"We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." - President Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address
Friday, July 12, 2013
Friday Fun Film: "The Small Boat Navy"
Raymond Burr narrates the story of river warfare and coastal surveillance in an earlier war:
Good to see this one again, especially since most people’s impression of the Riverines derives from “Apocalypse Now” , which has a tenuous relationship to the real thing, at best. The movie gives impression that a lot of these men were draftees, whereas they were all volunteers. It still surprises me just how many of the men that appear in the film I knew at various points in my career.
As a Brownwater Navy vet of TF-116 I HATE the impression given in the that movie. And as a sailor in RivDiv 513 I am insulted that those idiots were wearing MY shoulder patch. We did NOTHING like was portrayed on the rivers in that movie.
I kind of snap when I mention river boats and someone mentions that movie, sorry~
I served with a lot of guys that had been in TF-115, 116, 117, COSRIVRON5 and various other levels of the MRF. One of the reasons I'm glad to see the documentary since "Appocalypse gives such a terribly distorted picture of the force.
Good to see this one again, especially since most people’s impression of the Riverines derives from “Apocalypse Now” , which has a tenuous relationship to the real thing, at best. The movie gives impression that a lot of these men were draftees, whereas they were all volunteers.
ReplyDeleteIt still surprises me just how many of the men that appear in the film I knew at various points in my career.
Shadow
As a Brownwater Navy vet of TF-116 I HATE the impression given in the that movie. And as a sailor in RivDiv 513 I am insulted that those idiots were wearing MY shoulder patch. We did NOTHING like was portrayed on the rivers in that movie.
ReplyDeleteI kind of snap when I mention river boats and someone mentions that movie, sorry~
When did you serve in RivDiv 513? I was there in '70
DeleteI served with a lot of guys that had been in TF-115, 116, 117, COSRIVRON5 and various other levels of the MRF. One of the reasons I'm glad to see the documentary since "Appocalypse gives such a terribly distorted picture of the force.
ReplyDeleteShadow