Great Service, Great DVD
I ordered "They Were Expendable". It arrived in perfect condition and in a reasonable amount of time. I was pleased and would purchase from Amazon again.

The Role of the PT Boat
If John Wayne were alive today he would be 101 years old. He was not allowed to join the service during WWII despite his effort to do so due to a previous injury. He certainly made up for it with spirit and a continuous string of movies telling the stories of fighting men in our service. He even received a special award for doing so. They Were Expendable is another very entertaining movie, that shows the role of PT boat's in the Pacific and the men who were associated with their operations. Decorated veterans are in this film. This movie has heart and soul.

they were expendable
I believe that this was one of the best war movies ever made. it is understandable that this was a flag waver, because it was made during the war. it does however show an honest depiction of how our forces were totally unprepared to fight the Japanese during the first few months of WW-II. even when we abandoned them and left them without ammunition and supplies, our troops showed a tenacity,a willingness to give everything and dignity in defeat. This movie shows a spirit that i believe still exists in the American psyche.The dry military humor is right on the mark, and the action scenes are outstanding considering the era that the movie was made. i recommend this film to anyone who is interested in learning about the early defeats we suffered in World War II. and how our troops fought a heroic holding action until our forces could regroup.

One of the best
It is difficult to say anything more that has not already been said regarding this, one of my all-time favorite movies. But, forgive my additional " 2 cents worth," just to say that this is one of the few movies that actually inspires me to carry on in difficult times, and to persevere. If I am down in the dumps, or feeling sorry for myself, I slip this one in the dvd player. Sounds corny perhaps, but it's true.
I am a great John Ford fan, and I believe this to be one of his best films; often underrated, or even ignored by film critics. To me, it is at least equal, if not superior to "The Searchers", or "The Quiet Man."
Robert Montgomery carries this film, with an understated performance that implies great strength of character, and leadership ability. The entire cast is superb.
It is a shame that this movie seems to be rarely shown on TV; perhaps it is partly due to it's length, but I attribute to sheer ignorance. Maybe this will change; AMC just ran "Bataan,", with Robert Taylor, etc., a movie I hadn't seen for over 20 years.
If you are not even a war movie, or World War II buff, but just enjoy quality filmaking that should last forever, you need to experience this example of the art.

Boring and Way Overrated
I see quite a few positive reviews of this movie written here. The only thing I can figure is that maybe the writer's of the glowing recommendations haven't seen the film lately. Or maybe it was a movie they saw with their dad and it holds a special place in their hearts. Whatever the reason, I'm here to tell you that this is by far one of the most boring films I have ever struggled through. I am a movie buff, and only watch the classics anymore and this film is way overrated. Each scene is filmed like it's the last scene of the movie. It's actually kind of strange how Ford tried to make each scene sappy, or filmed with over-the-top sentimental music, etc. Great film if you need something to help you go to sleep. If you want a good WWII film, watch "Action in the North Atlantic".