15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful, inspiring, and relevent- a WWII buff must see, May 9, 2004
This review is from: D Day - Down to Earth - Return of the 507 (DVD)
Moving account of one of the most important parachute infantry regiments, the 507th- whose fanfare has had to wait 60 years to arrive with the degree of respect and notoriety that it deserves. I have watched this film more than a few times and still cannot get through it without shedding a tear.
The real life band of brothers telling their stories in their own words when brought together for the first time in 60 years to the small town in the South of France into which they all jumped out of perfectly good aircrafts to liberate. WHEW!
I'm 28 and loved this documentary. It is especially important and relevent for people of my generation to look back on the history, which the men in this film helped to create, in order to gather perspective on the current liberation going on in Iraq.
A wise man once told me it is very easy to sit in the back of a coffee shop and preach "war is not the answer"- but when the question centers around a Hilter storming in, hell bent on genocide- how else will he be stopped? With a Mochachino Latte.
This film captures in a vivid, beautiful way the determination, courage and deep belief in freedom and liberty that each of these soldiers carried with them into battle- and for many it was this strong belief which got them through the hardest times and delivered them back home to a grateful nation.
I am proud to say my Grandfather whose name I was given shared those common beliefs with the men in this film- and as a result was alive years later to try and share them with me. For this I am forever blessed.
Wonderfully entertaining, this film is truly a historical treasure. Check it out.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relevant footage, August 26, 2010
This DVD provides plenty of relevant footage of the combat areas the documentary focuses on. Unlike some WWII DVD's where the viewer is shown footage of scenes in no way related to the subject at hand, this documentary offers some nice shots of the actual areas of interest. The updated footage taken in the late 1990's of the La Fiere area and the rebuilt Cauquiny church were especially of interest to me. The maps used throughout are helpful in understanding the placement of the actual battles. Also of interest were the before and after shots of the flooded Normandy landscape - it definitely helped to visualize the difficulties the paratroopers faced as a result of the flooding.
This documentary not only does a great job in bringing some much needed attention to the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment and it's accomplishments during WWII, it also makes an excellent companion to the book No Better Place To Die by Robert M. Murphy. If you want to understand the battle for the La Fiere bridge and causeway, these two resources are an excellent place to start.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, informative account of the 507th in Normandy, June 5, 2009
This is an excellent DVD, which is very informative about the fierce combat engaged in by the 507th PIR on D-Day and in the days following. A bit more than half is in a standard documentary format while the remainder focuses on the veterans of the unit during a return to Normandy for a commemoration of those events. These men fought with tremendous courage and suffered terrible casualties. We are fortunate to have this DVD to help us to remember.
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