FAITH AND HOPE (Front Lines Vignettes)

Framing this piece around religion feels a little out of place - it doesn't seem to fit with the recited letters, which, at heart, are really about loneliness, confusion, and despair. When they do mention God, it's much more as a turn of phrase - "thank God," etc.

I get the impression that the soldiers are not really expressing deep religious conviction as much as they are using superficially religious language to grapple with the horrors of war.

Classic ken burns style

I am always confused by people who have never "shared" in war and blood, or hate and love, judging us or our motives.

No. .. The American dream WAS the freedom, prosperity and equality among all. Now it serves only as a pretext for the usurpation and imposition, cultural, moral and financial about other people for their own benefit!
This is the current American dream. Nothing beyond distorted and corrupted values, as with other great empires and nations.

You really think that the war is a glorifying thing? Love for their country? That's making me laugh. That "love" it's just a name criated to welch some minds and send they to the ignorance of war, war for territory, war for oil, war for money, money and ignorance that Americans called "American Dream". Your Dream is a lie, the biggest lie ever told.

Thank you, NFB. These are films we would never see in USA...

it ain;t 100% true.

Sorry to be so blunt but whether the men were patriotic or not and whether when they initially became soldiers because of the love of their country or because of poverty they were ordered into the trenches and had no choice but to kill or be killed. If they decided to stop they were shot as cowards. Those who decreed that punishment were their own presidents and prime ministers "who are supposed to protect all their citizens". I guarantee that not many "if" any of them were ever in the trenches.

I love my country, I remember all those who died fighting for the freedoms I have. That does not mean I should respect so called "leaders" (on all sides) who were responsible for so many millions of deaths.

I was referring to WWI (and WWII) soldiers, not commenting on current US Politics or the Iraq war.