Very good article, worth taking a few minutes to read.
In this Dec. 12, 2010 photo, Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, first living Medal of Honor recipient for service in Iraq or Afghanistan and the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, salute during the National Anthem before an NFL football game between New England Patriots and Chicago Bears in Chicago. The award has thrust Giunta into the spotlight. But through it all, the 25-year-old-combat veteran has remained a modest man in a 'look at me' world. He insists he's an average soldier, but the gold five-point star around his neck says otherwise. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
Tomorrow night - mark your calendar:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL 8-10
the award winning movie “RESTREPO” - the story of the handful of men in Battle Co., 173rd AIRBORNE, 2nd 503rd = “The Rock” (also now on short list for an Oscar)
This is the story of Giunta’s Platoon. They - on the first deployment - served 15 months in the Korengal Valley - aka “The Valley of Death” - where they were took 20% of all the fighting n the country - the other 70,000 troops took the other 4/5ths.
SSGT Giunta actions in one of those firefights - “Rock Avalanche” - was one of the fiercest and one of the costliest.
The movie, written, produced and directed by embeds Sebastian Junger (”The Perfect Storm”) and Tim Hetherington, (award winning photojournalist from England,) was filmed in several different one month trips by each to the Korengal and the tiny OP far atop a mountain, picked axed out by the handful of soldiers who worked all night to build defenses and fight all day. the Taliban were not happy with their presence, so deep into their territory.
Totally isolated, a 2 hour hump straight up a mountainside, often under fire, they had no power, no running water, no heat in brutal high Hindu Kush Mountains.
“RESTREPO”, named for one of their fallen, is their story. The film has no politics, no ‘agenda’, no ‘brass,’ and the ‘stars’ are the Sky Soldiers themselves. the scenery - the wild mountains and deep valleys of the Korenal. You are essentially, boots on the ground with this tiny band of heroes as the cameras roll in real time, capturing whatever goes down - no retakes.
THIS is “WAR” as is happens for the soldiers.
the movie took top prize - Grand Jury Award - at Sundance, showed in selective theaters around the country this summer, taking more awards and is now up for an Oscar.
National geo bought the theatrical and broadcast rights and first aired it in Nov. It pulled such a blockbuster audience that they are showing it again tomorrow night - this time with extras: out takes, more on SSGT Giunta and “Where are they now?”
To get an idea of how isolated they were, here's a short clip -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6-3I9JHllc&feature=player_embedded
for a clip on the movie, the website
http://restrepothemovie.com/video/
Do yourself a favor - and honor our troops - watch it.