Devil's Men

The horrors of war through the eyes of a real WWII soldier in the First Special Service Force. Sam Byrne was a Wyoming ranch boy who was drafted and went off to war to do his duty, in spite of the fact that he didn't want to "haf'ta kill unless I really haf'ta." The men he served with were concerned that Sam's doubts might mean he would not take action fast enough, which would put their lives in danger. Would Sam kill rather than be killed? Would he have the backs of his buddies and help keep them alive? The First Special Service Force (the fore runner of today's Special Forces) fought in Italy and helped to liberate Rome from the Germans. Sam left behind his personal letters, giving us a first-hand account of the historic battles that saved Italy, at the cost of many lives in the process. But like so many others who served on the front lines of WWII, Sam never spoke of his experiences. His family only learned what happened after he passed away and they read his letters saved in a box by his mother. The film shows us Sam's upbringing and lessons as a boy that made him the great soldier he became, and it takes us through his extremely tough training, to the horrific battles he participated in, and the loss of many lives, including his best friends. Sam's story helps us see why so many came back from the war and remained silent about their experiences. They saw things and had to do things that were just too difficult to talk about, and that they purposely put out of their memories. Sam became a killer because he had to, and his story helps us to understand the untold stories of so many others who also became killers because they had to, and what it was like to live with those memories the rest of their lives. The film includes the real-life romance between Sam and Grace, which began when he was in training in Helena, Montana. Their marriage after the war lasted for 28 years, ended only by Sam's passing. The film includes an original love song by Casey Elliot who plays Chipchase, with music by the film's composer Robert Allen Elliott.