Here are a few selected links re: The Invasion of Normandy:
I think this year, instead of ranting about the colloquial mis-use of military terminology, I'll whinge about movies.
The Longest Day, to be precise.
Considering how many veterans, all nations, were still alive at the time of filming, you'd think Zanuck could and would have made more of an attempt at accuracy.
Mrs. Drang will find this hard to believe, but I actually do have a certain tolerance for inaccuracy in movies and TV, some things are just hard to portray, or need to be compressed for time and distance.
OTOH...
Robert Wagner conducting the initial briefing for the Rangers on the final approach to Point du Hoc was always a bit much for me.
Then, when they got to the top of the cliffs, they slaughter a bunch of Germans who are trying to surrender, and they neglect to mention that the artillery pieces that had not been installed in the bunkers were sitting in an orchard just a little distance inland, and were still very much a threat to the landings.
Meanwhile, in other movie criticism...
In the post immediately before last year's "D-Day rant", I spoke of a certain condescending Command Sergeant Major I spent a year or so fighting. At another point, he called a meeting to tell us (the Company First Sergeants) all about how Saving Private Ryan, which had just come out, was showing at the post theater, and they were running special matinées every day, the installation commander had authorized half days so the troops could go see it, etc., etc.
I asked why.
"It's a great lesson in The Army Values, SFC Drang"--yes, he pronounced Army Values with capital letters--"and every soldier should see it."
I expressed
- concern about ordering soldiers to pay to go see a movie, and
- skepticism about whether a couple of Hollywood liberals had anything to teach about soldiering.
I suppose I wasn't doing anything for that jackass' opinion of my detachment, which, as I said before, he hated, but I had already decided to retire ASAP...
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