War News: Latest Articles at Long War Journal, by Bill Roggio et al

Check out the latest round-up of milblog & web reports on the War on Terror

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

A Film to Watch: "Warriors... in their own words"

I first wrote about the film when I got an email with a link to the trailer clip back in the spring.

This film isn’t about Iraq or Afghanistan. It’s about those who step up to serve as warriors - as our “sheepdogs” - who do not only their best, “but what’s necessary”.

[Milblog readers may have read about “sheepdogs” before, here and here.]

Through interviews and quotations, from warriors from American history and all the way back through ancient history, this film speaks of what it is to be a warrior… and why we need them. The following quote from John Stuart Mill, economist and philosopher, is included and might be considered the Cliff Notes version of the film:

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

John Stuart Mill, 1862

In my opinion, this film is a reminder of why we need to respect what our warriors volunteer to do, regardless of our political persuasions.

This is a film that should probably be picked up by high school civics, government, and history teachers. Veterans of WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm plus our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are interviewed in the film. Ilario Pantano (contributor and Associate Producer) will be a familiar name and/or face for many. Kelsey Grammer is a terrific narrator, and Neil Argo’s soundtrack is terrific.

It’s 84 minutes well spent. Order a copy and then grab a seat and a tissue.

Thank you, gentlemen, for your service and your sacrifices – I’m a grateful and humble beneficiary.

No comments: