Heartbreak Ridge Movie

[randy]

One additional bit of reality, there was an instance during Urgent Fury when an airstrike was called in by commercial phone.

I don't recall if it as a Marine or Army troop, but IIRC it was for AC-130 support.

[Aesop]

Marine.
He couldn't get through on radio, so he called the Duty Officer for the 22nd MAU at Camp Lejeune, who got the message back to the invasion TF HQ.
Some stuff is so ridiculous mere Hollywood fiction doesn't suffice, so you have to go with reality.

[Yogimus]

Superman can't lift mjolnir.

[Aesop]

He could punt Asgard.

[308Mike]

I love the move, but in my time working with Force Recon (in the Air Wing - a helo squadron), they were NEVER deployed as "shock troops" as depicted in the movie. Each and EVERY time we supported them (from an Air Wing support perspective since I was in CH-46's at the time and flew them around on occasion, but we ALWAYS enjoyed working with Force Recon Marines since they were TRUE professionals, they didn't screw around, and didn't try to steal stuff off our aircraft - UNLIKE dealing with regular grunts).

As far as WE (my squadron mates had the same opinion of Force Recon Marines, so we didn't mess with them because they were true professionals and we respected them and loved to work with them) were concerned, when it came to working with Force Recon, we went ALL OUT and did WHATEVER WE COULD to support them and their mission. We LOVED working with them.

From what I recall (from talking with them), making contact with the enemy was generally considered BAD FORM and was decidedly FROWNED UPON with EXTREME PREJUDICE, that is UNLESS they were tasked with conducting an ambush or other kind of raid. However, that was NOT their specialty and for the most part, getting contact with the enemy was HEAVILY frowned upon (unless THAT was their mission and that was RARE).

From what I recall, Force Recon Marines prided themselves on NOT making contact with the enemy, and gave as much intelligence as possible to the rear as possible prior to EVER making contact with the enemy (that is if they COULD NOT avoid it). From talking to the guys I worked with, if they made contact with the enemy and/or had to fire their weapons and give themselves away, they FAILED in their mission - 'cause they truly believed they could get in, get the intel they needed, then get out WITHOUT being detected, and THAT was their mission. Making contact with the enemy was a MISSION FAILURE as far as THEY were concerned (THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE).

These guys were/are the real professional Sneak-&-Peeker's. I can only think of the Army's LURPS/LRPS/RECON troops from the early part of the Vietnam war to compare them with.

Although the movie is VERY entertaining and correct in *some* aspects, although actually NONE relating to Force Recon, it's still a GREAT movie and I immensely enjoy it (and usually watch it once a year) - BECAUSE IT IS ENTERTAINMENT (and has absolutely NO relevance to Marine Force Recon, and Marines know it, even if they still cheer the movie and enjoy it for the entertainment because it's simply GREAT as are Gunny Highway's one-liners!!). Nothing more, nothing less.

As has been already stated, there's NO FRIGGIN' WAY the military would EVER allow a MOH recipient to go back into combat, even if he requested it. There's far too much at stake POLITICALLY should he get killed, even if he requested to go back into combat. Just think of the Iwo Jima flag raisers from the famous flag-raising photo. Once identified and pulled out of combat, those remaining were never allowed to rejoin their units while they were in combat - especially since they were needed to raise money for WAR BONDS to win the war, so they were sent on a nation-wide fund-raising tour.

ANY MOH nominee is IMMEDIATELY pulled out of combat (if they're still involved in combat) and basically placed in a bullet-proof-box (metaphorically), or shipped back to the USA until the award was determined to be either valid or should be down-graded. After all, despite all the protestations of the potential awardee, they did NOT want to lose someone nominated for the nation's HIGHEST MILITARY AWARD FOR VALOR to die in combat while the award was being debated and/or considered by Congress. AFAIK, each and every single awardee has said they weren't doing anything more than anyone else in their position should they be placed in the same situation. NOT A SINGLE ONE of them believes what they did was heroic. To a man, they ALL give more credit to those they served with and DO NOT feel THEY should be singled out - which also follows the story line of the movie.

In the movie, there's not a single instance where Gunny Highway acts as though he should be accorded some kind of special honor even though he rates MANY privileges and acknowledgements when arriving on a base when receiving PCS orders.

I can relate a story of a Marine who refused to stand inspection at the Receiving Barracks I was in (1979, Millington TN), and after the commotion died down, I'd heard he was a MOH awardee (from Vietnam who'd recently reenlisted) and he told the NCOs performing the inspection to "stuff it" and broke out his medal and they simply left him alone - and it created quite a stir among the rest of us newbies and low-ranking trainees, but NO ONE bothered him again AFAIK (something about NEVER having to stand inspections again and a few other privileges besides salutes from officers, etc.).

I didn't actually witness it, but I was in the barracks at the time and remember the commotion and a little bit of yelling then what sounded like grovelling and apologizing - but I had a hard time hearing it since I was standing at attention next to my locker and couldn't move to a better position to hear what was going on, but was told about it less than 30 minutes later).

After the inspection incident, he disappeared, but I never even got to meet him even before the inspection Most of us just figured (due to his age and lack of stripes) that he was a screw-up, so a lot of us simply avoided him (I'm sorry I did, but I was 19 at the time and what did *I* know???).

[Erik]

Superman can't lift mjolnir.

But could he lift Thor if Thor is holding Mjolnir?