Kokoda
20 January 2007
I had this misfortune to watch the film Kokoda last night. When I say misfortune I mean the display of mans inhumanity to man. It depicted the joy the Japanese had in mutilated our diggers. One slowly bayoneted through the eye, another tied up and repeated bayoneted, another throat cut.

Do we need the graphic evidence on the screen in our living room. I don't think so. We all have to live together in this world and we don't to revive the hate for other races. We see enough of this on the news. As far the making of the movie I believe it was world class and the graphics were a bit too graphic.

To those that loved the movie and would see it again I would consider this. What you lived through in the horror you witnessed on the screen is only part of the terror. Add to this the constant heat ad humidity. The bugs, the snakes the stink of human excrement and rotting bodies and of course the rain. Then is this isn't enough try the bugs that clime up your ass when you cross the rivers.

Not to mention the other vermin in the water and on the land. Then add the enemy could and possibly was within arms reach waiting to catch you off guard. How would have handled this. How would you have survived and the guys that returned to there family's were total strangers. Most of them unable to love or show affection. There is another side to war the government don't want to show us.

During my days in the Military Police (Provo Corp) in Australia during the Vietnam war I met a medic that talked about return guys that were only part of a man. Half a face, legs and arms missing. Audie Murphy, the highest decorated soldier in the American Forces during the Second World War said when asked, how does anybody survive a war, he answered "nobody ever does". He slept with a loaded 45 pistol under his pillow and blew the light switch of the wall one night.

Sure, see the movie if you must. But then forget it if you can. Yes, if you can for what you see on the screen while you eat your popcorn and drink you soda drink is only 10% of the terror. One more thing I may add, lets not forget the magnificent job the U.S. Forces did in the Coral Sea and he Philippines.

Thousand of Americans gave their lives making the difference and helping to keep us safe. This during a time when Briton turned its back on us. For with out the Americans sacrifice New Guinea wouldn't have mattered. I am not selling the Australian diggers short.

They did a great job given the out of date weapons and equipment they had. The natives also played a very big part in the campaign as well for without them we would have lost the battle. They would send radio messages in local dialect totally confusing the Japs. They also looked after our wounded and carried them many miles were just some of the help they gave us. I believe they were never given enough credit for the contribution.

By the way on the technical side of the motion picture. Where were the Owen Sub machine guns that were used in New Guinea. All I saw were the First World War out dated lee-Enfield 303,s and a Thompson America sub machine gun. I don't think the Thompson were used that area. Surely they could have found one Owen. Enough of war movies.

We all need to learn to live together and we all need to be happy. The sacrifices made by thousands of our diggers and our allies were all caused by a few greedy and power seeking men with giant egos. Mans inhumanity to man. War instigated by a few, paid for by millions of lives. I won't be watching the movie Kokoda again.
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