Taking Chance

Tonight we had the privilege of watching Taking Chance. We heard about this film shortly before it came out on HBO. We signed up for Netflix the other day and Taking Chance was one of the first films we looked for. It arrived today and we watched it during dinner. I'm finding it difficult to express the movie in a few words. So here's an excerpt I found on Amazon...

Lt. Col. Mike Strobl's first-person narrative of his voluntary mission escorting the body of a fellow Marine killed in Iraq. Strobl (played in the film by Kevin Bacon) hadn't known Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps but, noticing they'd been born in the same western town, he requested temporary leave from his duties as a manpower-deployment analyst at Quantico in order to accompany the 20-year-old's body home. Home, as it turned out, was no longer their shared birthplace in Colorado but the high-country Wyoming town of Dubois. The journey would take Strobl deep into the heart of his nation, and his own heart as well. There's no overstating the power and beauty of what he encountered: one instance after another of not just military personnel but airline employees, passengers, and bystanders doing honor--mostly wordlessly--to Chance's coffin and his escort as they passed by.                                                     -Amazon commentary

It would be hard to describe the movie. It reminded me of a quote that was on Facebook on Veteran's Day. "Only two people have ever offered to die for you -- Jesus Christ, for your sins and the American soldier, for your freedom." I'm sad to say that I really didn't know what happened after a soldier was killed overseas. It also made me wonder if we really appreciate everything our military forces sacrifice for us. They are away from their families for long periods of time, they run a risk of being wounded and killed and they see their buddies killed before them.  Taking Chance was, in a way, comforting. That sounds odd, but when I saw the people at the airport and everyone who showed respect for Chance and Lt. Col. Strobl, it made me feel that Americans do care and are thankful. We hear in the news about this 'terrible' war and all the casualities and how we should get out of this war quickly, but it seems we rarely hear about the patriotism of the Americans. It really adds a new perpective to the picture. I would really recommend seeing this film. Yes, there is one word in the movie that I would have left out. But it doesn't spoil the movie!  This is one movie that I want to show to my family someday, to remind them of what America was made out of, and to not forget those who gave their lives that we might have the freedom of speech, religion, and the right to train our children in the way they should go, so that when they are old, they will not depart from it. Next time you see a service member, thank them for their service and thank them for everyone in America.

Semper Fi!