It's called "pride in one's country". He didn't want to be used as a piece of propaganda.
shareI don't have a clue, but the text of the document sounded reasonable to me. After all, the US was a corrupt imperialist government damaging the rights of the Vietnamese people by interfering with their internal politics. To me, it's mindboggling how anyone grown up in Germany during WW2 could ever join the American army....
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So, what flavor was the kool-aid?
Fight the FOCA
things are really that simple in your mind?
shareAs an American I wouldnt give a rats ass if he signed that paper or not...Vietnam war never should have happened...The USA put lots of young mens lives in a horrible situation for nothing...Christin Bale's character even says in the film that he never wanted to go to war he just wanted to fly planes which is why he enlisted in Navy which is even more reason to sign that paper.
shareThat would go against the code of conduct and is considered treasonous. It's understood that under torture and the depravity you would suffer as a POW you would eventually break and sign, but prisoners who sign without suffering are looked down upon. It happened recently with those British Naval captives. They signed treasonous statement without putting up a fight. I would also say comradery plays a part in your decision. If all your buddies are starving and being mistreated, and your being fed well, you should feel like you let them down. Watch Faith of our fathers. It explains it better.
shareUnless the question is coming from a child it's an ignorant question, and I wouldn't expect anybody that would ask it to understand the explanation from anybody that bothers to answer it (and there are a few good answers here). 'Nuf said
sharewtf are you talking about?
shareDieter's heroism, in the film, if not real life, is posited as being an accident of his personality. That's not to say he didn't have thoughts or feelings for his country, just that how one acts in the face of absurd cruelty and danger is not governed by something as high minded as national pride. Are the guys that broke down less patriotic or heroic? Of course not. When a soldier on the battlefield is called a hero, he usually doesn't feel like one. Why is that? Because he is not doing anything special when the bullets start flying. He is following training and instinct. Some guys are better able to handle it than others, but if it was truly love of country that saw them through, then pretty much all those guys would be able to handle it.
I would also argue, by the way, that Dieter could potentially be the least patriotic American in the film. The film made the point that Dieter was obsessed with flying, that was the primary reason he was there, and the one thing that kept him going.
This is the best comment ever about this movie. Well done.
shareThat would go against the code of conduct and is considered treasonous.
Oh yeah, you would make a good Nazi too. You should be ASHAMED to be an american. Give up your citizenship and move to North Korea or some commie $hithole.
share[deleted]
You're quite the *beep* I think Dieter and idiots like you deserve to suffer. Treason doesn't exist. Every human has the right to liberty and freedom. Even if I sign a paper saying the "USA sucks rat's a$$".
You sound more like a commie than a true american.
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Only good things could had come from signing the paper. If they were about to use it as propaganda they would had needed prisoner alive and well, because othervice its just worthless name in worthless paper nothing real behind it. If they were just fooling around and would had killed him anyway, then what difference does it make if he signs the paper or not, no effect for anything. Signing paper is not actual proof for loving or hating ones country because testimony gained by torturing the prisoner is not worth anything.
share^^^^what he said^^^ & this is exactly why confessions gotten from torture is friggen useless cause folks will give you any information you want to stop the abuse.
shareI read that in the real life events (where Eugene DeBruin was the complete opposite of how he was depicted in the film - he was extremely caring, peaceful and respectful and had aided the prisoners in escape long before Dieter was imprisoned, and the reason he didn't follow Dieter and Duane Martin was because he would not leave Y.C. behind to die (he was very sick) and chose to help Y.C. in the jungle and protect him, instead of following Dieter and Duane Martin after the second escape which is depicted in the film), the other prisoners actually HAD signed the papers. It didn't make any difference, they were still imprisoned, tortured and starved.
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