam veterans, connected by an unwavering bond, reunite decades after taking to the skies in a new powerful ad.
Former Navy Lt. Jim Lloyd’s plane was shot down in hostile territory during the Vietnam War. Lloyd, know by his call sign “Zeke,” spent six hours evading the enemy before being rescued. Fellow pilots Cmdr. Jack “Razor” Gillet and Lt. Bill “Offender” Moir were part of the same squadron that helped rescue him.
Additionally, in the 1960s, Elester “Hollywood” Latham served with distinction as a Marine sergeant during the Tet Offensive and became a major in the Air Force.
These four men came together for a new Xfinity ad called “The Aviators,” directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker,” “Zero Dark Thirty”).
TODAY’s parent company, NBCUniversal, and Xfinity are owned by Comcast.
Filming the ad was the first time Lloyd, Gillet, Moir and Latham had reunited in 16 years. It was also a chance for the veteran military pilots to fly again.
With May being Military Appreciation Month, the four veterans, who devoted their lives to the United States, not only swapped stories from decades ago in the ad, but also united in an appearance on TODAY May 1.
After Lloyd’s plane was shot down in Vietnam, he had the chance to go home, but he decided to continue his service and fly again. While on TODAY, he said he credits the men who saved him.
“When I got back to the safety of the fleet, I learned what the Navy did for me,” Lloyd said. “So many risked their futures to help secure mine. When I learned that, I couldn’t go home. So I continued flying until the war ended five and a half months later. The Navy tried to give me easier flights, but we were a northern carrier flying deep in the north so that didn’t work all the time.”
The three-minute commercial begins with a grandfather showing his granddaughter his old pilot’s jacket, hat and photos from his time in the military. While looking at the group photo, he points out his former pilot friends Zeke, Razor, Hollywood and Offender, who are all reuniting.
The vet tells his granddaughter how they used to love flying the A-4 Skyhawk.
“I’d take you up if I could,” he says, prompting her to find a way to give her grandfather and his buddies a way to relive their days in the skies.
The ad also shows the men all together, catching up and saluting their fellow fallen soldiers. When they return home, the granddaughter gives her grandfather his “wings” back in the form of a VR set.
Comcast is also offering new Xfinity and NBCUniversal discounts for service members. They’ve also donated over $1 million to nonprofits supporting the military and their families.