6 Must-See Movies for Memorial Day

pjmedia.com ^ | 5/30/2016 | James Jay Carafano

[rktman]

What kind of war movies best capture the day set aside in remembrance of the honored dead?

Memorial Day remembers those who have died while serving in the armed forces of the United States—in war or peace. As long as our nation produces these men and women willing to “bear any burden, pay any price,” our nation earns the liberty it enjoys. That is the eternal meaning of this day. When we walk out of a theater profoundly moved by the sacrifice of our soldiers on the screen—those are movies that evoke the sentiment of the day the most.

I have done lists before of the top war films that make you cry, but this is a “Memorial Day” list, so let’s single out those history-based military movies that exclusively highlight the loss of Americans in harm’s way.

[rktman]

Writers choice I guess. There are a lot more out there that are stark reminders of the sacrifice so many have made.

[Mouton]

We were soldiers gets me every time. Battleground about WWII is also a good addition.

[CMB_polarization]

Too bad “13 hours - the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” is not out this weekend.

[Souled_Out]

Saving Private Ryan

[G Larry]

Saving Private Ryan???

[dynachrome]

Patton, Sgt. York

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Give me a break. Saving Private Ryan should have been #1 on the list, followed by Glory. What is this writer smoking.

[Reno89519]

Of the ones they list, I’d put We Were Soldiers at top. The others they list wouldn’t be on my list. Apocalypse Now would be number two but for obviously different reasons. There are so many others to offer up on a list that I don’t know what would be my number 3 or on a list of 100.

[Bryanw92]

“We Were Soldiers” always belongs at the top. It shows the courage, sacrifice, and ingenuity of the American fighting man, as well as the suffering of those who are left behind. It also shows how callous and often unprepared the military leadership is to be able to deal with all of this when the fighting actually starts.

There are a hundred other movies in #2.

[MarvinStinson]

BEACH RED with Cornell Wilde is in my opinion by far the best war movie ever made.

It is based on Tarawa.

[wjcsux]

To Hell and Back with Audie Murphy will be on my mind forever.

[corlorde]

The Longest Day, The Winds Of War and some of the old WW II movies are ood as well

[rstrahan]

Agree To Hell And Back. One of the forgotten films, In Harms Way.

[redhead]

What?? No “Gardens of Stone??”

[Scrambler Bob]

M4L

WWII Movies

[thefactor]

Fort Bliss???

Never saw it, but come on. This guy got paid to write this. Probably by the TAPS program.

[VMI70]

Purple Heart

Watching it right now.

[uncbob]

Private Ryan was fiction

Top of the list
1. To Hell and Back with Audie Murphy --True story and he played himself- Nothing more unique

We were Young--True Story with the true hero as advisor

SGT York--True Story

30 Seconds Over Tokyo---True Story

The Longest Day--True story

Band of Brothers True Story

Patton--True Story

TORA TORA TORA--true story

Midway True Story

Order the above as desired but Audie Murphy's Story stays at one

[IronJack]

The biggest reason "Saving Private Ryan" should be at the top of the list is the ending, when Ryan asks his wife "Was I worthy?"

It's a question we should all be asking ourselves today. "Are we worthy?"

[OttawaFreeper]

They had “Buck Privates”, with Abbott and Costello, on TCM yesterday. I remember our local PBS station (in Watertown, NY) back in the late 1980s would do A&C fests and would show all of their military World War II ones with “Buck Privates” as well as “Keep ‘Em Flying” and “In the Navy”.