Cherylndesigns
All glasses should be bigger than 1.5 oz
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2017
- Messages
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Back in 1996 when I went with my Dad to his Navy reunion in Washington DC, on our free time, we went to the Air & Space Museum (had to see Gemini 8 and Apollo 11). In one of the rooms, they had the old newsreels that used to play in the movie theaters. At the stations you could choose what reel to watch. We stopped at one and it had "Battle of Leyte Gulf". Dad pressed the button to play it. He was very quiet as we watched (I knew why we were watching). And, then he said the words "that's when Hank died". I teared up. Hank was his older brother that served on the USS Birmingham which had many men die when trying to help the USS Princeton after it had been bombed. There were multiple explosions from the Princeton with debris flying onto the Birmingham. Hank was 21 years old and had gotten engaged on his last visit home. My grandparents were notified of his death on what would have been his 22nd birthday several weeks later. The oldest son was in the Army in northern Africa at the time. (Hank was the 2nd son). Son #3 would also serve in WWII quitting high school to join the Navy as soon as he turned 18. 5 more sons in the family would serve in either the Navy or Army. Son #4 and #5 (my dad) both were in Korea. Uncle #4 never talked about his days in the Army. All we ever knew was that he spent a lot of time crawling in the rice paddies. Looking back I wouldn't doubt that he had PTSD from that time.
What a moving story and I loved that you shared it. How wonderful that your dad got to see those old reels and now wonderful (but sad) that he got to tell you/show you where his brother died. Right after the WWII War Memorial opened in DC, my sister I visited and were so humbled by all of the elderly military men, most in wheel chairs, but still so proud, who had come to see it. They had big booths and had thousands and thousands of names on microfilm. We were so excited to find our Uncle Franklin's records on there and were able to take pictures of the records to bring home to show his daughter. It just makes us so appreciative of what that "Greatest Generation" did for our freedom.

Cheryl, your discussion of the World War footage and series- I have trouble watching military things. Frustrates my husband so much cos he is a veteran and relates to them. I have a "gift"???? that if I see someone fall, or be hurt, I literally feel it in my body. That becomes very intense watching military stuff or even "funniest videos". So I either close my eyes or don't watch. The WWII era movies especially about the Holocaust I do watch, and cry. I'm even known to yell at the screen when seeing injustice, lol.

I had a friend saying how much they loved "This is Us" because it made them cry every episode and that is exactly why I DIDN'T like it. Up is my favorite Disney move but I have to skip the beginning montage where the wife dies because it makes me cry every time. My son likes to play that music on the piano just to see me tear up, little punk.
I cry over everything, I mean everything! And the movies you listed are definite tear jerkers on my list. Lemme add a couple more...