I am starting this because the other night I bought Letters From Iwo Jima, and somebody asked me what I thought of it.  I started to reply, and realized that I did not want to detract from the otiginal topic, so elected to make a new one instead.

I am not ashamed to admit that I love War movies, but they have to be of a certain type.  I see nothing glamerous or heroic in war itself, and have to have a story with feelings and a view of what an absolute hell war is.  Don't give me sceens of brave selfless individuals running through a hail of gunfire and taking out a machine gun nest single handedly.  Show me the pain, sacrifice, and hardship that makes men do the things that make them heroic.

Bad war movies:  Anything with Chuck Norris, 1/2 of the John Wayne movies (like Ballad Of The Green Berets), Behind Enemy Lines

Good war movies:  Full Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan, Letters Fro mIwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers, Sands Of Iwo Jima, Sergeant York, Hamburger Hill

And then there are others which fall into a neutral category.  Some may call Heartbreak Ridge a war movie, but there is really very little war in it.  Mostly it is about a Non-Com taking a bunch of misfits and forming them into a unit.  The fact that there was fighting at the end was mostly to show how effective the transformation was.

What do some of you think about war movies?  Love them?  Hate them? 

I normally don't watch War movies.  I like the movies Gettysburg and Gods and Generals.  Can't stand the "cheesy" war flicks of the 30's and 40's.

I do enjoy war flicks, but not the ones that are really violent

I liked the ones where it was one man taking on a whole army, such as: 'First Blood', 'Behind Enemy Lines' or 'Commando'. 

For me, the best war movie I ever saw was 'Enemy at the Gates'.  I was on the edge of my seat

I am not into wars films as such, but two of my favourites are Full Metal Jacket and Dr Strangelove.

I normally don't watch War movies.  I like the movies Gettysburg and Gods and Generals. 


I have both of those, as well as the other Turner produced Civil War movie, Andersonville.

I have a rather large collection of War Movies on DVD, but almost all of them deal with war from a historical perspective, or as a personal one.  I guess one of my problems with most war movies made is that I find them almost laughable.Having spent 10 years in the Infantry, and worked with the equipment and tactics extensively, I simply can't watch Ahnold running through a field of machine guns and exploding grenades without getting a scratch.  Or watch Rambo firing a rocket from inside of a helicopter, and not wonder why all of the POWs he worked so hard to rescue were not incinerated in the rear by the backblast.

But looking through my collection, it is obvious that I do not watch them to "glorify war".  Some of my most prized DVDs are The Battleship Potemkin, Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, Andersonville, Letters From Iwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers, Doctor Strangelove, and Fail-Safe (the 2000 George Clooney version).

In fact, the 2000 version of Fail-Safe was broadcast on live TV, but was not released in the US until 2 weeks ago.  I got my copy in 2001 from an importer.  It is a Region Code 2 movie, so I can only watch it on my computer.  This is yet another movie I am going to have to rebuy.

Pearl Harbor sucked.

1941, I understand is to Steven Spielberg's worse movie, I have not seen it and wish to.

I’ve always liked war films, Patton, The Big Red One, Tora Tora Tora, Full Metal Jacket (I watch this every time I see it on TV even thought I own it on DVD),  & Platoon, are some of my faves.

I also like Boys in Company C, MASH, Catch-22, Apocalypse Now, & Dr. Strangelove too, I’m not sure if these would be considered “war movies� per se, but these are decidedly more physiological and introspective than the regular blow ‘em type features…

I have both of those, as well as the other Turner produced Civil War movie, Andersonville.

I have a rather large collection of War Movies on DVD, but almost all of them deal with war from a historical perspective, or as a personal one.  I guess one of my problems with most war movies made is that I find them almost laughable.Having spent 10 years in the Infantry, and worked with the equipment and tactics extensively, I simply can't watch Ahnold running through a field of machine guns and exploding grenades without getting a scratch.  Or watch Rambo firing a rocket from inside of a helicopter, and not wonder why all of the POWs he worked so hard to rescue were not incinerated in the rear by the backblast.

