The Loss of Brotherhood in War
“War is Hell.”
“War never changes.”
“You don’t know what it’s like over there.”
That is what regular citizens are told when it comes to being in a combat zone.
In a lot of ways, it is true. We don’t know what it’s like to fight in a war because we weren’t there. We never experienced fighting for our country or served in the military.
But we understand that fighting in a war and losing your friends are hard on soldiers, those that died in a war and those that survived.
Take Captain Rex, a Clone officer in the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” television series. Rex is a loyal officer who does his duty. He literally was made for combat.
By the time of Season Seven of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” however, Rex has become a hardened war veteran. He has seen too many of his Clone brothers die under his command and that loss weighs heavily on him.
In the first episode of Season Seven, Rex discovers that one of his Clone troops, Echo, is still alive. Echo was thought to be dead when Rex and Jedi Masters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi led a rescue mission on a Separatist stronghold called The Citadel.
Rex feels personally responsible because he was forced to leave Echo behind on that mission. His guilt over that decision weighs heavily over him. The only ones he believes can understand how he feels are fellow Clones like Commander Cody, his fellow soldiers.
In film, Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo shows us audiences the role war places on veterans returning home. “First Blood: Part 1” has Rambo face discrimination because he was an American soldier in the Vietnam War. His buddies from his Army unit are all dead and he is unable to reconnect with them. He shared
Rambo’s speech during the climax shows his motivation. It offers a realistic take on the regular young men who served in Vietnam (and who serve in the U.S. Military to this day). Take away the pro-war and anti-war sides of the issue. “First Blood” is a pro-soldier film because Rambo is a sympathetic character. People can relate to him. He is just a regular guy whose experiences in Vietnam and back home have hardened him. Like every American who comes back from war, Rambo didn’t deserve to be treated like a monster just because he served his country.
In the next film, “First Blood: Part 2,” Rambo is given his freedom after agreeing to go on a mission to see if American POWs are still trapped in Vietnam. After being betrayed by bureaucrats who want to cover up the existence of the POWs, Rambo conducts his own rescue mission to save his fellow soldiers. He refuses to leave them behind.
Like John Rambo, Rex commits himself to rescuing Echo. Episodes two and three of “The Clone Wars” Season Seven follows Rex’s attempt to rescue his Clone brother. Accompanied by Anakin Skywalker and an elite Clone squad, Rex conducts an unsanctioned rescue mission to save his fellow soldier. They discover that the Techno Union, a corrupt corporation aiding the Separatists, is using him to steal tactical information about the Republic forces.
As regular Americans, we have the privilege of living in the greatest nation on Earth, in the history of the world, thanks to the brave men and women of the United States Military. And because of those who fought and died for this country.
So from grateful citizens, we honor those who have their lives for the United States of America. It is them who we honor on Memorial Day, just as we honor our soldiers and veterans on the Fourth of July and on Veterans Day.
“War never changes.”
“You don’t know what it’s like over there.”
That is what regular citizens are told when it comes to being in a combat zone.
In a lot of ways, it is true. We don’t know what it’s like to fight in a war because we weren’t there. We never experienced fighting for our country or served in the military.
But we understand that fighting in a war and losing your friends are hard on soldiers, those that died in a war and those that survived.
Take Captain Rex, a Clone officer in the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” television series. Rex is a loyal officer who does his duty. He literally was made for combat.
By the time of Season Seven of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” however, Rex has become a hardened war veteran. He has seen too many of his Clone brothers die under his command and that loss weighs heavily on him.
In the first episode of Season Seven, Rex discovers that one of his Clone troops, Echo, is still alive. Echo was thought to be dead when Rex and Jedi Masters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi led a rescue mission on a Separatist stronghold called The Citadel.
Rex feels personally responsible because he was forced to leave Echo behind on that mission. His guilt over that decision weighs heavily over him. The only ones he believes can understand how he feels are fellow Clones like Commander Cody, his fellow soldiers.
In film, Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo shows us audiences the role war places on veterans returning home. “First Blood: Part 1” has Rambo face discrimination because he was an American soldier in the Vietnam War. His buddies from his Army unit are all dead and he is unable to reconnect with them. He shared
Rambo’s speech during the climax shows his motivation. It offers a realistic take on the regular young men who served in Vietnam (and who serve in the U.S. Military to this day). Take away the pro-war and anti-war sides of the issue. “First Blood” is a pro-soldier film because Rambo is a sympathetic character. People can relate to him. He is just a regular guy whose experiences in Vietnam and back home have hardened him. Like every American who comes back from war, Rambo didn’t deserve to be treated like a monster just because he served his country.
In the next film, “First Blood: Part 2,” Rambo is given his freedom after agreeing to go on a mission to see if American POWs are still trapped in Vietnam. After being betrayed by bureaucrats who want to cover up the existence of the POWs, Rambo conducts his own rescue mission to save his fellow soldiers. He refuses to leave them behind.
Like John Rambo, Rex commits himself to rescuing Echo. Episodes two and three of “The Clone Wars” Season Seven follows Rex’s attempt to rescue his Clone brother. Accompanied by Anakin Skywalker and an elite Clone squad, Rex conducts an unsanctioned rescue mission to save his fellow soldier. They discover that the Techno Union, a corrupt corporation aiding the Separatists, is using him to steal tactical information about the Republic forces.
As regular Americans, we have the privilege of living in the greatest nation on Earth, in the history of the world, thanks to the brave men and women of the United States Military. And because of those who fought and died for this country.
So from grateful citizens, we honor those who have their lives for the United States of America. It is them who we honor on Memorial Day, just as we honor our soldiers and veterans on the Fourth of July and on Veterans Day.
We don’t forget them, especially on this Memorial Day.
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