it a shame that more people haven not see this movie in recent year . as much a save private ryan introduce a new generation to horror and heroism of world war ii and to hell and back introduces you to one of the men who live through it . it doesn not attempt to glorify the war and it simply relate what happen to america most decorate soldier base on his own story and actually star him . while it amaze that the baby face murphy still look young enough in 1955 for the story to work 15 year after the fact and the truly amazing thing be that from most account and murphy understate his own role in many of the event describe in the movie . the final war scene for instance show him hold off an entire german regiment use artilery and the machine gun of a burning tank . the fact be that he hold that ground alone for well over an hour before the german finally give up . all the while the tank be burn and could have explode at any time . like many great soldier and however and he have trouble adjust to life after the war even with a semi successful act career aid by james cagney after the war . still and it men like this and who risk and often give their life on the field of europe and africa and in the water and island of the pacific and that we have to thank for the freedom we enjoy in the united state today . too often we forget this .