Sumith Prasad
Apple TV+’s war film ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ follows John “Chickie” Donohue, a US Marine Corps veteran who arrives in Vietnam during the Vietnam War to surprise his friends with beer from their home country. Chickie meets four friends in Vietnam and gives them beer as a token of gratitude for fighting for their country. In reality, after meeting Tommy Collins and Rick Duggan, Chickie ran into Kevin McLoone in the middle of a jungle. After meeting McLoone, Chickie found Bobby Pappas and concluded his unbelievable journey. If you are eager to know more about what happened to McLoone and Bobby, you are at the right place!
Where is Kevin McLoone Now?
When Kevin McLoone was traveling through a Vietnamese jungle amid the Vietnam War, the last person he expected to meet was Chickie, with whom he used to rent Winnebagos to watch New York Giants games. “I saw this guy with a plaid madras shirt on — he was so out of place. He said he had beer and was looking for guys from the neighborhood. I said, ‘That’s one hell of a beer run,’” McLoone recalled the encounter to The New York Times in 2017. McLoone could only return home in 1971 but he managed to attend his sister’s wedding.
“My sister was getting married, and she said she would never forgive me if I didn’t give her away,” McLoone said about his return, as per Chickie and Joanna Molloy’s eponymous source text of the film. After arriving in the United States, McLoone went on to work for Westinghouse and Fuji Tech. He also didn’t forget to reconnect with his friend who brought him beer. “McLoone reconnected with Chick as soon as he returned home to Long Beach, New York. The two diehard Giants fans would attend every game, even away games, by renting a Winnebago and driving to far-flung stadiums,” Molloy wrote in the source text of the film.
McLoone currently lives in Jupiter, Florida, with his wife Margo, whom, he said, “I’ve known my whole life,” as per Chickie and Molloy’s book. Over the years, along with reading, playing tennis and riding bikes have consumed McLoone’s time.
Where is Bobby Pappas Now?
During the Vietnam War, Bobby Pappas was a communications sergeant at an ammunition depot in Long Binh. Life wasn’t easy for him after leaving the Asian country on October 30, 1968. “They didn’t give soldiers any debriefing. Boom, you’re home, you’re out. I think it doomed my marriage—I didn’t see my wife and my baby daughter for the first year and a half,” Bobby said about his life after returning to the home country, as per the source text of the film. He went on to work for the Long Island Lighting Co. and even became a project manager. After 23 years in the company, Bobby took a buyout but the company offered him a “sweet deal” to work as a private contractor.
Even though Bobby’s professional life was progressing without many concerns, his personal life was crashing. “I had nightmares every night. I couldn’t sleep. I was drinking heavily,” he added. However, Bobby didn’t accept defeat, not after surviving the Vietnam War. “I stopped drinking in 1979 when I went into A.A. I started to get counseling for PTSD at the Veterans Administration. I still go. And I met and married Eileen,” he said about his recovery from alcohol addiction and eventual marriage. “It’s been great ever since I met her [Eileen],” he added. Bobby and Eileen currently live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, immersed in grandparenting duties. He spends his time playing golf or going fishing.
Read More: Where is John “Chickie” Donohue Now?
