returning veterans

Movies about WWII Returning Veterans

by barbarawhitaker

In my latest novel, Scarred Dreams, the hero’s significant combat injuries bring him back to a hospital in the U.S. As you can imagine his initial reaction to becoming a disabled veteran is anger, followed by a sense of uselessness. Today we would treat him for anxiety, depression, maybe even PTSD, as he deals with his new reality. For the hero’s character, I drew inspiration from many sources including movies about WWII returning veterans coping with the after effects of their combat experiences.

The most famous of these movies is “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946) which tells the stories of three servicemen returning to their hometown after the war. One of the three, a sailor, has lost his hands and has learned to use hooks for replacements. Though the other two, a soldier and an airman, were not wounded, they struggle to adjust to civilian life after their combat experiences. Becoming friends, the men help each other get through the adjustment.

There are two other, lesser known films focused on veterans who were wounded in some way or had difficulty returning to civilian life.

Theatrical poster. Released by United Artists.

“The Men” (1950), starring Marlon Brando, takes place primarily in a paraplegic ward in a veteran’s hospital. One of many men who have lost the use of their legs, Brando’s character’s bitterness and anger prevent him from making the necessary changes to adapt to his new life. The physical therapists give him exercises to strengthen his upper body, yet he refuses to cooperate. He doesn’t want to go out into the world in a wheelchair and he refuses to see his pre-war girlfriend. Eventually, the other men in the ward bring him around. He allows his girlfriend to visit and even takes her out. Reality slams him hard and he must work his way back to acceptance of the permanence of his injuries. Only he can make the adjustments required to build a new life.

Theatrical Poster. Released by RKO Pictures

Another good film about returning servicemen is “Till the End of Time” (1946). The three main characters are portrayed by Robert Mitchum, Guy Madison and Bill Williams. Mitchum’s character received a head injury and as a result has a metal plate in his head and suffers headaches. Guy Madison was just out of school when he enlisted. He can’t return to being his parents teenage son. He has to find his way to a new life. Dorothy McGuire plays his love interest. Williams’ character, a former Marine, lost both his legs. Before the war he had been a boxer. Now he refuses to get out of bed and use his artificial legs. These three veterans try to help each other. As I watched this movie, I couldn’t help feeling for these men with their physical struggles and their struggles with memories of the horror of combat.

Even if you are not a history buff, if you have a person in your life who has returned from combat overseas, these movies will give you some insight into what they are going through. War is war, whether it is eighty years ago in World War II or thirty years ago in the Gulf War or more recently in Afghanistan. War takes a toll on the ones who fight and the ones who participate in other ways, such as treating the wounded.

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The Best Years of Our Lives – The Movie

by barbarawhitaker

One of my favorite movies is “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Released in 1946, it’s not about the fighting during World War II. Instead the movie tells the story of three servicemen returning to their hometown after the war. The three main characters are very different yet their journey home together forms a bond between them.

Captain Fred Derry, played by Dana Andrews, was a poor kid who worked as a soda jerk before the war. In the Army Air Corp he rose to the rank of Captain and served as a bombardier on a B-17. While in uniform, he married a pretty blonde (Virginia Mayo) who went to work in a night club after he left and had a high old time while he was away. She still wants to party with her handsome, uniformed soldier while Fred wants to settle down and find a job. Unfortunately he’s not qualified for most civilian positions and can’t compete in a market flooded with returning GI’s.

Sergeant Al Stephenson, played by Fredric March, was an up-and-coming banker until Uncle Sam put him in the Army. When her returns he barely knows his wife (Myrna Loy), his grown-up daughter (Teresa Wright) and his teenage son. The children have grown up while he was gone. He reluctantly returns to the bank with a new attitude about what is important.

The third serviceman is the young sailor Homer Parrish, played by real injured veteran Harold Russell. Homer, who had been a high school football player, lost his hands in a naval battle. He has learned to use the hooks the Navy gave him and dislikes being treated like an invalid. The pretty girl-next-door waited for him and still wants to marry him but Homer doesn’t want to burden her with his disability. Hoagy Carmichael, as Homer’s Uncle Butch, adds color to the story by playing piano in his bar where the three men meet up.

The movie trailer for “The Best Days of Our Lives” bills it as full of romance. There’s Homer and his girlfriend who resolve their differences and get married. The middle-aged couple, Al and Milly, become reacquainted and fall in love all over again. And the main romance between Fred and Al’s daughter, Peggy. Attracted to Fred, she sees that his wife doesn’t really care about him, so she decides to break up the marriage. Fred finally sees his wife for the gold digger she is. He cares for Peggy but without a job he has nothing to offer her. But don’t worry, there is a happy ending for Fred and Peggy, too. You’ll have to watch the movie for the tear-jerker ending.

One of the most visually impressive scenes in the movie shows acres and acres of airplanes, both bombers and fighters, waiting to be demolished and recycled. The sweeping scene is like viewing a vast military cemetery and remembering the former glory of those buried there. All my research on the 8th Air Force makes this an emotional scene for me.