We watched Restrepo recently and were mesmerized by it. It was SO compelling and gritty, completely true to the actual story. I hope it wins the Oscar it richly deserves!
Yes to all that. And if they could have included even half of all that went down during the 15 months on that mountaintop - you would not believe it.
I flew to San Antonio, from Maine, to see it at the Bijou. ONe of the Sky Soldiers was on leave att and invited as Guest of Honor. He introduced the movie and conducted a Q&A afterward. He brought the house down. (there were 5 or 6 RESTREPO brothers that came from other areas to be there with him.
I was able to fly out for the movie as that Sky Soldier emailed me from Afghanistan a few weeks before and said: "You're coming to San Antonio, Gramma. No excuses. I bought you a ticket" ;o) (He grew up in my house - my oldest son's son)
Here's one of the out takes that's on the DVD, not in the movie. It shows, in the short 2+ minutes, so much. (IT's my grandson.) It shows him climbing the mountain to the little firepost, RESTREPO, that they literally pick axed off the top of that mt.
It's a 2 hour climb straight up to isolation - except for the all encompassing Taliban.
AT the first place he pauses, you can see the valley floor, far, far below - and he still has a long way to climb. He always packed way more than most as he would bring back extras for the guys - as you will see. (They had no power, no running water, no showers - well, as Sebastian once said, they were 'essentially on Mars."
This trip, fortunately, they didn't come under fire. (One trip he was under fire most of the way up - and that is an amazing and hilarious story) -
All the way up , you hear in the backgorund the Muslim call to prayer. Imagine being so isolated - totally on their own up there - over 1,000 firefights on that deployment - and listening to that 5 times a day??? Like I said, I could tell you stories you wouldn't believe - and they lost so many more than are depicted in the film.
He was out of there for one year, then back for another deployment - 'only ' one year that time - and now back to base. Not too many of that platoon still in. Sal is leaving soon also (Sal Giunta, MOH.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6-3I9JHllc&feature=player_embedded
At the end of the film, you will see that 'Always Smile" he is famous for. live link next post