From: "Mary Jocius" Subject: a powerful article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer 02-20-00 Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 09:17:55 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0177_01BFD12A.796A3B60" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0177_01BFD12A.796A3B60 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dick Feagler's column in The 20 February 2000 Cleveland Plain Dealer: "In a battlefield cemetery each marble cross marks an individual crucifixion. Someone- someone very young usually-has died for somebody else's sins. =20 The movie "Saving Private Ryan" begins and ends in the military cemetery above Omaha Beach. By sundown of D-Day, 40,000 Americans had landed on that beach, and one in 19 had become a casualty. Director = Steven Spielberg made "Saving Private Ryan" as a tribute to D-day veterans. He wanted, reviewers say, to strip the glory away from war and show the = '90s generation what it was really like. The reviews have praised the first 30 minutes of the film and the special effects that graphically show the blood and horror of the D-Day landing. =20 Unfortunately, American movie audiences have become jaded connoisseurs of special effects gore. In the hands of the entertainment industry, violence has become just another pandering trick. But Spielberg wasn't pandering. Shocked by and wary of his depiction, I bought a copy = of Steven Ambrose's book "D-Day." The story of the Normandy invasion is a story of unimaginable slaughter. Worse than I ever knew, and I thought I = knew something about it. The young men who lived through those first waves = are old men now. Many have asked themselves, every day for more than 50 years, why they survived. It is an unanswerable question. The air was full of buzzing death. When the ramps opened on many of the landing craft, all the men aboard were riddled with machine gun bullets before they could step = into the water. =20 Beyond this cauldron of cordite and carnage, half a world away, lay an America united in purpose like no citizen under 60 has ever seen. The war touched everyone. The entire starting lineup of the 1941 Yankees was in military uniform. Almost every family could hang a service flag = in the window, with a Star embroidered on it for each son in uniform, a Gold = Star for those who had made the ultimate sacrifice. In the early hours of D-Day, = with the outcome of the battle still in the balance, the nation prayed. = Ambrose tells us that the New York Daily News threw out its lead stories and printed in their place the Lord's Prayer. "I fought that war as a = child," a historian on television said the other night. I knew what he meant. So = did I. We all saved fat and flattened cans and grew victory gardens. But we did not all go to Omaha Beach. Or Saipan. Or Anzio. Only an anointed few = did that. The men of World War II are beginning to leave us now. In my = family, six have gone and two are left. We have lost the uncle who was on = Okinawa, the cousin who worked his way up the gauntlet of Italy and the cousin who brought the German helmet back from North Africa. These men left us with a simple request. You can hear that request in final minutes of "Saving Private Ryan." I haven't read a review that has mentioned it, but it is what makes Spielberg's movie a masterpiece. In the film, a squad of rangers is sent behind enemy lines to save a = young 101st Airborne Paratrooper whose three brothers have been killed in battle. Headquarters wants him shipped home to spare his mother the agony of having all her sons killed in combat. So eight rangers risk their lives = for one man. =20 And when Captain Miller, the Ranger Commander is mortally wounded, he asks Pvt. Ryan to bend over so he can whisper to him. "Earn this," he = says. And that is the request of all the young men who have died in all the wars-from Normandy to the Chosin Reservoir to Da Nang to the Gulf. =20 "Earn this." =20 When the movie ended, the theater was silent except for some muffled sobs. But the tears that scalded my eyes were not just for the men who had died on the screen and in truth. Or for the men who had lived = and grown old and were baffled about why they had been spared. I walked out into the world of Howard Stern, Jerry Springer and "South Park." Into the world of front-page coverage of Monica Lewinski and the stain on her dress from Oval Office semen. "Earn this," was still ringing in my ears. =20 And the tears in my eyes were tears of betrayal." "It is a very great poverty to decide that a child must die that you might live as you = wish" - Mother Teresa of Calcutta =20 Mary Jocius jocius@neopolis.net www.MaryJocius.com ------=_NextPart_000_0177_01BFD12A.796A3B60 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


Dick Feagler's column in The 20 = February=20 2000 Cleveland Plain Dealer:
"In a battlefield cemetery each marble = cross marks=20 an individual
crucifixion.  Someone- someone very young = usually-has died=20 for
somebody else's sins.
 
