U.S. Military, Hollywood-Style

I wasn't involved in either incident but my understanding is that both "Saving Private Ryan" and "Blackhawk Down" were fairly accurate depictions for the most part (based on comments from people that were involved)

Beyond that, some movies are terrible, others just stupid.

If the military is depicted in a movie the theme is usually either a "hero" officer character with bumbling enlisted support or a cocky/arrogant/incompetent officer who's enlisted (or junior officers) "bypass" to get things done.

The really bad movies don't even try. They'll have the wrong rank insignia on characters or will be playing off of stereotypes from the wrong era.

I watched a movie not to long ago (the name escapes me at the moment, it wasn't a very memorable film overall) that was a recent release and there was a character wearing Air Force Staff Sargent insigna ion their sleeves yet they kept referring to him as "Corporal". There are no Corporals in the USAF.

The better movies will at least make use of the military liasons at the studios and get the minor technical issues (costumes and terminology) straight. The theme of the movie may still be far fetched but at least I'm not left laughing at all the technical errors.

No film, nor written account for that matter, can really capture either the combat experience or the seemingly senseless discomfort and boredom of most military life. Combat is really tough, because if you haven't been shot at you can never really understand the experience at all. Everyone has some experience with unavoidable discomfort and boredom, so that's a little easier to depict, but it isn't the stuff of most good drama.

Movies are stories, and there interest isn't really in "teaching" us about military life, but in telling a good story that will sell a whole lot of movie tickets. Here are some military films I've liked:

"Saving Private Ryan". The noise and trembling of the earth during a large scale artillery bombardment was exceptionally good. When the Sergeant found himself mano-y-mano with a German soldier, both of whom had no firearms, the fight seemed pretty authentic. The seemingly senseless orders that served a larger purpose was a nice note on how small units often feel.

"Letters From Iwo Jima". Seldom do we get a popular film sympathetic to the enemy's point of view. The heroism, luck and craziness of combat were well portrayed.

"Pork Chop Hill", is a Korean War film with Gregory Peck as an officer ordered to take a useless piece of real estate as a cease fire approaches. There is no avoiding many apparently useless casualties taken for a bit of ground that no one values as anything more than a minor bargaining chip.

"Paths of Glory". Set in WWI, this films command conflicts and how they can impact the private soldier is a classic."All Quiet on the Western Front". A classic pre-WWII war movie, often described as an anti-war film, should be on everyone's short list.

"Tunes of Glory". Is a peace time study of a Scottish Regiment in garrison commanded by a man who rose from the ranks to regimental command. The Alec Guiness character's ambition is thwarted by the appointment of a "political" Colonel. An exceptional film.

"Soldier in the Rain". Is another garrison picture, that shouldn't be overlooked. Jackie Gleason as a Supply Sergeant is ably seconded by Steve McQueen as his sidekick.

"Black Hawk Down" is notable for its almost documentary approach to depicting a historical event, with emphasis on the willingness of soldiers to do what seems necessary without regard to personal risk. For those soldiers just doing their duty doesn't seem heroic, though from our perspective there is no other description than heroic in their behavior.

"Paton" is a big budget vehicle for George C. Scott that is worth watching more than once.

"Apocalypse Now", an updating of Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" has some memorable scenes and insights into the darkness of the Vietnam experience, but also has some pretty serious flaws.

"To Hell and Back" starring Audie Murphy as himself is another "real life story" that for its time was hailed for it's realism. The film's script and production values are dated, but no one should under estimate Murphy's exploits in the field of battle. "Sgt. York" with Gary Cooper is somewhat similar with a little better script, I tend to like the Audie Murphy film just a wee bit better.

Unless ranks have changed since I retired from the air force (1971), two stripes is a corporal, three a sergeant, and four a staff sergeant.

??? Corporal was phased out in the A.F. in 1952.

The AF ranks were carried over from the Army Air Corps when the AF became it's own service branch in 1947. In 1952 the old ranks (including Corporal) were replaced when "Airman Basic", "Airman Third Class", "Airman Second Class" and "Airman First Class" came into existance.

Airman Third Class and Airman Second Class have also gone away. Since 1975 the AF junior enlisted grades have been "Airman Basic", "Airman", "Airman First Class" and "Senior Airman".

Any movie depiciting the Air Force in the late 1990s up to now shouldn't have any AF Corporals in it.

Your mentioning airmen basic, third, second, and first rang a bell. I agree with your accurate designations.

I've heard that veterans of D-Day can't watch the opening sequence in Saving Private Ryan, which depicts the landing at Normandy, because of its brutal realism. I have no reason to doubt that. Nevertheless, some compromises were made for cinematic purposes. For instance, as the American ranger squad is going through the bocage country, the soldiers are bunched up together and are talking casually. That would have made them sitting ducks for any German patrol. In truth, the squad would have been more spread out, and talking in ranks would have been forbidden. Of course, watching guys walk silently doesn't make for very good cinema, so, in this case, the dictates of film prevailed over the dictates of realism.