The Politically Incorrect Guide to Memorial Day Movies

National Review ^ | May 27, 2017 | Arthur Herman

[EveningStar]

Unlike many of today's 'anti-war' duds, these seven works honor Americans who served in war.

Memorial Day is of course when we remember those who died serving their country in our armed services. There was a time when America's movie industry took pride in honoring American servicemen, both the living and the dead; there are a few actors and directors in Hollywood who still do. But since movies about Americans at war have largely gone in the opposite direction since Vietnam, this weekend it might be worthwhile going back to see seven movies that deal with war in an honest but not defeatist way. These works portray serving one's country in uniform as something to be revered and respected, not dismissed or derided.

[forgotten man]

http://bravoregulars.com/Home.html

Bravo 3/22 was Oliver Stone’s company in Vietnam. The link above will give you background on the move “Platoon”. Stone’s name is on the company roster as William O. Stone. I know that Oliver Stone is a nut, but he was a brave soldier.

[Little Bill]

My Platoon Sargent was with the 442 in WW2, great man taught me a lot about running a crew.

I asked him why he reenlisted, he told me that he had read a lot about Europe and wanted to see it for himself.

[exit82]

Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge are excellent.

[BuffaloJack]

“The Red Badge of Courage” is one of my all time favorites, along whti “They Were Expendible”.
I had a cousin who co-starred with Audie Murphy in “The Red Badge of Courage”, Bill Mauldin, his character never had a name; he was just referred to as “the loud soldier”; he was, however, more famous as the Stars and Stripes cartoonist who drew “Willie and Joe”.

[forgotten man]

In “Platoon” there is a scene where a helicopter is landing to take out 5 dead heroes. As the helicopter is landing the rotor wash blows away the panchos covering the dead. Those are the 5 soldiers killed on January 15, 1968. Robert Hemphill, the company commander, described that same scene in the exact same way. Read Robert Hemphill’s book “Platoon Bravo Company.”

[Don W]

The Devil's Brigade

I loved Cliff Robertson and Claude Akins in this one. The guy who played the hand-to-hand instructor was utterly fantastic in his first scene, too.

[Bender2]

Re: The Big Parade, They Were Expendable, Battleground, The Red Badge of Courage, Pork Chop Hill, The Longest Day, Gods and Generals, Twelve O’Clock High, A Wing and a Prayer, The Bridges at Toko Ri & Go For Broke

All these are pro-American films and definitely not PC friendly. Add to them these films showing on TCM this weekend: The Steel Helmet, Friendly Persuasion, Sergeant York, See Here, Private Hargrove, No Time for Sergeants, The Best Years of Our Lives, Kelly's Heroes, Target Zero, One Minute to Zero, Men In War, Battle Hymn, Mister Roberts, Ensign Pulver, 36 Hours, Journey Into Fear, Action in Arabia, Nazi Agent, Hotel Berlin, Saboteur, Across The Pacific, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Fighter Squadron, Never So Few, Operation Crossbow, Where Eagles Dare, The Dirty Dozen, Destination Tokyo, Operation Pacific, The Enemy Below, Up Periscope and Torpedo Run.

These are no mean all great films but they all side with the United States of America--

I recently binge watched the HOB Series "Band of Brothers" and was still amazed at the level of realistic and historical production values. The cruelty of war was show even handed and the atrocities made necessary when the bullets are whizzing back and forth. Yet the true war crime level mass executions by the Nazis was not swept under the rug in "Brothers."

Yet when I started watching HBO's "The Pacific" where the battle scenes were vivid and realistic, in every other way all else was just the opposite. The uniforms were terrible, poorly made and tailored. And when the Marines are shipped off of Guadalcanal in their raggedy, torn to pieces dungarees, by the time they get to Wellington, New Zealand, they are still in the same raggedy, torn to pieces outfits. Gadzooks, was there no Gunny on board to get them ship-shape?

No and furthermore these rag-tag Marines just get off the ship and go drinking wearing those same rags without any one of higher rank saying a word. That's not the Marine Corps I recall--

And speaking of their version of a Marine Corps Gunny: the one they offer up is a cartoon character 'Crazy' Old Breed Leatherneck who find joy in washing his privates in the occasional rain shower or being so one dimensional you would think they thought him up as they filmed for comic relief, yet there is nothing funny at all in him.

And yes, Japanese atrocities were shown but more footage was given to US Marines doing dirty deeds like strangling a wounded Japanese office with his bare hands, then smiling about it or Rami Malek's Corporal "Snafu" Shelton happily cutting gold teeth out of dead Jap's mouths. Matter of fact, Malek was so good as his character. I cannot to this day watch anything he is in as just seeing his face disgust em.

So I can recommend "Band of Brothers" to be viewed by any and all and suggest "The Pacific" be tossed into the trash where it belongs. BTW am looking forward to seeing Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk coming this July but I not be holding my breath that it won't made the good guys the bad guys in some way.

[Mears]

“So I can recommend “Band of Brothers” to be viewed by any and all and suggest “The Pacific” be tossed into the trash where it belongs. “

—

Ditto !

.

[PAR35]

I always thought Wake Island was a particularly well done piece of propaganda. It was released less than 8 months after the Island fell, and years before the true Japanese brutality was known, but it was an effective call to arms.

[trisham]

I love “Band of Brothers”.

[Made In The USA]

Bookmark

[Stepan12]

I really liked that movie.

[Little Bill]

The thing that pissed me off about Platoon was the scene when they abandoned the Sgt with the 1st Cav Patch to the gooks.

In my time, in Viet Nam, if that had happened, those that ordered his abandonment would have been on the Wall soon after.

There are some things that you do not do in any military and that was one of them.

[DUMBGRUNT]

The Best Years of Our Lives

A must see.

Note: Harold Russell as Homer !

I felt as though I knew many of them.

[dynachrome]

Heartbreak Ridge

[Don_Ret_USAF]

Yes a great movie and book about Vietnam. I will add Hamburger Hill (Vietnam) for great satisfies for a zero piece of ground. Don't Matter Know How"

[Molon Labbie]

Not necessarily a victory movie but A Bridge Too Far is good show.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I liked, ‘Band of Brothers’ and we’re going to watch that series again. :)

[redcatcherb412]

For us old fart Air Mobile types, ‘We Were Soldiers’ is the only realistic Vietnam movie. Having the actual commander Hal Moore as advisor for the movie was the best thing Gibson did. The Redcatchers followed Hal Moores units footsteps at Fort Benning for Air Mobile training and deployment to Vietnam, The 199th Light Infantry is still headquartered at Benning.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I enjoyed, ‘The Patriot’ before Mel went nutty, LOL!

Does, ‘1776’ (The Musical) fit in here, too?

I always watch that 4th of July weekend. I can sing you all of the songs if you’d like. ;)