Posted on Sep 11, 2014
Sgt Packy Flickinger
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I saw "Grudge Match" with Sylvester Stallone last week. He clearly had a large Marine EGA tattoo (fake for film) on his chest. He also played an an Army Vet in the Rambo movies.

This isn't uncommon with Hollywood. In this case however, it is widely suspected Sly was a draft dodger but this is as closely guarded as Obama's college transcripts.

Does it rub anybody else wrong that some glorify themselves routinely as veterans in movies who didn't serve in real life. Or should I say refused to serve.
Men like John Wayne were actually deffered because their PR in movies did more good than them serving, so I've read.
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Cpl Ehr Specialist
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Here is a good link to Hollywood who served (not Hollywood Marines, Hollywood Actors)

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls003539523/

I do not really mind if an actor portrays military in entertainment as it is for our entertainment.

I would mind something like what Tom Cruise infamously stated, "Do you believe the situations [being in a movie and fighting a war in Afghanistan] are the same?"

Though he states he was mis-quoted and does not equate acting to combat, it is items like this that make me grimace.
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PFC James Craft
PFC James Craft
10 y
Once a Marine always a Marine. Not as lean, still as mean, always a Marine.
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PO2 Andy Prusienski
PO2 Andy Prusienski
10 y
TO help clear some of this up for some of you, actors like John Wayne made what where known as propaganda movies during WW II. One of his most famous movies was the Flying Tigers and The Fighting Seabees. I being a Seabee really looked up to movies like this. Wayne and other actors wanted to give the people at home something to cheer about and attempt to bring up moral. With the said my point is that Rambo and the likes are nothing more then Hollywood soldiers.
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PO2 Engineman
PO2 (Join to see)
10 y
John Wayne also applied for the naval academy but was turned away so it's not his fault he didn't serve he tried was turned away and did something else with his life which was inspire a shit ton of people in a rough time and still today
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
10 y
There are two stories about Duke: the first is that he tired to enlist, but the movie studio rigged it so he would be exempted from service under code 2A (more important to the war effort doing what he was doing). The second is that he dodged using the excuse of contributing to the war effor as an actor.
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SSG Pete Fleming
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Edited 10 y ago
Sgt Packy Flickinger, there are several ways to view this (without getting into the free speech debate). They are portraying a character in a film for (a) entertainment (b) money.

There are Veterans who are also actors, and with the prolonged wars there are more now than people realize. However, certain actors are big draws for the industry which producing these films.

Would is be great to have actual military veteran play the part of course. But real cowboys don't play in westerns and real aliens don't play in science fiction. They are just movies for entertainment. Some have a deeper political motivation than others.

We as Veterans view these differently than non-vets. But how do think the average attorney feels about the normal portrayal on film? Or the average construction worker... taxi driver... but more directly related would be police officers. I highly doubt Bruce Willis was a former cop, did that stop you from seeing Die Already? No. They feel as we do. They wish the positives were shown. They cringe at the negative stereotypes and appreciate the entertainment value of the overall project.

If he was a draft dodger... finding that out did it stop you from seeing his films? Jane Fonda... hated by many a Veteran is still an award winning actress... James Stewart served in WWII went on to be the Adjutant General of the California National Guard was an awarding winning actor. In film as in life we find all kinds...
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PFC James Craft
PFC James Craft
10 y
No fantasy here SSG Pete Fleming, it was right after I got back from Vietnam and "The Rock", that is what we called Okinawa back then.
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SSG Pete Fleming
SSG Pete Fleming
10 y
LCpl James Craft, hope I didn't offend, it was intended as a joke but perhaps not a good one...
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SrA Ben Barton
SrA Ben Barton
10 y
SSG Pete Fleming, I thought the comment was QUITE humorous. Sorry PFC James Craft, it was at your expense, but you did set up the good SSG perfectly for a witty jab.
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SSG Pete Fleming
SSG Pete Fleming
10 y
SrA Ben Barton, I'm outta thumbs but, thanks
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
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If the character the actor is portraying has some depth and dimension to them without stereotyping the American SM or Vet then IMHO, they are doing us all justice. For me, "Gettysburg" is one of the films that captures all this. The players are brought to life, not made larger than life and the actors are subdued to their historical counterparts. Don't get me wrong there's always a place and I'm always down for the "virtual magazine change" type of movies like Rambo and Missing in Action series, but you take it for the entertainment value its worth.
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Sgt Packy Flickinger
Sgt Packy Flickinger
10 y
My problem isn't with how they portray us in the movies but how they act and feel about us in real life. Many people look up to actors as idols and follow their examples in real life.
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