03/27/2021: All Time Movies about Warriors in battle that were “Christ Imitator” mentors to all of us:
Share with us your list!:
I’m leaving some out, as this was done quickly. But why post this? Have you ever heard of the expression, you are what you eat? Well, that applies to our soul as well, what are we injesting on a daily basis? And Lord knows, the mainstream media will pull us down, for their father is the Devil. No, not all of these warriors were saints, a number may not have even been Christians. But if they weren’t , they were blessed with common grace, and we were blessed from their service and their sacrifices for us. And once again, we all know where that leads , right? Yep – Luke 12:48 ( I don’t need to have it on my index card pocket roll-i-dex anymore for “memory” verses)
Here is my haphazard list of favorites , for inspiration:
- Braveheart – Mel Gibson (*1)
- Saving Private Ryan (*2)… and so on , all of them so footnoted below.
- Hacksaw Ridge
- Medal of Honor Netflix series – 8 episodes/8 warriors from WW2 to Afghanistan, their stories.
- Lone Survivor – story of Marcus Littrell and his brothers in arms.
- Gettysburg – 1993
- We Were Soldiers – 2002 -commemorating the Battle of Ia Drang in Nov 65 in the Vietnam war.
- Black Hawk Down – 2001 commemorating the impossible mission of 1993 (Mogadishu – “hell” on earth)
- American Sniper (2014) – the story of S.E.A.L Chris Kyle, his fellow warrior and his family at home.
- “The Heart and the Fist” by Eric Greitens – an audio book about his journey as a Navy S.E.A.L.
- Stalingrad – 1993
- Patton – starring George C. Scott
*(1) – come on now, you don’t think a Scot with the last name Bruce is going to start a list with anything else do you? But, look at it this way, I chose a “Wallace” movie, not one of the plethora of Robert the Bruce movies now out there. Is the clan thing overdone? Uh , ya! But, we used scenes in this movie in a video tribute to our Dad just before he went home to the Lord. He walked it and we had reached a point where we were getting a sense of the magnitude of that blessing from God! And what was his name: “William Wallace Bruce” I never met my grandfather Robert, but I am amazed that a poor 2nd generation immigrant farmer with 13 kids on the prairie of South Dakota would choose that name for his 3rd son. (He remembered the Battle of Bannockburn – 1314 and it was engrained within his “dna” I suspect. See concluding scene – blessed by God with an indomitable “mojo”)
*(2) – Not a Christian movie per se but it was chock full of Christian worldview. Example – leave the 99 to find the one lost sheep. At his last breath, the lieutenant whispers : “Earn this!” Well, of course , he couldn’t, it was grace! And sadly, as an old man, visiting his comrades graves in a visit to Normandy, he tells his wife: “Tell me I am a good man!” Also, the praying sniper is etched in my memory.
*(3) – an amazing but true story of a “Christian warrior – conscientious objector” – that prayed hard to save his colleagues from the ridge as he braved the fire as an unarmed medic. And many were spared by God’s deliverance through his valiant medic under fire. And what’s amazing, Private Doss was a living and breathing Medal of Honor winner as well!
*(4) – after watching all these episodes, I seemed to suddenly lose sight of roadblocks I was facing in life. What roadblocks?
*(5) – Soon after returning home from this horrific ordeal, Marcus Littrell here in Texas , was confronted at gunpoint by some unsuspecting criminals. What can you say in gross understatement: “bad move, it is your last…”
*(6) – Critics didn’t like it but I sure did! The scene and character of Chamberlain’s, with the amazing “hold!” at Little Round Top by the 20th Maine was more than worth the film alone. And preceding that even, the speech by Chamberlain to the deserting troops was a classic too. Excellent acting!
*(7) – It is not about the messenger, but Lt. Colonel Hal Moore is on my short list of all time favorite American heros. And the untold story, his wife’s heroic battle on the home front for the troops. Another great family legacy true story that is probably still going on today…
*(8) – The scene I recall is the medic in the midst of hell, assuring a downed and wounded colleague under fire, in jest : “I can give you a Margherita IV anytime you ask.”
*(9) – Another Texan warrior , who tragically was shot and killed by a fellow desperate combat veteran that Kyle was trying to help at the time. The scene was right down the road from our familiar Tarleton State University.
*(10) – I was caught up in this very long audio book on my long commutes to work. I recall his calmly explaining in training how the key was to remain calm in the S.E.A.L. training pool entailing: 1) They would tie your hands behind your back before throwing you in the deep end, and 2) having to swim the entire length and back in the pool underwater without taking a breath. Sadly, Eric took a fall from “Missouri governor”, but this is one more reason we say: “it is not about the messenger, but the God behind him or her.”
*(11) – Of course, I go outside America for this one but it was a gripping movie. A story of love and devotion amidst the terrible carnage.
*(12) – “Blood and guts” Patton was a mess, but I suspect he was a “redeemed” mess. As one soldier tells a comrade in a march to the next battle: “yea, “our blood , his guts”.
Again, share with us, spread the wealth!
Soli Deo Gloria indeed!
Love,
Jimmy