ZERO DARK THIRTY

When I was in the 82d Airborne, the expression, "Oh Dark Thirty," was a familiar one. What it meant was that we went to what was called, "Green Ramp," the kicking off place for airborne jumps. Based on the time of the year, the misery varied. It was a strange thing. I was always happy mostly that the paratroopers were young, part of life. And, now, of course,
in a way, because of that experience, it is a little easier to grasp the movie, Zero Dark Thirty. I can't say I liked the movie. The torture scenes were pretty bad and I think unnecessary. And, yet maybe so. I would like to think that if Americans saw the torture, they would realize that this is not the way we want to do things. Torture is a terrible thing and acts like "water-boarding" are just beyond the pale. Overall, I liked the movie. The way they played the real heroine was good. I doubt in real life that she was as bold as the movie made her. I thought the killing of Ben Ladin could have been done with a little more Hollywood: compassion for kids and wives. No big bad Americans dressed like in space outfits, with too much use of the "F" word. But, that's just me.