Taking Chance

I feel like I should start this post with a slight warning that you may need some tissues and it may be rather grim. I know what I want to blog, but not sure if it will turn out that way or not. I also may ruin bits of the movie for you...although it isn't like you wouldnn't know how it ends.

Preface: Taking Chance is a movie made by HBO about the journey of a Marine, PFC Phelps, home from Iraq to his final resting place. It is based on a true story of Phelps and the Marine officer Lt. Col. Michael Strobl who becomes his escort from Dover, MD to WY. It is a highly unusual thing for a man of Strobl's rank to escort a PFC (the next to lowest USMC ranking) unless they were friends or relatives, Strobl and Phelps were neither. The movie aired on HBO in Feb and we didn't have HBO at the time (still don't) so I went online to see if I could order it. I knew I must watch this movie. I couldn't resist, even though I knew it would make me horribly sad and cry. It was like a bruise I simply had to touch just to see if it would hurt. So I ordered it from HBO directly. I was excited about my order...until I received the notice that it was back ordered until its official release date, which was undetermined at that time. Slightly disappointed, but still ok since it would arrive eventually. Fast forward a few months to the move...well the DVD was going to be shipped to the in-laws house. Not really a big deal, but I wanted to have it the minute it hit the mailbox. (Crazy, why yes I am.) So I view my order. At this point it tells me the official release date is May 12th. I try to change my order by contacting the online customer service. They can't change my shipping address even though it is "backordered." They can cancel my order though and I can reorder it. "Fine." So I am about to reorder from HBO when it hits me...I may not have to pay full retail price if I can get it from amazon.com. I search and can get it for $16.95...my HBO order was $22.93ish. So amazon.com saved the day. "Taking Chance" was also in my mailbox waiting for me on May 12th.

I patiently waited for Dave to get home from work so we could watch this movie together. It was something we had to do together (or at least I felt like we did). I knew Dave had taken part in the ceremonial aspect of funerals and I just wanted to see what exactly the process is for a Marine (or and service member) during their final journey home. I had made myself a salad to eat while I watched the movie. I ate a few bites during the previews and immediately stopped eating when the movie began. The first scene was just like a punch in the stomach, especially to a woman who lived the Marine's wife life. I won't tell you what it is, but it is gut wrenching. I may get some of the details to the actual process the USMC goes through wrong so I apologize, but once a casualty is confirmed Marines in dress blues are dispatched to notify the next of kin. It showed the two Marines sent to Phelps' family arriving at their house. The Marine on the passenger side got out of the car and waited at attention for the driver to join him and they walked in step to the door. I don't know if that is really part of the routine or not, but it struck me as being an excellent detail used to portray just how precise the USMC really is. It made me smile.

Another scene depicts the bodies being packed up to leave from Iraq and fly to Dover, MD. Random fact: All military deceased (in combat/overseas) are flown to Dover for processing regardless of their branch of service. They show the passing of bags of ice to place in the plastic shipping containers, similar to the passing of sandbags. I had never thought of that aspect before, that they would need to be able to keep the bodies cool.

Another scene is after Lt. Col. Strobl has departed from Dover in a hearse with Phelps on their way to the airport to fly cross country to WY. Strobl and the hearse driver are having a conversation about why the hearse driver began doing this. The driver said he wanted to do something to help, but he didn't want to go into the military. (The hearse driver has shoulder length hair.) The hearse driver begins talking about having classmates from high school served in Iraq. One was injured pretty badly and the other one came home in a casket. The hearse driver says I really don't understand all the shit that is going on over there. He then aplogizes for saying shit. Strobl chuckles and says "it's ok you can say shit." I laughed and looked at Dave with the look that says "silly Marines."

Another scene shows Strobl on a plane and his seat mate is a younger girl. She talks to him and offers to let him read her magazines and then begins texting. She starts to text "Hot Soldier on the plane next to me." Strobl sees what she is texting and says "actually its a Marine, not a soldier." Again I look at Dave and totally crack up because it is such a Marine thing to do. Never, ever call a Marine a soldier unless you want to totally tick them off. This also happens to be the leg of his journey that the pilot is prior Air Force and asks all passengers to wait and let Strobl off the plane first as he is escorting a deceased Marine home. The young girl cries and apoligizes to Strobl.

I could go on and on and on about this movie and how each scene touched me in a different way and the things I thought about. I think it is a must see movie because it depicts a relatively unexplored aspect of military life with such care and detail. I cried through 95% of the movie. It got to the point that tears would just stream down my face as I silently watch this movie. The only two times I spoke were the two scenes I told you I laughed. I was near sobs by the end of the movie. It was beautifully put together. After watching the movie it took me awhile to relax and my mind was just turning. I hugged my husband several times and told him I Loved him. I also fell asleep praying that night (and had the best night of sleep I've had in a really long time) for all of those is harms way at the moment because we still have so many who are. I prayed for those who are tasked with transporting, preparing, guarding, and burying deceased service members because the deaths weigh on them too, even if they didn't know them. I think Marines especially feel a lot of guilt in dealing with deceased brothers & sisters because they feel they should have been doing more. .oO(I shouldn't be marching around or working in an office I should have been there shooting right next to you, protecting you.) If you think about it say a prayer for all of our service men and women, but especially those tasked with these difficult jobs that leave impressions and scars on their lives that they may never ever talk about with anyone.