1911 in War Films

[bobby L]

Anyone know of or think there was a better war film (of actual history) showing the effective use of the .45 than the 2001 WWl Film of "The Lost Battalion" staring Ricky Schroeder??

I for one can't find a better one

[Lee T.]

I can think of 2 off the top of my head that impressed me, maybe not "better" but certainly well done and memorable -
Though not historical fact, Tom Hanks' death scene in Saving Private Ryan as he was firing his .45 flopping in his hand was an emotional ending.
The other is We Were Soldiers - Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley choosing his .45 over the 'toy' M-16 is well documented and depicted. Though I have minor issues with the film as being totally true to the book (I've read it 5 times) the movie is my all time favorite and a trbute to the men of Ia Drang. Lost Batallion is a close second. WWS was filmed at Camp Roberts, CA, 40 miles from me. There might be a couple others if I thought hard enough. Good question!

[bobby L]

I agree with you Lee... those were certainly good films. I've read the book on We Were Soldiers myself and also think the ending was a bit too much like Mel Gibson's "The Patriot"( as for the charge at the end). As far as I could determine from the reading I did, there was no charge at the end, only a deadly ambush where an American Battalion got pretty well chewed up hoofing it to another LZ by the NVA. One of the recipients of the MOH at the battle of La Drang Valley in WWS was a 2nd.Lt Joseph Marm from Pgh. Pa. and a graduate of my school Duquesne University. I was a bit disappointed that his actions during the battle weren't depicted, but I guess you can only put in so much.

P.S.
Did you or anyone else notice the blooper at the end of "The Lost Battalion"? Maybe it's my aging old eyes playing tricks on me.... but what was a Lee Enfield rifle doing propped up against a tree next to a dead American soldier?? I didn't remember any "tommies" being in that fight. lol

[Lee T.]

Yes, the ending of the movie WWS was not based on the actual battle, and is one of the issues I have of the movie, but it certainly made the Hollywood climax exciting. (one biggie was that mini-guns weren't mounted on the Hueys in '65.)
And, they didn't address the rest of the story - LZ Albany - because while it was even a more horrific slaughter, it was not in our favor, and that wouldn't play well at the box office. Besides it would mean a whole other movie.
All in all, every time I read the book it is the most realistic battle story I can imagine, because it IS a real story. And the advantage of the movie lies in being able to visualize the terrain (which they did a great job of), the men and equipment, the overwhelming odds, and the value of the artillery and air support that ultimately decided the outcome of LZ Xray. Of course, one day later, it was a way different story.
We kind of got off topic, huh? Well SM Plumley used his .45 well !! He must have been carrying about 20 loaded mags!

[ignats]

I'm not sure why the movie left out that Major Whittlesey is presumed to have committed suicide three years after war ended.

In November 1921, Whittlesey acted as a pallbearer at the burial of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, along with fellow Medal of Honor recipients Samuel Woodfill and Alvin York. A few days later he booked passage from New York to Havana aboard the SS Toloa, a United Fruit Company ship. On November 26, 1921, the first night out of New York, he dined with the captain and left the smoking room at 11:15 p.m. stating he was retiring for the evening, and it was noted by the captain that he was in good spirits. Whittlesey was never seen again. He was reported missing at 8:00 a.m. the following morning. He is presumed to have committed suicide by jumping overboard, although no one reported seeing him jump and Whittlesey's body was never recovered. Before leaving New York, he prepared a will leaving his property to his mother. He also left a series of letters in his cabin addressed to relatives and friends. The letters were addressed to his parents, his brothers Elisha and Melzar, his uncle Granville Whittlesey, and to his friends George McMurtry, J. Bayard Pruyn, Robert Forsyth Little and Herman Livingston, Jr. Also in his cabin was found a note to the captain of the Toloa leaving instructions for the disposition of the baggage left in his stateroom. He left the famous German letter asking for surrender to McMurtry.