But looking through my collection, it is obvious that I do not watch them to "glorify war".  Some of my most prized DVDs are The Battleship Potemkin, Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, Andersonville, Letters From Iwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers, Doctor Strangelove, and Fail-Safe (the 2000 George Clooney version).

In fact, the 2000 version of Fail-Safe was broadcast on live TV, but was not released in the US until 2 weeks ago.  I got my copy in 2001 from an importer.  It is a Region Code 2 movie, so I can only watch it on my computer.  This is yet another movie I am going to have to rebuy.


I haven't seen Andersonville yet.  I've seen Glory, that was o.k.  i'd like to see a movie called "The Boys In Blue".

All's Quiet on the Western Front, Gettysburg, and you really must see The Big Red One.  Once on PBS they had(for those who can handle subtitles) the Russian version of War and Peace, and I remember being very impressed with it, though I don't know if it is readily available.

One of my favorite war films is Zulu with Michael Caine. I also like Von Ryan's Express with Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard.

One of my favorite war films is Zulu with Michael Caine. I also like Von Ryan's Express with Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard.


"Von Ryan's Express". Good one.

All's Quiet on the Western Front, Gettysburg, and you really must see The Big Red One.  Once on PBS they had(for those who can handle subtitles) the Russian version of War and Peace, and I remember being very impressed with it, though I don't know if it is readily available.


Once on PBS they had(for those who can handle subtitles) the Russian version of War and Peace, and I remember being very impressed with it, though I don't know if it is readily available.

It's 6.5 hours long. Very good actually and does a good job a keeping true to the book (or at least it tries). And I do believe it's available on Netflix.

You got 6.5 hours free, Mush ?
???

One of my favorite war films is Zulu with Michael Caine. I also like Von Ryan's Express with Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard.


Zulu is a superb movie.


Once on PBS they had(for those who can handle subtitles) the Russian version of War and Peace, and I remember being very impressed with it, though I don't know if it is readily available.

It's 6.5 hours long. Very good actually and does a good job a keeping true to the book (or at least it tries). And I do believe it's available on Netflix.

You got 6.5 hours free, Mush ?
???



That is why god made snow storms    ;D

It's 6.5 hours long. Very good actually and does a good job a keeping true to the book (or at least it tries). And I do believe it's available on Netflix.

You got 6.5 hours free, Mush ?


I just finished North & South, that was 30 hours.  And last week I saw Roots, that was around 18 hours.

War movies, my favorite genre. I especially love WWII movies but I do like most.
my favorites are:

Revolution

Glory

The African Queen

Band of Brothers
Battle Of The Bulge
The Big Red One
The Bridge Of Remagen
A Bridge Too Far
The Devil's Brigade
The Dirty Dozen
Saving Private Ryan
Memphis Belle
Tuskegee Airmen
Stalag 17
Flying Misfits

Bat 21
We Were Soldiers
Full Metal Jacket
The Deer Hunter

The one war movie I hated was "The Longest Day," the movie was star studded but it lacked any realism.

I just finished North & South, that was 30 hours.  And last week I saw Roots, that was around 18 hours.


Ah yes, North and South.  That is a very long miniseries.  (off topic, I'm reading The Gods of Newport by John Jakes . . . excellent book!!)  Roots was great for drama, I think it was the first TV program to really bring the issue of American Slavery to light.  Quite haunting really.

I really liked Letters from Iwo Jima (although I still have yet to see Flags of our fathers).  Another movie I liked was We were soldiers (starring Mel Gibson).  I liked Braveheart too. 

