Everyone Coming Together in We Were Soldiers (2002) | FIRST TIME WATCHING 

Joe Galloway was actually a civilian reporter. He had no obligation to do anything other than observe. He was awarded a Bronze Star with V device for valor in combat. He was the only civilian in Vietnam to receive that award.

The 7th Cavalry Regiment of the US Army was commanded by General George Custer and suffered a major defeat in 1876 against the Native American Sioux at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. 5 of the 12 companies were wiped out and the 210 men led by Custer were massacred along with him. It was thought to be a bad omen to have the 7th Cavalry designation at the time.

They were drinking a beer called Miller Highlife "The Champagne of Beers". The helicopter is a UH1 Iroquois more commonly referred to as a huey. The reason that he was able to smell the approaching NVA was because in the Vietnamese diet they use fish sauce on everything and they sweat it out of their pores and it is quite pungent and different than anything else that American soldiers were use to smelling at the time. The knife on the front of the rifle is called a bayonet. There are times when the psychological effect of being charged by a person with fixed bayonets can be more effective than shooting people also bayonets never run out of ammo. This movie is based on a book written by Joe Galloway and Hal Moore called We Were Soldiers Once...And Young. And yes there are actually pictures taken from that battle. The American part of the Vietnam War lasted from 1964 to 1972

Jimmy Nakayama, the guy with the new baby who was horribly burned in the “friendly-fire” incident, died of his wounds two or three days after he was burned. May he rest in peace.

I'm American, but back in the early 70s I was lucky enough to spend a year in Romania. My dad was there to teach English at the university in Cluj-Napoca, and we went with him. This was during the height of the Ceaușescu era, when Romania was firmly behind the Iron Curtain. I was very young, so I don't remember too much, but I do remember the cities being very drab, with lots of blocky concrete buildings (the Soviets apparently weren't much on creativity or individuality). The countryside, on the other hand, was like a different world. Much of it was like it was for decades or even centuries before, with thatched roofs and mule-drawn wagons being fairly common. The people there were wonderful, friendly and welcoming, and the landscape and ancient architecture were beautiful. I am glad that Romania has emerged from under the thumb of the USSR/Russia and joined the European Union, and that your people are now much more free than they were, yet still remember their history and heritage.

Moore's line "They say we're leaving home. We're going to what home was always supposed to be" reminds me of what an artist said in a documentary titled "They Drew Fire" (in WW2, artists as well as photographers were sent into combat with the troops because the U.S. military weren't certain that photography could effectively convey the emotion of war). He said that the closer you got to the front line, the more people just looked after each other and cared for each other without any regard for differences like race, class, religion, etc.. He said "It was kind of like heaven. That sounds strange doesn't it? You wouldn't think it would be like that, but it was."

The helicopter they're flying here is known as the Huey, mainly unarmored and only carrying light weapons. The term LZ means Landing Zone. Custer was an army General of the 7th cavalry in the mid-1800's. Most well known for being the leader during a horribly botched expedition that ended with almost all of his men dead at the hands of Native warriors, commonly known as "Custer's Last Stand." If you've watched The Last Samurai, the American talks about Custer with the rebel samurai leader.

Wait till you learn how most of those soldiers were treated when they returned home. Their own country literally spit on them at airports and called them baby killers. A sad part of American history in a great many ways.

As a veteran I am proud to see today’s interest in the military genre of movies. The advances in special effects have presented such an immersive visual effect, those without military experience can get a little idea of the “HARSH REALITY” our military can face. I had the honor to attend a special showing of “Saving Private Ryan” the second week of its theatrical release. The first two rows (floor level and one up) were reserved for WWII veterans & family. Just before the coming attractions showed, approximately 20 people were ushered to their seats. At the end only subdued sniffles and sobs could be herd with NOONE moving to leave. After a brief pause the first of the veterans got up to leave, while the rest of us in attendance gave them ALL a standing ovation as they left. There seems to be a flow-over effect of people watching some older movies; “Full Metal Jacket”, “Platoon”, “M*A*S*H”, “Apocalypse Now” etc. I think these movies are great but need to be viewed with the filter of social commentary for the time they were made. I would like to see reactions to two older movies, based on two of the most decorated war heroes. These movies, though not posing the fantastic special effects of today’s movies, contain just as much interest by the simple act of storytelling. The first is the story of one of the most decorated soldiers of WWI. The main character of the story (Alvin C York) chose actor Gary Cooper to portray him. Released in September 1941, just before America entered WWII, “Sargent York”. The second story is about the MOST DECORATED soldier of WWII. The movie not only adapted from his autobiography (Audie Murphy) but starred him as well. From October 1955, just over ten years after the end of the war “To Hell and Back”.

