I just watched “We Were Soldiers “ with Mel Gibson. I’m sure most have seen it, but every one should see it.
I thought it was appropriate on this Memorial Day weekend.
- Thread starter Bear Paw Jack
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contender
Ruger Guru
Yep,, it is a good movie. I've watched it several times.
Another film that comes highly recommended (thanks, SF Hogman) is called "Taking Chance". Have some tissues handy.
Killer Bee
Advanced Level Novice
my favorite line - you want to know what Custer felt? ask him. 
old breed
Single-Sixer
just watched iwo jima USMC veteran DON graves sing the national anthem 94 yrs young. our nation needs heros to emulate, to make us proud and give us the hope that our lives could make a difference with love and sacrifice. we must be humbled , thankful in acknowledging the sacrifices so that we too can contribute.
What I remember is Sam Elliot standing there with that 1911 dropping the VC as they came at him.
old breed
Single-Sixer
i have to pinch myself to be reminded that actors play so many roles they dont know who they are. there were many that came from ww2 to play in great films and westerns. they didnt have identity crisis. sam elliot lost me when he prostituted his status for the democrats in the last election
Came upon this story the other day on the internet. Not sure where it originated or how accurate but I thought it was pretty cool if true. Awesome movie IMHO.
In the weeks after the release of "We Were Soldiers" in 2002, Mel Gibson received a quiet message, off the press circuit and away from the polished interviews. It was about a real man behind the story: Sgt. Charles T. Fitts, a decorated Vietnam veteran who had fought under Lt. Col. Hal Moore during the brutal 1965 Battle of Ia Drang. Fitts, long retired and living in Texas, had recently been hospitalized following a serious injury. He had seen the film, recognized the faces, the terrain, the chaos, and relived it all. Mel Gibson, who portrayed Moore in the film, felt compelled to act, not for publicity, not as a public gesture, but because something about Fitts's situation struck him as unfinished business.
Gibson made no public announcement. No publicist was involved. He boarded a quiet flight to Texas, requested privacy from his team, and arrived alone at the VA hospital where Sgt. Fitts was recovering. It was a weekday afternoon, quiet in the corridors. The nurses were caught off-guard to see Gibson walk in unannounced, wearing jeans, a flannel shirt, and carrying nothing but a copy of "We Were Soldiers" on DVD and a small black notebook. He asked for no press, no cameras, just permission to sit and speak with a man who had lived the hell he had only portrayed.
Fitts, in his early 60s, was recovering from multiple surgeries. When Gibson entered his room, the former sergeant reportedly saluted him instinctively, mistaking him momentarily for someone else in uniform. Then he laughed, recognized the actor, and said, "You looked more tired in the movie than I ever saw Hal Moore." Gibson responded with a small smile and replied, "That's probably because you actually lived it."
Their conversation lasted over an hour. No staff recorded it, no reporters captured it. But a nurse who was present at times later recalled, "He didn't come as a movie star. He came as someone who wanted to understand pain and say thank you." She said they spoke about the difference between real war and cinematic battlefields, about the men Fitts had seen fall, and about the silence that followed when the helicopters disappeared. Gibson asked questions, not for performance, but for clarity. He wanted to know the weight of the gear, the feel of the boots, the sound of the M16 jamming in the dirt. Fitts, once a man of few words, opened up more than he had in years. At one point, he removed a weathered photograph from his wallet, a snapshot of his platoon, most of whom didn't return, and handed it to Gibson. "You showed their faces. That's what mattered," he said.
Gibson later told his team privately that the hour spent with Fitts was "the most honest hour of my entire press tour." He spoke of the deep humility that settled in him during that visit, something he felt could never be replicated on a red carpet or during a late-night interview. He declined to speak publicly about the meeting at the time, saying only that the film had given him an introduction, but men like Fitts had given him an education.
When Gibson left the hospital, he signed nothing, took no photos, and walked out the same way he came in, alone and quiet. As one VA staff member said, "He didn't come here to be seen. He came here to listen." The moment was never scripted, never planned, and it remains one of the few truly human gestures in Hollywood that lived entirely off-camera.
In the weeks after the release of "We Were Soldiers" in 2002, Mel Gibson received a quiet message, off the press circuit and away from the polished interviews. It was about a real man behind the story: Sgt. Charles T. Fitts, a decorated Vietnam veteran who had fought under Lt. Col. Hal Moore during the brutal 1965 Battle of Ia Drang. Fitts, long retired and living in Texas, had recently been hospitalized following a serious injury. He had seen the film, recognized the faces, the terrain, the chaos, and relived it all. Mel Gibson, who portrayed Moore in the film, felt compelled to act, not for publicity, not as a public gesture, but because something about Fitts's situation struck him as unfinished business.
Gibson made no public announcement. No publicist was involved. He boarded a quiet flight to Texas, requested privacy from his team, and arrived alone at the VA hospital where Sgt. Fitts was recovering. It was a weekday afternoon, quiet in the corridors. The nurses were caught off-guard to see Gibson walk in unannounced, wearing jeans, a flannel shirt, and carrying nothing but a copy of "We Were Soldiers" on DVD and a small black notebook. He asked for no press, no cameras, just permission to sit and speak with a man who had lived the hell he had only portrayed.
Fitts, in his early 60s, was recovering from multiple surgeries. When Gibson entered his room, the former sergeant reportedly saluted him instinctively, mistaking him momentarily for someone else in uniform. Then he laughed, recognized the actor, and said, "You looked more tired in the movie than I ever saw Hal Moore." Gibson responded with a small smile and replied, "That's probably because you actually lived it."
