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If you can get past the dull voice over
Like earlier comment, I was shown this film during Basic Training in early 1984. A couple of recruits left the room, most of use were white as sheets, and I remember at least one person 'signing-off' immediately (ie leaving the Army).
The film was made to encourage volunteers to opt for a medical career in the US Army, and highlighted the wide array of scenarios they could expect to encounter, such as exotic disease, fungal and damp-environment infections, STD, leprosy, and traumatic injuries, such as penetrating and blunt trauma (injuries caused by bullets and blast), burns, and so forth. The footage used was of real life injuries, often filmed live. There are NO special effects. 'Notable' injuries include blast damage to a lower limb, from occurrence thru casevac to the operating table, where an amputation is performed and shown. Ever wondered what the cross-section of your lower limb looks like? Its here in detail.
Reconstructive facial surgery following massive blast trauma; removal of 7.62mm round from the brain via the eye socket; treatment of leprosy including amputation of digits.
Of course, the US DoD overlooked the obvious... >99% of the the potential recruits saw the absolute horrific injuries that arise on the battlefield, and realised "that could be me", and recruiting figures plummeted across the board.
Showing it to UK recruits was not standard practice, but simply done by some training staff who had a copy and felt it made for better training. I'm glad they did.
The saddest, is the "black man becomes white". I make no apologies for the non-PC description, as this is how it is known by those who have seen it. Following a napalm attack, a coloured US soldier is treated by the medical staff. The charred skin is literally pulled from his upper torso. The result? His upper body is white. I have heard, though this may be myth, the soldier committed suicide as a result of the social stigma he suffered.
As a constant audio track is an American over; dry, factual, dull, boring. Think of the "AFN" commentators in "Good Morning Vietnam", who are positively lively in comparison. Interspersed occasionally is medial audio describing the surgical procedure.
"Graphic" can only indicate the content of this film. It isn't simply graphical, it is real, unedited, unexpurgated combat footage. Even the opening beach landing sequence in "Saving Private Ryan" is tame in comparison.
As a footnote, years later I had a copy and would play it in the local computer shop when we wanted to close up. It could empty the shop in less than 30 seconds, it is that graphic.
The film was made to encourage volunteers to opt for a medical career in the US Army, and highlighted the wide array of scenarios they could expect to encounter, such as exotic disease, fungal and damp-environment infections, STD, leprosy, and traumatic injuries, such as penetrating and blunt trauma (injuries caused by bullets and blast), burns, and so forth. The footage used was of real life injuries, often filmed live. There are NO special effects. 'Notable' injuries include blast damage to a lower limb, from occurrence thru casevac to the operating table, where an amputation is performed and shown. Ever wondered what the cross-section of your lower limb looks like? Its here in detail.
Reconstructive facial surgery following massive blast trauma; removal of 7.62mm round from the brain via the eye socket; treatment of leprosy including amputation of digits.
Of course, the US DoD overlooked the obvious... >99% of the the potential recruits saw the absolute horrific injuries that arise on the battlefield, and realised "that could be me", and recruiting figures plummeted across the board.
Showing it to UK recruits was not standard practice, but simply done by some training staff who had a copy and felt it made for better training. I'm glad they did.
The saddest, is the "black man becomes white". I make no apologies for the non-PC description, as this is how it is known by those who have seen it. Following a napalm attack, a coloured US soldier is treated by the medical staff. The charred skin is literally pulled from his upper torso. The result? His upper body is white. I have heard, though this may be myth, the soldier committed suicide as a result of the social stigma he suffered.
As a constant audio track is an American over; dry, factual, dull, boring. Think of the "AFN" commentators in "Good Morning Vietnam", who are positively lively in comparison. Interspersed occasionally is medial audio describing the surgical procedure.
"Graphic" can only indicate the content of this film. It isn't simply graphical, it is real, unedited, unexpurgated combat footage. Even the opening beach landing sequence in "Saving Private Ryan" is tame in comparison.
As a footnote, years later I had a copy and would play it in the local computer shop when we wanted to close up. It could empty the shop in less than 30 seconds, it is that graphic.
helpful•00
- zen18531
- Dec 2, 2009
Details
- Runtime29 minutes
- Color
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