Back in high school, I took an entire class on the history of the Vietnam War. One day, a few of us stayed late after school to watch this movie. A great experience. Looking forward to this reaction!!

LZ = Landing Zone Broken Arrow = A unit has been overrun. All possible support within striking distance is called into the battle.

For anyone interested in the life of a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war, there's a book called Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. The author was one of those pilots. It's a brilliant book.

Helicopters were a relatively new thing in this early part of the war, and learning how to use them in combat was part of this story.

I was drafted during the Viet Nam war, in 1970. I expected to be an infantryman in the war. I instead was assigned to Fort Bragg and my job was to call men from the 82nd Airborne companies into my office and notify them that they were being sent to Viet Nam. Of the many hundreds I notified, odds are many didn't make it back alive. They didn't have any idea what they were sent to see me for. I had to break the news to them.

Joe Galloway's pictures did survive. A few years ago they were on display as an art exhibit at the George Eastman House, and I got to see them. It' was kind of indescribable, because I saw the movie before I got to see the actual photo's. He was right there in the middle of it for sure, and his photos really capture all of it. The death , the suffering, the fighting, and he didn't shy away form showing the dead from both sides. I would highly recommend if anyone ever gets a chance to see them, do so. Yo will not regret it. It is a true glimpse into history, and he captured it very well.

The reporter in the movie actually wrote this book. He mentioned that the Sam Elliot character was just like that. The guy was hard and wasn't afraid of crap.

The actor who was kneeling beside Mel Gibson by the body bags, the journalist, is the actor who played the American sniper, in "Saving Private Ryan". The one who shot the German sniper through the scope, and who got tank shelled in the bell tower defending the small town/bridge, in the last battle.

In the US, there’s been a move to rename Army posts named for Confederate generals (i.e. wrong side of American Civil War). Fort Benning, where the beginning of this movie is set, was one of those bases. It’s now Fort Moore, named in honor of Hal AND Mrs Moore.

My dad served 3 tours in Vietnam and only two movies flared his PTSD, We Were Soldiers and Platoon. You see what the horrors of war are really like with this movie and I know that combat veterans would really appreciate that you showed genuine emotional distress at what fighting men AND women have to endure and the emotional and psychological scars that they must carry for the rest of their lives

There were a lot of embellishment in the movie versus Col. Moore's book We Were Soldiers Once, and Young. According to the book, the initial insertion and battle was a rout by the Air Cav. There was no final battle where they attacked the mountain and the biggest problem was they were not airlifted out. They had to march out. During that march, the nva did well set ambushes and separated the main element. The American forces were not in an artillery covered area and had to fight their way out. That's when a majority of the losses happened for the Americans.

My dad joined the Air Cav in 1972. He was a helicopter Technician and door gunner flying out of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war. As he put it, you can't understand war by looking at the battlefield or the solders fighting in it. To understand it and to find out why, you must look to the Few who call for deaths of the many for gain of so little by so few. People like those in the WEF, rich, over intitled, pampered and out of touch with the realities of the Life they are forcing others to live so they can make more money and control everyone. They are the Real enemies, the real face of Eval. I lost my dad to complications due to exposure to the defoliant known as agent orange in 2009. It wasn't till 2010 that the veteran's admin and by extension the government, finely admitted that they had lied about its use and its effects. Thats not the fault of solders, that's the fault of the people that got rich selling it for use and those who lied to protect them. Want to protest war, Protest outside the homes of the Billionaires who making money off the blood of the innocent.

