I'm writing this in reaction to some of the comments posted about this movie. Although this movie is a product of Hollywood, and therefore tends to be sickly sweet, I want to confirm that almost all of the story is true. My grandfather was nowhere near as racist as Aldo Ray's character in the beginning of the movie, but having fought in brutal conditions in the Pacific against a foreign enemy, he naturally felt great resentment against the Japanese people. Understandably, when he first arrived in Japan, he wanted very little to do with the Japanese people. However, when he first came across the devastated orphanage in Osaka, he knew immediately that he had to come to the aid of the children who were barely surviving in a war-torn nation. He did in fact steal food and medicine for the children, and started collecting donations from fellow soldiers. His efforts that had begun 60 years ago continue to this day, and the orphanage is still closely tied to the Wolfhounds. He also met and married my grandmother, Yuko, (who was the translator in the movie for the sake of the story). This movie should not just be taken at face value, but understood for its deeper meaning. My grandfather's story is just an example of the human connection between completely foreign people. People whose lives were destroyed by an unspeakably devastating war, still managed to surpass their hatred for one another, and find some peaceful middle ground.