February 25 - Courage Under Fire

Today’s movie is a combat drama with a scenes set on February 25. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

COURAGE UNDER FIRE           

Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling commands a tank battalion at the start of the Gulf War. During the confusion of a night battle his tank destroys a US tank that was firing at an Iraqi tank and not at them, like his crew thought. On February 25, 1991 [15:57 to 16:16; 16:30 to 16:42; 16:46 to 16:49; 17:00 to 17:04; 17:11 to 17:15; 25:40 to 28:24; 32:34 to 36:33; 37:07 to 38:10; 39:18 to 39:49; 1:27:07 to 1:27:16 and 1:27:30 to 1:31:16] a Blackhawk helicopter is shot down in Iraq. The Army refuses to censor Serling and covers up the friendly fire incident. Serling is assigned to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Blackhawk shootdown. Serling interviews the survivors of the Blackhawk’s crew, who tell them that after they were shot down and surrounded by Iraqis, an Army medical Huey helicopter appeared. The Huey strafed the Iraqis, destroyed an enemy tank and was then shot down itself. During the rescue the next day, someone at the Huey used an M-16 to give covering fire.  Serling then learns that the pilot of the Huey was a woman, Captain Karen Walden who is being considered for a posthumous Medal of Honor, a project that has a high level of political support. Serling begins his investigation while suffering from PTSD and guilt himself. The Huey’s co-pilot, Warrant Officer Rady says Walden ordered the crew to dump the choppers fuel bladder on the Iraqi tank and use a flare gun to ignite it. However, he was injured when they were shot down and knows nothing else. Specialist Ilario says that at night the Captain was injured during an Iraqi attack. The next day during the rescue the Captain was the last to leave and was killed. No one fired an M-16 during the rescue. Serling’s boss pushes him to finish the report, but he is troubled by inconsistencies in the stories. Staff Sergeant John Monfriez who was in the Huey to provide covering fire thinks M-16 ammo ran out first thing in the morning. He says Walden was a coward and that it was his idea to use the fuel bladder on the tank. He even says Walden shot at him during the evacuation. Serling asks Garner, a reporter who has been investigating the alleged friendly fire incident involving Serling, to help him find a missing Huey crewman, Sergeant Steven Altameyer. He is found in a hospital where he just mumbles about a fire before passing out. Serling is pulled off the Walden investigation, but nevertheless he goes back to question Monfriez, who gets so upset he pulls a gun on Serling and then commits suicide. Serling then locates Ilario, who had gone AWOL and finally gets the real story. During the night Monfriez, supported by Altameyer and Ilario wanted to sneak off, even though Walden ordered them to stay, as the Captain refused to leave the wounded Rady. Walden and Monfriez end up pointing guns at each other. An Iraqi appears behind Monfriez and is shot by Walden. He returns fire, thinking he was her target and shoots, wounding her. During the rescue Walden stays behind giving covering fire with the M-16. Monfriez tells the rescue chopper pilots Walden is dead. The wounded Altameyer is ignored and Ilario is silent as the rescue choppers napalm the wrecks of the two US helicopters. Gartner’s investigation reveals that while Serling’s tank did cause friendly fire deaths, his actions immediately thereafter prevented any more such incidents.  He gets a medal. Walden is awarded the Medal of Honor.  Serling visits the family of the man who was killed and leaves his medal on Waldens tombstone. Recovered fro m his PTSD Serling returns to his family.

A good movie. This is a story of the “fog of war’ and the search for truth. In searching for Walden’s truth, Serling is able to accept his own.

Date given in film at 15:09 in speech and on blackboard.

Producers - John Davis, Joseph M. Singer and David T. Friendly
Director - Edward Zwick
Screenplay - Patrick Sheane Duncan
Runtime – 1 hour 57 minutes
Released - July 12, 1996

Starring –

Denzel Washington as Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling

Meg Ryan as Captain Karen Emma Walden

Lou Diamond Phillips as Staff Sergeant John Monfriez

Matt Damon as Specialist Ilario

Bronson Pinchot as Bruno, a White House aide

Seth Gilliam as Sergeant Steven Altameyer

Regina Taylor as Meredith Serling

Michael Moriarty as Brigadier General Hershberg

Zeljko Ivanek as Captain Ben Banacek

Scott Glenn as Tony Gartner

Tim Guinee as Warrant Officer One A. Rady

Tim Ransom as Captain Boylar

Sean Astin            as Sergeant Patella

Ned Vaughn as First Lieutenant Chelli

Sean Patrick Thomas as Sergeant Thompson

Manny Perez as Jenkins

Ken Jenkins as Joel Walden

Kathleen Widdoes as Geraldine Walden

Christina Stojanovich as Anne Marie Walden

Tom Schanley as Questioner

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.