I hate and love Saving Private Ryan

I hate and love Saving Private Ryan.

I love the movie, it’s one of the greatest movies ever created. I rewatch it often. It’s the closest depiction of combat ever created and hopefully, the closest most of those of us who watch the movie will ever have to come.

It inspired a generation of historians to pursue the Second World War, created the inspiration for dozens of my favorite video games and movies, and brought the ugly truths of war into the homes of thousands. But as much I as love Saving Private Ryan, I hate it.

It shaped how millions saw the war and focused their attention on just D-Day and the associated units. Other divisions, those who were not present on Omaha beach that day, were left in the lurch.

Any history enthusiast could tell you the ins and outs of the D-Day Invasion, but what about Mortain, Montelimar, Colmar, or any other such battles not to mention entirely different theaters of war such as the Eastern Front or Burma.

We must not overlook these battles, fronts, theaters, etc which in are no less significant than D-Day and the Western Front.

Most essentially, we can’t write off or overlook the “smaller” “less significant” divisions that may of not of been on Omaha Beach. Ever serviceman mattered, and it’s a crime anyone of them should be forgotten.

Comments

A great story about a little bit of 'humanity' during a terrible war.

A great story about a little bit of 'humanity' during a terrible war. In April 1945, 2nd Lt. Peter During was a South African fighter pilot (N.7 Squadron) running missions over Italy when his Spitfire was shot down by German AA fire. He managed to crash land his plane behind enemy lines where he was immediately captured. Whilst been escorted to a German Lufwaffe Prisoner of War (POW) camp (he was a pilot and thus his interrogation and imprisonment was the responsibility of the German airforce), he opened a conversation with his captors. He was quickly able to establish that they could already see the writing on the wall, that the war was at an end and Germany would lose it. ...

French woman accused of sleeping with Germans during the occupation has her head shaved by vindictive neighbors in village near Marseilles.

French woman accused of sleeping with Germans during the occupation has her head shaved by vindictive neighbors in village near Marseilles. Antony Beevor wrote: "... In Paris, there were cases of prostitutes kicked to death for having accepted German soldiers as clients. (...) A large number of the victims were prostitutes who had simply plied their trade with Germans as well as Frenchmen, although in some areas it was accepted that their conduct was professional rather than political, others were silly teenagers who had associated with German soldiers out of bravado or boredom. In a number of cases, female schoolteachers who, living alone, had German soldiers billeted on them, were falsely denounced for having been a "mattress for the boches. (...) Women accused of having had an abortion were also assumed to have consorted with Germans. Many victims were young mothers, whose husbands were in German prisoner-of-war camps. During the war, they often had no means of supp...

After the end of world war 2,this letter was found in nazi concentration.

After the end of world war 2,this letter was found in nazi concentration camp,which contains following message adressing the teachers. Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness: Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So, I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated illeterates. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

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