Teufelshunde
01-23-2006, 19:31
A really interesting article appeared recently in the Marine Corps Times, not sure if it was included in the Navy Times, so I thought I'd post it since if offers some interesting thoughts as to the warrior ethos....
January 09, 2006
Blockbuster Resolutions: Improve your life this year with lessons from war flicks
By C. Mark Brinkley
Times staff writer
Not everything you learn from war movies proves useful. Think again before, say, cauterizing a bullet wound with gunpowder: Thanks anyway, Rambo. Likewise, no matter how much he might deserve it, ordering the Code Red for a wayward platoon member is almost always a bad idea.
But as 2006 arrives, we realize that you might be of a mind to make a few resolutions. Overhaul your life. Become a better warrior.
Our advice? Hollywood blockbusters.
Sure, spending less time in front of the tube is what most life-reformists have in mind, but we like to aim for targets we can hit. Watching more movies comes just behind “drink more beer” in terms of resolutions we won’t cheat on.
Unlike the brewski idea, popping in a classic war flick can have positive results. Each one is a modern morality play, geared for the war fighter and filled with insightful social and political commentary that can make you a better human.
Seriously, you can memorize Clausewitz (“War is merely a continuation of politics ...”) or rent “Gods and Generals” — same difference. Study Sun Tzu (“No nation has ever benefited from protracted warfare ...”) or watch “Platoon.”
Sound like a fairly easy decision? Looks like you’re opening your mind to new ideas already.
Now, kick back in your easy chair, pop a bag of Jiffy Pop and couch-potato your way into an extreme makeover. To get you started, we’ve analyzed the plots and subplots for a dirty dozen such films and outlined the obvious (and not-so-obvious) lessons found inside.
Incorporate a few into your life this year, and pretty soon, your friends won’t even recognize you ... though it might be because all you do is sit around watching movies.
Hey, you have to know the path to walk the path. No one said change comes easy.
While we still have your attention ...
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Plot basics: Lee Marvin has the unenviable task of turning a group of lifers and death-row inmates (including Charles Bronson, Jim Brown and Telly Savalas) into a crack commando unit, then sending them to knock off a group of Germans on the night before D-Day. If they live, they go free. Not a bad deal.
Life lesson: People make mistakes. You can either kick them to the curb and overwork a recruiter to replace them, or you can forgive and forget. We say try letting some things slide this year. The “zero defects” mentality is so 1992.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Plot basics: Often considered one of the great Vietnam War films, the movie stars Martin Sheen as Army Capt. Benjamin Willard, sent to Cambodia to assassinate Marlon Brando, an AWOL Green Beret colonel on the verge of insanity and waging his own private war. Now that Willard has the assignment he’s been seeking, will he be able to complete it?
Life lesson: Be careful what you wish for. Far too often, troops complain about not seeing any action, or enough action, or the right kind of action. Generally speaking, any day that you don’t get shot at is a pretty good day.
First Blood (1982)
Plot basics: Disturbed Vietnam vet John Rambo (Sly Stallone, in one of the roles that made him an icon) gets roughed up by a small-town police force, then gives ’em more than they bargained for. While its sequels digressed into B-movie fodder, the original serves as a cautionary tale of dealing with the lasting effects of war.
Life lesson: Confront your emotions. As thousands return home from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, the message of “First Blood” couldn’t be more timely: You are not the same person. Talk to someone, or offer to listen. Emotional wounds can cut as deep as any bullet, but the scars are often invisible. Reaching out for help doesn’t make you weak.
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Plot basics: Robin Williams stars as a military DJ whose brand of “shock-jock” radio in 1965 Saigon upsets commanders but uplifts the troops’ spirits.
Life lesson: Keep your sense of humor. Sure, war is a serious business, and these days, business is good. People get wounded. People die. But laughter really is the best medicine. So pack comedies in your deployment DVD collection. Crack a joke, if you know one. Find a reason to smile. There will be plenty of reasons not to later.
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Plot basics: Clint Eastwood stars as Gunny Highway, a rough-and-tumble Marine who turns a platoon of screw-ups into hard-charging leathernecks, then leads them into combat. OK, it’s combat against some Cuban ditch-diggers on Grenada, but still ...
Life lesson: You go to war with the troops you’ve got, not the troops you wish you had. Anyone can learn with the proper motivation. So improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Plot basics: U.S. troops head into downtown Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture the top lieutenants of a warlord on a mission expected to take only an hour. The soldiers instead find themselves outnumbered and fighting for their lives, thanks to bad intelligence and a series of miscues. The movie is based on a now-famous Oct. 3, 1993, mission in which 18 U.S. troops were killed and 73 were wounded in a 15-hour battle.
Life lesson: Expect the worst, and you’ll never be disappointed. It’s easy to become complacent after weeks and months of the same-old, same-old. So bring night vision, bring water and prepare to be there awhile. You can laugh about how paranoid you are after you get home safe and sound.
