Memorial day is one of reflection, but also a personal day for every human alive. Just about everybody knows someone who has served in the armed forces. Many honor by placing a flag on the grave of those long ago served, some spend time with their families and enjoy grilling out. I choose to spend it with the adaptations I’ve come to love, reliving the moments of those soldiers and civilians as best I can. It doesn’t hold a candle to serving, but then again our destinies lead us all in very different ways. But here, I pay tribute to the top 4 war movies/TV series to celebrate Memorial Day with.

4. We Were Soldiers

When most think of classic Vietnman war  films, most instantly go for Platoon, Apocalypse Now, or Full Metal Jacket. With We Were Soldiers, the author of the book Lt. General Hal Moore and director Randall Wallace were going more for accuracy than cinematic effect. And succeed they did; by removing the political message of the film, this movie depicted the hell that soldiers went through in vietnam, on both sides. The film stars Mel Gibson as Hal Moore, and his command of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry. Strangely enough, this is the same battalion that General Custer lead, and in this film these troops find similar results. Even with heavy casualties, these men refuse to yield, leading to true American patriotism. Sadly the group was defeated and their position immediately overtaken upon their pull out.

3. The Pianist

It wouldn’t be fair to exclude the civilian side, and Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Wladyslaw Szpilman’s autobiography of the same name met with rousing success. Polanski was inspired by his experiences during World War II; the film stars Adrien Brody as Szpilman, the famed Jewish pianist from Poland who goes into hiding during World War II, and evades the Nazi’s for five years all on his own. The film garnered three Oscars including Best Actor for Brody’s portrayal. Sadly, after the war was over, Szpilman penned his autobiography only to have it banned in his own home country and went largely out of print until 1998 when it was re-released as The Pianist.

2. Black Hawk Down

I know that most people don’t consider this film as great as other war films like Savng Private Ryan, or We Were Soldiers, but the story here is as touching as any on this list. This is a story of modern war as 123 elite troops drop into Somalia to retrieve two high ranking lieutenants of a warlord responsible for the death’s of 300,000 Somalis. Needless to say the operation, executed by Rangers and Delta Force members is met with opposition that nobody expected. I will admit, I’m only a little way into the book, but it’s way better than the film. On it’s own merit, there is a lot to admire here, including the acting and Ridley Scott’s directing. Do yourself a favor though, read the book too, it’s value to the film is incalculable.

1. Band of Brothers

With Band of Brothers, Tom Hanks and co. created the most enduring war epic of all time. Granted they had great adaptable material, penned by Stephen Ambrose, but the story is given the treatment that it deserves. The series revolves around “Easy Company” or the 2nd battalion of the 506th parachute regiment assigned to the 101st airborne division. The series, like the book, chronicles the company’s journey from basic training to their capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, and along the way their are moments that make you question the necessity of war, from both sides, but it’s these men that you fall in love with over ten episodes. This series wouldn’t be half the success it was if it weren’t for the great character acting. The breakout role is Damian Lewis as Dick Winters, the man that everybody in the company looks up to . This jaw dropping 10 part series is Hank’s finest achievement, something The Pacific could never live up to, and if you haven’t seen this yes, it’s a crying shame.