Posted on 05/14/2022 11:13:14 PM PDT by pboyington
The sheriff (the late Brian Dennehy) never listens to me at the beginning of Rambo: “Do not … mess … with Rambo.”
Prayers for all our vets suffering from PTSD. Too many despair. Seems like more should be done for them.
On the positive side - it’s almost over.
The sequel is titled "Rambo" and Stallone and producers make him an American hero and a movie franchise is born.
The movie helped to solidify the image of Vietnam Vets as crazy, out of control misfits.
I’ve watched “First Blood” at least once a year since it first was shown. This write-up relative to PTSD is accurate regarding the movie.
“Billy Jack” was just a cheap, leftist hippy film trying to show them as being victims. Billy was just to add a spark to an otherwise ridiculous movie.
When I was growing up in the late 70's in a small town, a Vietnam Vet born and raised there, would walk down the main drag of the town, in fatigues and cursing to himself all the time.
I think his name was "Benny". Sometimes he would enter the family store, and my mom said to me, treat him with respect, and thank him for his service.
And my mother would say, "poor Benny's mom" since he lived with his mother.
True story, and God Bless all the Vets.
“The movie helped to solidify the image of Vietnam Vets as crazy, out of control misfits.”
It also showed local law enforcement as little despots.
I remember we identified with Rambo completely refusing to cooperate with the sheriffs because he was unjustifiably suspected and arrested.
Re the “Rambo” stigma, PTSD and Agent Orange, may I suggest reading the exceptionally written book by B.G. Burkett (Army, Infantry, Vietnam Vet) titled “Stolen Valor” wherein it offers quite a different view of our fine Vietnam Veterans than Rambo. The posers who claimed service in “Nam” and their horrific acts against civilians and how the Left, Media, Hollywood and politicians exploited Vietnam Veterans for their own reasons is well described with each detailed page, notably researched and worth the read, for it will greatly enlighten one’s view of post-Vietnam thinking and certainly of traitors like John Kerry and his involvement in the Anti-War movement. And to all the authentic Vietnam Vets: “Welcome Home!”
It’s more of a cartoon about it. Heroes with Henry Wrinklier was a lot better.
BTTT
“…the war in Vietnam, which has only been over for about sixteen or seventeen years, and thanks to the lies and deceits surrounding that war, I guess it’s no surprise that the very same condition was called “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”
Still eight syllables, but we’ve added a hyphen! And the pain is completely buried under jargon. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I’ll bet you if we’d have still been calling it “Shell Shock”, some of those Vietnam veterans might have gotten the attention they needed at the time.
-George Carlin
Unfortunately
Actually I thought it showed the only people with self control and wits were the Vietnam vets.
“self-control” looks like that to you?
Better word would have been self “discipline”.
I don’t like the government, their cops, and their
abuse of power.
Sorry.
I believe Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song about PTSD. “Summer Side of Life”. One has to listen to the lyrics carefully.
Lightfoot has written a few songs about soldiers and war,”Patriots Dream”, “Drink yer Glasses empty”, and “Echoes of Heroes”
‘Billy Jack’ was ultra cheap, and if it comes on....I’ll watch for 20 minutes.
I don’t watch Vietnam war movies. Been there, done that. Caught about 20 minutes of “Platoon”, while sitting in a bar waiting for a friend. TOTAL, ABSOLUTE, and COMPLETE, BULLSH*T. SO WAS “FIRST BLOOD”. Almost. I saw the entire film (after it had been out for a dozen, or more years, at a friend’s house). The film caught my interest until after the escape from the jail, when it became a comic book. One stupidity after another...(Rambo’s Col. Whositz, wears an SF crest on his brand new misshapen beret which ONLY enlisted men wore on their berets, instead of the Eagle of a “FULL BIRD” Col. that he should have worn on the flasher of his beret. NOT ONE PERSON INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THAT FILM SAID TO ANYONE IN CHARGE, “OOPS, EXCUSE ME BUT...”. ‘CAUSE THEY WERE ALL HOLLYWOOD AND NOBODY KNEW.)
But one part, ONE PART ONLY, touched me, and made my tears just flow. ONLY ONE PART WAS REAL. That’s the scene where
Rambo tells his Col. that all the vets only wanted their country to love them like we loved our country. It’s been over 50 years for me now, and I’m crying just writing this very real truth.
That’s the ONLY TRUTH in that film.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS HOLLYWOOD BULLSH*IT. EVERYTHING!
Keep the Faith.
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