Some others I enjoyed were:
The Lost Battalion - starring Rick Schroder
Black Hawk Down
Kingdom of Heaven
Band of Brothers
Behind Enemy Lines
Windtalkers

I never really liked war movies per say but there were a few good ones:

Gettysburg
Glory
The Patriot
Flags of Our Fathers
Swing Shift (sorta a war movie-about the home front)
Braveheart
North & South (the first 2 were ok-the 3rd sucked)
M*A*S*H (the series was MUCH better than the original movie)
All the Horatio Hornblower movies (with Ioan Gruffudd)
All the Sharpe movies


Cat

TORA,TORA,TORA

I don't watch them usually, but since my dad is so into them, I watch them w/ him.

The ones I've seen:

Tora Tora Tora
The Longest Day
(actually all war & westerns starring John Wayne)
A Bride Too Far
Bridge Over River Kwai
Band of Brothers (mom gave me their DVD collection of the series)
Black Hawk Down (Micah's favorite)
Braveheart (own it, was just on tv tonight)
North & South (also have most of John Jakes' books including this one)
MASH (movie & tv series)
The Patriot
Windtalkers (didn't like it as much as I thought I would)
Still waiting to see the whole movie of Saving Private Ryan and Hamburger Hill
I'm sure there are others I'm not remembering right now

Just saw Flags of our Fathers, want to see Letters from Iwo Jima next

Zulu is a superb movie.

That is why god made snow storms    ;D


i]Zulu is a superb movie.

You like "Zulu"? I'm surprised. It's a great movie, very atmospheric, tense and at times scary too, but those poor Zulus really take a beating in the "let's kill 'em by the dozen" kind of way. Hmmmm?

Anyone hear anything about the movie Waterloo?  I think it's a French production (I know, why wouldn't it be?)  I would like to see it.

i]Zulu is a superb movie.

You like "Zulu"? I'm surprised. It's a great movie, very atmospheric, tense and at times scary too, but those poor Zulus really take a beating in the "let's kill 'em by the dozen" kind of way. Hmmmm?



War is about slaughter. Little Big Man, was a great movie, but it contained the slaughter of Native Americans.  These movies can be extremely uncomfortable to watch, but war is not a comfortable subject.

War is about slaughter. Little Big Man, was a great movie, but it contained the slaughter of Native Americans.  These movies can be extremely uncomfortable to watch, but war is not a comfortable subject.


It's been a couple of years since I last saw "Zulu" and I missed part of its first few minutes when I did, but "Little Big Man" and "Zulu" are worlds apart on how "the natives" are viewed and treated. At least that's how I remember it. Parts of "Zulu" reminded me of those crazy Zombie flics -- hordes of crazies coming at you so just kill them all.

War! What is it good for?? Absolutely nothin' ! (except for making some great movies!  ;) )

I've always been a fan of war movies, but I do believe at some point if you really want to make a statement about a particular war then you probably need to make a documentary. No?

WWII has some of the best films. Some of my favorites

Inside the Third Reich (1982)  --this was made for television.
Soldier of Orange (1977)  --Dutch resistance fighters during WWII. One of the best of '70s.
The World at War (1974) --this is that excellent made for television documentary about WWII.
The Train (1964)
Von Ryan's Express (1965) --my favorite.
The Burmese Harp (1956) --WWII as seen by some Japanese soldiers. A little different than the others.

And these too where WWII plays a significant part

The Conformist (1970)
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
The Great Dictator (1940)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Casablanca (1942)
Life Is Beautiful (1998)

Life Is Beautiful (1998)


Loved that one too.  Although I prefer the un-dubbed version with English subtitles.  I dunno, I'm weird like that, but I like reading subtitles.  :)

I love Full Metal Jacket but the fact that it was filmed in England is kinda of distracting - especially once we get out of boot camp.

Paths of Glory is one of Kubrick's best films.

Hamburger Hill was pretty good.

Saving Private Ryan was good but I have an issue with the idea of saving one guy because all his brothers were killed. Based on this concept then no only children should ever be sent to war...

