By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Joe Rosenthal/Associated Press
Memorial Day is one of the most important events of the year. It’s an emotional day for service members and their families, and for the United States. It’s celebrated and honored.
There have been many movies made about the war and the soldiers who have fought for their nation. Tubi is a free platform. Here are some movies to recommend watching this week, starting today, to pay homage to service men and women.
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Directed by the great Clint Eastwood. Flags of Our Fathers is the sequel to Letters to Iwo Jima, which Eastwood also directed.
This story centers around three American soldiers who are hailed as heroes for their actions during World War II, but the memories of battle continue to haunt them. The movie came out in 2006. It’s based on the book by James Bradley and Ron Powers. Steven Spielberg is one of the film’s producers.
The cast features Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach, Jesse Bradford, and Paul Walker.
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Randall Wallace directed, wrote, and produced the movie. It is one of the underrated war movies of the 21st century. Mel Gibson is the lead actor and truly carries the film. Gibson portrayed as Hal Moore.
The movie follows Lt. Col. Hal Moore during the Vietnam War as he leads his troops into a brutal battle, facing overwhelming odds in one of the conflict’s deadliest clashes.
It’s a solid cast with Sam Elliott, Chris Klein, and Keri Russell. It’s based on the 1992 book called, We Were Soldiers Once and Young.
Midway (2019)
The last 30 minutes of the movie will give you chills—an impressive cast starring Dennis Quaid and Woody Harrelson, who were fantastic in this movie. The story is about six months after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy and a daring squad of fighter pilots battle for control of the North Pacific in a pivotal clash.
Fury (2014)
This film had some of the best acting. Brad Pitt and Jon Berthal were tenacious in their roles. It’s unbelievable that it’s been 12 years since the movie came out. It felt as if it came out last week—one of the best war films of the year.
The movie is about A crew of seasoned yet jaded soldiers who must welcome a recruit into their tank while battling against the Nazis in World War II.
The script was brilliant, especially the way the movie ended. Highly recommended.
Bataan (1942)
In 1942, a ragtag group of U.S. soldiers defends their post amid harrowing conditions while working to slow the Japanese advance in the Philippines.
They Were Expendable (1945)
Any movie with John Wayne in it, you must check it out—a classic war movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. During World War II in the Philippines, PT boat captains bravely engaged Japanese ships in naval battles, defending their position.
The Gallant Hours (1960)
Based on true events, an American commander in the South Pacific during World War II makes a critical move that helps them defeat the Japanese forces.
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
Anyone who is a fan of World War 2 movies, this one must be at the top of the list. Great cast with Spencer Tracy, Robert Walker, and Van Johnson.
After the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle devises a plan for a daring raid to strike Japan.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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