Their conversation lasted over an hour. No staff recorded it, no reporters captured it. But a nurse who was present at times later recalled, "He didn't come as a movie star. He came as someone who wanted to understand pain and say thank you." She said they spoke about the difference between real war and cinematic battlefields, about the men Fitts had seen fall, and about the silence that followed when the helicopters disappeared. Gibson asked questions, not for performance, but for clarity. He wanted to know the weight of the gear, the feel of the boots, the sound of the M16 jamming in the dirt. Fitts, once a man of few words, opened up more than he had in years. At one point, he removed a weathered photograph from his wallet, a snapshot of his platoon, most of whom didn't return, and handed it to Gibson. "You showed their faces. That's what mattered," he said.
Gibson later told his team privately that the hour spent with Fitts was "the most honest hour of my entire press tour." He spoke of the deep humility that settled in him during that visit, something he felt could never be replicated on a red carpet or during a late-night interview. He declined to speak publicly about the meeting at the time, saying only that the film had given him an introduction, but men like Fitts had given him an education.
When Gibson left the hospital, he signed nothing, took no photos, and walked out the same way he came in, alone and quiet. As one VA staff member said, "He didn't come here to be seen. He came here to listen." The moment was never scripted, never planned, and it remains one of the few truly human gestures in Hollywood that lived entirely off-camera.
davevabch
Hunter
- Joined
- May 29, 2011
- Messages
- 2,703
Interesting Mini Series on Netflix on Vietnam. Watch it, see how history does indeed repeat itself. Name of the series is
"The Turning Point".
https://www.netflix.com/title/81756795
"The Turning Point".
https://www.netflix.com/title/81756795
old breed
Single-Sixer
mel gibson is one of the exceptions. he has always deferred attention to the real heroes. hacksaw ridge interview with desmond doss. the passion , it was his hands that held the hammer and nails. flags of our fathers, clint eastwood is another.dennis quaid in" reagan". i was touched by his respect and honor in playing that part. jon voight did such a good job also. there have been some good films. hope for more
I think Mel Gibson is one of the good guys, despite his drunken outburst a few years back and the anti-Semitic rant that was involved when he was stopped for DUI. Gary Senise, who played Lieutenant Dan in "Forrest Gump" is another class act, with all of the time he spends supporting veterans and their families.
Gary Sinise hosted the National Memorial Day Concert this year. It was on PBS last night and it was excellent!
Colonialgirl
Hawkeye
I watched "The Longest Day" yesterday on TV; a film about the "D" Day landings on Normandy during WW2. DOnt know about the "accuracy" but I do believe it accurately portrayed the number lost on both sides.
It was quite accurate because they had technical advisors from all sides working on it.
The character that John Wayne portrays, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort of the 82nd Airborne was from my home town. John Wayne was 54 when he played the part and Ben Vandervoort was 27.
Most 27 year olds that I know today can barely do anything. There are exceptions though.
ex13F
Single-Sixer
Another actor who was the real deal was Lee Marvin.
Threespears
Buckeye
In years past, I went to Black Powder Rendezvous.
At one Rendezvous in Dubois Wyoming there was a young boy about 9 years old that walked up to the firing line and started shooting with the rest of us.
His Dad was head volunteer of the rendezvous and was busy, so 9 year old “CHANCE PHELPS” came and shot with the big boys.
I read the book before the movie. Both very good historical representations.
My nephew met Gen Moore at a West Point dinner he said he was a great guy talking to many of the cadets. After graduating nephew was 1st Cav
My nephew met Gen Moore at a West Point dinner he said he was a great guy talking to many of the cadets. After graduating nephew was 1st Cav
old breed
Single-Sixer
one of my favorites is SGT.york played by Cary cooper. another" to hell and back" audey murphy as himself. a tragic and remarkable hero. read the book ,same title. biographies and autobiographies of heros and famous people was what i consumed as a young person. what my grandkids seem to like is fantasy books. that makes sense if you want to grow up to be a democrat
old breed
Single-Sixer
history is so important it's just hard to make a living at it. in MCRD San diego part of our rigorous training was devoted to marine corps history and it's heros and legends. you train hard but we all need examples, we need to know possible, to improvise, adapt and overcome.
Lord, make me fast and accurate.
Let my aim be true and my hand faster than those who would seek to destroy me.
Grant me victory over those who seek to do harm to me and mine.
And Lord, if today is truly the day you call me home....
Let me die in a pile of my own brass.....
Let my aim be true and my hand faster than those who would seek to destroy me.
Grant me victory over those who seek to do harm to me and mine.
And Lord, if today is truly the day you call me home....
Let me die in a pile of my own brass.....
Amen
contender
Ruger Guru
"Gary Sinise hosted the National Memorial Day Concert this year."
He has been the host/co-host for many years. He is truly a supporter of our military.
He has been the host/co-host for many years. He is truly a supporter of our military.
Don Lovel
Hunter
I watched that movie in the theatre with this man
101st Airborne 325th infantry "no slack"
He was at Trung Luong battle in 1966
We sat in silence for 20 min after the end of the movie
Vietnam finally killed him in December 2013
101st Airborne 325th infantry "no slack"
He was at Trung Luong battle in 1966
We sat in silence for 20 min after the end of the movie
Vietnam finally killed him in December 2013
