Holiday A Soldier Is Never Off Duty Full Hd Movie Download
Charise Farag
Memorial Day, which is celebrated on the last Monday in May, honors service members who have died in military service to the nation. The holiday has roots dating back to the post-Civil War era, when citizens would informally place spring flower memorials on the graves of fallen soldiers.
On May 20, 1868, over 5,000 first-ever National Decoration Day participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. By the late 1800s, cities and communities across the United States began to observe the day and several states declared it a legal holiday.
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May instead of a set calendar day. By 1971, the three-day weekend for federal employees went into full effect.
Today, Memorial Day is often associated with the start of summer, discount sales and cookouts with friends. But you have the power to educate those around you and take a few moments to pay tribute to the fallen while still enjoying the sunshine and outdoors. Here are a few ideas:
A dignified transfer is the process in which the remains of a fallen service member, upon return from the theater of operations to the United States, are transferred from the aircraft to an awaiting vehicle. It is a solemn occasion that allows the family of the fallen service member, as well as other service members in attendance, to honor their life and service to this country.
The USO supports Gold Star Spouses and Gold Star Families alike, from being alongside them on their journey to Dover to the process of the dignified transfer of the remains of their loved one who died in service. The USO also provides support to the service members facilitating the transfer and serving in the military Honor Guard, as undertaking such an emotional and solemn mission can obviously take its toll on service members, many of whom have also traveled from home to Dover to be in attendance.
Essentially, through the USO Pathfinder Transition Program, service members (and their spouses) have access to professional, educational, financial and personal development services that can help prepare them for civilian life after they separate from the military. Once enrolled in the program, they are assigned a USO Transition Specialist who works with them one-on-one to develop a personalized Action Plan that is best suited for their goals. USO Transition Specialists tailor each USO Pathfinder experience to each client so they can thrive as a veteran or military spouse, both personally and professionally.
This can include everything from learning how to translate military experience to a civilian resume, to assisting a military spouse in earning a degree that they can use in remote jobs from one duty station to the next, to organizing personal finances, to even learning how to tie a tie.
Transitioning from a military life to a civilian one can undoubtedly be challenging. It is important that service members and military spouses know that even as they transition from the military, the USO and our supporters stand ready to support them as they find their way.
Sentinels who guard the Tomb constantly keep the Unknowns company through wind, rain, snow and heat. They maintain their vigil day and night; on weekends and holidays, the sentinels are there at the Tomb to guard the Unknown Soldiers and to ensure they will forever rest with dignity and honor.
The sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are a platoon of Soldiers from Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). They go through a rigorous training cycle to earn the right to call themselves sentinels at the Tomb.
Although Soldiers who pass training are able to wear the prestigious Tomb Guard badge, the sentinels who earn the badge do not do what they do for the prestige of being one of only 576 Soldiers to ever wear the badge; they do it because they are committed to giving back to these unknown Soldiers who gave everything they had - their lives, their identities - in sacrifice to their country.
No matter what the holiday, the dedication of these Soldiers will not waver. Before dawn on Christmas Eve, Sgt. Jonathan R. Pierce, the assistant commander of the relief for second relief, and seven other Soldiers, will report for duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They will guard the unknowns throughout the day and night, pacing silently for 21 steps in front of the Tomb to show visitors these Unknowns deserve the utmost respect and honor.
Pierce has been assigned to the Tomb of the Unknowns for a year and a half. This will not be the first holiday he has not been with his family because he was guarding the Tomb. In the past 12 months alone, Pierce has been on duty on Veteran's Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day. This will be the second Christmas Eve he has spent with the Unknowns. Guarding the Tomb on holidays is a little different than it is during the rest of the year, said Pierce.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a very popular tourist destination. Each year, millions of people from around the world visit Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the most popular destination there. But on holidays, few people are there to visit the Unknown Soldiers, said Pierce. "It's different - you don't see as many people here. But being there on days like that rekindles your dedication to see that the Soldiers who sacrificed their identity are never forgotten, never dishonored. It's a privilege and an honor to be the one who gets to watch over them."
