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'We Were Soldiers'

In this 2002 Vietnam war drama, Mel Gibson is Lt. Col. Hal Moore, commander of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry. As part of the Pleiku Campaign of late 1965, Moore is assigned to an action at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Drang Valley, an area that would come to be known as the "The Valley of Death." Moore soon finds himself and his men contained to an area about the size of a football field, surrounded by more than 2,000 enemy troops and engaged in the first major battle of the war. Heroism becomes the order of the day as men like Moore, chopper pilot Bruce Crandall (Greg Kinnear), and Lt. Henry Herrick (Marc Blucas) refuse to yield, in spite of heavy losses of life.

Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers. (Photo: Paramount)

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'Patton' George C. Scott starred as General George Patton in the iconic film based on the life and trials of the storied military man during World War II.

"Patton" won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Scott, an award that he refused. In 2003, "Patton" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

(Photo: 20th Century Fox)
'Saving Private ... Directed by Steven Spielberg, this heart-wrenching film follows a group of soldiers during the invasion of Normandy in World War II as they are sent on a mission to find a soldier whose brothers have all died within days of each other in combat.

The 24-minute-long opening battle scene reenacts the famous June 6, 1944 approach to Omaha Beach to face German artillery fire and is considered to be one of the most realistic and devastating battle scenes - or movie scenes - of all time.

Tom Hanks plays Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan." (Photo: Dreamworks)
'The Longest Day... The epic 1962 war film about D-Day, the invasion of Normandy during World War II, boasted an all-star cast of heavyweights including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum and Sean Connery.

During filming, whenever possible, the original locations were utilized, and the international cast of actors spoke in his or her native language with subtitles translating for the benefit of the audience.

John Wayne in "The Longest Day." (Photo: 20th Century Fox)
'Paths of Glory' Director Stanley Kubrick, who made several worthy war films including "Full Metal Jacket" and the satire "Dr. Strangelove" set out to make a devastating anti-war statement, and succeeded above and beyond the call of duty with the 1957 World War I drama "Paths of Glory."

The desperation of trench warfare is shown as a commander in the French army, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) must tackle the mutiny of his men and a morally bankrupt general.

A failure when first released (it was banned outright in France for several years), Paths of Glory has since taken its place in the pantheon of classic war movies, its message growing only more pertinent and potent with each passing year (it was especially popular during the Vietnam era).
'Glory' "Glory" is a celebration of a little-known act of mass courage during the Civil War. Those heroes were the all-black members of the 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, headed by Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), the son of an influential abolitionist.

Despite the fact that the Civil War is ostensibly being fought on their behalf, the black soldiers are denied virtually every privilege and amenity that is matter of course for their white counterparts; as in armies past and future, they are given the most menial and demeaning of tasks. Still, none of the soldiers quit the regiment when given the chance. The unofficial leaders of the group are gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) and fugitive slave Trip (Denzel Washington), respectively representing the brains and heart of the organization. The 54th acquit themselves valiantly at Fort Wagner, SC, charging a fortification manned by some 1,000 Confederates.

The film won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for co-star Denzel Washington.
'Hamburger Hill' Though the anti-war sentiments of Hamburger Hill come through loud and clear, the film is squarely on the side of those courageous, much-maligned Americans who fought and died in Vietnam. Based on a true incident, the story takes place in 1969, as the 101st Airborne Division confronts the Vietcong in a bloody battle over Hill 937 (aka "Hamburger Hill") in the Ashua Valley. During the next 10 days, both sides incur heavy losses, but the Cong refuse to surrender the hill. The ultimate American "victory" turns out to be a hollow one indeed.

Scripted by Vietnam war vet Jim Carabatsos, "Hamburger Hill" not only underlines the futility of the war but also the pressures brought to bear upon the troops by an insensitive, often hostile media.
'We Were Soldier... In this 2002 Vietnam war drama, Mel Gibson is Lt. Col. Hal Moore, commander of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry. As part of the Pleiku Campaign of late 1965, Moore is assigned to an action at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Drang Valley, an area that would come to be known as the "The Valley of Death." Moore soon finds himself and his men contained to an area about the size of a football field, surrounded by more than 2,000 enemy troops and engaged in the first major battle of the war. Heroism becomes the order of the day as men like Moore, chopper pilot Bruce Crandall (Greg Kinnear), and Lt. Henry Herrick (Marc Blucas) refuse to yield, in spite of heavy losses of life.

Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers. (Photo: Paramount)
'Good Morning, V... In 1965, disc jockey Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) is assigned to take over the AFR's Saigon radio broadcasts. In contrast to the dull, by-rote announcers that have preceded him, Cronauer is a bundle of dynamite, plays whatever records tickle his fancy, and indulging in wild flights of improvisational fancy. Cronauer's immediate superior Lt. Hauk (Bruno Kirby) jealously attempts to dethrone Vietnam's favorite rock jock, but Cronauer's popularity is such that he enjoys the full protection of the higher-ups.

But when Cronauer, after experiencing the horrors of war first-hand, insists upon telling his listeners the truth instead of the official government line, he is instantly replaced by the unfunny Hauk and must struggle to get back on the air.

Robin Williams in "Good Morning, Vietnam." (Photo: Touchstone)
'The Patriot' Farmer Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) was born and raised in South Carolina, and fought bravely during the French-Indian wars. But since the death of his wife, Benjamin has renounced violence and quietly tends his crops, raising his seven children alone. In 1776, over Benjamin's objections, his oldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) joins the fight against the British. Gabriel returns from battle seriously wounded, with Lord General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) calling for his arrest. A skirmish breaks out on Benjamin's plantation, and one of his children is killed as Gabriel is captured by Col. Tavington (Jason Isaacs) and sentenced to hang. Benjamin sets aside his vow of pacifism and rescues Gabriel; with the help of his former comrade-in-arms Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper), the father and son form a regiment of Carolina patriots whose cunning and ruthlessness make them heroes among the colonists -- and wanted men by British troops.

"The Patriot" was the first feature film made with the cooperation of the Smithsonian Institute, who advised the producers on historical accuracy.

Heath Ledger and Mel Gibson in The Patriot. (Photo: Columbia)
'Born on the Fou... Along with "Platoon" and "Heaven and Earth," "Born on the Fourth of July" forms director Oliver Stone's trilogy of Vietnam War films. The movie is remarkable for its raw portrayal of the emotional aftermath that veterans often face when the war is over.

Based on the true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), an All-American small town athlete who shocks his family by enlisting with the Marines to fight in the Vietnam War. Once he is overseas, however, Kovic's gung-ho enthusiasm turns to horror and confusion when he accidentally kills one of his own men in a firefight. His downfall is furthered by a bullet wound that leaves him paralyzed from the chest down. He returns home, spends an appalling, nightmarish stint in a veterans' hospital, and follows an increasingly disillusioned and fragmented path that ultimately leaves him drunk and dissolute in Mexico. However, Kovic somehow turns himself around and pulls his life together, becoming an outspoken anti-war activist in the process.

Tom Cruise in "Born on the Fourth of July," 1990. (Photo: Universal)

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