How to Tell a True War Story

No matter how many war stories I've heard from my Grandpa, none of them can offer an objective truth. At least, that's what author Tim O'Brien suggests in his short story 'How to Tell a True War Story'.

“It's about love and memory. It's about sorrow. It's about sisters who never write back and people who never listen”

We have writers like Tim O'Brien, Michael Herr and, the man, the myth, the legend, Tom Wolfe, to thank for New Journalism, a style of writing that fused real-life experiences with descriptive, novel-like writing. From New Journalism sprouted the film version of the genre, known as the docudrama, that constitutes most of the military films we see in theaters today.

Gates argues that the increasingly better film technology, notably CGI effects, and a resurgence in proactive military support post-9/11, have contributed to Americans' distorted perceptions of war.

And I have to say I agree. These films are filled with cinematic eye-candy for newly patriotic audiences, but rarely keep true to the original fact --- for the storyline's sake of course! What we get is a general public who use entertainment to substitute their perceptions and opinions of the military.