One of the best movies of 2005 is out--"The Great Raid" This is one of the best movies you'll see, I really encourage you to take a couple of hours out and see this on the big screen. We had the opportunity to see an advance premier several weeks ago. I think we were the youngest people there. The director was there, and about half the Filipino population of Houston, and all able-bodied vets.
As a general rule, I do not like war movies, except for two: Saving Private Ryan and The Great Raid. The Great Raid, in case you're not familiar with the story, is about a mission to rescue about 500 POWs at the Cabanatuan POW Camp, which held survivors of the Bataan Death March and other Japanese-held POWS.
If you’ve ever held any doubts about the Japanese atrocities during WWII, this movie will disabuse you of that notion. In one scene, the POWs explain how the Japanese considered anyone who surrendered a coward, a sub-human not deserving of mercy. This is evident from the conditions which the POWs lived, not to mention tales of Japanese torture of prisoners, as well as the War Crimes trials that were held after WWII.
In another scene, Benjamin Bratt portraying Henry Mucci, the raid’s commander, is coordinating with Filipino guerrillas (led by Lapham, Pajoda or Josen?). Mucci warns the guerrilla commander that his plan is dangerous because the Japanese troops will plan a flanking attack. No, the guerrilla commander says, they won’t. They don’t have enough respect for us to consider anything but a head on attack.
But, the scene that really drives the point home is the opening scene which explains part of the basis for the raid. As the Japanese began losing, they decided to simply kill POWs. The Japanese corral POWs in a confined area, pour gas on them and set them on fire.
There are two good books on the Cabanatuan raid, William Breuer’s The Great Raid on Cabanatuan, and Hampton Sides’s Gost Soldiers. There is a monument on the ex-camp site: http://www.abmc.gov/cb.htm
Friday, August 19, 2005
35 Stupid Questions Answered
Normally I don’t fill out these e-mail chain mails, but I’ve gotten so many from friends, I figured someone wants thinks this is interesting.
Welcome to the new edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun!
Just copy (not forward) this entire e-mail and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you.
Some of you may get this several times that means you have lots of friends.
1. What is your occupation? History professor
2. What color is your underwear? Underwear? What underwear?
3. What are you listening to right now? Montel Williams Show
4. What was the last thing you ate? Pillsbury Home-style waffles
5. Do you wish on stars? Not usually, but sometimes I wish on Brittney Spears or Gwen Stefani
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Sky blue
7. How is the weather right now? It’s Houston…hot and humid.
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jim Rutledge
9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? One of the people I love in the world.
10. How old are you today? 39
11. Favorite drink? Wylers Green Tea w/Peach
12. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball and Hockey
13. Have you ever dyed your hair? No, but I have had hair that died!
14. Do you wear contacts or glasses? Glasses.
15. Pets? Punkin (heeler), Mia, (cocker spaniel), Bijou (pit/lab) and Paco (cat)
16. Favorite month? August—everyone has a b-day.
17. Favorite food? Chicken curry
.
18. What was the last movie you watched? Spider Man 2
19. Favorite day of the year? Halloween
20. What do you do to vent anger? Yell and stomp.
21. What was your favorite toy as a child? Etch-a-sketch.
22. Fall or Spring? Fall
23. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
24. Cherry or Blueberry? Maraschino Cherries
25. Do you want your friends to email you back? Of course
26. Who is most likely to respond? Lynda, Forrest, Melody.
27. Who is least likely to respond? Chuck
28. Living arrangements? In a house with wife and pets.
29. When was the last time you cried? Movie
30. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes, luggage, stray socks
31. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Forrest V. Willis…followed by Melody Bradfute Vertucci
32. What did you do last night? Went to meeting for free food, came home and slept
33. What inspires you? Finding out something I didn’t know before
34. What are you afraid of? Spiders
35. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? None of the above. Spicy Chicken Sandwiches or Muffalettas
Welcome to the new edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun!
Just copy (not forward) this entire e-mail and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you.
Some of you may get this several times that means you have lots of friends.
1. What is your occupation? History professor
2. What color is your underwear? Underwear? What underwear?
3. What are you listening to right now? Montel Williams Show
4. What was the last thing you ate? Pillsbury Home-style waffles
5. Do you wish on stars? Not usually, but sometimes I wish on Brittney Spears or Gwen Stefani
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Sky blue
7. How is the weather right now? It’s Houston…hot and humid.
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jim Rutledge
9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? One of the people I love in the world.
10. How old are you today? 39
11. Favorite drink? Wylers Green Tea w/Peach
12. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball and Hockey
13. Have you ever dyed your hair? No, but I have had hair that died!
14. Do you wear contacts or glasses? Glasses.
15. Pets? Punkin (heeler), Mia, (cocker spaniel), Bijou (pit/lab) and Paco (cat)
16. Favorite month? August—everyone has a b-day.
17. Favorite food? Chicken curry
.
18. What was the last movie you watched? Spider Man 2
19. Favorite day of the year? Halloween
20. What do you do to vent anger? Yell and stomp.
21. What was your favorite toy as a child? Etch-a-sketch.
22. Fall or Spring? Fall
23. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
24. Cherry or Blueberry? Maraschino Cherries
25. Do you want your friends to email you back? Of course
26. Who is most likely to respond? Lynda, Forrest, Melody.
27. Who is least likely to respond? Chuck
28. Living arrangements? In a house with wife and pets.
29. When was the last time you cried? Movie
30. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes, luggage, stray socks
31. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Forrest V. Willis…followed by Melody Bradfute Vertucci
32. What did you do last night? Went to meeting for free food, came home and slept
33. What inspires you? Finding out something I didn’t know before
34. What are you afraid of? Spiders
35. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? None of the above. Spicy Chicken Sandwiches or Muffalettas
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