Harris Faulkner, the renowned newscaster who has spent a decade as co-host of the highly successful midday show “Outnumbered” and also had her own solo program on Fox News, has recently made an exciting announcement regarding her career. In an interview with People Magazine, the Emmy award-winning journalist shared that she has embarked on her most personal project to date. This project delves into her own upbringing and explores the profound influence her father, a former Army combat pilot in the Vietnam War, had on her life.
Titled “Footsteps of My Father,” Faulkner’s limited series premiered on Fox on May 16th and can now be accessed on Fox Nation, the network’s streaming service. During her interview with People, she candidly discussed the unique challenges she faced while filming the series, which pushed her abilities as an on-air talent to new heights.
“This is the most personal I have ever been in front of the camera,” she said. “Trekking my dad’s combat trail in Vietnam was almost too much for my heart to take at times. I carried his burial flag with me in my backpack. When I landed in Vietnam, there was a rush of emotions. I missed my parents more than ever.”
“What I thought I knew about that war and his involvement ended up being just a tiny snapshot of the realities of fighting in a war that U.S. citizens would come to protest against,” she continued. “My father served two tours of duty in America’s valiant effort to preserve democracy in a remote country that was succumbing to the spread of communism.
“At home, our own nation was struggling with a violent racial divide. Yet, my father told his younger brothers and anyone who listened, ‘I chose to go fight for America because it was the best place on the planet to live. The U.S. Constitution clearly defines excellence and potential for America.’ He added, ‘The Civil Rights struggle is American freedom on the move.’ My father was a patriot,” she said.
In the three-part series, Faulkner journeys to Vietnam to engage in conversations with locals who lived through the war and have gained insight into America’s intentions. Despite being governed by a communist system, the country continues to face challenges typical of a struggling, emerging nation, such as meager salaries, hazardous workplaces, and a regime that suppresses dissenting opinions.
“While I felt their kindness and openness to me and my Fox Nation team, they are a communist nation. In my special, you’ll see visible remnants and reinventions of that kind of government. And, you’ll actually hear my dad’s voice telling stories of his survival and near-misses in the war,” Faulker explained. She informed People that her father had passed away during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My dad died Christmas Day of 2020. He was dressed for the day, looking sharp and at peace. The Lord has him now. Vietnam reminded me of my faith and my singular purpose to live a life that will deliver me to heaven to thank Dad with renewed vigor and understanding for his service to our great nation,” she added.