Red Dawn (1984)
Plot basics: When the United States is invaded by Central American and Soviet forces, the nation’s last best hope for survival is, you guessed it, Patrick Swayze. Long before he was taking out the trash as the super-tough bouncer (we thought he’d be bigger) in “Road House,” Swayze was leading a team of high school rebels (including “Dirty Dancing” co-star Jennifer Grey) in an insurgency effort to save the United States from communism.
Life lesson: Win their hearts and minds. As far-fetched as the movie might be, its message of “peaceful population turns insurgent” illustrates how a small, well-armed resistance can make things rough for a large, lumbering occupying force. Need more research? Check out “Star Wars.” That Death Star was a great idea, right up until the rebels blew it to smithereens.
Patton (1970)
Plot basics: The life and times of Gen. George S. Patton, the crass and colorful warrior who won many a battle (“Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book ...”) but ultimately was undone by his habit of saying and doing precisely the wrong thing at precisely the wrong moment. And by a car wreck, which led to the war hero’s death in Germany in 1945.
Life lesson: “Lead me, follow me or get the hell out of my way.” One of Patton’s better ideas, the phrase still works for today’s war fighter. Patton wasn’t always right, to be certain, but at least he knew what it took to get the job done: Take charge, but know when to fall in line.
Braveheart (1995)
Plot basics: Mel Gibson stars as William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who leads a rebellion to free his people from English rule.
Life lesson: Some things are worth fighting for. It’s a small consolation, to be sure, when you’re away from home and family for months on end, lonely and tired. But it’s a noble thing to risk one’s life so that another might know real freedom. Be proud of yourself.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Plot basics: After his three brothers are killed in action during World War II, Pvt. James Francis Ryan has earned a ticket home — assuming the Army can find him alive. Tom Hanks leads a reluctant team of soldiers tasked with risking their lives to save one man. If they succeed, they might restore hope to a family that’s more than paid its dues.
Life lesson: A person’s ability is often best judged by the work he is assigned. If it’s a tough job, and someone’s got to do it, be thankful you’re the one who is called. Doing the dirty work is a lot better than being thought incapable of success.
The Great Escape (1963)
Plot basics: Steve McQueen leads a band of POWs as it attempts to break out of a Nazi prison camp touted as inescapable.
Life lesson: Shoot for the stars. Maybe you’ll fail, but at least you’ll know you went for it. The road to mediocrity is crowded with people who never tried anything great for fear of failing. And the list of people who did great things without even trying is really, really short.
Stripes (1981)
Plot basics: A warped comedy about two guys with nowhere else to go who join the Army to get in shape and eventually lead a team of losers to victory. Sound a lot like “Heartbreak Ridge”? This one is funny.
Life lesson: Anyone can change. Even you. So do something different this year. Quit smoking or max out the pull-ups or check into some college courses. You’ll be glad you did. And that’s a fact, Jack.
January 09, 2006
Blockbuster Resolutions: Improve your life this year with lessons from war flicks
By C. Mark Brinkley
Times staff writer
Not everything you learn from war movies proves useful. Think again before, say, cauterizing a bullet wound with gunpowder: Thanks anyway, Rambo. Likewise, no matter how much he might deserve it, ordering the Code Red for a wayward platoon member is almost always a bad idea.
But as 2006 arrives, we realize that you might be of a mind to make a few resolutions. Overhaul your life. Become a better warrior.
Our advice? Hollywood blockbusters.
Sure, spending less time in front of the tube is what most life-reformists have in mind, but we like to aim for targets we can hit. Watching more movies comes just behind “drink more beer” in terms of resolutions we won’t cheat on.
Unlike the brewski idea, popping in a classic war flick can have positive results. Each one is a modern morality play, geared for the war fighter and filled with insightful social and political commentary that can make you a better human.
Seriously, you can memorize Clausewitz (“War is merely a continuation of politics ...”) or rent “Gods and Generals” — same difference. Study Sun Tzu (“No nation has ever benefited from protracted warfare ...”) or watch “Platoon.”
Sound like a fairly easy decision? Looks like you’re opening your mind to new ideas already.
Now, kick back in your easy chair, pop a bag of Jiffy Pop and couch-potato your way into an extreme makeover. To get you started, we’ve analyzed the plots and subplots for a dirty dozen such films and outlined the obvious (and not-so-obvious) lessons found inside.
Incorporate a few into your life this year, and pretty soon, your friends won’t even recognize you ... though it might be because all you do is sit around watching movies.
Hey, you have to know the path to walk the path. No one said change comes easy.
While we still have your attention ...
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Plot basics: Lee Marvin has the unenviable task of turning a group of lifers and death-row inmates (including Charles Bronson, Jim Brown and Telly Savalas) into a crack commando unit, then sending them to knock off a group of Germans on the night before D-Day. If they live, they go free. Not a bad deal.
Life lesson: People make mistakes. You can either kick them to the curb and overwork a recruiter to replace them, or you can forgive and forget. We say try letting some things slide this year. The “zero defects” mentality is so 1992.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Plot basics: Often considered one of the great Vietnam War films, the movie stars Martin Sheen as Army Capt. Benjamin Willard, sent to Cambodia to assassinate Marlon Brando, an AWOL Green Beret colonel on the verge of insanity and waging his own private war. Now that Willard has the assignment he’s been seeking, will he be able to complete it?
