Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
In addition to Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson is a WWII veteran. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943, serving as an aircraft gunner in the 760th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron.
In 1945, he became a Superfortress crewman with the 39th Bombardment Group, based on Guam, and was assigned to a B-29 bomber, flying on 25 missions. Eventually he was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received during his service and left the military in 1946.
The cast aso included WWII veterans Robert Webber and Robert Ryan (US Marine Corps); Telly Savalas and George Kennedy (US Army); Ernest Borgnine (US Navy); and Clint Walker (US Merchant Marine). A good how the Americans won the war flick. Saying that, there is a deep moral teaching. Does not matter who you are, General, Colonel or whatever.
RIP Robert Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973), aged 63
RIP Ernest Borgnine (January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012), aged 95
RIP Ralph Meeker (November 21, 1920 – August 5, 1988), aged 67
RIP Charles Bronson (November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003), aged 81
RIP John Cassavetes (December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989), aged 59
RIP Jim Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023), aged 87
RIP Trini Lopez (May 15, 1937 – August 11, 2020), aged 83
You will be remembered as legends.
It takes character to be a true leader. Major John Reisman (Lee Marvin), illustrates this so well. I cannot even remember how many times I watched this movie at that time. I was already in the army.