Personally I hate Apocolypse Now.

other war movies that suck... Victory, Casualties of War,  In Country, Rambo...okay so Rambo is an after the war movie... you can take the green beret out of the war but you can't take the war out of the green beret.


I have seen but have completely forgotten Platoon although AFI listed it as one of the 100 greatest films. Makes want to see it again.
 

It's been a couple of years since I last saw "Zulu" and I missed part of its first few minutes when I did, but "Little Big Man" and "Zulu" are worlds apart on how "the natives" are viewed and treated. At least that's how I remember it. Parts of "Zulu" reminded me of those crazy Zombie flics -- hordes of crazies coming at you so just kill them all.



I think maybe you should watch this one again. 

I think maybe you should watch this one again. 


I'll Netflix it next week. This time I won't miss any "important" parts ?

It's been a couple of years since I last saw "Zulu" and I missed part of its first few minutes when I did, but "Little Big Man" and "Zulu" are worlds apart on how "the natives" are viewed and treated. At least that's how I remember it. Parts of "Zulu" reminded me of those crazy Zombie flics -- hordes of crazies coming at you so just kill them all.



I just saw "Little Big Man" about 3 months ago. It was rather funny at times, and rather painstakingly sad, too. But, it was a rather tall tale, so I knew I couldn't take it too seriously. "Zulu" was just sad, but it was told so well and that's what kept it so captivating. It was one of the first films war films I got hooked on and I couldn't let it go.

"Von Ryan's Express". Good one.


Had a great ending to it!! I need to own that one!

Casablanca (1942)



Casablanca has to be one of the best movies-EVER!!!!

Another one I forgot to mention is Gone with the Wind.


Cat

One of the very best war movies I've ever seen was called Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood Of War. It was released in 2004 and was the most expensive movie ever made in South Korea. It takes place during the Korean War and revolves around two brothers who serve in the South Korean army.

I saw it on one of the Encore channels and was immediately riveted. Thankfully it was overdubbed into English so I didn't have to be distracted by subtitles. The battle scenes were extremely well done, so much so that they reminded me of Saving Private Ryan.  And the story was both heroic and tragic at the same time--almost Shakespearean.

I need to go out and buy this movie. If you have Netflix and you enjoy good war movies I highly recommend this one.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/taegukgi_the_brotherhood_of_war/

Saving Private Ryan was good but I have an issue with the idea of saving one guy because all his brothers were killed. Based on this concept then no only children should ever be sent to war...

Personally I hate Apocolypse Now.

other war movies that suck... Victory, Casualties of War,  In Country, Rambo...okay so Rambo is an after the war movie... you can take the green beret out of the war but you can't take the war out of the green beret.


Saving Private Ryan was not about an only son, but an only survuving son, who's 3 brothers had all died within days of each other.  i think it was done more for his mother (who had sacrificed 3 of her 4 sons) then for himself.

I hated "Poklips Now" as well.  I found it disjointed and confusing.  About the only enjoyable part for me was Robert Duvall.

But there are a lot of other movies I neglected to mention:

The Deer Hunter
Starship Troopers (although the sequal sucked)
Siege On Firebase Gloria (With R. Lee Ermy)
Birth Of A Nation
Empire Of The Sun
Hart's War
Tears Of The Sun

Part of the problem is in actually deciding what a "War Movie" is.  Sometimes it is obvious, like "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band Of Brothers".  Then you have movies which are kind of a Hybred, like The Deer Hunter or Heartbreak Ridge.  These have a lot of "Peace Time" sequences, but still have some involvement in fighting a war.

Then you have the movies where there is a war going on, but there is little or no fighting depicted.  M*A*S*H is a perfect example of this.  North & South comes very close.  Out of 18 hours of movies, there is less then 1 hour of "War" shown.

Saving Private Ryan was not about an only son, but an only survuving son, who's 3 brothers had all died within days of each other.  i think it was done more for his mother (who had sacrificed 3 of her 4 sons) then for himself.

