Efforts are underway to create a short film that tells the story of the first Las Cruces service member to die in Vietnam.
The project is called “Johnny’s Cactus,” a short film about making peace with war. The project website, www.johnnyscactus.com says John Milton Risner became the first service member from Las Cruces to die in the Vietnam War on June 26, 1966.
A video on the website tells the story of how Risner planted a cactus with his sister before leaving for war. The video notes that Risner’s sister has planted a cutting from the cactus in every yard of every home where she’s lived.
Organizers of the film project will be sharing the story of Johnny’s cactus next Friday and Saturday (June 26-27) from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Moose Lodge parking lot just across from Las Cruces city hall.
Donors to the film project will be able to take a piece of cactus with them…..as that original plant continues to spread across the region….along with a memory of service.
Next Friday is the 49th anniversary of John Milton Risner’s passing.