Taking Chance
July 19, 2009 by AnonPartner
Filed under Soldier's Husband
When I saw that Kevin Bacon had been nominated for an Emmy for his role in Taking Chance, an HBO film about the true story of one Marine’s journey as he escorts the body of a fallen soldier back home, it literally took my breath away.
Not long after Clay had deployed, I was channel surfing in a Chicago hotel room. I was standing in front of the television and froze at the scene of front of me. The dedicated men and women at the Dover AFB mortuary were respectfully and meticulously preparing the body of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Chance Phelps in preparation for his final journey home.
Kevin Bacon plays a career Marine who temporarily leaves his desk job to volunteer for the honor of escorting Chance home to his family. Bacon’s focused, tense-yet-understated performance perfectly captured the essence of how our dedicated men and women bravely and professionally struggle to hold it together when faced with the mind-blowing repercussions of war.
I saw this at a time when I was perhaps at my most vulnerable. I was trying to deal with learning that Clay had pulled duty more dangerous than I had expected. He had recently described in detail the sounds that bullets make as they whiz by your head. He had just told me of the carnage he had witnessed, and of his recent close calls.
As I crossed my arms and pressed them tightly against my own chest, I paced the room back and forth in front of the television. It was too much to handle, but I couldn’t pull myself away. I wasn’t right for days after watching it.
But, as hard as it was to watch, I am a better person for having done so. It forced me to face certain realities head-on, and begin to deal with the hurricane of emoti0ns that were threatening to tear me apart.
And so, as I was eating lunch by myself and came across this little bit of ‘entertainment news’ in the paper, I gasped as if someone had punched me in the gut. I held my breath as my eyes blurred with tears. I could instantly see again the scenes of the movie playing in my head.
Thank you Lt. Col Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.), for telling this story.
I can only imagine how that movie impacted you. I watched it on a red-eye flight. Thankfully, the cabin was dark and most folks were sleeping. I, too, was incredibly moved to watch the ‘process’ of bringing home casualties. Had I seen it before volunteering to deploy to Iraq, I might not have gone through with it.
Again, thanks for sharing your heart.
Take care,
TAK
Howdy man, I am not sure how I come across your blog, but I did and I could not stop reading, until this post. I am not in the military or have anyone close to me that is, I do how ever have the utmost respect for those that are and their family’s. I to have seen this movie. I have it recorded on my DVR, I have watched it twice, once when it come on HBO and the second time just the other night. Both times I cry and my heart breaks. Like you I could not stop watching it. I learned so much from watching this movie. And feel as though everyone should see it. I started reading from the first post working my way to the current one. At this point I am not sure what else you have to say/share. I only hope that you get comfort from knowing that there are people out there that keeps family’s like yours and all members of the military in their thoughts.