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Only the Brave (2006)
#1
Not sure how this got by me for so long. It's a story about the 100/442, my grandfather's battalion. It also stars 3 from Karate Kid II, Miyagi, Kumiko & Chozen, plus Marc Dacascos. It's a fictionalized account of their rescue of the Lost Battalion, one of the most pivotal campaigns of WWII and one that my grandfather was in. With my Cobra Kai rabbit hole and Batman: Soul of the Dragon, seemed like a good time to watch this.

It's told from the perspective of a fictional survivor suffering severe PTSD and having flashbacks. Miyagi is his dad. Kumiko is his wife. Chozen and Dacascos are his comrades in arms. 

I couldn't really be unbiased about this. I'd watch some, and then imagine my granddad there. I never really understood him. He definitely had his PTSD issues, and he told me of this campaign, but I was too young to understand. For me, it was very engaging.

The Hawaiian pidgen is is a bit clunky. Some of the actors nail it. Others miss the inflections. I can hear it because my whole family spoke it but I've never been able to mimic it. 

No sword fights. Lots of firefights. It's an indie so it's not a high production film. I'm on the wall if I'd recommend it to DOOM.

Seen on Hoopla.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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#2
Go For Broke (1951)

This really deserves its own thread because it's actually a better film than Only The Brave. But I'm posting it here because it tells the same story - the rescue of the Lost Battalion by the 100th/442nd. This is a B&W version that incorporates a lot of real WWII footage. It follows the 442nd from basic through Italy and France. The cast is predominantly Japanese except for Van Johnson, who is their white trainer for a while.

I found myself looking for my grandfather in the footage although I don't think he was in it. At this point, the 100th/442nd had become part of the 34th. The 34th had a distinctive red bull insignia which the soldiers were wearing in the final battle. My grandfather gave me his when I was very young, preteen maybe. He gave me a box of his military memorabilia - patches, pins, his captain's bars - I'm not sure where all of that is now. Stored in odd places at my mom's, at the bottom of boxes and such. 

I have two items I've kept in a special place. My grandfather's Purple Heart medal in its presentation case and his binoculars. There's this story about his binocs. He felt the strap hung too low so he modified it so it sat higher on his chest, over his heart. After one skirmish, he found a bullet lodged in them. Given the location, his modification saved his life. The binocs I have were the replacements. He had the strap modified, like his original, but it was leather and it got moldy so I discarded it. The binocs still work - solid metal case. They built gear to last in WWII.

DOOM recommended. 

Both of these films are on Hoopla.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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