Apology for Vietnam
What to do in Vietnam? Someone believes that America destroyed Vietnam in order to save it; however, during 1968, more and more Americans began questioning Vietnam War. RFK had said in 1967 that he hated the war. " We're killing South Vietnamese, we're killing women, we're killing innocent people because they're 12,000 miles away and they might get 11,000 miles away." For many, "Born on the Fourth of July" is an apology for Vietnam; it shows the Vietnam War was a disastrous foreign policy mistake. Ron Kovic, as a veteran, spoke to the whole America that it was wrong to fight in Vietnam.
The movie is an adaptation of the same name autobiography. It begins with Ron's childhood, then as he growing up, one day he and his family watches JFK's inaugural address. Ron's mother has a conversation to him at that time. She dreams that one day, Ron will stand on the stage like JFK, talking about great things, which foreshadow Ron's future speech that against Vietnam War during Nixon's acceptance speech.
After Ron and his classmates hear an impassioned lecture about the Marine Corps, Ron decides to enlist. The movie then shows two major scenes, which reveals the brutality during Vietnam War to audiences by Ron, a solider who actually involves in the war.
In October 1967, there was a village massacre showed in the movie. Believing enemy combatants are in there, Ron's unit bombs the village, and it results hundreds of Vietnamese citizens were killed, mostly innocent kids and women. Overwhelmed by a sense of guilty, Ron becomes disoriented, and he accidentally shoots one of Marine from his side. Although his executive officer merely tells him just to forget the incident, that mistake tortures him for years afterward. There were many massacres...