A True War Film

While on the internet, I came across a CNN article entitled, “Prisoner of War” that greatly reminded me of the movie, “Born on the Fourth of July”. In this article the United States solider being interviewed states, “I am not the same person [after going to war]. I don’t know how to come home” (Ware). This quote immediately reminded me of Ron Kovic, in that the war experience had completely changed him.

Michael Ware, this solider fighting in the Iraq War, recently made a three-minute movie of an actual experience he had at war. He held his video camera one night at war. The camera supposedly only filmed darkness and the sound of footsteps. However, suddenly, a bright flash appears on the screen, this is the light of an explosion. Ware claims that unlike many Hollywood war films that are exaggerated or overly patriotic, his brief film captures the actual painful experience of war. Ware is planning on showing his movie in a theatre with surround sound so that the viewers can get the true feeling of war for a brief three minutes. Michael Ware also encourages citizens to see his film because he feels that the majority of Americans are unaware of the emotional effects of war that soldiers experience. He claims that if people support the war or know soldiers partaking in the war, the film must be seen so that they can experience this true war scene.

I think that Michael Ware’s film idea is very interesting and could potentially change a lot of American’s views on war. Ron Kevin’s view on war was completely transformed after his experience, so I believe that some war supporter’s views on war may completely transform after seeing a film that is apparently emotionally straining. I also think that Ware’s film is a good idea because for the first time, Americans who choose to, will be able to know what war is actually like without actually going to war.

Poor War Hospital Conditions

After watching the majority of Oliver Stone’s movie “Born on the Fourth of July” during class, I grew curious as to the exact period of time when the real Ron Kovic transformed from an almost war-obsessed man, to a person that protests the wars. I completed some research online and found an interview with the real Ron Kovic that lead me to some answers.

Based on his interview, it seems that Ron Kovic was fine with the idea of war until he was injured. Kovic even illustrated his original love for war when he returned to Vietnam for a second tour in 1968. However, in his interview he seems disgusted with the way various hospitals treat their war patients. As seen in the movie, Kovic wanted to see a doctor while strapped to his bed, but the doctors took hours to respond to his request, and Kovic was left alone begging to be attended to. Based on Kovic’s interview, it is suggested that very similar situations to this occurred in his real war experience.

Kovic then states that he was recently in a hospital, and saw two wounded Iraq War soldiers in a room close to his. He discusses the fact that these men were treated in similar poor conditions as he was during the Vietnam War. After seeing these two soldiers, Kovic declares that if people volunteer to sacrifice their lives for their country, they should at least be treated and cared for with respect when they return home. He then mentions that with the enormous sums of money the country spends on wars, the soldiers should be well cared for when they are wounded.

Also seen in the movie, there was a hospitalized solider complaining about a rat in the hospital. While I watched this scene, I originally thought the rat beside the soldier’s bed may have been an exaggeration of the poor conditions in the hospital, however, after doing further research, it seems that problems such as these exist even in modern times. An online article mentions Jeremy Duncan an Iraq Army Specialist who broke his neck. After staying in the hospital, he states, "The conditions in the room ... were ... unforgivable... It wasn't fit for anybody to live in a room like that” (Duncan).

Based on all of this information, it seems that war can only be justified if soldiers are treated with respect when they return home injured. According to Duncan, the United States is currently in a war in which this is not happening. I believe the country should use more of the war budget for the wounded soldiers instead of more weapons or war equipment.