I was in the US Navy, sea going that is. BUT, a good friend was an Air Cobra pilot, purple heart, bronze star so he’s been there, done that. I think he’s seen just about every VN era flick produced. His all time favorite for accuracy of details, attitudes, spirit and the amazing perseverence of soldiers in particular is “We Were Soldiers”.
He’s also read the book, which is more complete of course but the film version is tops for him. That’s good enough for me too.
A buddy that was “brown water Navy” (Mekong Delta, riverine patrol—Operation Game Warden, also purple heart, bronze star w/V device) agree with the opinion on “We Were Soliers”, especially the terrible feeling of sudden, random death.
Apocolypse Now was pukesville for him, as well as myself and we were looking anxiously for a Navy flick dealing with riverine patrol combat. Darn! You wanted opinions, ya got ‘em!
I understand completely.
I just think that with very little effort, one could update Apocalypse Now to the war in Iraq.
I will never forget the scene where Brando is describing the efforts to innoculate some children and the VC come back hours later and “hack off the arms of all those children... Give me a division of men like those I can win the war...”
We are still fighting the same instincts, I think. We can’t win against an enemy that kills children... We just don’t have the inhumanity for it.