The Green Berets

While I like this movie for all the wrong reasons, it doesn't come close to doing justice to the Robin Moore book on which it was very loosely based. It's pretty obvious that much of it was filmed stateside, but in that it was one of the few - if not the only - Vietnam War movies made in the 60's it's historically significant. I also know that The Duke visited several US Army SF camps in SE Asia in preparation for this film - as well as to show his support for our service men.

If you're interested in the subject matter, however, READ THE BOOK! It's very gritty and much of it is from a unique first-person perspective.

The only thing wrong with this movie was that John Wayne's character, COL Kirby, was not Ranger qualified.

Forget the trite lines and poor special effects. Viewers who criticize this film for not having a meaning or realism miss its point. This was John Wayne giving support to the troops the best way he knew how- by making a patriotic John Wayne movie. Nobody ever criticized Bob Hope for entertaining the troops, so why pan the Duke for doing the same? This movie was no more borish or weak than the Saturday morning serials we used to cheer in the 30s, 40s and 50s. If you want a deeper message see The Searchers (and if you look closely, you WILL see some parallels...)

North Vietnam and the VC had great PR throughout the war---they managed to dupe most of the world into believing they were peace loving victims of Western imperialism. For some reason, the press never focussed on their use of cold terror and outright mass murder to force their aims on the people of RVN. People forget that we were not in Vietnam to save Vietnam; we were there to stem the tide of world wide communist expansion. We didn't lose in 1975; we won in 1989 when the Wall came down.

So John Wayne's "The Green Berets" was a little schmaltzy. Warm beer tastes flat, but better than no beer. The actors' roles, on both sides, were caricatures of their respective types.

I saw this movie when I was stationed on Okinawa in 1969. Everyone cheered, no one whined. No civilian I ever met liked it. So what? Regardless of politics, most Americans who served in Southeast Asia did so honorably. This is an honorable movie.

"The Green Berets" clearly follows the genre of war movies for which John Wayne is famous. While the movie is purely an action adventure it nevertheless has its merits. It does not depict the horrors and suffering of war but it does inspire through the heroism of its characters. It makes the same kind of social and political statement that John Wayne's World War II movies make. Many people pan the picture as simply a piece of propaganda but there is always a place for such films. We forget that stories and movies such as this inspire a sense of courage, duty and patriotism. When the movie was released the green beret had taken a seat next to the coon skin cap and cowboy hat. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt us as a society to have more heroes like those depicted in The Green Berets.

What was Vietnam truly like? I personally do not know but have learned that it always depends on who you ask. I have met a number of Vietnam veterans and each has a different story to tell. The Vietnamese soldier I am told was no better or worse than the American soldier. Those that look down on the Vietnamese soldiers probably looked down on the Vietnamese people as a whole. One former army ranger who served two tours of duty in Vietnam said they were some of the toughest soldiers he had ever seen. I have also read accounts that the elite units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (rangers, paratroopers, marines) were indeed very courageous and fierce soldiers. As for the Vietcong and North Vietnamese, they were without a doubt brutal and cold blooded. As one posted comment noted "The Killing Fields" depicts the kind of cruelty that the Vietcong practiced. They were no different than the Khmer Rouge as a few Vietnamese I have met have told me.

One thing all Vietnam veterans have in common is a sense of frustration about how the war was fought. Why did we lose the Vietnam war? Perhaps because we never really fought to win.

It is probably impossible to assess the content of this film in other than the context in which it was developed and presented. My own first viewing was in 1968 a matter of mere weeks before having to report for duty in the US Armed Forces. At that time I did not know whether or not I would have to go to Viet Nam as many of my friends already had. Some had already been killed or wounded in action. In this context, the film is one I will never forget.

John Wayne made this as a political film in an attempt to counter the rising tide of what he and others like him saw as treasonous protests against the government and the military over the conflict in Viet Nam. This horrid almost-war was tearing many families apart in controversy. Wayne wanted to make a patriotic statement of support for the Armed Forces who had been so good to him. He was denied several attempts at enlistment in WWII and was classified 4F. He made films to support the allied war effort then and hoped to show support again even though this was never a real war. Instead he was widely ridiculed by a rabid leftist press.

Yes, the film was definitely not accurate in the way we have come to demand of today's films. Such accuracy may have been impossible in the political climate of the day. There was deep seated anger in the upper military echelon for not being allowed to wage an actual war. Every engagement between forces was won by the Americans, but they were forbidden from the beginning to the end from pressing an attack. The result was perhaps history's worst military "Catch 22"; fight and then wait for the enemy to regroup, rearm and reattack. I still know military people who hate the entire media for the brow-beating they gave the military and Congress, who - in turn - forbade the military from pressing more aggressive action.

Wayne was also attempting to counter people in the entertainment industry whom he and others considered traitors (then and still) such as Jane Fonda, who visited and spoke in support of North Viet Nam.

It was this climate Wayne stepped into. His effort was genuine but it resulted in a cameo of the war rather than something palpable. Something that good has yet to be made. Much of what went on, real high drama and touching personal stories, has been almost entirely ignored by Hollywood. Thus, this also remains one of the few films of the hugely controversial era.

For the person who comments on there not being any pine trees in Viet Nam. (as shown in the'Green Berets') Have you ever been to Viet Nam? Sorry to inform you, but there ARE pine trees in Viet Nam. Try visiting Lam Dong Province and I am sure you will realize your comments are wrong. I am an American living and working here, and personally can attest to this. You must take time to study the geography and flora of this country and it will surprise you. In fact, there is desert here, just like you might see in Arizona. It lies between Phan Tiet and Nha Trang along the coast. Furthermore, if one converses with some of the former Vietnamese soldiers who fought along-side the US here, you will hear many stories of how they appreciated the US effort during the war. Many tell me a different story that the US did belong here. Before commenting-come and see for yourself.

Regards