I hated "Poklips Now" as well.  I found it disjointed and confusing.  About the only enjoyable part for me was Robert Duvall.

But there are a lot of other movies I neglected to mention:

The Deer Hunter
Starship Troopers (although the sequal sucked)
Siege On Firebase Gloria (With R. Lee Ermy)
Birth Of A Nation
Empire Of The Sun
Hart's War
Tears Of The Sun

Part of the problem is in actually deciding what a "War Movie" is.  Sometimes it is obvious, like "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band Of Brothers".  Then you have movies which are kind of a Hybred, like The Deer Hunter or Heartbreak Ridge.  These have a lot of "Peace Time" sequences, but still have some involvement in fighting a war.

Then you have the movies where there is a war going on, but there is little or no fighting depicted.  M*A*S*H is a perfect example of this.  North & South comes very close.  Out of 18 hours of movies, there is less then 1 hour of "War" shown.


I hated "Poklips Now" as well.  I found it disjointed and confusing.  About the only enjoyable part for me was Robert Duvall.

True. Apocalypse Now is overrated (at least it is to me), but it does have two things going for it
1. Robert Duvall
2. Its cinematography. Which was done by one of the best in the '70s -- Vittorio Storaro.

I hated "Poklips Now" as well.  I found it disjointed and confusing.  About the only enjoyable part for me was Robert Duvall.

True. Apocalypse Now is overrated (at least it is to me), but it does have two things going for it
1. Robert Duvall
2. Its cinematography. Which was done by one of the best in the '70s -- Vittorio Storaro.


Thanks for fore warning me for Apocalypse Now is in our plie of DVDs to watch, in this case it can to the bottom of the pile. BTW, with 40 years of movie watching behind me, I have never seen it.

Thanks for fore warning me for Apocalypse Now is in our plie of DVDs to watch, in this case it can to the bottom of the pile. BTW, with 40 years of movie watching behind me, I have never seen it.


I tell people if you want to be entertained by Vietnam then see Apocalypse Now. But if you really want to learn something about Vietnam then see this documentary -- 1983's "Vietnam: A Television History".


A "pile of DVDs" ? How did you acquire a whole unseen pile ?  ???

I tell people if you want to be entertained by Vietnam then see Apocalypse Now. But if you really want to learn something about Vietnam then see this documentary -- 1983's "Vietnam: A Television History".


A "pile of DVDs" ? How did you acquire a whole unseen pile ?  ???


Unseen pile, is the stack of DVDs that are yet to be watched.

A "pile of DVDs" ? How did you acquire a whole unseen pile ?  ???


I often have the same problem.  I normally buy 2-5 movies at a time, a mixture of movies I have seen before (but want to keep in my collection), and movies I have not seen.  The ones that are new to me are watched first, and the others go into a pile to be watched at a later date.

Currently some of the movies in my "To watch" pile are:

Star Trek 1 & 2
The Day After
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Music And Lyrics (I say it on sattelite and loved it, so bought it when I saw it on sale)
A League Of Their Own
Schindler's List (already owned the video tape, wanted the DVD - can only watch once a year or so)

And there are probably 3 or 4 more in my collection I have not gotten around to watching yet.  Most of the time I get a movie, but am not in the mood to watch it at that particular time.  So it waits until I am in the "right mood".

Of course, people are always amazed at my constantly growing collection.  At last count, it was somewhere around 450 movies, and that was last year.

Mushroom, did you see that Stephen Spielburg and Tom Hanks are doing a "Band of Brother's" for the Pacific Theater?  Based of a couple of books, one of them being "With the Old Breed."  I think anyway, not certain on the two titles.  That should be pretty good I think.


Band of Brother's was one of my favorite.  What I like is the interviews with the actual people in the War.  It is sad because America doesn't really know what it is loosing when the WWII survivors pass away.  I liked Flags of our Fathers alot cause it finally showed a portion of what the Marines went through in the Pacific.  It also meant alot to me because I have actually been to Iwo Jima.  It was definitely a great experience.   I would like to see Letters from Iwo Jima as well. 


