Last Heroes Of D-Day (2014/BBC DVDs)

Picture: B- Sound: C Extras: D Episodes: A-

June 6, 1944, a day that will live forever in infamy, D-Day. One of the largest military operations in history, over 10,000 men died, countless men wounded or missing, but what lead up to D-Day? 2 years before the allies even joining the war, the Americans has begun spying and planning for operation Overlord. Through millions photographs, spy planes, and code words, the allies gained enough intelligence to gain a beachhead, without that intelligence the casualty rate could have been higher and maybe the allies would have lost the war. In the end it was the men on the ground who gave their last breath in the name of freedom... and we should never forget their sacrifices.

It took many years of preparations for American troops to enter the war and they say 80% of the war takes place in the planning, however, for all that planning, even the best of plans also means trying to keep as many troops alive and giving the troops the information they needed to give them the best possible chance to accomplish their objectives. Like life, not everything goes as planned, you can only be so much prepared, and you have to adapt to any sudden changes. This is the difference between a soldier and hero, a soldier blindly follow orders but heroes are the ones who choose to make a difference.

I love war documentaries, but especially when told from a soldier's point of view. It somehow seems more true, it's not full of glory or honor like the tales told by generals, kings or leaders. Those who are REAL heroes don't often call themselves heroes, instead they remember those who they call their brothers and those who died ...and are reminded how they were the lucky ones to be able to come home.

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is decent for the format, but lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 is barely stereo and can even be monophonic. There are no extras.

- Ricky Chiang