Another war movie you might consider is a an older movie about a much older conflict: "Zulu". It's not entirely accurate (it does Private Hook a terrible disservice, as well as reverend Wick). But it gets it mostly right. But it's a tale very similar to this one. And actually took place. In the 1980s, Zulu was consistently voted among the very favorite movies of (American) men.

Custer was a commander in the US army. He was in charge of the 7th Calvary. He was killed by Native American chief Crazy Horse.

The 7th Cavalry Regiment was commanded by a young Colonel Custer. It was sent West after the Civil War to police the Dakota Territory, suppressing violence between Natives and settlers. Custer led several charges into tribal villages slaughtering and burning those he thought guilty. He was a hero at the time to the eastern press. He took a portion of his regiment deep into Tribal lands planning another raid, but this time all the Tribes united and tricked him into a ambush. His entire command was slaughtered in the worst defeat the US Army suffered at the hands of the Natives. It became known as Custer’s Last Stand and is still a legend in military history.

In English, we pronounce colonel like “kernel” - like a kernel of corn. It comes from an old French way of spelling and pronouncing it, where they replaced the first L with an R.

Great reaction. Something of note. The Pacific and Hacksaw Ridge were about the Pacific theater in World War 2. Where we fought the imperial Japanese. This is some 20 years later, where America fought the North Vietnamese, who were communists. Two very different wars. Can't wait to see what you react to next!

The sword on the front is a bayonet. Yes we still use them, at least in the USA, but they've become far less common to be carried as we switch to shorter and shorter rifles. They're less effective the shorter the gun gets, but we're still taught how to use it in basic.

I’m a 22 year US Air Force veteran and I thank you for highlighting our brave military men and women with your wonderful reactions.

On "Custer..." During the American Indian wars in the 1800s, the Sioux Tribe had several bands (family clan groupings) that refused to give up to inevitable defeat and life on reservations. Their ancestral lands were being invaded by European migrants, leading up to a great clash with the US Army. The principle Sioux leaders were (among others) Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. The US Army detachment, the 7th US Calvary Regiment was led by Lt Colonel George Armstrong Custer, a US Civil War hero. Custer's batallion was slaughtered to a man in the fight by the Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, protecting their homes and families. This was pretty much the end of the "Wild West" era.

So glad you watched this and commented. It is my favorite war movie, shows both sides, the wives side as well. I heard that years later Col. Hal Moore went to see the widow of the Vietnamese soldier that tried to bayonet him, gave her the Journal, picture and told her that he was a brave soldier.

6:05 "A blackhawk." Nope. Not invented yet. That is the Bell UH-1 Iroquois nicknamed “Huey”. The Blackhawk replaced this helicopter, but not until 1979, 14 years after this movie takes place and 4 years after the end of the Vietnam war.

Great as always. You're so entertaining, and honest with your reaction which is wonderful.

LZ = Landing Zone (for helicopters or gliders) DZ = Drop Zone (for parachutes)

Great reaction and yes the photos are real i have read the book written by Joe Galloway and colonel Moore , interesting fact, the replacement force at the end of the movie had to walk out of the area and were ambushed by the same vietnam soldiers and the battle was even more brutal then the first battle.

This movie was based around a true story and this was just 1/2 of it. A short 48hrs documentary on it is really good. They go back to Vietnam to visit. More important, they describe the days after this very battle and how they Americans were ambushed. "They Were Young And Brave" - LTG Hal Moore's Return To Ia Drang Valley 1993"

The first time my father went over to Vietnam, mom told us to not cry in front of him. We were to smile; if we felt we were going to cry, we were to go to the bathroom. She said it was hard enough on Dad going without him feeling our sorrow also. When we got back to the car, mom cried for what seemed to be forever before she was able to leave post. It got easier to be strong for him as his career progressed. The night before my first deployment, my GF (later wife) told me that my mother had the same conversation with her. Unfortunately, I knew the trick already but living it from the other side. Military life isn’t necessarily difficult in the big scheme, just different. It’s more … sobering.

