1/35 UH-1H Huey By lmagna

[marktiedens]

I`ve always liked "The Longest Day".   Even though some of  the actual events were somewhat stylized or even wrong,I liked how the German characters actually spoke in German - very seldom seen even to this day.  I don`t know German language though,so the English captions were nice.

 

Mark

[mtaylor]

45 minutes ago, marktiedens said:

I`ve always liked "The Longest Day".   Even though some of  the actual events were somewhat stylized or even wrong,I liked how the German characters actually spoke in German - very seldom seen even to this day.  I don`t know German language though,so the English captions were nice.

 

Mark

 

There's a version of Das Boot that is entirely subtitles.  I do remember seeing a lot of war movies prior to my military days.  Most.. had errors but usually the story made up for it.  

[marktiedens]

8 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

 

There's a version of Das Boot that is entirely subtitles.  I do remember seeing a lot of war movies prior to my military days.  Most.. had errors but usually the story made up for it.  

I have the three and a half hour directors cut & it has options for different languages with English captions.  Excellent movie!   One of the movie channels I used to have showed the full 5 hour version once in a while.  Kind of hard to sit through a 5 hour movie,though.

 

Mark

[mtaylor]

6 minutes ago, marktiedens said:

 Kind of hard to sit through a 5 hour movie,though.

 

Mark

For one that long it would be best to have  a CD or DVD you can stop for bathroom runs, popcorn, dinner, maybe a nap....  I heard about that one but never saw it.

[lmagna]

I didn't even know that there was a five hour version! I saw it originally in the theater in German with sub titles, and again at home when it came out in English on DVD. Now you say that after all these years I have been missing half the movie?

https://www.amazon.com/Das-Boot-Original-Uncut-Version/dp/B0001XAOLQ

 

To buy or not to buy???????????????????????

[marktiedens]

I`ve never seen the longest version for sale in a store.  Don`t know if it`s even available on DVD,although I have not actually searched for it.  Might do a search on some of the video outlets like Best Buy.

 

Mark

[lmagna]

Hi Mark

The link I posted in my above post says it is the five hour version. Scroll down to the Special Features section.

 

Last night after I did some painting on the fuselage of my Huey, (Yes I am trying to do some work on it) and had gone into the "Watching the paint dry" mode, I decided that all this war movie stuff was making me want to watch one. I considered one of the 70s Vietnam movies I had marked on Netflix, but again did not want to deal with the bashing aspect of those movies so chickened out again. So I looked around looking for something like "We Were Soldiers", Das Boot, or some of the other possibilities commented on here. While looking on Amazon, I ran across a 2019 Australian movie called "Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan" . It is about the 1966 four hour battle of Long Tan in Vietnam where a company of Australian and New Zealand troops were surrounded by a BATTALION of over 2000 Vietnamese troops! Long story short, if you liked We Were Soldiers, and Das Boot then you will like this movie as well. It is REALLY good! It is an emotional movie and if you are like me it WILL affect you in places, but in my opinion at no time really gets into the wasted war wasted trooper mode like so many of the Vietnam movies do. It is also nice to see the war from the perspective of Australians and New Zealanders.

 

Just a personal opinion but it is free on Amazon if you have a membership, and $3 if not. So grab the drink and popcorn and escape for a few hours, Worth the money.

[CDW]

On 5/2/2020 at 1:52 PM, Egilman said:

but my all time favorite, Patton (GC Scott's best performance) 

I'm with you 100% on this one. Hands down favorite for me.

[Canute]

My Dad worked his security detail in 3rd Army. Saw his daily. Ended up collecting a nice little library of books on the General.  I'm prejudiced, too.

[Jack12477]

Love the pearl handled six-shooter on his belt. Bet that was fun to reload under heavy enemy fire !  Even slow to shot than a bolt action Enfield, I bet !  Makes a great portrait tho. 

[Egilman]

22 minutes ago, Jack12477 said:

Love the pearl handled six-shooter on his belt. Bet that was fun to reload under heavy enemy fire !  Even slow to shot than a bolt action Enfield, I bet !  Makes a great portrait tho. 

"Only a pimp in a New Orleans whorehouse would wear a pearl handled pistol" (GS Patton, April 15th 1932)

 

They were Ivory handled and inscribed with his family crest. He had two, carried them all the time when in combat. the first and most known was a Colt .45 Single Action Army, the second, which he wore on his left was a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum......

[Canute]

That's a direct quote of his. He was an old cavalryman.

[Jack12477]

Sorry! Picture looked like pearl, not ivory. But now that you mention it the aging gray computer between the ears did recall the information, slow memory access times. 😁😁😁😁😁😁

 

Hope he carried a Thompson or M1 Carbine as well, or had a dozen " bodyguards" 😎😎😎

Edited May 4, 2020 by Jack12477

[Egilman]

6 minutes ago, Canute said:

That's a direct quote of his. He was an old cavalryman.

Yes he certainly was, and it was his cavalry tactics he adapted to the use of armor in the first world war that made him the foremost tactical genius the Army had at the start of WWII....

 

It's actually paraphrased... the full quote has a few more flourishes to it......

 

He actually personally owned nine guns and towards the end of the war he took to wearing a custom gripped colt .380 government. The grips were black with four stars engraved on the right grip. (three when he was a LtGen.) His issue .45 Auto also had ivory grips, which he wore in a custom leather shoulder holster......

