<p>Do you have any favorite movies or books which may have a Service Academy as an important aspect or theme? I am thinking of "The Long Gray Line" or maybe "West Point Story." Do you know of any others which might be worth either time or trouble? Of course, in the last couple years, "Annapolis" was a hit movie. How about any other suggestions?</p>
<p>"Do you know of any others which might be worth either time or trouble?"</p>
<p>Not "An Officer and a Gentleman"!</p>
<p>While the movie is apparently still in production, I enjoyed watching the trailer posted there about what it is like to be a part of Air Force Academy. Makes me want to see the entire movie when it is released. The website indicates it is being produced in cooperation with the Air Force Academy but still doesn't indicate a release date.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wingsofhonormovie.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.wingsofhonormovie.com/</a></p>
<p>YES YES.. Read ..</p>
<p>THE NAVAL ACADEMY CANDIDATE BOOK (It will become your Bible for USNA Process). </p>
<p>ABSOLUTELY AMERICAN.. Wonderful NonFiction covering 4 years in the life of cadets at WP</p>
<p>BRIEF POINTS.. Great "Encyclopedia" of USNA Terms, ETC.</p>
<p>and I suggest FIRST CLASS.WOMEN JOIN THE RANKS AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. Written by a Female Mid from the first class of women to grad from USNA in 1980 (admitted in 76). Some of it is outdated and will make you think "THAT IS SO 1970s" and that that first class of females were all on a MRS Mission .. while lots of it is still spot-on of what goes on now for women at USNA. Some Trivia.. The author of FIRST CLASS (Sharon Hanley Disher) has twins (son and daughter)at USNA currently.</p>
<p>And.. BECOMING A LEADER THE ANNAPOLIS WAY</p>
<p>And.. In the Men's House: An Inside Account of Life in the Army by One of West Point's First Female Graduates </p>
<p>All of the above are available on Amazon. (</p>
<p>AND..
Just for fun watch the Best War Movie Ever.. John Wayne IN HARMS WAY</p>
<p>"Battle Dress" by Amy Efaw - good one for females about Beast
"West Point The First 200 Years" PBS video</p>
<p>Both available on Amazon.</p>
<p>Oh, thanks! These are such great ideas! I have ordered some from the library (gotta love PA Access!), and some from Amazon. </p>
<p>Still looking if anyone else has suggestions.</p>
<p>These are more "Navy" versus service academy, but the current US Naval Institute Proceedings issue has an article on the "25 Best Naval Movies."</p>
<p>I'll be glad to list them, if anyone is interested.</p>
<p>I'd love to have that list. You can pm me if you'd prefer.</p>
<p>The book, "Duty First".</p>
<p>We watched "Annapolis" before our son went in. I could not be more disappointed. It is not a true representation by any stretch, I found. However, the lead actor, I thought, was a cutey.</p>
<p>Have got to go along with Mom2Lola @ the Naval Academy Candidate Book and Reef Points. Great guidance.</p>
<p>I am with Shogun on "Duty First" by Ed Ruggero. Great book and much better than "Absolutely American", IMO.</p>
<p>Did anyone see "Bill Moyers' Journal" on PBS tonight? Riveting interview with reporter Jeremy Scahill, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army".</p>
<p>My husband and I watched it and to be polite, "riveting" is not how we would have described it.</p>
<p>Just the title has so many inflammatory buzzwords - but mercenary is causing the hairs on the back of neck to stand up at attention. Well, at least one can know the slant of the piece before we watch it. After all, it's not called "Blackwater - invaluable help in a time of crisis."</p>
<p>Reading both "Absolutely American" and "Duty First" as I write this - thanks for the recommendations. And, I got the Efaw book at the library Saturday. I need more sleep!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Did anyone see "Bill Moyers' Journal" on PBS tonight? Riveting interview with reporter Jeremy Scahill, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army".
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I am sorry I missed this - any idea if it will be replayed?</p>
<p>Maybe they will do a sequel - "Blackwater: The Rise and Fall of the world's most powerful mercenary Army" - since it looks like they are on their way out - of course they will just probably "reorganize".</p>
<p>If you knew that he does hire men from South America who are being paid to be "soldiers" for the US - you would call them mercenaries.
Blackwater has essentially performed duties that could/should be performed by US Soldiers - only they make a whole lot more money. They are the result of the administration contracting out the war.</p>
<p>justamom,
You can view the program online or read the entire transcript at:</p>
<p>I was under that impression that many of the employees of Blackwater were x-military..Since most of us are constantly talking about how great and honorable it is to serve in the Military, at what point do they lose their honor and become suddenly bad people?</p>
<p>Suicide Is Not Painless
Frank Rich</p>
<p>IT was one of those stories lost in the newspaper's inside pages. Last week a man you've never heard of - Charles D. Riechers, 47, the second-highest-ranking procurement officer in the United States Air Force - killed himself by running his car's engine in his suburban Virginia garage.</p>
<p>Mr. Riechers's suicide occurred just two weeks after his appearance in a front-page expos</p>