In 1967, there were three television stations, and at 9:30pm on Saturday nights, the weekend movies would start, and my mom and I would watch whatever was on. "So Proudly We Hail" was playing on a cold December night in New Mexico, and I was transfixed watching this black and white classic. Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake. I didn't know any of these actresses, but they became my idols, not the actresses themselves, but the women they portrayed. I always hoped there would be a war movie playing on those Saturday nights. I ask myself now, why I wanted to see these movies. When I turned 18, I talked to a recruiter, with dreams of serving in the Army, dressing in uniform, and playing soldier. My dream was not realized in the military, but in the civilian sector, and I "served" almost 30 years in ER's across this country. I know it's corny to say a movie influenced my life, but "So Proudly We Hail," did influence mine, profoundly. When Veronica Lake realized her comrades were in danger, and she made the choice to give her life for theirs, and her country, I realize that our daughters in the military are armed, and are making those decisions on a daily basis. So much has changed in 61 years, and yet they remain the same. I'm proud of this movie, and am grateful for the influence it had on my life on a Saturday night so long ago.
Review of So Proudly We Hail!