Saving Private Ryan
We Were Soldiers
Blackhawk Down
Glory
Full Metal Jacket
Enemy at the Gates
The Longest Day (I actually thought it was well done for the time)
Platoon
Hambuger Hill - a great movie showing the true nature of the Vietnam War, fight for a hill then give it right back.
Gettysburg
Braveheart
The Patriot
Flyboys
Memphis Bell
Tears of the Sun
The Great Raid
Kingdom of Heaven
Last of the Mohicans
Purple Heart
Last Samurai
Good Morning Vietnam
Red Dawn
Dances with Wolves - had a few battle scenes in it.

Predator and Aliens lol


The tactics shown in the first part of Gladiator were pretty good.  The war scenes in Legends of the Fall were pretty good too.

Does anyone remember a film called "Letters Home from Vietnam"? (had a title something like that).  It was more of a "semi-documentary." I think it ran on HBO back in the late 80s but was never a theatrical release.  It comprised the dialogue of real letters sent home from servicepeople in the Vietnam war mixed with news footage and also had a soundtrack of music popular at the time.  Popular actors such as Michael J. Fox, Willem Dafoe and Kathleen Turner did some of the voiceovers reading the letters. 

I had a high school history teacher that was a Vietnam vet that said to him this film captured the feeling better than any other movie made about Vietnam.  I thought it was very well made myself.

I just finished watching "Joyeux Noel"  about troops in 1914 having a Christmas truce and celebrating together.  Fantastic!

Unseen pile, is the stack of DVDs that are yet to be watched.


Well I've got 2 from Netflix yesterday that still need to be viewed. That be my "unseen pile".

I just finished watching "Joyeux Noel"  about troops in 1914 having a Christmas truce and celebrating together.  Fantastic!
Is that when football was played too?

a couple other Vietnam war movies that I've watched and thought were good films are:

Go Tell The Spartans
Rumors Of War

Some of my personal favorites include Platoon, The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, The Big Red One, The Longest day, We Were Soldiers  and I remember back in the 60's watching the televison series "Combat" starring Vic Morrow.

Is that when football was played too?


Yes.  They drank, smoked, sang, played games.  It shows the folly of war, hate, extreme nationalism, and who really pays the price.

I liked The Deer Hunter, The Great Escape, The Bridge On The River Kwai, and Full Metal Jacket.

Yes.  They drank, smoked, sang, played games.  It shows the folly of war, hate, extreme nationalism, and who really pays the price.
I am adding that film to my must-see list.

a couple other Vietnam war movies that I've watched and thought were good films are:

Go Tell The Spartans
Rumors Of War
Galilipoli
Some of my personal favorites include Platoon, The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, The Big Red One, The Longest day, We Were Soldiers  and I remember back in the 60's watching the televison series "Combat" starring Vic Morrow.


I remember back in the 60's watching the televison series "Combat" starring Vic Morrow.

And so did I. My first "must see" TV moments. I think I even got some sort of Combat guns and ammo toy(s) for Christmas one year.
Now if you liked Combat then it's only logical that you also like the movie "Battle of the Bulge" (1965), too. A childhood movie favorite for me.

I remember back in the 60's watching the televison series "Combat" starring Vic Morrow.

And so did I. My first "must see" TV moments. I think I even got some sort of Combat guns and ammo toy(s) for Christmas one year.
Now if you liked Combat then it's only logical that you also like the movie "Battle of the Bulge" (1965), too. A childhood movie favorite for me.




The Rat Patrol

http://www.mikecampbell.net/the_ca52.jpg

The Rat Patrol

http://www.mikecampbell.net/the_ca52.jpg


I think Rat Patrol was a television series that was on a few years after Combat had started. I believe RP was on on Friday nights. I didn't think it was as good as Combat. Something was missing with RP. I guess chasing Nazis around the desert in Jeeps isn't as exciting or interesting as fighting them on their "home turf" in Europe and on the road to the Fatherland and Berlin.