Lz is landing zone. That knife on the rifle is called a bayonet. Broken arrow is the call sign for being over run by the enemy.

This is one of the most underrated war movies out there. Great reaction, Biss. P.S. Hope to see your Bourne Ultimatum reaction soon (to complete that trilogy) x

Vietnam as a country were continually at war from the end of the 30s right into the 1980s fighting the Japanese the Americans the French the Chinese and their own civil war. As for the bayonet it is still a highly effective close quarters tool, during the war in Afghanistan the British army conducted several successful bayonet charges to repell the enemy. As for the amunition the AK fires a different caliber to the M16 so unlike video games you can't just pick up any rifle round and have it work in your individual weapon.

I know these films and series(war) are draining for you…but I’m grateful for you… your innocence and sincerity are comforting.

Note also that this wasn't a war between the US and Vietnam, but rather between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The US was the largest of South Vietnam's allies, but when the US entered the conflict, the war had been going many years already. That is why you hear battles on the radio at the beginning (from American advisors to South Vietnamese forces), even though this is the first battle between the US and North Vietnam.

Those helicopters are Hueys, UH-1 “Iroquois” that helicopter was the workhorse of the U.S.Army during the Vietnam war.

The men who fought on the ground deserve more respect than I ever got making two cruises of the coast of Vietnam on a aircraft carrier. Flying home in Feb. of 73 to Travis airbase caught a cab to go to catch a flight home the cab driver said bluntly to me " no one likes you" It was a punch in the stomach. Any man who fights for his country deserves the highest respect.

Air support is the critical feature of ANY battle. It is the ultimate high ground.

I’ve often wondered what I would do if I went to war. General Payton said, “When you put your hand in goo that a second of go was your best friends face you’ll know what to do”.

LZ is landing zone. When green smoke is used it signals the chopper that it is safe to land. When red smoke is used, it signals a hot LZ which means they will be coming in under fire.

As an Army Brat, live in this house (16:40) from 1960 - 1965 - only house on the block with an enclosed front porch. Also, dad went from a lieutenant colonel to full colonel as Mel Gibson in the movie.

This is a true story! Jimmy Nakayama the guy who got burned by friendly fire died 2 days later.

As I understand it this movie is pretty accurate. I was born in 1969 and barely remember the war on the news when I was a child. It affected my family as every Uncle I had served as well as my father. Great reactions, I really enjoy your content.

A little background. In 1945, the Japanese were defeated... kinda. The US had battered their way to the doorstep of the Empire itself, but there were still unfought Japanese armies throughout Asia, including in the French colony of Indochina. The US State Department had made overtures to colonized peoples throughout the Pacific Theater that the colonial system would end after WWII as a way of gaining their support in the war effort. Their are problems here, mostly that we froze our allies out of the Pacific war until after Hitler was defeated, and only then allowed them into that part of the war. It was a mostly all American deal (with help of the Aussies) until that time. The French weren't consulted, and they had a fit over giving up Indochina. So they marched back in, and reemployed the hated Japanese as their "muscle" in taking back what they felt was theirs. Ho Chi Minh, among others, did not take kindly to this, igniting the French Indochina War that culminated with the French defeat at Diem Bien Phu, and their withdrawal from Vietnam. The US turned their back on the Vietnamese after WWII, so they had turned to Communist China and the USSR for support.That's when the US stepped in back in to "curb the expansion of Communism" in Vietnam.

Great reaction to this great movie. Love your accent, it's great hearing you talk. I also love your respect and your honesty when watching movies, you don't have to know everything about the topic of the movie to still enjoy the movie. I know with many war movies, many veterans have appreciated how they have gotten better at showing the horror of war instead of making it out to be some glorifying thing that they did all of the time. Most veterans agree that the most horrifying things still are not present and for good reason. The smells of things like decay, things burning, gunpowder all stay with you a long time. Often, it's the smells that trigger the horrifying flashbacks. Difficult to just sit in your own living room enjoying a fire in the fireplace. Hopefully, we will get to where we don't forget the sacrifices that young men and women endure in war and stop sending people off to fight in useless and senseless wars.

