Question for parents with kids in the military

Before I served, war movies were cool.

After serving (and I didn’t even go through shite) I cannot watch certain ones and others make me cry.

Can’t watch Blackhawk down. Too enraging now. Cry openly during we were soldiers and saving private Ryan. Can’t watch hurt locker either, because it’s so bad and unrealistic.

not at all, love most war movies

My son is military-- 5 deployments, Purple Heart....I cannot watch ANY military movies at all. Too emotional for me.

You’ve got a lot going for you.

Your FIL served under one of (if not the) the most iconic Aggies in our history, and you know good whiskey.

Props.

I can’t really watch any military movies anymore. Son is a marine and deployed. He’s really safe on a navy ship and I don’t worry much when he’s in the field, but the movies just mean so much more emotionally now to me. I think my husband still watches some movies, but I can tell he’s a little more emotional over some of it if I happen to pass through the room. Son has been all over the place on his deployment. Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Kuwait so it’s not like he’s been pleasure cruising. I still don’t worry!! They are all well trained.

Charlie Sheens' Navy Seals is the only real life combat movie ever made.

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I can’t really watch any military movies anymore. Son is a marine and deployed. He’s really safe on a navy ship and I don’t worry much when he’s in the field, but the movies just mean so much more emotionally now to me.

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My boy (right now) is aiming to get into the Army’s cyber program when he graduates. I have no problem with him going the nerd route in this case. Gotta keep those grades up, though. Has to be selected into it.

My dad said he wouldn’t watch em during my deployments. I’ve always loved them and still do but my wife tries to steer me from it. I was wounded twice and received two bronze stars, one for valor in my 4 deployments. After watching them my mood does change with restless nights and being an a-hole. She has banned me from watching the shitshow of a movie The Hurt Locker because I get so pissed at it. Band of brothers, We were Soldiers, and SPR really affect me because I feel like the things I did pale in comparison to what they sacrificed.

My son is a Senior in HS and just told us he is going to join the Air Force and go to college later. He wants to be a Combat Controller which is a Spec Ops job. They get inserted with Seals, Rangers, Green Berets and call in Air Strikes and land planes on make shift air fields. I watched a youtube video about a Combat Controller named John Chapman. He was with a Seal Team and they went to recover the body of one of the Seals and was KIA. He received 2 Medals of Honor for his sacrifice. I am extrememly proud that my son wants to serve our Country but I would be lying if I told you I'm not nervous about the job he is choosing. He will only be 17 when he graduates next May so I tear up thinking I only have a few more months to be around him every day and the fact his job will be very dangerous. We have watched a lot of war movies over the years, I'm not sure how I will feel when he's actually in the military.

OP, your question is a good one, but I don't/can't answer it with any credibility......

My father is a retired Colonel (LSU), my older brother a retired Lieutenant Colonel (West Point), and me a former Captain (LSU)....(all Army, by the way).

We've all three been deployed and have seen combat over the years and at different times. I don't know how they felt or my wife or kids felt years ago when I was gone.

Oh, and I'm NOT conflating politics with patriotism here, as you stated/asked, I'm simply saying we all three felt we were just doing our jobs at the time.

Having said that, we all enjoy watching historically accurate movies that depict war and don't attach it to anything other than appreciating its accuracy or hating its lack thereof...Also, any of the violence/combat scenes in said movies don't really bother us that much....we do have reactions to certain scenes in certain movies, however.......

Sorry for not being much help. Just being honest here.