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/01/ak.gif

The only war movie I've seen in full is Glory (1989). My American History teacher really wanted to show this movie to our class when I was in the 11th grade, but obviously got turned down because the of the movie's R rating.

Think I'll watch Gettysburg AGAIN!!!!! :) :) :)

Think I'll watch Gettysburg AGAIN!!!!! :) :) :)


Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is The Man!!!

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is The Man!!!


The bayonet charge is a kick-arse scene.

Saving Private Ryan was not about an only son, but an only survuving son, who's 3 brothers had all died within days of each other.  i think it was done more for his mother (who had sacrificed 3 of her 4 sons) then for himself.



I know it was about "Saving" Private Ryan because he was sole surviving Ryan.  Yeah it's sad that his mother was notified on the same day about 3 of her 4 sons but my point is. It would be just as devestating for a mother of an only child to hear the news about her only son. It seems illogical that Matt Damon's character would be discharged because his brothers died in wartime! It's as if they were saying we can't lose the whole family - by this logic then only children should be exempt from war because of the same reason...

Its just military intelligence at work. 

I know it was about "Saving" Private Ryan because he was sole surviving Ryan.  Yeah it's sad that his mother was notified on the same day about 3 of her 4 sons but my point is. It would be just as devestating for a mother of an only child to hear the news about her only son. It seems illogical that Matt Damon's character would be discharged because his brothers died in wartime! It's as if they were saying we can't lose the whole family - by this logic then only children should be exempt from war because of the same reason...

Its just military intelligence at work.   


I dont know, but I think the same would be used for an only son going to war.  However, I dont think thats always the case.

I dont know, but I think the same would be used for an only son going to war.  However, I dont think thats always the case.


Contrary to popular belief, this has never really been the case.

During the earliest wars in our nations history (1812, Mexican, Civil War) it could be used as an exemption, but only to avoid military service in the first place.  This is because of the inheritance laws of the time, because if all male heirs died, property ownership often ended up falling to somebody outside of the family.

By the time of WWI, this had largely been resolved.  Sufferage had led to women having not only the right to vote, but to own property as well.  So there was no longer the possible threat of a widow being thrown out of her house by a distant cousin or nephew who was suddenly the only legal "heir".

By WWII, this type of occurence only rarely came about.  Mostly because of the tragedy of the Sullivan Brothers, where 5 brothers died while serving aboard the same ship.

The Sole Survivor Policy is still in effect, but it merely prevents the drafting of a sole surviving son.  It also protects them from combat duty.  But because we have an all-volunteer military, anybody who enlists is exempt from it's requirements.

And there are still many cases of siblings serving together, contrary to the belief of there being such a rule.  From 1988-1991, the Battalion Commander of 2nd Battalion 2nd Marine Regiment served with his younger brother, who was the Field Mess NCO for the battalion.  And they held the same positions while serving together during the 1991 Gulf War.

And it is not unusual to see this happening in National Guard units.

Channel 4 on UK television is re-showing the programme 100 Best War Films as voted by the public, and the Top 20 were:

1. Saving Private Ryan, 1998
2. Apocalypse Now, 1979
3. The Great Escape, 1963
4. Schindler's List, 1993
5. Full Metal Jacket, 1987
6. Platoon, 1986
7. A Bridge Too Far, 1977
8. Zulu, 1964
9. Black Hawk Down , 2001
10. The Bridge On The River Kwai, 1957
11. The Dam Busters, 1954
12. The Deer Hunter, 1978
13. Braveheart, 1995
14. The Guns Of Navarone, 1961
15. The Killing Fields, 1984
16. The Thin Red Line, 1998
17. Das Boot, 1981
18. Dr Strangelove, 1964
19. Born On The Fourth Of July, 1989
20. The Longest Day, 1962