Warbird Information Exchange

Gang, "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY" is on Tonite (Thurs, Jan 17) at 10pm (Eastern) on TCM.
This film is a real "Corn Husker" but there's some funny Pearl Harbor Attack scenes at the very end...

I like the scene where they grab .30 Cal Browning M1919 Belt-Fed Machine Guns, then fire them with their bare hands. Ha! Ha! Then CHEER as they shoot-down the Japanese AT-6's!! ...

Note Everyone's Hawaiian Shirts in the film. Shirts like that are now valuable collector's items... One reason is that the Original Hawaiian Shirt Rayon Formula was destroyed in a big fire at the Dupont Chemical Plant. They were never able to copy that exact same Rayon formula, so those early Hawaiian Shirts will never be reproduced again.

This is the ONLY Film I've ever seen where they wear Military Cut Khaki's with a correct Military Fit. Everyone has a tight Military fit, not sloppy, lose & baggy like most other films... I always laugh when I see the 1st Episode of "BAND OF BROTHERS". Ha! Ha! David Schwimmer looks like He's wearing a Khaki HEFTY Bag!! Terrible...

Ernest Borgnine is in this Movie also...
Here's a recent McHale's Navy Reunion filmed last year.
Ha! Ha! My Favorite Character was "GRUBER"...
He was always making fake War Souvenirs to sell to the stupid Marines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3vvr0hHV1w

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma3GIAF- ... re=related

Anyway, Catch "From Here To Eternity" Tonite at 10pm (Eastern) on TCM. Right after "CASABLANCA".
Another famous movie, but I've never seen it. Is it any good??
Adjust Your Own Time Zone accordingly... Digger

Excuse me, but what is a "Corn Husker" movie? I kinda like the movie myself, just from an entertainment view.

That's a term My Dad used to describe a long, boring Movie...
Yeah, I guess this Movie is OK. As a Kid I would always fall asleep watching & hated it cause it was "for Grown-Ups"...

However, Now that I'm a "Grown-Up Adult" I don't fall asleep as much...

I remember back in the 1970's they re-made this Film with that idiot William Devane. Sheeeeeesh!!
Now THAT was a complete "Corn Husker" nomatter what anyone says... Digger

Don't miss Casablanca, it's a must see. Great Bogart film. I've seen both movies about 20 times each, I'm such a sucker for B&W films of old.

While they were firing the .30's with bare hands, they did have empty ammo belts wrapped around the barrel jacket.

I like the movie but, the ending always annoyed me. Just don't make no sense...

Kyle

That's how the book ended. Read the book someday, it's better than the movie.

It is possible to fire a .30 caliber BMG from the hip. I've even seen a newsreel of Bob Hope doing it somewhere in the South Pacific while on a USO tour.

I kind of liked the remake. They used BAR's during the attack in that one.

Mostly BAR's in the Movie & a few M1919 Brownings as well..

I used to Own 2 Full Auto (Registerred) M1919 Brownings & they were beautiful weapons!!
They were like EVIL surgical tools... both so deadly powerful & accurate.

Full Auto Belt-Feds are the work of the Devil...

Ha! Ha! That's what makes them fun!!
Ah Yes, There's nothing like a Case of Beer, a Belt-Fed & a few of Your Stupid Little Buddies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtBViFaosws

Check Out this "Full Auto" M1 Garand Bump Firing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBQrtzSdVDo&NR=1

Most WW2 Reenactments are "On The Run" during the Tactical. I had to sell My Brownings as they were just too darn heavy. A real pain to run around with... Just ask Don Rickles who had to carry one in "Kelly's Heroes". Yes, You can fire them from the hip, but it's a pain & very awkward. Like trying to hold a Bar-Bell with one side of the weights gone.
It's totally off balance & the Barrel Shroud heats up like a Mother... Digger

This M1919 would be a little easier to carry in the field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abTGAP7tG0Y&feature=related

_________________
"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Corn Husker Movie? Hmm...Best Picture 1954...


Anyway my 16 year old son and I happened upon the movie last night and watched the whole thing....long way to go for a couple of T-6 flybys...

The BAR's were cool to see...and ya know the heat shield on the .30's must be effective!

And there was a lot of starch being used on those uniforms! They certainly were crisp.

_________________
Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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James Jones: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (NY: Delacorte Press, 1951) page 756:

"Right behind him, but flying due north along Waianae Avenue and the HQ Building, came another plane; and the umbrella [of AA fire] swung that way without even letting go of its triggers.
"The plane's gastank exploded immediately into flames that engulfed the whole cockpit and the plane veered off down on the right wing, still going at top speed. As the belly and left under-wing came up into view, the blue circle with white star in it showed plainly in the bright sunlight. Then its was gone, off down through some trees that sheered off the wings...
"'That was one of ours!' Reedy Treadwell said in a small still voice. That was an American plane!'
"'Tough,' Warden said, without stopping firing at the new double coming in from the northeast. 'The son of a bitch dint have no business there.'"

Thus the shoot down by Schofield Barracks, as depicted in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, was NOT Japanese but an American plane.

This turned out to be about two hours AFTER the Japanese left...! Some 25 P-40s and P-36s were returning to Wheeler Field (across the fence from Schofield Barracks) and several of the planes were shot up on landing, one crashed -a P-36- killing 2Lt John L. Dains.

For more about John Dains, read "Ghosts of Pearl Harbor", FLIGHT JOURNAL, June 2007.
Cheers,
David Aiken

I was never stationed there, but I had a buddy in the Army who had been at Schofield Barracks. He told me that the buildings were still pock-marked from the Japanese strafing them.

Hi Richard,
Schofield Barracks was not a target during the strafing of Wheeler Field. Yes, the planes doing the strafing had to start and end their strafing somewhere and that did not stop at the fence dividing the two locations!

In the search for the 'buildings ...still pock-marked', the only ones found was on Carter Hall (the original Post Library) at the entrance doorway...a single group of holes. Compared to the Combined Barracks (now PACAF HQ) still pock-marked at Hickam Field, these holes can not be from bullets. We found the holes drilled 90 degrees into the wall, perhaps to mount a marker or sign -since removed.

View this location in Stan Cohen's EAST WIND RAIN (now titled ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR) [Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Pub; 1981, revised 1991, corrected 1994, retitled 2000) on page 197.
Hope this helps,
David Aiken