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Reply With QuoteI actually had started to read the book "Jarhead" last week, but I had gotten sidetracked and how not been able to pick it back up.Originally Posted by barrowaj
I watched the movie Jarhead the other weekend, and thought it was kind of cool. Not an excellent movie, but not bad either. I wanted to see what the opinion of some real soldiers was on this flick. How realistic was it?
One thing I really appreciated was the apprehension of the guys going into Iraq. In retrospect the war was won fairly easily, but going into it there were a lot of predictions about high casualties, especially if the Iraqis used chemical weapons.
I read the Tom Clancy book Into the Storm last year, and found it to be pretty in line with Jarhead.
EDIT: Thought I had posted this in the Iraq war thread, my bad...
I actually had started to read the book "Jarhead" last week, but I had gotten sidetracked and how not been able to pick it back up.
"To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person you are."-Sholem Asch
"I always turn to the sports page first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures."-Earl Warren
"I didn't intend for this to take on a political tone. I'm just here for the drugs."-Nancy Reagan, when asked a political question at a "Just Say No" rally
"He no play-a da game, he no make-a da rules."-Earl Butz, on the Pope's attitude toward birth control
I think the Marines hate Swofford. He basically admits to stealing, threatening people etc.
He's a scumbag liar.
It should be a good movie though. (its hollywood..
The Deer Hunter scene was hilarious. LOL
The movie was alright. I was expecting much more action, but hey, it was the Gulf War, it was over in 4 days.
"The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes." G-Man
And as mentioned quite often in the book, Swoff's Sniper Platoon was stationed at the rear-rear, and fighting over who got to use a .50 Barret first was about as dangerous as it got for them.The movie was alright. I was expecting much more action, but hey, it was the Gulf War, it was over in 4 days.
As for the movie. My interest didn't get much further than reading the guy who played Bubble Boy was playing "Swoff. Maybe a role reversal would be amusing -if swoff was in a bubble and in person- but not that way around...
You read books by Tom Clancy?I have to offer my condolences.
It was written by General Fred Franks Jr, the commander of VII Corps during ODS. Clancy just wrote a few paragraphs and lent his name.
Chimo
Yeah...his stuff used to be really good. Guess that's what happens when you get too huge.You read books by Tom Clancy?
His last 2-3 novels (the Ryanverse) are good for one (perfunctory) read and then take it to the used book store.
Actually IIRC, Clancy did write quite a bit, giving a lot of background and "set-up" information.
General Franks did write more though, it was definitely "his" book.
Hehe. Yeah, actually "Into the Storm" wasn't very exciting. It was really just an account of the maneuvers that took place in the war. I was expecting some more descriptive depictions of tank battles, but there isn't very much imagery. I realize now that since Clancy is a writer (albeit, maybe not a great one) it would have been much more interesting if he had wrote the book instead of Franks. However, at least you know its accurate.You read books by Tom Clancy?
I do think that The Hunt for Red October is a great book though. Red Storm Rising is decent. Other than that I haven't read any other Clancy books, but I've seen the movies translated from them.
If I am not mistaken, on the cover is the notation "A Study In Command".
That should give you an idea of what it's all about. That whole series is about guys who are at the top of their field during wartime and what decisions they had to make.
And yeah, it was kinda boring during certain parts.
I would like to read Moving Mountains by Gus Pagonis though...
Merely "decent"? Blasphemy!Red Storm Rising is decent.
I think it an interesting critique of the boredom inflicted upon highly trained personel and the consequent frustration engendered by, what they perceive, as their redundancy.
The "Deer Hunter" scene is not at all funny. On deployment, it scares every guy I know more than The Enemy. It scares Command as well, as absolutely nothing will sap morale more than even one chap taking a Dear John Woooond. (DJW)
Someone more insightful than I said something along the lines of:
There is nothing more dangerous than a bored soldier.
If anyone still finds the "Deer Hunter" chapter a giggle then you will also wet yourself/s at "The Thin Red Line". Then you can all go on to miss the entire raison d'etre of "Buffalo Soldiers".
Bon chance.
Where's the bloody gin? An army marches on its liver, not its ruddy stomach.
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