 

A very interesting man.....

[Egilman]

8 minutes ago, Jack12477 said:

Hope he carried a Thompson or M1 Carbine as well, or had a dozen " bodyguards" 😎😎😎

His personal bodyguard detail were the ones carrying all sorts of Thompson's and BAR's and other myriad automatic weapons....

 

Although him standing there in the classic Thompson pose with the butt of one on his hip would be a great shot...

[Roger Pellett]

Have any of you read the “Killing Patton” book? In it the authors make the case that his death should be examined as there is circumstantial evidence that it was not accidental.  I am by no means a Patton expert/ scholar so wonder if this has any credibility or is just publisher/author hype.

 

Roger

 

 

[mtaylor]

21 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

Have any of you read the “Killing Patton” book? In it the authors make the case that his death should be examined as there is circumstantial evidence that it was not accidental.  I am by no means a Patton expert/ scholar so wonder if this has any credibility or is just publisher/author hype.

 

Roger

 

 

 

Several online WWII history sources suggest the same thing.   To me, it's are the questions valid or is just another attempt to dispute and rewrite history? 

[Egilman]

4 hours ago, mtaylor said:

wonder if this has any credibility or is just publisher/author hype.

As far as I am concerned, it is all hype, conspiracy theories abound when it comes to GSP.... Bradley was there when it happened, and it was lucky that we didn't have two injured generals...

 

The Truck that caused the accident from my understanding rolled out of a parked position on a shallow hill, gained enough momentum and his staff car crashed into the truck bed... Broke his back and neck, he was quadriplegic due to this and there was no way he was ever going to walk again much less feed himself. he never recovered consciousness and he died in the hospital four days later... He always wanted to be buried with his troops, his grave is in the

Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. They consider him a Belgian national hero.... No more fitting place for him...

Edited May 5, 2020 by Egilman

[Canute]

I did read the book, but don't remember all the details. I do know Gen Patton distrusted the Russians, so the arguments in the book were plausible.

[Old Collingwood]

Lou  -  Mark,    a facinating chap I talk to on twitter  he is a Vet  and aclaimed writter  - 

 

https://cherrieswriter.com/

 

Here is a rather fetching pic from him.

 

OC.

[lmagna]

Interesting site, thanks OC.

Didn't really know anyone from the 25th Infantry but we flew them here and there now and then.

[Canute]

Had a few friends in the Big Red 1, down 4 Corps way, near Tay Ninh and that big hill Northwest of Saigon, Nui Ba Den. We flew a few missions around there and turning the jets in Bien Hoa

[Old Collingwood]

5 hours ago, lmagna said:

Interesting site, thanks OC.

Didn't really know anyone from the 25th Infantry but we flew them here and there now and then.

Glad it was of use mate.

 

OC.

[lmagna]

4 hours ago, Canute said:

Had a few friends in the Big Red 1, down 4 Corps way

Not sure where IV Corp was, but never met anyone who served in the 1st Division while in Vietnam, but then we were about 500 clicks north of Saigon. A Short trip for you guys, but a long way in a Huey.

[Canute]

Lou, SVN was divided into 4 Corps, I furthest north, IV furthest south, Saigon and south. Heck, we only stopped for coffee and a burger at base ops(if the snack bar happened to be open). The jet got gassed and rearmed and off we'd go to fly another mission in the area. I flew over most of Viet Nam, both North and South, Laos and Cambodia at the end. Fast jets moved a little faster than your whirlybirds, but that beat walking.😉

[lmagna]

OK Ken, I understand now. Somehow I thought you were talking about a division like the 1st division or something I knew about the tactical zones. I was in III Corp tactical zone for the whole time I was there.

 

Yes, we were not as fast nor did we venture as far as you guys but not only did it beat walking but even driving! It was about the only thing I missed when all of the sudden almost overnight I was back in the World and grounded!  We tended to use our Huey's the same way people use their pickup trucks. they could go almost anywhere and haul anything we needed from booze to construction supplies and did fairly good taxi duty as well. Why walk or drive when you could fly? 

[Canute]

Amen, Lou. My Dad told me that when, as a 10 year old, I announced I was going to be a pilot in the Air Force one day. With his Army background, he said that was a good choice, too. When I took one of my innumerable physicals in college, one of the AF med techs said I had almost flat feet. I swallowed hard, thinking my budding flying career was going up in smoke, and asked if I was done with the process.  He laughed and said the Air Force didn't do much marching, so it wasn't a problem.

[mtaylor]

Thanks OC.  Interesting website. Looks like it's almost all army.  Marble Mountain was in I Corps area.   I've bookmarked his site to go back and do some reading.

[mtaylor]

2 minutes ago, Canute said:

Amen, Lou. My Dad told me that when, as a 10 year old, I announced I was going to be a pilot in the Air Force one day. With his Army background, he said that was a good choice, too. When I took one of my innumerable physicals in college, one of the AF med techs said I had almost flat feet. I swallowed hard, thinking my budding flying career was going up in smoke, and asked if I was done with the process.  He laughed and said the Air Force didn't do much marching, so it wasn't a problem.

True. Why walk when you can fly?   Just hope the airplane never falls out of the sky far away from base.

[mtaylor]

I stumbled across, Lou, and though you might be interested.