An amazing coincidence from this battle: one of Col. Hal Moore's subordinates was a young lieutenant named Rick Rescorla, a Welshman who enlisted in the U.S. ARMY for the adventure. He survived the war, and went on to be Chief of Security for a New York securities firm. His sense of discipline, and insistence on practicing evacuation drills for everyone, made him a pain in the butt, but it paid off on 9/11. Almost everyone in his charge survived, and they all told stories of Rescorla singing to keep people from panicking. He, and his immediate subordinates, did not get out. But his mission was accomplished.

7th Cavalry reference: Custer's Last Stand was a battle between the US Army's 7th Cavalry led by George Armstrong Custer and Native American tribes in Montana in 1876. Custer and his battalion were overwhelmed and killed by the Native Americans, marking a significant defeat for the US Army. The event is seen as a symbol of the clash between Native American cultures and the expanding American frontier.

BraveHeart, Mad Max, Leathal Weapon, The Patriot the list of fantastic movies goes on and on.... Crazy Horse, was a legendary Native american tribe chief... general custer, was a legendary general, that died with all his men in a big battle against native americans... and yes, those picture shown in the movie, were actual pictures, that this reporter took... the movie is based on the book, that this reporter wrote about his time in the vietnam war....

Moment of the movie that hits me is praying and explaining war to his daughter. It’s not easy I’m sure but the way it was portrayed was brilliant

The photographer played by Barry Pepper is Joe Galloway. He wrote the book this movie is based on.

A few other great Vietnam war era movies that you should watch -Platoon -Full Metal Jacket -Born on the 4th of July -Apocalypse Now

BissFlix! I love your reactions, and also appreciate your insight and understanding of many themes. The Vietnam war was a complex event. After WW2, there was still colonial influence in the southeast asian region. France occupied much of the region, but those people wanted their own independence. The beginning of the film was when France lost footing, partly because of influences from the Soviet Union, and the Republic of China, so many of these countries sought to seek their own independence, and their own style of government. The French tried to take it back, but the Vietnamese did not want colonial rule anymore. During the Cold War, it was a superpower struggle, mostly between the Soviet Union and the U.S. Because of this, both sides made commitments on styles of governance. U.S. sided with democracy, and the Soviet Union sided with communism. There was also a 3rd superpower emerging, which was China. Between 4 different presidents, and after the Geneva accords that tried to decide the sovereignty of countries there, Vietnam was split into north and south (like Korea). Southern side chose democracy, northern side was with communism. Really this war was about the superpowers establishment of stability or control, and so the north received aid from Soviet Russia and China, and the south received aid from the US. In the end, we went to war in Vietnam, despite it being a private war within the country, to make sure that southeast asia does not fall into communism, while the Soviets and Chinese were in favor of its spread. It was a power struggle for strategy and politics, not about trying to help prevent killings or doing the right thing. That is why is was hugely disapproving to US citizens. They didnt agree to sending our soldiers for political reasons, for the benefit of establishing world powers.

In modern military terminology, there are two types of Landing Zones (LZ). The LZ for parachutists is called a Drop Landing Zone (DLZ), and for helicopters it's called a Helicopter Landing Zone (HLZ). You might hear those abbreviations in any war movie you watch in the future.

What you don't happen to know about American history could fit in a shot glass compared to my ignorance of your own country's history, sacrifice, and honor that makes your own history who you are today. You owe us no apology. I am grateful for your exploration into the wider world and hope to live by your studious example. I wish you health, wealth, and happiness. May your channel grow and grow. TY for all you do.

This movie is based on a book that was written by Hal Moore and the reporter Joseph Galloway. Joseph was awarded a Bronze Star medal for carrying a wounded solider to safety while under enemy fire during the battle depicted in this movie. Total badass.

US Army helicopters are named for American Indian tribes. There is no "Raven". The UH-60 or MH-60 is the "Blackhawk". The OH-6 or MH-6 is the "Cayuse", nicknamed "Little Bird". The UH-1 in this movie is officially the "Iroquois", but nicknamed "Huey" (from it's original designation as HU-1).

