When Hollywood directors Oliver Stone and Steven Spielberg want war scenes to look and feel authentic, the military advisor they rely on is Dale Dye. In this episode of DIA Connections, Dye visits DIA where he discusses how, after surviving more than 30 combat operations in the Vietnam War, he became a catalyst in changing the way Hollywood makes war movies.

USUALLY WHEN I THINK OF EPIC WAR MOVIES, I THINK OF FILMS LIKE SAVING PRIVATE RYAN AND BAND OF BROTHERS. But I never thought about what went into making those films so believable and powerful until this episode of The School of Greatness. It turns out most of the Hollywood war movies that have come out in the last 20 years have a common thread among them. The actors were either trained by or acting alongside a true soldier, Captain Dale Dye. This man not only served in the US Marines for 22 years, he received 3 Purple Hearts for his injuries sustained while in Vietnam, and he dedicated a second career to bringing realistic depictions of war to Hollywood screens. Obviously, he’s a fascinating guy to interview. But I learned much more than I anticipated.

We ran into actor/veteran Dale Dye at the Utah Beach Museum in France. Here are his thoughts on the importance of remembering WWII and the veterans who served in it.

‘Platoon’ is often regarded as one of the most realistic and exceptional war films of all time, and for good reason.

“The Battle Never Ends” is an hour-long documentary highlighting the origins of DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and its accomplishments throughout the past century. Partially filmed at the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C., the documentary—hosted and narrated by actor, Vietnam veteran and Hollywood military adviser Dale Dye—is a chronological look back at America’s military engagements from World War I to today.