John Irvin’s (Hamburger Hill & The Dogs of War) 1998 HBO film When Trumpets Fade is an intense, brutally honest look at front line combat at the closing end of World War II. As the German Army is in full retreat towards its own borders, American infantry units (primarily the U.S. 28th “Keystone” Div. of the Pennsylvanian National Guard) converge on the Hurtgen Forest, Germany’s romantic hunting ground which borders Belgium in the late autumn of 1944.
Ron Eldard stars as reluctant anti-hero David Manning who is the sole survivor of a failed attack against the German lines at the beginning of the film. The supporting cast include Zak Orth (Pvt. Warren “Sandy” Sanderson), Frank Whaley (Medic Toby Chamberlain), Dylan Bruno (Sgt. Patrick Talbot), Devon Gummersall (Pvt. Andrew Lonnie), Dan Futterman (Pvt. Doug Despin), Steven Petrarca (Pvt. Sam Baxter), Dwight Yoakam (Lt. Col. George Rickman), and Timothy Olyphant (Lt. Terrence Lukas).
Manning shirks most responsibilities and has a hatred for anyone in authority. Manning is viewed by his fellow soldiers as an irresponsible individual who fails to conform to military protocol. His commanding officer Capt. Roy Pritchett (Martin Donovan) believes that Manning has what it takes to lead men and promotes Manning to Sgt. and orders him to take command of a new squad of fresh faced troops who are heading to the front as replacements.
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