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richfed
Sachem
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 13 2002
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 Posted - November 30 2002 : 1:43:07 PM
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As the good Colonel Moore [upon whose book this film is based] says, "They [Hollywood] finally got it right." When you think of it, that's about as ringing an endorsement a film of this genre requires. Make no mistake, this is not just another war film.
I want to read this book - that's the effect the film had on me ... We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young. Mel Gibson stars as Moore, commander of the first(?) major engagement between U.S. troops & the North Vietnamese. He's Gibson, a bit more understated than usual ... a fine performance. Sam Elliott was born to play roles like the one he plays here as a battle hardened Sargent Major. As Gibson says, the pair are "good cop - bad cop" to the troops.
The movie is quite engaging, ala Blackhawk Down, in that you really are transported - through the magic of film - to the front lines; in all its bloddy confused furor. In addition, We Were Soldiers shows the home-front realistically, and will tug at your heartstrings. That's where Madeleine Stowe comes in ... good solid performance from Stowe in a bit of a relative [compared to Gibson] "window dressing" role ... now, Maddy, about that face job ... ?????!!!!!????? 
Good shew, really, good shew! See it! The DVD, btw, has an excellent behind-the-scenes feature, as well!
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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002
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Posted - December 01 2002 : 07:01:02 AM
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Rich,
In July of this year, my Regiment, The Augusta Regiment, was asked to participate in the Bicentennial celebration in Bloomsburg, PA. We set a camp and entertained/educated the public for 3 days. The Purple Heart Society in Bloomsburg area, through Jim Bowen, a 1st AirCav vet, made contact with me and asked if I/we would be interested in helping with the dedication of a memorial plaque for 2 young men from the Bloom area who had been killed in the Ia Drang Valley. I immediately accepted his request, and began to put together the program. It would prove to be one of the most heart-wrenching, yet satisfying projects I ever participated in.
Their story is fascinating: two young men from the same locality, did not know each other at home, ended up in Vietnam in the same squad,......and died together on the same little patch of ground. Their story starts where "We were Soldiers" leaves off. They were in the column coming to Col. Moore's relief.
Here is the text of my remarks that day:
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Dedication of Memorial Plaque and Remembrance
Bloomsburg, PA
6 July 2002
We are gathered here today to pay tribute to two sons of this Valley who have made the supreme sacrifice in the defense of Liberty. Few of us here today had the chance to know Ralph Brown or Donald Crane, but thanks to W. Michael McMunn, of Williamsport, whose outstanding research and the heartfelt, compelling need to record their story in an essay entitled, “Ordered to Vietnam” we can have a chance here to learn about them. Most of the information in my remarks today are from Mr. McMunn’s work.
Ralph Wayne Brown was born in Chester, Pennsylvania on July 14, 1942. Ralph entered the old red-brick, two-story Bloomsburg High School in 1956 having transferred from Spring City, a small community northwest of Philadelphia. As a youth he attended school in Bloomsburg while living on a farm that, in 1960, became the site of the present Bloomsburg High School. The homestead was on a beautiful expanse of fertile flat land next to Fishing Creek. The Brown family was fairly well known in the town having operated a dairy story at the farm for a number of years.
Unmotivated to remain in school and with an intense interest in horses Ralph dropped out of high school in April 1959 before he completed the ninth grade. An interest in horses is apparent as he appears in the Bloomsburg High School yearbook "Memorabilia" in a photograph of the school Horsemen's Club. Continuing his love of horses, he became employed as racehorse caretaker and a blacksmith. Ralph Brown spent much of his time at various racetracks in the eastern part of the United States and had been working at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds before his entry into the Army.
Ralph's parents later owned a farm in Jackson Township, in northern Columbia County not far from the community that the Cranes called home. Ralph had two brothers: Frank, Jr. and Edward. While Donald Crane was completing his fourth week of basic combat training Ralph Brown entered the United States Army. On February 26, 1964, as a draftee, he was sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for his basic combat training and upon completion sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for advanced individual training.
Donald Ellis Crane was born September 29, 1941 at Hunlock Creek, Pennsylvania. One of 15 children (seven brothers and seven sisters) Donald Crane spent most of his life in the Hunlock Creek and Huntington Township area. Donald grew up in poverty. His father, Walter, was a hard-coal miner, a lumberman and a factory worker during different times of his life. He made little money and thus the family usually lived from hand to mouth. Of course, with such a large family Donald's mother, Erma, stayed at home and with the help of the older children tended to the younger children.
After living in different areas of Luzerne County, Donald spent most of his teenage years living near the vi |
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richfed
Sachem
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 13 2002
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Posted - December 02 2002 : 05:00:16 AM
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Wow, Seamus, I certainly didn't expect to elicit that kind of response from my post! Very moving ... great post ... thanks!
Glad you mentioned the 7th Cavalry, too. I had forgotten to bring that up in my original posting. The film several times draws attention to the historical parallels - and not so [Elliott's line cracked me up!] - between Custer's 7th & Moore's. Interesting for this viewer! Got to see it again, AND read the book! |
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Ellie
Pioneer
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
July 22 2002
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Posted - December 03 2002 : 05:16:12 AM
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| I saw We Were Soldiers a while back on the big screen, it was so moving and I was very close to tears. The only other film to move me to tears and move me so much, that I kept thinking about it for days after, was Life Is Beautiful. I thought everything abotu WWS was so well done, it was so gruesome and it made you feel like you were in the middle of battle with them. It was not sentimental or over acted and it was heartbreaking really. |
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We Were Soldiers
