Taking Chance. The importance of remembrance.

I recently watched the film 'Taking Chance'  starring Kevin Bacon. 

Based on a true story, the film is heavily based on the account of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl USMC, who acted as the Escort to a young Marine, Private First Class Chance Phelps, on his final journey to his home town of Dubois, Wyoming,  after he had been killed in action in Al anbar province in Iraq. Colonel Strobl is a veteran of the Iraq War although he was seving in a staff role in Marine Corps HQ when he volunteered to escort Chance's coffin. He never knew Chance, he saw his name on a list of casualties and was struck that Chance's home town was listed as his own home town. It would later transpire that this was an error, but it prompted Col Strobl to volunteer to act as escort. 

In Col Strobl's account of the journey, he relates that a US Navy Rear Admiral addressed the funeral and gave an account of how CHance died in action. The Admiral was the Chief of Naval Intelligence at the Pentagon, and Chance's sister, a Petty Oficer in the US Navy, worked for the Admiral. he Admiral had brought many of his staff including serving US Navy sailors with him to pay respects to Chance. 

The Admiral explained that Chance was an artillery canoneer but that his unit was acting as provisional Military Police on the delpoyment. Chance had volunteered to man the .50 calibre Browning machine gun in the turret of the leading vehicle in a convoy which came under sustained attack, but Chance remained at his post serving his gun and continually returned fire, covering his comrades, until he was fatally wounded.

Strobl reveals that when he opened Chance's casket to place personal items inside at the parents' requests, he noted that Chance had six medal ribbons, including his Purple Heart. Strobl commented that he had been in the Marine Corps for 17 years and had earned eight ribbons. Chance had earned six ribbons in less than a year in the Corps.

The film accurately but sensitively covers the handling of PFC Phelps' body when he was being washed and prepared in the mortuary, and explains that great care is taken to get the uniforms of the fallen service personnel absolutely correct, even if the body is not to be viewed by the family due to the upsetting nature of the injuries sustained by the casualty.

At all stages, the film details the respect with which the casket is treated and handled by the airline gound handlers, the aircrew, passengers in the vicinity when the casket is being loaded to or unloaded from the aircraft, passing truckers and motorists on the roads, and finally at the funeral parlour before Chance's burial. 

Kevin Bacon puts in a stellar performance as Colonel Strobl, and powerfully conveys the sense of his own personal journey as escort to Chance's body. 

In Col Strobl's words:

I left Dubois in the morning before sunrise for my long drive back to Billings. It had been my honor to take Chance Phelps to his final post. Now he was on the high ground overlooking his town. I miss him.

The film is a very moving and powerful depiction of loss, honour, service and respect. About how fallen servicemen and women should be respected. It's not an action film, but if it doesn't move you and make you think, you can't have been watching it with full attention. 

Taking Chance, a 2009 film directed by Ross Katz, screenplay by Michael Strobl and Ross Katz. Starring Kevin Bacon. 

Colonel Strobl's accpount of his journey can be read here: https://stielfilmstudiesrbhs.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/9/4/3194754/taking_chance_original_report.pdf