“The War Tapes,” the first war movie filmed by soldiers themselves was shown to Plymouth State students for the second time in Boyd Science Center on Tue. Dec., 4.
The opening credits of the film set the stage, stating, “It is Operation Iraqi Freedom as filmed by Sergeant Pink, Sergeant Zack Bazzi, and Specialist Mike Moriarty and other soldiers.”
The astounding and breath-taking War tapes highlight over 800 hours of film these three men documented on tape. The film reflects firsthand the eyes and accounts of these men of the Charlie Company as they share their stories of why they decided to enter the military as well as their loved ones perspectives before, during and after them going to war.
Sergeant Pink, a 24-year old from Kingston, MA, enrolled because he wanted to see if he could test himself and accomplish this great feat after he graduated from college. Specialist Moriarty, a 34-year-old from Windsor, NH, took off time from work to view Ground Zero after the 9-11 attacks, prompting him to enroll because he felt it was his duty to go to Iraq. He wants his children to think of him as brave and feel pride in their father’s achievements. Sergeant Bazzi, a 24-year-old originally from the country of Lebanon and born to Shiite Muslims, joined because it was something he was always interested in doing.
The “home” for these men in Iraq was Camp Anaconda where they had attacks daily, in fact it listed as the most attacked base in Iraq. Moriarty explains that soldiers “almost have to have a false sense of security to do this business…[you] almost have to convince yourself that this won’t happen to me[meaning death]. “
The video shows Halliburton, the oilfield technologies and services company owned by Dick Cheney. The soldiers state that it is like every store, restaurant and business in a town all combined into one huge store. The men reflect much resentment toward Halliburton because they charge the government so much money to simply pay for the soldiers meals (approximately $26/meal). Halliburton pays TCN’s (Third Country Nationals) to drive a KBR (truck) to bring materials to each U.S. base showing that the priority of the Halliburton is to make money instead of the safety of the men driving the KBRs.
The movie documents the equipment graveyard where all the destroyed U.S. equipment lies, battles and fires the men are involved in and soldiers interacting with Iraqi citizens. Bazzi can actually communicate with the Iraqis which is something most soldiers cannot do besides using hand gestures. The most disturbing aspect presented in the video to the soldiers was a girl who ran in front of a Hum-V on one of their convoy exports from Anaconda. The girl’s body remains in pieces and they expressed great sadness in the fact that they killed someone they were trying to actually help in Iraq.
While in Iraq, the men aspire to receive a Combat Infantry Bade (CIB) to demonstrate the hard work they have put into the war. The movie switches to Pink’s camera on the bus showing the culmination of their deployment.
Moriarty feels that the U.S. is not over there for oil. His message to U.S. citizens is “support what it takes to make this thing work or shut up.” Sergeant Pink feels that the military is not in Iraq to create democracy; rather they are there due to money and oil. Most of the men have mixed emotions regarding the war, but one thing remains strong: their pride!
Once the men come home, they and their families share their frustrations in doing their everyday activities again. They reflect how hard it really is to adjust to their normal routines especially because many people do not seem interested in the fact that they went to war and what they have to say about it. All of the family members say that the men have changed and do not want to talk about what they witnessed and experienced overseas. The lasting quote that stuck out to me from the documentary was Bazzi exclaiming: “A good American will always love their country and be suspicious of their government…I love being a soldier but the only bad thing about the Army is you can’t pick your war…” The movie was action-packed, gripping, and full of suspense, making me want to see the other 798 hours of film.
The movie was followed by a presentation with Specialist William Hopkins from the Charlie Company. He explained that the “morale is up and down-quite variable. [In Iraq, the men are] not exactly in a stable state of mind….[You] come to a point where you get used to it, you just get up and do your job.” He explained how food, medical care, and protection is nonexistent for TCNs. These men work for the KBR to protect stuff for the bases to keep it going and how immoral it is for them to have no safety. He also portrays how he and many other soldiers expected coming home to be perfect and everything that they remembered, but it is quite the opposite. He felt that he couldn’t go out in public for the first several months because he was extremely aware of his surroundings, but eventually he calmed down pretty well compared to most. When asked what memory sticks out the most in his mind, he responded saying “No memory, just a feeling more than anything. The team leader was not a charming character. His treatment of me sticks out the most.” He reflected that in Iraq the soldiers took on a more defensive approach by waiting for the insurgents to attack first, then responding to the attacks.
This movie is highly recommend for everyone to watch this video because it is moving and astounding to see first-hand experiences of the war itself. Most movies reenact what occurs in a war, but this presents it first-hand with actual soldiers sharing their views and beliefs. Many people may change their viewpoints on the war and support the soldiers because the video demonstrates that the U.S. seems to be over there more for money, not for democracy. It is a soldier’s duty to do their job and protect our country, so the next time one sees a soldier walking down the street or in the aisle of the local supermarket, thank them for representing the country well and providing security for the United States.