It's interesting that even though this film is generally panned as propaganda, I've heard several Vietnam vets call it the most accurate film on the war.

So a Vietnam vet might have more "oh yeah" moments (in a scrapbook sense) while watching The Green Berets as opposed to watching something like Platoon with its 20/20 hindsight take on the war.

Getting some nice recognition over the last few years (9/11, perhaps?), frequently appearing on Turner Classic Movies.

IIRC, director Ford had just returned to the movies after filming combat (and losing several coworkers in the process) and co-star Robert Montgomery had returned after commanding a PT boat in the Pacific and then a destroyer in support at D-Day.

Wayne has often been accused of being a chickenhawk, but if those two had thought so I question whether they would have hired him. (Or in Donovan's Reef, the "Valhalla" fantasy for that set.)

Furthermore, according to Wills, John Ford never let Wayne forget that the Duke had ducked the war. It was reported that he even humilated Wayne in front of cast and crew on the set of They Were Expendable, when Wayne rendered a rather unmilitary salute in the scene. The Duke reportedly walked right of the set, and came back only after Ford sent Montgomery to Wayne trailer to coax him.

Arguably the Duke's all time best film, and one to coax Wayne haters into watching if at all possible--it always suprises them.