Not Rated | 2h 15min | Drama, War | 1945 As an Army vet, I’ve watched quite a few war movies. But as a landlubber, I’ve never known much about the PT boats I’ve seen snaking through jungle rivers in movies about the Vietnam War. Director John Ford sheds light on their impact in one of his lesser-known movies, long before the Vietnam era. “They Were Expendable” (1945) is one of Ford’s many collaborations with actor John Wayne. Although the two usually worked together on Westerns, they occasionally did other genres, such as this fine war drama. The film begins with a U.S. Navy unit stationed in Cavite, Philippines. Lt. John “Brick” Brickley (Robert Montgomery) and his direct subordinate, Lt. “Rusty” Ryan (Wayne), lead newly founded Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three. Brickley hopes to show the value of his squadron, which consists of a number of PT boats, to a …