The movie "Saving Private = Ryan" begins=20 and ends in the military
cemetery above Omaha Beach.  By sundown = of=20 D-Day, 40,000 Americans
had landed on that beach, and one in 19 = had=20 become a casualty.  Director Steven
Spielberg made "Saving = Private Ryan"=20 as a tribute to D-day veterans. He
wanted, reviewers say, = to strip=20 the glory away from war and show the '90s
generation what it = was  really=20 like. The reviews have praised the
first 30 minutes of the film and = the=20 special effects that graphically
show the blood and horror of = the D-Day=20 landing.
 
Unfortunately, American movie audiences have = become=20 jaded connoisseurs
of special effects gore. In the hands of the=20 entertainment industry,
violence has  become just another = pandering=20 trick.   But Spielberg
wasn't pandering.  Shocked = by and=20 wary of his depiction, I bought a copy of Steven
Ambrose's book=20 "D-Day."  The story of the Normandy invasion is a
story=20 of unimaginable slaughter. Worse than I ever knew, and I thought I=20 knew
something about it.  The young men who  lived = through=20 those first waves are old men now.
Many have asked themselves,  = every=20 day for more than 50 years, why they
survived. It is an = unanswerable=20 question. The air was full of buzzing
death.  When the ramps = opened on=20 many of the landing craft, all the men
aboard were riddled = with=20 machine gun bullets before  they could step into=20 the
water.
 
Beyond this cauldron of cordite and = carnage, half a=20 world away, lay
an America united in purpose like no citizen under 60 = has=20 ever seen.
The war touched everyone. The entire starting lineup = of the=20 1941 Yankees
was in military uniform. Almost every family = could=20 hang a service flag in the
window, with a Star embroidered = on it=20 for each son in uniform, a Gold Star for
those who had made = the=20 ultimate sacrifice. In the early hours of D-Day, = with
the outcome of the=20 battle still in the balance, the nation prayed. =  Ambrose
tells us=20 that the New York Daily News threw out its lead stories=20 and
printed in their place the Lord's Prayer. "I fought = that war as=20 a child," a
historian on television said the other night. I knew = what he=20 meant. So did I.
We all saved fat and flattened cans and grew = victory=20 gardens. But we
did not all go to Omaha Beach. Or Saipan. = Or Anzio.=20 Only an anointed few did
that.  The men of World War II are = beginning to=20 leave us now. In my family,
six have gone and two are left. = We have=20 lost the uncle who was on Okinawa,
the cousin who worked his way = up the=20 gauntlet of Italy and the cousin
who brought the German = helmet back=20 from North Africa.
These men left us with a simple = request. You can=20 hear that request in
final minutes of "Saving Private Ryan." I = haven't=20 read a review that has
mentioned it, but it is what makes = Spielberg's=20 movie a masterpiece.
In the film, a squad of rangers is = sent behind=20 enemy lines to save a young 101st
Airborne Paratrooper whose three = brothers=20 have been killed in battle.
Headquarters wants him shipped home to = spare his=20 mother the agony of
having all her sons killed in combat. So = eight=20 rangers risk their lives for one
man. 
 
And when Captain Miller, the Ranger = Commander is=20 mortally wounded, he
asks Pvt. Ryan to bend over so he can = whisper to=20 him. "Earn this," he says.
And that is the request of all = the young=20 men who have died in all the
wars-from Normandy to the Chosin = Reservoir=20 to Da Nang to the Gulf.
 
"Earn this."
 
When the = movie ended, the=20 theater was silent except for some muffled
sobs. But the tears that = scalded=20 my eyes were not just for the men
who had died on the = screen and in=20 truth.  Or for the men who had lived and
grown old and = were=20 baffled about why they had been spared.
I walked out into the world = of Howard=20 Stern, Jerry Springer and "South
Park." Into the world of = front-page=20 coverage of Monica Lewinski and
the stain on her dress from Oval = Office=20 semen.  "Earn this," was
still ringing in my = ears.
 
And=20 the tears in my eyes were tears of betrayal."
 

          =             &= nbsp;        =20 "It is a very great poverty to=20 decide
          &nb= sp;        =20 that a child must die that you might live as you=20 wish"
          &nbs= p;            = ;            = =20 - Mother Teresa of=20 Calcutta
 
        &nb= sp;           &nbs= p;            = ;            =    =20 Mary=20 Jocius
          &nb= sp;           &nbs= p;            = ;      =20 jocius@neopolis.net
 &nbs= p;            = ;            =             &= nbsp; =20 www.MaryJocius.com
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