75 years ago today the island of Oahu, to include the Pacific Fleet parked at Pearl Harbor, was attacked by the Japanese. [easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B003QSOE0U” locale=”US” src=”http://www.backyardmovies.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/51XFrpmiNUL.jpg” tag=”backyardmov05-20″ width=”375″]An event that would lead to the entry of the United States into World War II. I was fortunate to witness one of these memorials today, the stories behind these survivors are simply amazing. Many survived the attack and after recovering from their wounds, returned to uniform for many more years, sometimes decades of service to the country.
Understanding the power of film to bring the past alive, there has been an outdoor movie series on Waikiki beach this past week. For those of you unable to participate in the activities here on Hawaii, perhaps you can make your own tribute by watching one of these films, and reflecting upon those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00A27O002″ locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]Twelve O’Clock High (Air Force Theme)[/easyazon_link]
“Twelve O’Clock High” is a 1949 Academy Award-winning American war film starring Gregory Peck, depicting aircrews in the U.S. Army’s Eighth Air Force who flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00LC4PFG2″ locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]Run Silent, Run Deep (Navy Theme)[/easyazon_link]
This 1958 American black-and-white film starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster is based around a World War II submarine warfare story in the Pacific Ocean, and an obsession with a Japanese destroyer that has sunk three U.S. submarines in the Bungo Straits. This movie deals with themes of vengeance, endurance, courage, loyalty, and honor and how these can be tested during wartime. The film also features Jack Warden as well as the film debut of Don Rickles. Films were unrated prior to 1968 and may include suggestive and disturbing content and language. Parents are urged to determine whether this film is appropriate for preteens and children.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00005JKF6″ locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]From here to Eternity (Army Theme)[/easyazon_link]
This 1953 drama, with eight Academy Awards deals with the tribulations of three U.S. Army soldiers played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra who were stationed in Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed portray the women in their lives and the supporting cast includes Ernest Borgnine, Jack Warden and more. “From Here to Eternity” was selected in 2002 for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00MGBS6VG” locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]The Sands of Iwo Jima (Marine Corps Theme)[/easyazon_link]
Starring John Wayne, this Academy Award-nominated 1949 war film portrays Wayne as the tough-as-nails career U.S. Marine Sergeant John Stryker, known for his rigorous combat troop training. The film follows a group of marines from training to the brutal Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II, but also depicts Sergeant Stryker’s softer side during a brief leave in Honolulu.
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