I like that this movie shows the Vietnamese side along with the Americans. They aren't just faceless, nameless opponents and are humanized. I really love how the Vietnamese commander is shown to be extremely skilled and as a man who knows his men's limitations.

LZ stands for Landing Zone. They just renamed Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore, after Hal Moore who retired as a Major General

I used to know a man who survived this very battled. I could tell he never got over it !!!!!!

@11:14 Colonel is actually how it is spelled in English too. Don't ask me where that R comes from! It's invisible. Saying "Col-O-Nel" is perfectly understandable! That's how it is said in French too! (I'm American but speak French and lived in France for five years). @14:10 Custer was an American cavalry colonel involved in the wars against Native American tribes in the 1800s. He brought a smaller force (300 I think) of soldiers against a vastly superior number of Native American warriors and pretty much got all his men slaughtered (which is why Gibson is not happy about being given the same Regiment number). The battle is referred to as "Little Big Horn," which you can Google if you want. @21:29 LZ = "Landing Zone" (for aircraft - in this case helicopters)

Bayonet - sword at the end of a rifle. Colonel - just say kernel, like a kernel of corn. LZ = yes, Landing Zone.

'Broken Arrow' was a callsign given to all US units during this conflicted basically to say their position was in threat to be over run and in response all available air support and ordinance would be sent to their position regardless of how close the target mat be to friendly lines

Thomas Metsker, was shot and killed right after he gave up his spot on the helicopter to his friend Ray Lefebvre. Lefebvre was so seriously wounded that he might not have survived if he hadn't been evacuated when he was, and he believes that he owes his life to Metsker. Metsker's daughter Karen was just a little over a year and a half old when he died, and the subject was too painful for her mother to tell her the details of her father's death, so she only knew that he he had died when he traded places with an unnamed soldier whom she grew up resenting and blaming for her father's death. In 1990, she read a 25 year anniversary article about the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley in U.S. News & World Report which described Metsker's death and mentioned Lefebre's name. She got in contact with Lefebvre and arranged to meet with him at a reunion of veterans of the 7th Air Cav (the 7th is one of the few units from the Vietnam War that has regular reunions, and the men believe that the mutual support this created is part of why their unit has an unusually low rate of severe PTSD related complications). When Karen met Lefebvre and the other vets, she found out how much the men loved and respected her father and what close friends her father and Lefebvre had been. She realized that Lefebvre would have given up his life to save her father if he could have, and she was finally able to let go of the resentment and anger she had felt for so many years. Moreover, she found among these vets a second family who could understand her pain over the death of her father better than anyone else could, and their kindness and support helped her come to terms with her sense of loss. She said that, on her way to the reunion, she was afraid that she was going to meet some cold blooded killers (like the 1970's movie and TV stereotype of the unhinged 'Nam vet), but instead she met some kind and friendly old grandfathers who reminded her of "a bunch of teddy bears."

Did you understand the exchange between Sgt Savage and Lt Col. Plumley ...in the beginning when Sgt. Savage kept saying have a nice day and Lt. Col. Plumley kept being angered about that. Then @ 41:07 of this video Lt. Col. Plumbly said to Sgt. Savage, "that's a nice day Sgt.Savage". Lt Col. Plumley had been through many wars and the only "good day" is when you go through the hell of war and are alive to live another day.

There is so much to say about America's involvement in the Vietnam war. When did it start? Way back in the 1850's when the French went into Vietnam and took it as a colony by force. They also took Cambodia and Loas. This became what was known as French Indochina. They ruled over this region until the Japanese took it over in I think 1942. The French leaders became collaborators with the Japanese during this time to rule over Vietnam. The Vietnamese suffered greatly under French rule. Ho Chi Minh had actually sent a letter to US President Woodrow Wilson during the treaty of Versailles in 1918 asking the the world governments to give Viatnam freedom and autonomy from French colonialism and allow them to become a sovereign nation once again. He was ignored. Ho Chi Minh asked for the same freedom after World War 2 and the had the same result. The French took their military back to Vietnam to rule over them with an iron fist. But this time Ho and his followers fought back. They finally defeated the French in 1958 even though the French were financed and supplied by America. President Kennedy (JFK) wanted to pull troops out of Vietnam when he came into office in 1961. He was working to complete that task when he was murdered in 1963. The person who replaced JFK as President was Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ). He took America to war with Vietnam by a false flag event called The Gulf of Tolkien incident. The Johnson administration claimed a US Naval ship was attacked by boats from Vietnam. The attack never happened. But it was reported in the news media as if it were true. They used this to justify going to war. That is a quick synopsis of how the war started.

The worst part of leaving was the night before you leave tears you heart on when you say goodbye to your family. Still not over it.

LZ is Landing Zone, a hot LZ is a Landing Zone occupied that you need to take for realistic combat and camps (or it can be where yours and theirs forces already have a combat zone happening).

Sgt Major Plumley and General Moore were legends.

Just in case you didnt catch it. Broken Arrow was a term used to signafy that a ground unit was in eminent danger of being overrun. On being given and received, EVERY availible air unit with weapons and enough gas to make the trip was diverted to help save the ground unit.

In May of this year, Ft. Benning in Columbus, Ga. where they trained was renamed Ft. Hal AND Julia Moore. Frist female to receive this honor.

Crazy Horse was an American Indian leader and warrior who fought against the U.S. Army in the 1800’s.

21:21 "What does LZ stand for?" Landing Zone. The helicopters can't land in the jungle, they need a clear area. It should also be large enough that a dozen or so helicopters can land at the same time to let a large number of soldiers off. One at a time makes it easier for the enemy to shoot them as they get out of the helicopters. This large, open area is what they call the landing zone. A hot LZ means the enemy is close enough to shoot people at the landing zone.

As usual, you never disappoint, Biss. Great reaction. You have excellent natural intuition and intelligence that gives your reactions high value. Keep up the great work.

Yes the reporter came back and wrote a book. I'm sure his pictures survived too.

George Armstrong Custer U.S. cavalry officer during the Civil War and the Indian Wars. In 1876, he lead an expedition into the Black Hills in the Dakota territory and later into the Montana territory (where the Little Bighorn River is located), in that expedition he lead a disastrous attack against what he thought was a small gathering of Indians, his attacking force was roughly 500 cavalry soldiers and officers...the Indians force numbered 2,000-5,000 men. Custer and his men were slaughtered to the man...only a couple of Indian scouts used by the army were spared. The hill where his troops made their last ditch defenses has a memorial and cemetery there, the bodies that were found were later buried where they were found, so the hills in the area have lone headstones marking those graves. The Battle of the Little Bighorn (the river where the Indians had gathered) is more commonly known as "Custer's Last Stand". In military circles, it's seen as one of the biggest blunders in modern warfare (meaning war in the age of gunpowder). The event did galvanize anti-Indian support, and many native villages were destroyed, in some cases, every man, woman and child were killed. It's a black time in American history, that still resonates to this day, just like slavery. The reason he's so unnerved by being in the 7th Cavalry, is because that's the regiment Custer commanded. It's just a bad omen. That's why he was looking at pictures of Indian wars in the book...the parallels between it, and the slaughter going on in Vietnam (both under French and US forces).

7 stands for the 7th cavalry , a regiment made famous, thru their commander George Armstrong Custer

Biss, the best way to think of "colonel" when you speak it is to think "kernel", because that's basically the correct pronunciation.

14:05 General Custer was in charge of the 7th Cavalry Regiment when he arrogantly led them directly into an ambush, losing about half his men in a single battle. Needless to say a bad omen.

That Helicopter is a UH-1 D Huey. Crazy Horse was a great native American Indian chief.

An LZ is a landing zone, usually referred to by their designator. This movie only covers the first part of the Battle of Ia Drang valley. It was, if I am not mistaken, the U.S. forces first large engagement against the Army of North Vietnam. I am sure an old vet could give you the straight scoop, but many believed this battle determined the tactics that would be used against us for the rest of the conflict. For instance, tactics employed at very short range, like ambushes, that would prevent us from using artillery to our advantage. A relatively large proportion of our artillery strikes were "danger close."

