S1E10 Veteran's Funeral

Karson 2022-03-25 09:01:10

The first time I watched The West Wing was in 2010. I watched it for about three seasons and thought it was pretty good. Then I got bored and stopped watching. The divine drama Yes, (Prime) Minister is right, what is less popular than a political satire is a film that praises virtue. I recently thought of this drama, and I was most impressed by S1E10, and I still feel sad when I watch it again. This episode is a Christmas special, and the theme is the legacy of the war: the survivors, the evening scene is bleak;

Early in the morning before Christmas, the White House was warm and festive. A phone call pulled the scene to the National Lawn outside the White House, where a homeless man in a rough-sleeping plaza failed to survive the cold wind last night and froze to death on a bench. The call was made by DC police to senior White House staff member Toby Ziegler, who found Toby's business card in the homeless coat pocket. It turned out that the old coat that Toby donated to Goodwill was bought by the homeless, and there was a business card in his pocket that he forgot to take.

No one cared about the death of a homeless man. The benches were surrounded by a peaceful festive scene. The crowd frolicking on the lawn did not notice a frozen corpse lying not far away. Coffee to warm up. When Toby arrived at the scene, an hour and 20 minutes after he received the call, the body of the homeless man was still on the bench. Toby asked why there was no ambulance to remove the body. The policeman replied that it was not a big deal and that the ambulance came later.

Toby noticed that the tattoo on the homeless forearm was the number of a certain Marine from the Korean War. Toby couldn't bear the indifference of the police. He called the relevant department to inquire about the background of the homeless man, and found that he was not only a Korean War veteran, but also a fighting hero with a Purple Heart. Toby inquired near the square where the homeless slept, hoping to find people who were concerned about his death. Toby was given a clue by the owner of a used book stand with little business on the side of the plaza. The stall owner himself is also a veteran, so it can be seen that the desolate night scene of veterans is a common situation.

Toby found the deceased's brother, who was also a homeless and slightly mentally retarded. The usual routine of American dramas is to have a seemingly happy ending, and this is no exception - Toby made an exception to use relationships to arrange a decent military funeral for the homeless. But what is the use of only letting one person walk dignifiedly, when so many people are still alive with nothing.

Mrs. Landingham, assistant to the president, went with him to the funeral of the unknown Korean War veteran. She lost her twin sons in the Vietnam War. The old lady has always been calm and rigid, but during the Christmas period, the new colleagues noticed that she was in a low mood. She calmly and logically described her thoughts about her son, and every time I listened to this passage, I was moved, "I don't like festivals, and festivals make me miss my son more. They are twins. I dress them in different clothes, But they still do everything together — go to medical school together, get draft bills in second grade together. My husband and I beg them not to go, but they're going where they need a doctor. That's what kids do, listen No parent's words. They joined the medical team and died on the battlefield four months later, on Christmas Eve 1970... They were so young. I can't help but think, foreign land, terrible battlefield, they must have been at that time I'm so scared, I must really need my mother to be by my side... Anyway, I miss my son."

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Extended Reading
  • Horace 2022-04-21 09:02:37

    The White House is famous, I'm just looking for reasons why I don't like America.

  • Simeon 2022-01-01 08:01:59

    Can you score ten stars?

The West Wing quotes

  • Sen. Arnold Vinick: [closing remarks at Republican Convention] My commitment to strive to be worthy of the example of the great men who have gone before. Presidents walk in giant footsteps. They have magnificent legacies to uphold. I stand here on this day and put my name forth, as one who aspires to their example, who will daily make that sacrifice, who will honor not just the office, but the people that office serves. *Their* President of these United States of America.

  • Leo McGarry: This guy's walkin' down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you! Can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole; can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey, Joe, it's me. Can ya help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are ya stupid? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.