I miss an old friend, Colleen McMurphy. Oh, she was not a real friend; very much imaginary. But, a friend all the same who could make me laugh or cry and care deeply about things.
One of televison's alltime best offerings, in my opinion, was China Beach. I have several episodes taped that I watch from time to time. Occasionally, if everything comes together, a viewer feels a special connection with a television character or family. A more recent example would the cast of "Friends". Maybe a generational thing, but I have never felt anything more than amusement with the likes of Ross or Rachel and the gang. Dana Delany had the extraordinary ability to express immense range of emotion in her face. I could feel such empathy for Colleen McMurphy. In fact, all the characters were rich with identity: Dodger ( the loner "LRRP"), Sam (the black undertaker who talked to his wards), Dr. Richard ( the egotistical chief of staff and who was in love with McMurphy), Boonie ( the good time softie who lost his nerve as a LRRP), and K.C. ( a very entrepreneurial hooker who stole Boonie's heart), and Sarge ( the mechanic with a rough edge and a tender way). Sarge's Rules for Staying Alive in Vietnam would serve as good advice for our troops in harms way now.
Sarge's Rules For How To Stay Alive In Vietnam
"Great thing about the military: even though you know that
they know that nobody knows what the hell they're doing,
everybody pretends that that ain't so." [Sarge Pepper]
Rule #1: Try to look unimportant. They might be low on ammo.
Rule #2: All five-second grenade fuses are three seconds.
Rule #3: Never share a foxhole with anyone who is braver than
you are.
Rule #4: Friendly fire...isn't.
Rule #5: Remember that all your equipment was made by the lowest
bidder.
Rule #6: When you've secured an area, don't forget to tell the
enemy. They may have other plans.
Rule #7: Anything you do can get you shot, including doing nothing.
Rule #8: Teamwork is essential. It gives them other people to
shoot at.
Rule #9: Expect the unexpected, but remember you can't depend
on it.
Rule #10: You are not Superman, but sometimes imagining that you
are is the only thing that saves you. On the other hand,
it can also kill you.
Rule #11: Do what you have to do.
China Beach got it right. Combined a helluva script and stellar acting with a musical background that parenthesized the era. Maybe I feel so nostalgic about the show because it was MY era. Some episodes can still tear me to pieces and turn the eye spigots on. Television drama today just doesn't evoke the same kind of visceral emotion. Perhaps I understand my parent's attachment to the WWII decade. Yes, it is a sad thing that generations are often defined by a thing so ugly. But, there is something tangible in war that captures all the pathos of life - the heroes, the villains, the lovers torn apart. My guess is that it pushes us to realize how brief our moment on earth is; how fragile a human life is. The tragedies and the triumphs together fuse our memories and our pain.
Strange concept, but perhaps mankind needs war to keep us human. War as a reminder, as a teacher, that life is precious and whimsical and cruel. Obviously, we never learn our lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment