Comments on: Movie Review: In the Valley of Elah http://www.sgtstryker.com/movie-review-in-the-valley-of-elah/ Support our Troops Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:57:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: a beautiful day in the Hood http://www.sgtstryker.com/movie-review-in-the-valley-of-elah/#comment-249 a beautiful day in the Hood Tue, 08 Jan 2008 06:15:37 +0000 http://www.sgtstryker.com/?p=123#comment-249 Regarding seeing this movie while a war is going on: it needs to be done. The public would be shocked to know how many vets are committing suicide when returning. There's a sign on post how many days it's been since a soldier was "lost" due to ends like vehicular suicide. I have picked up two friends returning from Iraq, and it was immediately apparent they were severely disturbed after the travel sedation wore off. After a few drinks on homecoming night, one of them relayed to me the source of his disturbance. Nothing I have seen in any movies or media relays the horror of what he had done and would have to live with the rest of his life. A few days later I looked into treatment options for him as he was only a few miles from one of the top post hospitals in the country. However, since at that time I believe that he was only entitled to 7-10 days treatment, it seemed pointless, and as he was afraid it would go in his file, deny him promotion, and so refused to seek treatment. I didn't know what else to do except visit when possible. He was definitely suicidal. The picture is not all bleak though; recently Tricare has started acknowlodging PTSD, and when I had my own experience with it, the ARMY PTSD Training Pack really helped me keep my sanity. This online video helped me know what to expect with a diagnosis of MBI/PTSD. The public needs to be made much more aware of what a serious problem these brave people are facing and we in the medical fields must develop better family education and patient support systems for returning vets, and estimated 1 in 3 will need treatment. That's alot. These studies also will help the general public, as the area of neurology is in it's infancy in terms of what happens when the brain receives a concussive blow. These studies would benefit civilian MVA patients greatly. It's all about education and access to help that doesn't bring a penalty to the one seeking to be healed. Regarding seeing this movie while a war is going on: it needs to be done. The public would be shocked to know how many vets are committing suicide when returning. There’s a sign on post how many days it’s been since a soldier was “lost” due to ends like vehicular suicide. I have picked up two friends returning from Iraq, and it was immediately apparent they were severely disturbed after the travel sedation wore off. After a few drinks on homecoming night, one of them relayed to me the source of his disturbance. Nothing I have seen in any movies or media relays the horror of what he had done and would have to live with the rest of his life. A few days later I looked into treatment options for him as he was only a few miles from one of the top post hospitals in the country. However, since at that time I believe that he was only entitled to 7-10 days treatment, it seemed pointless, and as he was afraid it would go in his file, deny him promotion, and so refused to seek treatment. I didn’t know what else to do except visit when possible. He was definitely suicidal.

The picture is not all bleak though; recently Tricare has started acknowlodging PTSD, and when I had my own experience with it, the ARMY PTSD Training Pack really helped me keep my sanity. This online video helped me know what to expect with a diagnosis of MBI/PTSD. The public needs to be made much more aware of what a serious problem these brave people are facing and we in the medical fields must develop better family education and patient support systems for returning vets, and estimated 1 in 3 will need treatment. That’s alot.
These studies also will help the general public, as the area of neurology is in it’s infancy in terms of what happens when the brain receives a concussive blow. These studies would benefit civilian MVA patients greatly. It’s all about education and access to help that doesn’t bring a penalty to the one seeking to be healed.

]]> By: gigimn http://www.sgtstryker.com/movie-review-in-the-valley-of-elah/#comment-245 gigimn Sun, 06 Jan 2008 23:03:22 +0000 http://www.sgtstryker.com/?p=123#comment-245 I guess my concern is more about the highly payed civilian Solders of Fortune,who seem to be free from prosecution. I did not see this movie but will watch when it is released on DVD In Minnesota one of the local VFW clubs had a major fund raiser to help the homeless vets in and nera St. Cloud Mn. About 100 of them living under bridges near St. Cloud Vets Hosp. So many suffering from mental illness, anxiety and depression. Would this have happened if they had not been to Iraq? I guess we will never know. Thank you for your website. I guess my concern is more about the highly payed civilian Solders of Fortune,who seem to be free from prosecution.
I did not see this movie but will watch when it is released on DVD
In Minnesota one of the local VFW clubs had a major fund raiser to help the homeless vets in and nera St. Cloud Mn. About 100 of them living under bridges near St. Cloud Vets Hosp.
So many suffering from mental illness, anxiety and depression.
Would this have happened if they had not been to Iraq?
I guess we will never know.
Thank you for your website.

]]> By: sherrillynn http://www.sgtstryker.com/movie-review-in-the-valley-of-elah/#comment-207 sherrillynn Sun, 23 Sep 2007 18:09:04 +0000 http://www.sgtstryker.com/?p=123#comment-207 What are your views of seeing a movie about the war while we are still in war? I think that in this day and age anything less would be tantamount to denying U.S. citizens their right to free speech. I'm all for that right, btw. What are your views of seeing a movie about the war while we are still in war?

I think that in this day and age anything less would be tantamount to denying U.S. citizens their right to free speech. I’m all for that right, btw.

]]> By: maraboo http://www.sgtstryker.com/movie-review-in-the-valley-of-elah/#comment-206 maraboo Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:43:34 +0000 http://www.sgtstryker.com/?p=123#comment-206 I saw "in the Valley of Elah" and I was bothered by the scene where soldiers mow down a child in the street in Iraq because of orders "not to stop under any circumstance" and then the soldier stops and gets out and takes a picture of the body! I asked Haggis about it at a press event and he said that scene was based on a different incident that a soldier told him about...so what's actually true to the SPC Davis murder in the movie and what just was good to throw in to drive a political point home? Just wondering... And how do we have a serious discussion about the effects of the war based on a fictionalized film based on a true story with bits of other stories thrown in? And how heavy handed is it to have 2 (overly telegraphed) shots of the upside down flag -- I know Haggis is Canadian, but does he really think we Americans don't realize we're in a state of distress over this war? We need to examine this war and the effects on our troops and our society and what we're doing in the world -- but do we need to vilify our troops to do it? I just don't like the idea of the return of the steely-eyed babykiller stereotype of our military -- we've seen what it did to our troops returning from Vietnam... I saw “in the Valley of Elah” and I was bothered by the scene where soldiers mow down a child in the street in Iraq because of orders “not to stop under any circumstance” and then the soldier stops and gets out and takes a picture of the body!

I asked Haggis about it at a press event and he said that scene was based on a different incident that a soldier told him about…so what’s actually true to the SPC Davis murder in the movie and what just was good to throw in to drive a political point home? Just wondering…

And how do we have a serious discussion about the effects of the war based on a fictionalized film based on a true story with bits of other stories thrown in?

And how heavy handed is it to have 2 (overly telegraphed) shots of the upside down flag — I know Haggis is Canadian, but does he really think we Americans don’t realize we’re in a state of distress over this war?

We need to examine this war and the effects on our troops and our society and what we’re doing in the world — but do we need to vilify our troops to do it?

I just don’t like the idea of the return of the steely-eyed babykiller stereotype of our military — we’ve seen what it did to our troops returning from Vietnam…

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