Memorial Day 2018: Movies About Military Sacrifice and Valor

Posted on May 24, 2018 at 1:52 pm

For Memorial Day, take a look at these documentaries about our military:

War of 1812

The History Channel Presents The War of 1812 The young country proved its commitment to independence with this war against Britain that gave us a President (Andrew Jackson), and our national anthem.

Civil War

The Civil War Ken Burns’ series for PBS is meticulously researched and compellingly presented.

WWI

The Last Voices of WWI – A Generation Lost The veterans of “the war to end all wars” tell their stories.

WWII

The World at War This classic is considered the definitive history and a landmark of television reporting.  It was created long enough after the war ended to have perspective but close enough in time to have access to the participants, with eyewitness accounts by civilians, enlisted men, officers, and politicians as well as historians.  The 30th anniversary DVD set issued in 2004 has three hours of new material and additional documentaries.

GI Jews  Fifty thousand Jewish American fought in WWII, often struggling with anti-Semitism in the military.  They look back on their experiences and how it affected their lives.

In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen The first African-American pilots of the US military faced bigotry at home and in the military, but fought with extraordinary skill and dedication.

Korean War

Korea, The Forgotten War It was the Cold War era, but a real war was being fought in Korea that embodied the geopolitical conflicts.  This documentary covers that story, from Inchon to Pork Chop Hill.

Vietnam War

Vietnam War: America’s Conflict Many documentaries cover the politics and the protests, and that is covered here, too, but this series focuses on the stories of the battles and the men who fought them.

Desert Storm

Hidden Wars of Desert Storm Interviews with General Norman Schwarzkopf, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, former UN Iraq Program Director Denis Halliday, former UNSCOM team-leader Scott Ritter and many others help tell the story of the American response to the invasion of Kuwait.

Afganistan/Iraq

Restrepo This is the award-winning story of one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military, covering the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. The remote 15-man outpost was named after a platoon medic who was killed in action.

The War Tapes Three National Guardsmen (“citizen soldiers”) document their time in Iraq.

Related Tags:

 

Documentary Holidays War

GI Film Festival — Coming to DC May 18-24

Posted on April 17, 2015 at 3:40 pm

I was very lucky to be able to attend a preview of the upcoming 9th annual GI Film Festival, coming to Washington, D.C. and Fairfax, Virginia May 18-24, 2015.  Brandon Millett and Laura Law-Millett started the festival, the first ever devoted exclusively to films by, for, and about the military and veterans.  Their goal is to promote positive images for men and women in uniform and help connect the military to society.  They have also worked to make the films shown at the festival available on military bases and through the Defense Department’s television channel.  This year will be their biggest and most varied yet, with more than 60 films covering every category from a big studio premiere (“Spy” with Melissa McCarthy) and the first American showing of the BAFTA-nominated “Kajaki” to small independent productions from military veterans.  The films cover American military conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, with stories about training, missions, battles, recovery from injuries, and adjustments on returning home.  And the films include genres from sci-fi to drama, comedy, and documentary.  Submissions are received via Without a Box, and reviewed for two criteria: Would you spend $10 to buy a ticket? and Do you walk away with a greater appreciation for what military do on a daily basis?  The focus is on stories that are inspirational and solutions-oriented.

We got a chance to watch two of the festival’s short films, including a documentary about Marine veteran Bob Jones, who lost both legs to an IED and rode a bicycle across the country to raise money for veterans.

They’ve put together an extraordinary schedule.  Stay tuned for more information.

Related Tags:

 

Festivals

Veterans Remember D-Day

Posted on June 6, 2014 at 9:43 am

On this 70th anniversary, we are grateful for the dedication of the troops who defended our freedom.

In The Longest Day, an all-star cast appears in the story of Allied forces preparing for a massive D-Day assault upon the beaches of Normandy during World War II. For documentary footage, check out D-Day: 70th Anniversary Collection.

Related Tags:

 

Documentary War

For Memorial Day: Documentaries

Posted on May 25, 2013 at 8:00 am

For Memorial Day, take a look at these documentaries about our military:

War of 1812

The History Channel Presents The War of 1812 The young country proved its commitment to independence with this war against Britain that gave us a President (Andrew Jackson), and our national anthem.

Civil War

The Civil War Ken Burns’ series for PBS is meticulously researched and compellingly presented.

WWI

The Last Voices of WWI – A Generation Lost The veterans of “the war to end all wars” tell their stories.

WWII

The World at War This classic is considered the definitive history and a landmark of television reporting.  It was created long enough after the war ended to have perspective but close enough in time to have access to the participants, with eyewitness accounts by civilians, enlisted men, officers, and politicians as well as historians.  The 30th anniversary DVD set issued in 2004 has three hours of new material and additional documentaries.  

Korean War

Korea, The Forgotten War It was the Cold War era, but a real war was being fought in Korea that embodied the geopolitical conflicts.  This documentary covers that story, from Inchon to Pork Chop Hill.

Vietnam War

Vietnam War: America’s Conflict Many documentaries cover the politics and the protests, and that is covered here, too, but this series focuses on the stories of the battles and the men who fought them.

Desert Storm

Hidden Wars of Desert Storm Interviews with General Norman Schwarzkopf, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, former UN Iraq Program Director Denis Halliday, former UNSCOM team-leader Scott Ritter and many others help tell the story of the American response to the invasion of Kuwait.

Afganistan/Iraq

Restrepo This is the award-winning story of one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military, covering the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. The remote 15-man outpost was named after a platoon medic who was killed in action.

The War Tapes Three National Guardsmen (“citizen soldiers”) document their time in Iraq.

Related Tags:

 

Documentary

Today’s Memorial Day Tributes on Television

Posted on May 28, 2012 at 10:00 am

Today’s tributes include:

A military movie marathon on TCM: “West Point,” “Germany Year Zero,” “PT 109,” “Darby’s Rangers,” “The Green Berets,” “Where Eagles Dare,” “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Dirty Dozen,” “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “The Great Escape,” and “Kelly’s Heroes”

A Band of Brothers marathon on Spike TV.

On AMC: “Submarine Seahawk,” “Heartbreak Ridge,” “The Green Berets,” “Midway,” “Flags of Our Fathers”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7AZt-IUIhs
Related Tags:

 

Television
THE MOVIE MOM® is a registered trademark of Nell Minow. Use of the mark without express consent from Nell Minow constitutes trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws. All material © Nell Minow 1995-2025, all rights reserved, and no use or republication is permitted without explicit permission. This site hosts Nell Minow’s Movie Mom® archive, with material that originally appeared on Yahoo! Movies, Beliefnet, and other sources. Much of her new material can be found at Rogerebert.com, Huffington Post, and WheretoWatch. Her books include The Movie Mom’s Guide to Family Movies and 101 Must-See Movie Moments, and she can be heard each week on radio stations across the country.

Website Designed by Max LaZebnik