I also enjoyed "Force Ten from Navaronne." Probably due to being a huge Han Solo fan at the time, because Harrison Ford was in it. It also had "Jaws" (Richard Kiel) from "The Spy Who Loved Me."
Some of it was hokey, but, as a kid, I liked it. Plus, Barbara Bach. She made quite an impression on me. I was 9. Of course, that was when a "PG" movie could still show things you only get in "R" movies now.
The interesting part of the movie is that it was based, at least in part, on the wartime experiences of the director, Samuel B. Fuller. Fuller wrote the part of the seargent specifically with Lee Marvin in mind. Marvin was a WW2 Marine combat veteran who could bring a sense of realisim to the role.