History Heartwarming / GenerationKill

* Colbert and Trombley's relationship can be rather heartwarming at times. He understands that Trombley childishness is entirely normal for a nineteen year old with subpar people skills trying to fit in, and is seen repeatedly trying to educate the young man on everything from how important it is to defend the freedom of expression of others even if you disagree with them, to the nuances radio operation, [[BreadMilkAndSquick and the importance of paying attention to the consistency of one's stool]]. Trombley for his part, reacts to this by being what Wright describes as a "teachers' pet", and clearly loves being under Colbert's leadership.

%%* [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170425/https://www.malibumag.com/site/article/james_ransone/ This article]] by James Ransone, the actor who plays Ray Person.

* Ray, who's spent a lot of time joking around and delivering some... unusual opinions on the war, trying to cheer Walt up after someone says that you get a reputation if you shoot some civilians.
** It works, but not the way that Ray seems to have intended it.

* [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170425/https://www.malibumag.com/site/article/james_ransone/ This article]] by James Ransone, the actor who plays Ray Person.
* A meta example: the experience of filming the series has forged the actors into steadfast friends, to the point where they keep in touch with each other and get together even more than a decade after the show aired.

* Colbert disarming a bomb in an Iraki playground in spite of him not being an explosive ordnance disposal Marine. One clearly sees that he's aching to do something to help the population. He goes off to disarm another with a determined look on his face, until he is promptly ''ordered'' to stop by a concerned Nate Fick.

* [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170425/https://www.malibumag.com/site/article/james_ransone/ This article]] by James Ransone, the actor who plays Ray Person.

* [[ https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170425/https://www.malibumag.com/site/article/james_ransone/ This article]] by James Ransone, the actor who plays Ray Person.

* When the book was published, Evan Wright received a [[https://twitter.com/evanscribe/status/664511819415875584/photo/1 photograph]] of him and the men in front of a Saddam statue. It was signed by all of them and had the following words written on it: ''To Evan Wright from the men of Recon BN. May the truth set us free. Semper fi.''

* At the end of his journey, Evan Wright received a [[https://twitter.com/evanscribe/status/664511819415875584/photo/1 photograph]] of him and the men in front of a Saddam statue. It was signed by all of them and had the following words written on it: ''To Evan Wright from the men of Recon BN. May the truth set us free.''

* In the book especially, it becomes clear that Colbert has a soft spot for kids.

* Colbert disarming a bomb in an Iraki playground in spite of him not being an explosive ordnance disposal Marine. One clearly sees that he's aching to do something to help the population. He goes off to disarm another with a determined look on his face, until he is promptly ''ordered'' to stop by a concerned Nate Fick.

* Ray, who's spent a lot of time joking around and delivering some... unusual opinions on the war, trying to cheer Walt up after someone says that you get a reputation if you shoot some civillians.

* Before he's shipped back home, Wright asks Godfather why an obvious screwup like Captain America is not being replaced, especially after he just wounded two Marines by sending them into a minefield at night. Godfather replies that if he disciplines Captain America for his blatant incompetence, [[SadisticChoice he would also have to discipline Fick for insubordination]]. This is a nod from Godfather to Fick's talents as an officer; the latter has repeatedly saved lives by questioning and disobeying asinine orders from up top.

* Before he's shipped back home, Wright asks Godfather why an obvious screwup like Captain America is not being replaced, especially after he just wounded two Marines by sending them into a minefield at night. Godfather replies that if he disciplines Captain America for his blatant incompetence, he would also have to discipline Fick for insubordination. This is a nod from Godfather to Fick's talents as an officer; the latter has repeatedly saved lives by questioning and disobeying asinine orders from up top.

* Before he's shipped back home, Wright asks Godfather why an obvious screwup like Captain America is not being replaced, especially after he just wounded two Marines by sending them into a minefield at night. Godfather replies that if he disciplines Captain America for his blatant incompetence, he would also have to discipline Fick for insubordination. This is a subtle nod from Godfather to Fick's talents as an officer; the latter has repeatedly saved lives by questioning and disobeying asinine orders from up top.

* Before he's shipped back home, Wright asks Godfather why an obvious [[TheNeidermeyer Neidermeyer]] like Captain America is not being replaced, especially after he just wounded two Marines by sending them into a minefield at night. Godfather replies that if he disciplines Captain America for his ineptitude, he would also have to discipline Fick for his insubordination. This is a subtle nod from Godfather to Fick's talents as an officer; the latter has repeatedly questioned and disobeyed asinine orders from up top, and saved lives in the process.

* Before he's shipped back home, Wright asks Godfather why an obvious [[TheNeidermeyer Neidermeyer]] like Captain America is not being replaced, especially after he just wounded two Marines by sending them into a minefield at night. Godfather replies that if he disciplines Captain America for his ineptitude, he would also have to discipline Fick for his insubordination. This is a subtle nod from Godfather to Fick's talents as an officer, since he has repeatedly questioned and disobeyed asinine orders from up top (and saved lives in the process).

* Before he's shipped back home, Wright asks Godfather why an obvious TheNeidermeyer like Captain America is not being replaced, especially after he just wounded two Marines by sending them into a minefield at night. Godfather replies that if he disciplines Captain America for his ineptitude, he would also have to discipline Fick for his insubordination. This is a subtle nod from Godfather to Fick's talents as an officer, since he has repeatedly questioned and disobeyed asinine orders from up top (and saved lives in the process).

* Colbert telling Fick that his leadership is the only thing he has confidence in.

* A somewhat subtle moment: after getting a briefing on a mission that involves driving into a known ambush for little practical reason, Colbert turns to Wright and says that it'll be a short mission and not worth experiencing, so why not wait back at Headquarters? While Poke ends up preventing Wright from leaving (by arguing that Wright is the platoon's good luck charm), it's a nice moment of Colbert, once again, trying to protect the people assigned to him.

* A somewhat subtle moment: after getting a briefing on a mission that involves driving into a known ambush for little practical reason, Colbert turns to Wright and says that it'll be a short mission and not worth experiencing, so why not wait back at Headquarters? While Poke ends up preventing Wright from leaving, it's a nice moment of Colbert, once again, trying to protect the people assigned to him.

--> '''Colbert''': ... I'll be fine.

---> '''Trombley''': Is it gonna be okay, sergeant, I mean, this... investigation?
---> '''Colbert''': You'll be fine, Trombley.
---> '''Trombley''': No, I mean for you, sergeant, since you gave all the orders. I... I don't care about any of this, you know? I mean, I'll be out in a couple of years. But you... sergeant, this is your career.
---> '''Colbert''': ... I'll be fine.

* When a ''sotto voce'' comment to Gunny Wynn reveals that for the whole months-long excursion, Sixta had been ''deliberately'' playing TheNeidermeyer to draw the Marine's ire away from the officers, and salvage moral by giving them an easy target to hate.
* Godfather explains to his Marines all of the reasons why they cannot consider evacuating a critically wounded civilian that his Marines shot by accident, laying it out in express detail why it is an extreme risk...and then, while meeting his Marines' expressions, he turns and orders a platoon to casevac the civilian anyway.

* When a ''sotto voce'' comment to Gunny Wynn reveals that for the whole months-long excursion, Sixta had been ''deliberately'' playing TheNeidermeyer to draw the Marine's ire away from the officers, and salvage moral by giving them an easy target to hate.