"The reason I volunteered to be assigned to the Tomb is because my dad told me about it. He told me how special the Tomb was. And he was right." Pierce said neither he nor his fellow Soldiers who guard the Tomb on the holidays mind that they cannot be with their families.
Akshay Kumar returns to the silver screen after a hiatus. Known for having a film release every few months, this move has, expectedly, garnered positive reception by the film fraternity as well as the multitude of fans. In his newest outing HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY, the actor teams up with A.R. Murugadoss, who made his Hindi debut with GHAJINI [2008], starring Aamir Khan. Incidentally, Murugadoss too returns to the Hindi film arena after a gap of almost six years.
HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY is a remake of the Tamil action-thriller THUPPAKKI [2012; starring Vijay and Kajal Aggarwal], which won immense critical acclaim and reaped a rich harvest at the box-office. Obviously, the expectations are humungous since Murugadoss' GHAJINI was the *first Hindi film* to waltz past the Rs 100 cr mark in the domestic market. Besides, THUPPAKKI has been a Blockbuster and one expects the Hindi adaptation to repeat history.
When one attempts to remake South Indian hits in Hindi, one makes modifications to suit the Northern sensibilities, which only enhances the project in question. Murugadoss does exactly that in HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY. THUPPAKKI was a hugely admired and engrossing entertainer and evidently ranks amongst Murugadoss' finest works. Does the able craftsman deliver a far superior product in HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY? Does Akshay slip into Vijay's shoes with as much ease? Is the new antagonist Farhad as merciless and cold-blooded as the original baddie Vidyut Jammwal? Most importantly, does Murugadoss take a leap forward as he recreates his bonafide Hit?
Let's shed light on the premise! Captain Virat Bakshi [Akshay Kumar], an army man, returns home to Mumbai for his holidays. His family takes him to see Sahiba [Sonakshi Sinha], but he rejects her. Later, on another occasion, he finds out that she is actually a boxer and is surprised by her personality. The story takes a turn when an anti-social activity in the heart of Mumbai city gets him involved into something huge.
Being a patriot and a special agent in the Indian Army, Virat is dragged into a huge network of terrorism. The rest of the story is about his fight against the terrorist network and the eradication of the sleeper cells from the city.
Let's not confuse HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY with atypical Akshay Kumar film that tilts heavily towards humor or has an uninterrupted flow of gags. This one tackles a serious issue -- terrorism -- and how a lone soldier sets out to annihilate the sleeper cells that are out to create mayhem in Mumbai. Sure, a number of films focusing on terrorism have made it to the big screen, especially post 9/11, but Murugadoss marries the serious issue and good old romance [Akshay-Sonakshi] most effortlessly. Of course, much like the original source, HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY veers towards the clash between a soldier and the terror forces, but the storyteller, who's eyeing the pan-India audience, makes sure he gives the masala movie lovers something more than that.
Additionally, in a majority of entertainers, the screenplay takes a backseat, while the star power takes precedence. HOLIDAY - A SOLDIER IS NEVER OFF DUTY comes across as an exception because the smartly-packaged fare never loses focus from its core issue [the fight between an army man and terrorists], with the post-interval portions diversifying into race-against-time thriller mode. Also, Murugadoss employs the right tricks to woo the entertainment-seeking spectator -- abundant turns in the screenplay, the face off between good and evil, the hand-to-hand combat, the subtle humor, the nail-biting finale et al -- but at the end of the day, the message that the film communicates resonates loud and clear.
Expertly filmed and edited [Amitabh Shukla], the sole hiccup is that the romantic portions could've been short-n-snappy. The club song in the second hour appears forced. Besides, though the makers employ Pritam to belt out chartbusting melodies, the soundtrack is plain ordinary. But these are minor hiccups in an otherwise slick film that gets so many things right.