Red Dawn Film Makes Comeback

'Red Dawn' Film Makes Comeback
by Donna Teresa

I came across a movie on television the other day that I hadn't seen since 1984. Thinking back when I first saw that movie, I really didn't think too much about it.

Of course, who really analyzes a movie as a young adult? The movie I'm talking about is "Red Dawn," a World War III fictional movie about a town in the U.S. that is suddenly invaded and taken siege by the Russians.

The Russians are later joined by their allies from Cuba and Nicaragua. A group of football players and their friends from the local high school, led by their team captain (Patrick Swayze), take refuge in the mountains and become a guerilla-like group, taking the name "Wolverines" after the town's football team. They plot to take back America from the Soviet invaders.

Well, if the story line sounds far-fetched and many of you are rolling your eyes and thinking "it could never happen in America," this movie seems to be taking on a life of its own again and developing a cult-like following 23 years later…

In fact, "Operation Red Dawn" was launched and the 1st Brigade Combat team of the 4th Infantry Division, the Raider Brigade was assigned to kill or capture Saddam Hussein. He was captured on Dec. 13, 2003, after two locations, code named "Objective Wolverine 1" and "Wolverine 2," were identified as Saddam hideouts.

Much debate has been given to the idea that World War III has already started.

As ridiculous as you might think this movie might be, give it a chance and watch it. You will find some soul-searching moments about one's own patriotism. If a ground invasion ever did occur, what would you do? The scariest question that came to my mind was whether we, as ordinary citizens, rise to a threat if it ever happened?

We are fortunate that we have the protection of our Armed forces, who have given us the gift for us not worry about such a threat. We all take this protection for granted. They do their jobs with so much pride and care that we never notice.

So what happens at the end of the movie? I don't like to spoil a movie ending, but I'm sure you can figure out the obvious outcome.

After seeing this movie after so many years, I came away with another thought. I am so grateful to our men and women in uniform for doing the job they do, because if there ever was an invasion, unlike the movies, we don't have Patrick Swayze and the Wolverines to save us. We only have each other.

Our country has had some difficult times; we differ on opinions about the war in Iraq and other issues. However, I believe that if such an emergency ever happened, we Americans would come together. We have proven ourselves in other crisis situations and we will in future ones.

We may not be "Wolverines" but we are "Americans" and it's time we start loving our country a little more and try to make our country a better place. Because when it comes right down to it, in the end, all we have left is each other.

There is talk of a possible sequel to this movie. Whatever the storyline may be, let's hope that the conclusion includes an ending of no more war and worldwide peace, finally. If we can make that happen in the movies, is it too much to hope for it to happen in real life?

I hope not.

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