Freedom Isn't Free: MomDot's Small Talk Six

Those MomDotters are at it again...Small talk Six! On Saturdays.

Today’s topic is “6 of your favorite patriotic films.". You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc...

Here you go...Happy independence Day! Make sure you thank a soldier today for your freedom. It was bought with the blood, sweat and tears of many of our service men and women. Always remember, all gave some, but some gave all. God Bless America:

1) Midway {1976, Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Erik Estrada, Tom Selleck} This movie holds a special place for me because there is a scene that shows a Japanese kamikaze plane hitting the bridge/mast tower of a aircraft carrier. In the movie, they say the ship is the USS Yorktown, when in reality it is actual footage of the USS Ticonderoga's {Big T} bridge/tower mast being dive bombed. My Father was in that tower. No joke. My Dad fought in WW II {He was born in 1927 and fudged his birth certificate so he could join the Navy} and was nearly killed during that battle. His skull was split, all of his facial bones were crushed and he lost most of his teeth.

Even for as badly injured as he was, he was still able to save many of his fellow sailors. He also witnessed many other of his shipmates dying and being, as he described, melted into the deck of the ship from the intense heat of the flames. Imagine his surprise, nearly 30 years later, when he went to the theater to see a movie about WW II, his war, and seeing actual film footage of something that almost killed him!

My brother and I always watched this film with our Dad whenever it came on TV. Each time, Dad would tell us something new about his experience. That is how you learn about American History, my friends, from those that lived it, fought in it and have the scars to prove it. My Daddy was a true American Hero.

2) Red Dawn, {1984, Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey, Harry Dean Stanton, C. ThomasHowell, Powers Boothe }

What can I say? I am a child of the 80's when the Russians were The Devil and the Cold War Reigned Supreme. And post-apocalyptic movies were a genre all their own.

3) North and South, Books I & II {1985 & 1986, Patrick Swayze, James Reed, Lesley Ann Down, Genie Francis, Jonathan Frakes, Phillip Casnov} I have a love for American History passed down to me by my Dad. My brother, Father and myself also shared a love for all things about The Civil War. We sat as a family through every night of this TV movie. We were enthralled. If you have nevr seen this one, I highly encourage you to rent it. It is well written {Based on John Jake's novels} and beautifully filmed. And the stars aren't bad looking, either. Oh, how I wanted to look like the amazingly beautiful Lesley Ann Down!

4) Glory {1989, Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher}
An excellent movie! Based on the letters of Colonel Robert G. Shaw. Shaw was an officer in the Federal Army during the American Civil War who volunteered to lead the first company of black soldiers. Shaw was forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy {who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks}, and of his own fellow officers.

5) Tora! Tora Tora! {1970, E.G. Marshall, James Whitmore, Jason Robards, Joseph Cotten} About the attack on Peral Harbor, from the Japanese point of view. As my Husband says, this movie shows that the Japanese were just as scared as we were. Really good film about WWII.

6) To Hell and Back {1955, Audie Murphy, Jack Kelly, Richard Castle } Based on the best selling autobiography of the star, To Hell And Back was the highest grossing movie of all time until 1975's Jaws. Audie Murphy rose to national fame as the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II. Among his 33 awards and decorations was the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual in the United States of America, for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." He also received every decoration for valor that his country had to offer, some of them more than once, including 5 decorations by France and Belgium.

Credited with either killing over 240 of the enemy while wounding and capturing many others, he became a legend within the 3rd Infantry Division. Beginning his service as an Army Private, Audie quickly rose to the enlisted rank of Staff Sergeant, was given a "battle field" commission as 2nd Lieutenant, was wounded three times, fought in 9 major campaigns across the European Theater, and survived the war.

During Murphy's 3 years active service as a combat soldier in World War II, Audie became one of the best fighting combat soldiers of this or any other century. What Audie accomplished during this period is most significant and probably will never be repeated by another soldier, given today's high-tech type of warfare. The U.S. Army has always declared that there will never be another Audie Murphy.

That's my list. I hope you all have a chance to check out these great movies soon.

P.S.: The answer to last week's trivia question is Theme To Mission Magic, written and performed by Rick Springfield. I cannot believe no one got it, I left clues throughout the entire post!

Freedom Isn't Free: MomDot's Small Talk Six

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