One of several bouncing around the net, but hopefully serviceable for curious viewers wondering about the unfiltered source material.
"A Marine's Journey Home by Michael R. Strobl:
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles4/StroblMarine.php
__________________________
Dr Horrible: "With my Freeze Ray I will stop the world."
Excuse me replying to myself, but here's some stuff I mistakenly hid in another thread, that better belongs here..
/*** snipped ***/
The movie sometimes diverges from the story told in the journal, "based on a true story" cheats for dramatic effect:
1) Sgt Michael didn't exist. The filmmakers lent extra drama by having a living voice recount Chance's last moments on earth.
2) Strobl's sleepover with the casket didn't happen.
3) The spontaneous highway tribute convoy was fictitious.
4) The teenager texting from the adjacent seat on the plane was fictional too.
5) The escort's inner doubts about taking the easy path in his career were not in the journal, except to note that in one year Chance accumulated 7 ribbons (including day of death Blue ribbon) while Strobl had only 8 from 17 years service.
So, yeah, it was a sweetened Hollywood product in some respects, but still heck of a fine job imo.
__________________________
Dr Horrible: "With my Freeze Ray I will stop the world."