Some veterans come home carrying medals. Others return with injuries, memories, and experiences that are difficult to leave behind. And one gets handed a red, white, and blue shield.
Veterans Day, observed every November 11, is a chance to recognize the Americans who have served in the nation’s military. The date traces back to the armistice that brought fighting in World War I to an end on November 11, 1918. In 1954, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.
Hollywood and television have spent decades telling stories about these men and women. Some focus on extraordinary acts of courage, while others explore the complicated realities of returning home. There are even a few that remind us that not every war story needs to be deadly serious.
From Marvel superheroes to real-life American servicemen, here are eight movies and TV shows worth watching this Veterans Day.
Captain America: The Shield Belongs to More Than One Hero
Captain America has been an American pop-culture icon for more than 80 years. Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character debuted in 1941, famously appearing on a comic-book cover punching Adolf Hitler before the United States entered World War II.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe brought that history to a new generation through Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. From Captain America: The First Avenger to Avengers: Endgame, Steve’s journey follows a young man who desperately wants to serve his country and eventually becomes one of Earth’s mightiest heroes.
However, the shield didn’t stay with Steve.
Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, a former Air Force pararescueman, gradually takes on the responsibility of becoming Captain America. Disney+’sThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier explores his complicated relationship with the symbol before he officially steps into the role in Captain America: Brave New World.
It’s a fitting evolution for a hero whose legacy has always been bigger than one person. Steve and Sam represent different generations, backgrounds, and experiences, but both carry the responsibility of deciding what Captain America should stand for. Steve and Sam are set to return to the big screen in Avengers: Doomsday.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Tom Cruise traded blockbuster action for one of the most challenging performances of his career in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July.
Based on the autobiography of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, the film follows a young Marine who returns from war paralyzed and struggles to adjust to life back home. His experiences eventually lead him to become an outspoken anti-war activist and advocate for veterans. The film received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Cruise. Stone won Best Director.
The movie is a difficult but essential story about the sacrifices veterans make and the challenges that can follow them home.
Dead Presidents (1995)
Where to Watch:Prime Video (Rent or Buy)
The Vietnam War didn’t end for everyone when they came home. That’s a central theme of the Hughes brothers’ Dead Presidents, a crime drama that explores the struggles of a young veteran trying to rebuild his life in the Bronx.
Larenz Tate stars as Anthony Curtis, a young Marine who returns home after serving in Vietnam, only to find his neighborhood struggling with poverty, drugs, and limited opportunities. After struggling to find steady work and support his family, Anthony reconnects with friends and eventually becomes involved in an armored car robbery.
The film also stars Chris Tucker, Keith David, and Bokeem Woodbine, with Albert and Allen Hughes directing following their breakthrough with Menace II Society. “Dead presidents” is also longstanding American slang for cash, referring to the portraits on U.S. currency. The film’s soundtrack is another standout, drawing heavily from 1970s soul and funk to help bring its period setting to life.
Even though Dead Presidents is a fictional crime story, the film’s portrayal of a returning veteran makes it a particularly compelling addition in a Veterans Day watchlist.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
A Veterans Day watchlist needs a little comedy, and Tropic Thunder delivers plenty of it. Ben Stiller’s 2008 satire follows a group of self-absorbed Hollywood actors making a Vietnam War movie. When their director drops them into the jungle to make the production feel more realistic, the actors accidentally stumble into an actual conflict.
The cast includes Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., and Tom Cruise, whose outrageous performance as studio executive Les Grossman became a pop-culture favorite. Downey Jr. even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Beyond the laughs, the movie takes aim at Hollywood’s tendency to confuse playing a soldier with understanding military service. Its exaggerated characters and absurd situations expose just how ridiculous that can look, which also makes it an untraditional tribute to veterans
American Sniper (2014)
Where to Watch:Peacock | DIRECTV
Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper tells the story of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL whose military service in Iraq made him one of the most recognized American snipers in history. Bradley Cooper stars as Kyle in the film, which follows his four tours of duty, his relationships with fellow service members, and the toll repeated deployments take on his family. The movie was a major box-office success and earned six Academy Award nominations, with Cooper receiving a Best Actor nod.
However, the story doesn’t end on the battlefield. Much of the film examines Kyle’s struggle to reconnect with civilian life and the people waiting for him at home. While the movie takes dramatic liberties with some events, it introduces viewers to a real serviceman whose experiences continued to affect him long after his deployments ended.
The Tillman Story (2010)
Pat Tillman gave up a promising NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army following the September 11 attacks. The former professional football player became an Army Ranger and deployed to Afghanistan. However, his life ended on April 22, 2004, when he was killed by friendly fire.
The circumstances surrounding Tillman’s death became a national controversy after the military initially presented a different account of what happened. The documentary follows his family’s efforts to uncover the truth, examining the mistakes and misinformation surrounding his death.
Directed by Amir Bar-Lev, the film goes beyond the familiar image of an athlete-turned-soldier. It tells the story of a son, brother, husband, and serviceman whose family refused to let unanswered questions disappear, making it one of the more sobering picks on this list, and a reminder that remembering veterans also means listening to the people they leave behind.
The A-Team (1983–1987)
If you grew up watching television in the 1980s, you probably remember four former Army Special Forces soldiers who could turn just about anything into a weapon or escape vehicle.
The A-Team follows Hannibal Smith, Face, B.A. Baracus, and Murdock, a group of former servicemen wrongly convicted of a crime they didn’t commit during the Vietnam War. After escaping custody, they become soldiers of fortune, helping people who can’t defend themselves.
George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, Mr. T, and Dwight Schultz made the characters television staples. The series ran for five seasons and became one of the decade’s defining action shows. Its portrayal of Vietnam veterans was also notable. Rather than focusing on broken soldiers, the show presented its central characters as re
The show eventually signed off from NBC, with its final broadcast airing March 8, 1987. Cord Cutters News previously revisited that moment in 39 Years Ago Today, ‘The A-Team’ Aired Its Final Episode on NBC. The series would spawn a 2010 theatrical reboot, available to stream on Paramount+.
MASH* (1970)
War stories don’t always need to be serious to make a serious point. Few movies proved that better than Robert Altman’s MASH*. The 1970 dark comedy follows the doctors and nurses of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. While treating wounded soldiers, the medical staff finds increasingly unconventional ways to cope with the pressures of working so close to the front lines.
The film was based on Richard Hooker’s novel, which drew from the experiences of real-life Korean War surgeon H. Richard Hornberger. It went on to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Its success led to the beloved CBS television series, which premiered in 1972 and ran for 11 seasons (now streaming on Hulu). Alan Alda’s Hawkeye Pierce helped turn the show into a television institution, balancing irreverent humor with stories about grief, friendship, and the human cost of war. The series finale was one of the most-watched television broadcasts in U.S. history, drawing approximately 106 million American viewers.
You can revisit the story behind the original film in 56 Years Ago Today: The Premiere of ‘MASH’ – A Dark Comedy That Redefined War Satire and Birthed a TV Icon.
From Superheroes to Real-Life Heroes: These Stories Are Worth Watching
From Captain America carrying the shield to Pat Tillman’s family fighting for answers, these stories offer very different perspectives on military service. Some make us laugh, others are difficult to watch, and a few remind us that the challenges of serving don’t necessarily end when someone takes off the uniform.
This Veterans Day, take a moment to remember the real people behind these stories and thank the veterans who have served.
