Spirit Of the Navy: Voices Of Courage

"We have met the enemy and he is ours." Quick, was this said by: a) countless parents of countless teenagers each and every day, b) Captain Oliver Hazard Perry during the War of 1812, or c) Bill and Hilary Clinton, about their defense and foreign policy advisors? All are probably correct, but Perry's remark was the first recorded, and it's one of the famous naval quotations included in this handsome presentation by the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation. Using paintings, still photographs, and archival film footage, the video uses the framing device of reading fictionalized letters from sailors to offer 10 historical vignettes of war, including the War for Independence, Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War. While the "letters" device will seem contrived to some--not to mention the fact they all sound as if they were written by "John Boy" Walton--military personnel and their families will enjoy this montage of naval history. Recommended. (R. Pitman)