Who is John "Chickie" Donohue and what did he do? Meet real-life ex US Marine ahead of Zac Efron's The Greatest Beer Run Ever

Apple TV's The Greatest Beer Run Ever, starring Zac Efron and Russell Crowe, is the latest highly-anticipated comedy-drama movie set for release soon. Directed by the Oscar-acclaimed Peter Farrelly, the war drama is based on a small but impactful incident at the center of which is John "Chickie" Donohue, a US marine who traveled across the world in 1968 to deliver a crate of beer to his mates who were deployed to fight in the Vietnam War.

Donohue's heartfelt gesture made a mark in the history of Vietnam War, and it has been taken up by director Farrelly, who portrays the beautiful story in his latest feature, The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Before the premiere of the new movie, read on to find out more about John Donohue.

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Who is John "Chickie" Donohue and what did he do?

Ex-US Marine John "Chickie" Donohue shocked and delighted his friends who were at the Vietnam War site when he arrived with beers, much to the delight of the war-weary soldiers.

Donohue's quest started in New York in November 1967 at an Irish pub called Doc Fiddler’s while he was watching a news report about an anti-war demonstration in Central Park in the midst of the Vietnam War. When the bartender, nicknamed the Colonel, remarked that somebody should go down there and get the boys from the neighborhood some beers, the ingenious idea struck Donohue.

Donohue accepted the challenge and set out to find half-a-dozen enlisted men from the neighborhood and vowed to bring them beer as a token of appreciation for their contribution to the war. He loaded his duffel bag with American beers Pabst Blue Ribbon and Schlitz and took a job as an oiler on the Drake Victory that was taking ammunition from New York to Vietnam.

However, delivering beers to a war-torn zone in a foreign country was not all fun and games, and Donohue had to come face-to-face with the brutal realities of war. Two months after he started his voyage, Donohue found himself in a war zone with only the names of the people he was looking for and some vague notions of their whereabouts, which included their last known coordinates.

John "Chickie" Donohue traveled from Qui Nhon to Khe Sahn in convoys, military planes and helicopters, before finally arriving in Saigon right in the middle of the Tet Offensive. He found four people on his list and had a beer-soaked reunion with them.

The thoughtful gesture warmed the hearts of the soldiers who became emotional on having a taste of their old lives. After the war was over, all four of the neighborhood vets that John "Chickie" Donohue found reunited for a Pabst Blue Ribbon video in 2015.

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All about The Greatest Beer Run Ever

Apple TV's The Greatest Beer Run Ever will make its debut on Apple TV this Friday, September 30, 2022. Starring Zac Efron in the lead role as John “Chickie” Donohue, the movie also features Russell Crowe, Bill Murray, Jake Picking, Will Ropp, and Archie Renaux.

The plot of The Greatest Beer Run Ever follows Donohue's historic beer run, which brought relief, comfort, and companionship in the middle of the bloody Vietnam War to four weary soldiers. Efron has commented on the story saying,

"I couldn't believe it was a true story, it just sounded like a very silly idea and young and stupid. But the journey that starts there is very magical and profound. So it's ended up one of the coolest gestures you can possibly make. I love the human element you're able to find in some of the darkest moments, and there's always something that is unique or comes out of tension that can make you laugh."

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Catch The Greatest Beer Run Ever coming soon to Apple TV+.