Life lesson: Be careful what you wish for. Far too often, troops complain about not seeing any action, or enough action, or the right kind of action. Generally speaking, any day that you don’t get shot at is a pretty good day.
First Blood (1982)
Plot basics: Disturbed Vietnam vet John Rambo (Sly Stallone, in one of the roles that made him an icon) gets roughed up by a small-town police force, then gives ’em more than they bargained for. While its sequels digressed into B-movie fodder, the original serves as a cautionary tale of dealing with the lasting effects of war.
Life lesson: Confront your emotions. As thousands return home from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, the message of “First Blood” couldn’t be more timely: You are not the same person. Talk to someone, or offer to listen. Emotional wounds can cut as deep as any bullet, but the scars are often invisible. Reaching out for help doesn’t make you weak.
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Plot basics: Robin Williams stars as a military DJ whose brand of “shock-jock” radio in 1965 Saigon upsets commanders but uplifts the troops’ spirits.
Life lesson: Keep your sense of humor. Sure, war is a serious business, and these days, business is good. People get wounded. People die. But laughter really is the best medicine. So pack comedies in your deployment DVD collection. Crack a joke, if you know one. Find a reason to smile. There will be plenty of reasons not to later.
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Plot basics: Clint Eastwood stars as Gunny Highway, a rough-and-tumble Marine who turns a platoon of screw-ups into hard-charging leathernecks, then leads them into combat. OK, it’s combat against some Cuban ditch-diggers on Grenada, but still ...
Life lesson: You go to war with the troops you’ve got, not the troops you wish you had. Anyone can learn with the proper motivation. So improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Plot basics: U.S. troops head into downtown Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture the top lieutenants of a warlord on a mission expected to take only an hour. The soldiers instead find themselves outnumbered and fighting for their lives, thanks to bad intelligence and a series of miscues. The movie is based on a now-famous Oct. 3, 1993, mission in which 18 U.S. troops were killed and 73 were wounded in a 15-hour battle.
Life lesson: Expect the worst, and you’ll never be disappointed. It’s easy to become complacent after weeks and months of the same-old, same-old. So bring night vision, bring water and prepare to be there awhile. You can laugh about how paranoid you are after you get home safe and sound.
Red Dawn (1984)
Plot basics: When the United States is invaded by Central American and Soviet forces, the nation’s last best hope for survival is, you guessed it, Patrick Swayze. Long before he was taking out the trash as the super-tough bouncer (we thought he’d be bigger) in “Road House,” Swayze was leading a team of high school rebels (including “Dirty Dancing” co-star Jennifer Grey) in an insurgency effort to save the United States from communism.
Life lesson: Win their hearts and minds. As far-fetched as the movie might be, its message of “peaceful population turns insurgent” illustrates how a small, well-armed resistance can make things rough for a large, lumbering occupying force. Need more research? Check out “Star Wars.” That Death Star was a great idea, right up until the rebels blew it to smithereens.
Patton (1970)
Plot basics: The life and times of Gen. George S. Patton, the crass and colorful warrior who won many a battle (“Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book ...”) but ultimately was undone by his habit of saying and doing precisely the wrong thing at precisely the wrong moment. And by a car wreck, which led to the war hero’s death in Germany in 1945.
Life lesson: “Lead me, follow me or get the hell out of my way.” One of Patton’s better ideas, the phrase still works for today’s war fighter. Patton wasn’t always right, to be certain, but at least he knew what it took to get the job done: Take charge, but know when to fall in line.
Braveheart (1995)
Plot basics: Mel Gibson stars as William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who leads a rebellion to free his people from English rule.
Life lesson: Some things are worth fighting for. It’s a small consolation, to be sure, when you’re away from home and family for months on end, lonely and tired. But it’s a noble thing to risk one’s life so that another might know real freedom. Be proud of yourself.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Plot basics: After his three brothers are killed in action during World War II, Pvt. James Francis Ryan has earned a ticket home — assuming the Army can find him alive. Tom Hanks leads a reluctant team of soldiers tasked with risking their lives to save one man. If they succeed, they might restore hope to a family that’s more than paid its dues.
Life lesson: A person’s ability is often best judged by the work he is assigned. If it’s a tough job, and someone’s got to do it, be thankful you’re the one who is called. Doing the dirty work is a lot better than being thought incapable of success.
The Great Escape (1963)
Plot basics: Steve McQueen leads a band of POWs as it attempts to break out of a Nazi prison camp touted as inescapable.
Life lesson: Shoot for the stars. Maybe you’ll fail, but at least you’ll know you went for it. The road to mediocrity is crowded with people who never tried anything great for fear of failing. And the list of people who did great things without even trying is really, really short.
Stripes (1981)
Plot basics: A warped comedy about two guys with nowhere else to go who join the Army to get in shape and eventually lead a team of losers to victory. Sound a lot like “Heartbreak Ridge”? This one is funny.
Life lesson: Anyone can change. Even you. So do something different this year. Quit smoking or max out the pull-ups or check into some college courses. You’ll be glad you did. And that’s a fact, Jack.