The Story of G. I. Joe - 1945

This is based on Ernie Pyle's 1943 book, so the war was still in full swing at this point. And it's not about the "real American hero." (insert 80's cartoon theme song) It's about real American heroes who fought in WWII.

We're following a company of men, but mostly the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Ernie Pyle. The men go through so much, and not everyone makes it out alive. In fact, very few of the men I came to know made it though the film intact. Fortunately, the dog made it. I guess that's something.

I wouldn't say there is a lot of combat in this one. It's more getting to know the men in the down moments and how they cope with the conditions around them. They try to focus on what they need to do to get home. I was personally invested in Sergeant Warnicki's story. That man was obsessed with getting that Victrola to work. He just wanted to hear his son's voice. I was upset at what happened to him, and the lack of resolution to his story bugged me. I'm pretty sure he wasn't a real person, but I still was way too invested in that man and his aching back.

At the end, I saw a minute and a half clip of the real Ernie Pyle interviewing an actual soldier. It was interesting and not far from what I'd just watched in the movie. His easy way with the men endeared him to them, and they were always happy to see him. This was a pretty good movie and another one that used actual soldiers in the film. Good Movie!