Story to be told
Lt. Royal Stratton lost his life 67 years ago in World War II while saving the lives of nine soldiers.
However, a filmmaker is working to make sure that the Portersville-area airman's life and legacy lives on.
Chris Johnson, an Ellwood City native who now lives in southern California, is Stratton's great nephew. He is working on a documentary called “Journey to Royal and the 4th Emergency Rescue Squad.” He said the main reason for making the movie is to make a connection with a family member he never knew. He said he appreciates the fact that Stratton sacrificed his life to save others.
“I admire the courage that took,” Johnson said.
Johnson first became interested in doing a film more than a decade ago, after seeing a photo of Stratton's plane. His grandfather told him the story of how Stratton died rescuing nine men.
“I was immediately intrigued and continue to be,” Johnson said. Born Jan. 27, 1923, Stratton grew up on a farm on Route 488. His family owned a meat market in Ellwood City.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1944 and was a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps 4th Emergency Rescue Squadron.
Stratton and his crew on May 29, 1945, were scouting for a downed B-29 in the South Pacific and spotted a green dye marker and a raft. He made a low pass over the area and spotted the soldiers, including a badly injured crew member. Stratton decided to rescue the men rather than call the wreck in.
The added weight made takeoff difficult. The plane got off the water initially, but dropped back down. A wave knocked off part of a propeller, which came through the cabin and clipped Stratton in the head. He was 22.
Stratton was 6 feet 3 inches, taller than the average pilot at the time. One of Stratton's crew mates told Johnson that he would have survived if he was just one inch shorter.
However, the others on the flight survived.
Johnson began conducting interviews for the documentary in 2010. At that time, the movie's sole focus was to be on Stratton. However, Johnson became very interested in the other members of the squadron.
He went back and refilmed some of the early interviews. When the film is finished, it will focus both on Stratton and other members of the squadron.
Johnson said he was moved by the fact that the members of the squadron chose to work in a capacity that saved lives rather than took them.
“It's a facet of service that's rarely revealed in documentaries about World War II or any war for that matter,” Johnson said. He added that one of the most interesting parts of making the film was getting to know some of the people who flew with Stratton.“The moniker that we hear, 'the greatest generation,' actually means something when you meet a person who represents the best of what that ideal stood for,” Johnson said.He said that the film budget is between $50,000 and $100,000. Johnson said that he hopes to wrap it up by Veterans Day 2013.His goal is to rent an area theater and premiere the movie for veterans, people who participated in the movie and their families. He said there may be a chance of a limited theatrical run, particularly if he decides to push for an Academy Award. Either way, Johnson said the movie will be released on DVD, on services like Netflix and on television.Ada Hinkle, 86, of Portersville is Stratton's sister.“He was a handsome, good looking brother,” Hinkle said.She said it was difficult to deal with Stratton's death.“That's something that you don't get over,” Hinkle said. She is pleased that Johnson is making the film.“I think it's good,” Hinkle said. “I think he (Stratton) was a hero.”Kip Steckman of Connoquenessing Township, Stratton's nephew, said that his business, C.K. Steckman Memorials, makes him very interested in the film.“Being in the monument business really makes it important to me,” Steckman said, referring to paying tribute to the deceased.He said that he is interested in knowing more about his family's story.“I would like to learn a little bit about the history of the family,” Steckman said.People interested in donating money to the project can visit www.royalthemovie.com and click on “Help fund this movie.” Contributors can also contact Johnson at cjohnson@journeytoroyal.com.Johnson, 40, began doing movie special effects in the early 1990s. He has worked on films including “Last of the Mohicans,” “Final Destination” and “Live Free or Die Hard,” and also has directed three independent films. He also works as an “Imagineer” for the Walt Disney Company.
