#243: The Siege at Khe Sanh with David Kniess and Dennis Mannion

#243: The Siege at Khe Sanh with David Kniess and Dennis Mannion

From MCA Scuttlebutt by MCA Scuttlebutt

May 14, 2026 · 1h 15m

About this episode

The episode features an interview with filmmaker David Kniess and Vietnam veteran Dennis Mannion discussing their experiences and the films 'The Gift' and 'The Siege at Khe Sanh'.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome David Kneiss and Dennis Mannion to the scuttlebutt. David is the director of the films  The Gift  and  The   Siege at Khe Sanh,  and Dennis is a Marine Vietnam veteran and the subject of  The   Siege at Khe Sanh.   Both  The Gift  and  The Siege  are such beautiful films, and David’s skill as a filmmaker is evident in his winning the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s Major Norman Hatch Award for  The Gift  in 2023   and this year’s Sergeant William Genaust Award for  The Siege at Khe Sanh . When we heard the award announcement, we knew we wanted to get David in studio, so when he suggested we invite Dennis as well, our collective heads almost exploded. And even with the anticipation, the actual interview exceeded our expectations. What a treat.  We talk about the movies, David’s vision and how it is that he sees the story in people, David and Dennis’ backstory, and Dennis’ experiences…

People in this episode

Host: MCA Scuttlebutt

Guests: David Kniess, Dennis Mannion

Topics covered

  • Vietnam War
  • filmmaking
  • military history
  • personal stories
  • documentary films

Keywords

  • Khe Sanh
  • Vietnam veteran
  • documentary
  • Marine Corps
  • film awards

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Gift, The Siege at Khe Sanh

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