Remembering The Forgotten War

Both Vietnam and Korea were very unpopular wars among US citizens. There's an immense irony in that it's as understandable as it is mad that we tend to remember and scrutinize Vietnam much more than Korea.

While it's easy to see why Vietnam is looked on as a failure, it's yet another irony that, despite the continuing and stark division (possibly the starkest in the world) of Korea, and the practical "stalemate" result of the "police action", those fighting in the Forgotten War achieved a demonstrable, honorable, and significant success, and one that is too seldom acknowledged and too little praised.

"If you look at South Korea today...we were absolutely right in doing what we did to help save them."

"I have a crusade about this, because for a long time they called it The Forgotten War. We've now coined a phrase The Forgotten Victory. It stopped the Communists. They were bound and determined they were going to take over South Korea. We stopped them. As a matter of fact, the Koreans, the [South] Korean Government has a program, which they started in 1975, that they bring the Korean War veteran and their families back to Korea, they pay their way, it's a subsidized tour -- very few people know that -- to thank them, to thank *us* for saving their country..."

"When we got to the airport at Seoul, they had South Korean officers take our bags for the bus, carried them. The South Korean children, each class has a section of the American cemetery on the outskirts of Seoul, they cut the grass with scissors, and take any dirt or anything like that, and this is their job. They'd wash these statues and stuff like that, put fresh flowers out there. This is their job for the year, each class gets a certain section so the whole cemetery is covered....The Korean people showed every kind of grace and thank you that you can think of. They really appreciated what we did."

Quotes from interviewed Korean War veterans in the documentary Chosin.

It's not a special day, not an anniversary of any of the war's battles, but this is just to say "thank you" to all the vets, both US and otherwise, who fought to allow at least part of Korea to be as free and prosperous as it is today.

Praying for their inhumanly and unbelievably suffering brothers and sisters to the north....

Playlist for my dad

A fellow ORU-alum's thoughts on the Bible and truth

I encourage you to leave comments on his blog, but I also want to hear your comments, here, on what you think about his questions and points.

Favorite Harrison Ford movie.

Before he started making movies I may never feel like watching, he did some of the finest stuff on celluloid, and some of my favorite.

His dopey Bob Falfa in American Graffiti wasn't worth much, though it suited the need just fine, but reteaming with Lucas (against Lucas's original artistic prejudice) in Star Wars as Han Solo started him on a string of films that would have made a career and a half for any ambitious actor.

Much to Lucas's extended chagrin, it became unmistakably clear that Ford was, indeed, the best man for Indiana Jones (what with Selleck being tied to Magnum on CBS). So, Fate was having a little fun with Lucas, who earnestly expressed his desire to not make "Harrison my Bobby DeNiro".

When Ford decided to get serious, bat to left instead of right field, if you will, he knocked it just as far over the fence. Though never having won an Oscar, he was nominated (the one and only, so far) for his turn in the Weir effort Witness, facing the likes of Jack Nicholson in Prizzi's Honor, both losing to William Hurt for Kiss of the Spider Woman.

The Golden Globes were kinder (as they usually are) and nominated him not only for Witness, but also The Fugitive, Sabrina, and The Mosquito Coast. He also walked away with the People's Choice awards for either favorite movie actor or all-time movie star each year from 1999-2000.

It's tough for me to pick a favorite anything, and this is no different. I can narrow it down to two with some effort, but those two are so vastly different that it's really apples to oranges.

I'm going to go with only movies he headlines or features in (which is really the bulk of his career anyway). So, if I had to throw just one vote in a hat, see number one on my list below of my top ten Ford films of all time:

1. The Mosquito Coast
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. Blade Runner
4. Star Wars: A New Hope
5. The Frisco Kid
6. The Fugitive
7. Frantic
8. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
9. Regarding Henry
10. Presumed Innocent

Sporting a dishy Helen Mirren, enshrouded in gorgeous John Seale photography, guided by an unflinching Peter Weir, spouting thought-provoking social commentary on both a grand and intimate level, propelled along by an intriguing and highly unusual Theroux tale, accompanied by genius music scoring from the legendary Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia, A Passage to India, et. al.), and brilliantly nabbing the now late River Phoenix (and Phoenix'’s off-screen girlfriend to be, Plimpton, as the onscreen equivalent) as Ford's son, this is not only my favorite Ford role, but probably my favorite Ford film, and certainly one of my favorite films, period.

I connect with this film emotionally, philosophically, and creatively like no other film.

I'd love for it to be a tie between "Raiders" and "Coast" (so, that's my answer if it's allowed), but MC takes top honors for all of the above reasons, along with having what may be his best, most important, and most personal performance ever and certainly one of his most interesting and mesmerizing characters.

I'm always quite jealous of all the accolades that the other Weir/Ford effort, Witness, steals from this. A fine film in its own right, I still think "Coast" is easily better.

Rent it. Watch it. Love it or hate it. If you want to understand and appreciate Ford's acting career, you have to go to The Mosquito Coast.

(Additional reading.)

Which is better?

[It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that [is] the end of all men; and the living will lay [it] to his heart.

Sorrow [is] better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.

- Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 (KJV)

Brummie or Liverpudlian?

If you're a fan of The Simpsons, then you probably have come across an episode or two where you would have seen Homer staring at a doughnut or box thereof and then going slightly comatose, drool forming at his mouth and uttering the word "doughnut" (though he probably says "donut") in that hypnotized voice that suggests he imagines himself at the Pearly Gates.

Well, I run across things from time to time which provoke from me a similar reaction. Here is one such of those things.

Limit's to God's mercy?

Those who believe in God (and especially many who don't) rely heavily on His mercy. We call Him a merciful God. In fact, many who reject God or the need for Jesus as Savior and Lord, point to the seeming paradox of a merciful God sending anyone to Hell (well, except for people like Hitler, but we wont get into the questions that raises).

So what's the solution to the paradox? Is God merciful? Is He not? What is mercy?

I wrote a song a long while back based on a verse I had read that really stood out to me on this question which actually prompted the question and gave a startling answer in one fell swoop. I don't remember which verse it was (though I'm sure I have it noted somewhere), but the lyric I wrote was this:

He will have mercy on those who honor Him
He will have mercy on those who respect Him
He will have mercy on those who depart from evil
And live to do His Word

Take a look at these verses below and see how close you think I got and what you think they say about God.

To whom shown: Ex 33:19; 20:6 (also Det 5:10; 7:9; Neh 1:5; Ps 25:10); Ps 32:10; 33:18, 22; 62:12 (paradox?); 86:5; 103:11, 17; Pr 28:13; Isa 27:11; 55:7; Dan 9:4; Hos 10:12

Refusing: Jer 13:14; Hos 1:6; 2:4

Something (besides forgiveness) for which mercy has been sought: Ps 119:124.

A favorite, poetic verse on: Ps 85:10.

So, all of that is (many might, perhaps not inaccurately, quibble) Old Testament, old "covenant". One thing many non-students/followers of God (even if they are believers) might not understand that is absolutely vital is that God (as I think these verses help reveal) is, before being a merciful God, is a God of covenant. He didn't just "pick" Abraham, he made a covenant with him. I wont explore this concept here, but it is well worth your study if you have never been introduced to it.

Back on track, though, where does that leave the New Testament and the work of Jesus? That is a very important wrinkle which I hope to address later.

Making a living, or *really* living?

You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.

- Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States.