DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- High-ranking retired Green Berets posed for a picture at Deerfield Regal Cinema Friday night before the showing of “12 Strong,” the highly anticipated war movie based on a true story.
The movie depicted what many consider to be the most successful mission ever by Special Forces. It’s based on the true story of 12 Green Berets sent on a special mission to fight al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan in the first weeks after the 9/11 attacks.
Ret. Brig. Gen. Mark Arnold said it took him a while before he could enjoy war movies, but he said certain aspects of “12 Strong” were exciting to see.
“I can tell you this, the terrain certainly looked authentic in that movie,” Arnold said.
MORE: Watching movie '12 Strong' will be proud moment for local Green Beret veteran
The movie also did well depicted the danger of not knowing where bombs would fall, according to Ret. Maj. Jim Butler.
“You can know that it's coming, but you don't really know that it's there until the ground starts rumbling … and it's incredible,” Butler said.
While the whole concept of the movie was portrayed correctly, Ret. Maj. George W. Thomas said Hollywood couldn’t capture what real combat is like.
“When you're experiencing combat it doesn't flow like that and the way they show it is a broad aspect of what's going on,” Thomas said. “When you individualize it, it's more surreal, and you go into a dreamlike state almost, you know the adrenaline kicks in … everything kind of slows down to the extent where you can almost see the rounds coming at you.”
Watch the video in the player above for more interviews.
