Guest written by Randy Lee ’84, WPSDC Membership Chair
Advance film screenings often bring audiences behind the scenes of the stories they see on screen. Attendees at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., were given that opportunity during a special screening of Lucky Strike by director Rod Lurie ’84, a new World War II film based on true events from the Battle of the Bulge. But the evening also became a celebration of West Point’s enduring connection to military history, highlighted by the presence of COL (R) Herb Stern ’41, USMA’s oldest living graduate and a veteran of the battle itself. In his own words, Randy Lee ’84 recounts an evening that honored both the filmmakers bringing history to life and the graduates who lived it. Feature Image: L to R standing: Lurie ’84, M. Parrish ’85, Kyra Davis-Lurie, L. Parrish ’85. Seated: Stern ’41 (Photo credit: Lurie)
On June 8, a select Washington, D.C. audience was treated to a special advance screening of the upcoming World War II film by Rod Lurie ’84, Lucky Strike, based on true events during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.
Lurie, the acclaimed director of The Outpost and The Contender, was supported in force by an audience significantly composed of fellow West Point graduates, especially from the Class of 1984. Two of his classmates, Dr. Nick Coddington (National Archives and Records Administration OSHA Program Manager) and Randy Lee (West Point Society of DC Membership Chair) were responsible for setting up the venue at the National Archives Museum and ensuring word got out to WPSDC members about the short-notice event.
The screening was preceded by a reception in which attendees could briefly tour the museum and see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It was followed by a panel with director/co-writer Lurie, star Scott Eastwood, producer/co-writer Marc Frydman, and producer/star Jonathan Yunger, who were all asked questions by Lee. The genesis of the film was revealed to be a visit by a U.S. Army combat engineer officer to Frydman’s high school in France when he was 16. The tale of how the officer and his team built an abatis in the Ardennes Forest to stop a German advance during the Battle of the Bulge lingered in Frydman’s head for 50 years – including the officer being the only survivor of his demolition team, and having to make it back to friendly lines under nearly impossible conditions. While some dramatic license was taken in the film, there were two impressive twists to the story confirmed to be absolutely real – one involving a Waffen-SS commando, the other a Motorola radio. Lurie also expressed his “bucket list” desire to direct a film at West Point, which has not been the setting for a major motion picture since 1977 (MacArthur), when it was used solely as a framing device, or a major television movie since 1979 (Women at West Point).
But the highlight of the evening was the guest of honor, COL (R) Herb Stern ’41, USMA’s oldest living graduate at 107 years young. He came with his grandson Joshua McCrary, escorted in style by nurse-practitioner Lorraine (Taylor) Parrish ’85 (WPSDC Outreach Chair) and COL (R) Michael Parrish ’85. Stern received two standing ovations prior to the screening, after Lurie described his actions as the acting commander of the 325th Field Artillery Battalion in December 1944 – explaining how, in freezing fog near Marche, Belgium, he registered Howitzers on a crossroads where he felt the German advance might come through. He then ensured nine other battalions from the Division Artillery and Corps Artillery also had the data, leading to 120 Howitzers firing for effect that night, halting the advance, destroying several vehicles, and causing a German retreat – a pivotal moment in the Battle of the Bulge. Stern received the Silver Star for his follow-on operations after the barrage. Lurie went on to note that in April 1945, Stern and his unit liberated a women’s concentration camp outside Salzwedel, Germany.
In the post-screening discussion, Stern also answered a question from Lurie confirming that there were indeed Waffen-SS soldiers under the command of Otto Skorzeny who wore American uniforms, with the mission of disrupting the rear of Allied lines. In their conversation afterwards, Stern praised Lurie for “getting it right” with the film – including conveying the intense cold that the Americans troops felt in Belgium, which in his opinion was absolutely essential for authenticity.
While the event was technically open to the public, with many seats reserved for the production company, Gold Star families, and National Archives employees, the largest group of attendees were unsurprisingly West Point graduates and their family members. The women of the Class of 1980 in the D.C. area were specifically invited in honor of next month being the 50th anniversary of women integrating USMA, and three were able to attend: Sue Fulton, WPAOG Distinguished Graduate Pat (Walker) Locke, and Barbara Treharne. At the end of the film, the dedication “For the Boys” scrolled across the screen, but the veterans and family members in attendance were deeply grateful that that the U.S. Army became an even better institution because of West Point women joining its ranks.
Other distinguished USMA alumni present included BG (R) Peter Stromberg ’59, LTG (R) Dave Huntoon ’73, GEN (R) David Rodriguez ’76, GEN (R) David Rodriguez ’76, Silver Star recipient COL (R) Wes Gillman ’84, MG (R) Brian Lein ’84, MG (R) Rich Staats ’84, MG (R) John Kem ‘85, BG (R) Kristin (Knapp) French ’86, and MG Trevor Bredenkamp ‘92. In addition to Eastwood and Yunger, other actors from the film (most of whom had also been part of Lurie’s “band of brothers” in The Outpost) were in the house as well: Taylor John Smith, Jariko Denman (who also served as the film’s military advisor), Scott Alda Coffey, and Joshua Lee – all of whom shot their scenes on location in the forests of Bulgaria in November and December 2024.
Lucky Strike opens in limited release on June 25.
