Classics of Combat: Greatest War Movies

We're going to do this list of the best war movies of all time. While the previous venture into this topic of conversation proved...less than ideal. We're willing to give it another go, this time we picked one of our veterans to write it. Disclaimer: We know most movies will miss magazine changes, have unrealistic ballistics etc... Give us a little slack here.Editors note: I think we already did something like this, but, after reading it, it was atrocious, so we're going to keep it up and publish a new one, so you can see that we've learned from our mistakes.Saving Private RyanThe D-Day scene alone gives credence to why this movie should be top rated. War is extremely gruesome and as best as a movie could show that to the world, Saving Private Ryan did. Couple that with the tragic ending where all but a few men were killed. Saving Private Ryan paints a grim, but realistic picture of war. The good guys don't always live, sometimes the bad guys get theirs. As honest as a movie can be about war, this one was pretty damn close.

PlatoonWhen the director is an infantryman with a Bronze Star (with "V" device) and two Purple Hearts from Vietnam, the movie is going to be as realistic as it can get. Say what you will about Oliver Stone currently, it doesn't change the fact that Platoon was about as gritty, dirty and terrifying as a movie can make war. Throw in Dale Dye another Vietnam veteran and you've got a pretty solid movie.

The Deer HunterTo use another movie to describe The Deer Hunter, we'll admit that it shows the good, the bad and the ugly parts of war. Nothing in war is sacred, except the bonds of brotherhood. This movie has such deep meaning and symbolism on so many levels. Nick, Steven, and Mike faithful to each other through the good, the bad and the ugly parts of Vietnam. A definite must watch!

Full Metal JacketQuoted the world over for all the memorable one-liners from R. Lee Ermey's portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, Full Metal Jacket also takes you to Hue City and exposes you to the dangers of urban warfare when the concept was still relatively new. Men died, not everyone you loved made it back home. Couple that with the Marines dark sense of humor to cope with the stress of war, you've got a pretty solid example of the battle for Hue City.

A Bridge Too FarOperation Market Garden..not everything in war works out the way we plan. Mike Tyson isn't known for being full of wisdom, but his statement "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face," rang true in this movie about the failed attempt to capture several key bridges and surge into Germany and end the war. It was bold. It almost worked. Almost.

Flags of Our FathersThe assault on Iwo Jima and the subsequent flag raising on Mount Suribachi are among the most famed exploits in Marine Corps history. The stories of the men who were there, most notably Ira Hayes paint a personal, grim and realistic picture of that battle.

Honorable Mentions:Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Generation Kill (Obviously not movies, but they deserve to be here, nonetheless)Bridge Over the River KwaiGettysburgWe Were SoldiersDead Presidents