Two Truths and a Lie: A Review of Devotion

One of my favorite things when I lived in California was visiting an air museum in Chino. They have one of the largest collections of warbirds across the ages, known as Planes of Fame, but many of them can still fly. I saw the P-51, B-25, B-17, de Haviland DH.98 Mosquito, and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero all start up and take off there. I now have many cherished memories with my father, who played a big part in my passion for history and warbirds; my father-in-law, who loves planes as well; my nephews; and one of my older brothers, who recently passed away.

While attending one of their Hangar Talks, where they presented a topic related to the plane flying that day, they revealed that a new movie was coming out that featured their Corsair, Bearcat, and MiG-15. Titled Devotion, the film told the story of Ensign Jessie Brown, the first black aviator in the US Navy who fought in the Korean War. I could not wait to see the film, and now, after seeing it twice, I wanted to put together my next Two Truths and a Lie article on it—so here we go.

Truth 1: Three Planes in the Film were from Planes of Fame in Chino, CA

As I mentioned earlier, three planes from the Planes of Fame museum were used during filming. Using the knowledge of filming the latest Top Gun movie, they could film these aircraft flying in close formations for the first time on film. The first plane to make an appearance was the Bearcat, the last piston plane designed by Grumman.

However, the Corsair makes an appearance and remains the main fighter the characters fly. In real life, the Navy went with the Corsair over the Bearcat in the Korean War because of its speed, proven combat effectiveness, and higher payload capacity. Used as a carrier-based fighter bomber, it saw service in attacking enemy installations and infrastructure and supporting ground forces, making many sorties during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir with VF-32 (if you have not seen the documentary on that battle on Amazon, I highly recommend it. It was the Korean War’s version of the Battle of the Bulge in my opinion).

Truth 2: The Corsair Did Have Technical Issues that were Lethal

One moment in the movie viewers might miss is when the unit switches from Bearcats to Corsairs. The unit had been comfortably training in Bearcats, but the Navy opted for the Corsairs for carrier operations at this time, forcing them to learn a new aircraft. They are warned not to advance the throttle too quickly, as this could cause them to lose control of the plane.

While numerous issues had to be accounted for with the adoption of the powerful Corsair, this one was featured in the movie. What was happening was a left-wing stall. If a pilot rapidly advanced the throttle, as in an aborted landing or another scenario, the left wing would stall and drop so quickly that the fighter could flip over from the sudden increase in power. Eventually, this would be accounted for with a stall strip to ensure the left and right wings stalled simultaneously.

The Lie: VF-32 Flew Multiple Missions During the Battle of Chosin Reservoir

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir rages as a backdrop in the movie, leading to a penultimate scene. Given it’s a movie and not a series with multiple episodes, it’s understandable how they portrayed this part of history. VF-32 takes off on a mission to provide air support and relief to the outnumbered Marines hanging on against a superior Chinese force. However, in reality, VF-32 flew multiple sorties in this battle rather than a single mission, as portrayed in the movie.

The film I felt held up to its title in multiple ways. They showcased these warbirds in a manner that did not rely heavily on CGI, like the recent Midway movie (I still prefer the classic to this new one though there were aspects of it I did like). It honored not only the history of aviation and these planes, as Dunkirk did, but also made the audience appreciate the job of flying these powerful planes in highly hazardous, life-threatening situations.

Lastly, I think what I appreciated about the movie was that it balanced the elephant in the room with the other themes. That elephant is a black man's experience in the armed forces circa 1950. Harry Truman desegregated the armed forces in 1948 with Executive Order 9981. The transition was slow, and Brown was only 14 of 5,600 in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1947 (NROTC; the normal route to a naval commission at that time) who were black.

The movie remained multidimensional in its ability to balance this essential aspect of the story with other themes such as being devoted to your wife, your family, your true friends, and your country; to determination and never quitting, no matter the odds, and how to face the world's characterization of achievements and experiences. In a world that seems obsessed with and devoted to unhealthy things, the film was a refreshing reminder of our shared humanity and the importance and impact of, as Lt. Commander of VF-32 says, a lifetime of showing up.

Art Credit: http://www.matthallstudios.com/print/devotion/