“If you know that you came through when people are counting on you, you’ll be able to face anything.”
– Dick Best (Midway)
This is another movie that is not for the faint of heart. Another movie that is based on true events that are not widely understood. Midway, and the included engagements between American and Japanese forces, received plenty of media attention during the war, but a lot of that information was doctored to prevent public panic and fear.
The situation leading up to the Battle of Midway was so much worse than people knew. The courage and bravery it must have taken the men and women serving in that theater is indescribable. The general population was not informed about how badly outnumbered American forces were. Our equipment and strategies were both a joke and outdated. It was a dark and scary time to be an American service member.
The inspiration comes from the fact that they knew it. Both the Japanese and Americans fighting at Midway were well aware of the circumstances. The difference was made by the indomitable spirit of American forces and the Japanese overconfidence that had been fueled up to that point by consecutive victories. I do not envy the situation either side was in, but in the darkest moments, it was the spirit to press on that won the day.
Midway had a wonderful cast, was fairly well written, and the special effects, while a tad corny, were still pretty impressive. The battle sequences are intense and it makes me thankful every day that I was not in their shoes. The courage and tenacity of both sides are well worthy of admiration and respect. I do not covet war, but it is movies like this that I hope impress upon the public how vital diplomacy is, and the intense cost of failure.
Journeyman's Legacy 