To the editor:
Lost in the multitude of Veteran’s Day events — the day off from work, the parades, the politicians’ lofty speeches, solemn memorial services, restaurant “specials” and commercial “sales” are the lives of the veterans themselves. For many, their time in service to this country would become the most consequential years of their lives. Some suffer lifelong mental, and in many cases, physical sequelae of their military service. All are changed in some manner, regardless of their station, whether their service was during times of peace or national conflict.
In the decade following the end of WWII, Hollywood produced a spate of movies depicting the military service and sacrifice of Americans during wartime. Among the most notable of these are “Twelve O’ Clock High” (1949) starring Gregory Peck and Dean Jagger, and “The Bridges at Toko-Ri” (1954) starring William Holden and Grace Kelly. But that was over 70 years ago. And that was a different Hollywood, not the one addicted to endless sequels of “action-packed” movies with celluloid heroes, like those depicted in “Top Gun,” “Star Wars” and “Spiderman.”
Missing in this mind-numbing array of what passes for modern entertainment is a motion picture gem entitled “The Best Years of Our Lives.” The film depicts three United States servicemen returning home from World War II and re-adjusting to societal changes and civilian life. Filmed in 1946, and directed by William Wyler, it attracted some of the most talented writers, cinematographers and actors of the day, most veterans themselves. But one of the three principal characters, played by Harold Russell, a young paratrooper from Cambridge, had no training as a professional actor. He didn’t need it. He played himself, a veteran who lost both of his hands. The movie was an enormous critical and commercial success, winning seven Academy Awards including Best Picture (1946), Best Director (Wyler) and Best Supporting Actor (Russell).
Sometimes film has the ability to capture the triumphs and tragedies of life in a manner that no other medium can. “The Best Years of Our Lives,” a long-forgotten black and white movie, with a long-deceased cast, depicts the challenges of everyday citizens who answered the call to defend Democracy, and a very different America. But it endures, quite possibly, as one of the ‘best movies of our lives.’
Michael M. Fuenfer, MD Colonel (Retired), Medical Corps, US Army
Franklin Street
