"Call to Glory" was a unique show. It featured a war hero (Raynor Sarnac) who ultimately believed that the Vietnam War was wrong. The episode where he completes his investigation in Vietnam on behalf of President Kennedy then President Kennedy is murdered before Sarnac can give his report is sad, chilling, and a metaphor for America's missed opportunities in South East Asia.
Besides the martial themes, the show also dealt intelligently with the complicated yet loving relationship between the Sarnacs. The children were also believable--strong like their parents, even headstrong, yet bonded together. The episode where Sarnac wants to adopt a Vietnamese boy that he had met and the rest of family doesn't is wrenching. While Sarnac is gone, the family finally relents and even looks forward to the new addition to the family. However, the Vietnamese boy is killed and Sarnac walks into his home, bedecked with decorations for the boy. Sarnac asks plaintively, "Didn't you get my telegram?" It is perhaps one of the saddest and most moving moments in TV history. It was moments like these that make the series great.
Besides the martial themes, the show also dealt intelligently with the complicated yet loving relationship between the Sarnacs. The children were also believable--strong like their parents, even headstrong, yet bonded together. The episode where Sarnac wants to adopt a Vietnamese boy that he had met and the rest of family doesn't is wrenching. While Sarnac is gone, the family finally relents and even looks forward to the new addition to the family. However, the Vietnamese boy is killed and Sarnac walks into his home, bedecked with decorations for the boy. Sarnac asks plaintively, "Didn't you get my telegram?" It is perhaps one of the saddest and most moving moments in TV history. It was moments like these that make the series great.