For what happened to George Armstrong Custer, Colonel the 7th Cavalry, look up the battle of Little Bighorn. They were all but wiped out by the Lakota Soux (native American Tribes).

"Letters from Iwo Jima", a great movie from the perspective of the "enemy". So that we don't always look only at the American side.

LZ is Landing Zone...DMZ is Demilitarized Zone. Front Line or Down Range. We were unable to use their munition, because the M16 uses the 223 round, and the AK47 uses the 7.62 round. His weapon had jammed so he placed his bayonet on it.

I highly recommend Cinderella Man! It’s also based on a true story of a fighter and his family during the Depression. You will absolutely LOVE IT!

The helicopters were called "Hueys", probably UH1B models. I was a helicopter mechanic in the Army from 1973-76 and my main job was to maintain and repair those choppers. I eventually became a crew chief and door gunner as well. Never went to Vietnam as in 73 they were bringing troops back from there. These helicopters were vital in Vietnam and were usually either medivac choppers [Medics picked up the wounded from the battlefield] or in actual combat with guns and missiles.

LZ... landing zone. Type in here about two Vietnam soldiers. The greatest sniper who ever lived, Carlos Hathcock, and maybe the greatest soldier ever lived, Roy Benevides the Lazarus Soldier! I met him once in the early nineties when I was stationed at Bragg!

The dad of one of my friends from high school was a platoon leader during this battle.

21:24 LZ stands for “landing zone.” When an LZ is “hot”, that means it’s under enemy fire. This, in turn, usually means the incoming helicopter will be taking fire as well. 38:09 “broken arrow” means that the enemy is about to overwhelm the friendly perimeter and they are requesting every available aircraft in the vicinity to provide fire support. Finally, while this movie does get some things right, one of the things the movie fictionalized is the bayonet charge and American victory. The Battle of the Ia Drang valley was a bloody introduction to what would be the longest conflict the Americans would be involved in until the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I suggest watching the Operations Room videos on the Ia Drang valley for a good overview of the battle, and the Black Hawk Down incident as well.

General Custer was in charge of the 7th Calvary in the Indian wars between the Sue nation and the US army in the late 1800s Hal Moore was in charge of the 7th Calvary in Vietnam. Custer and all of his men were massacred at the battle of little big horn. That’s why the master Sargent said to Hal Moore, “Custer was a pussy. Your not”.

Napalm is what they where dropping that made big fire balls. And agent orange is stuff they used to kill the forest to take away the north’s cover, that’s what they where saying was poisoning the jungles , love your reactions. This movie hits hard. It’s ok to cry

The helicopter pilot Crandall said while it was true he pulled a gun on the mediavac pilot. It actually happened in his quarters. He was sleeping and the guy came in and startled him. Oh and he and Too Tall both received the Medal of Honor. Colonel Moore made sure of it.

8:57 "Who is Crazy Horse?" A little bit of US History: (Don't worry, most US students don't know this) Crazy Horse was an American Indian of the Lakota Sioux tribe. He became their warchief and led several successful battles during the time that the US government was taking all the land and almost all the freedom, and often many of the lives of Native Americans. The most famous battle was when General George Armstrong Custer, a cavalry general and commander of the 7th Cavalry regiment, led all his entire cavalry to a slaughter at a place called Little Big Horn. Custer was a general but he was a fool - his scouts told him that Crazy Horse had far more men and Custer's soldiers were heavily outnumbered. But he believed the Native Americans were savages incapable of defeating a well-trained and well-armed cavalry regiment. He was wrong about every bit of that and every cavalryman was killed. Crazy Horse was victorious on that day. In this movie, they put Colonel Hal Moore in charge of the modern 7th Cavalry, same regiment that General Custer was in charge of. At some point in this movie he makes a comment about that to his commanding officer, and at some point you see him reading a book about the battle of Little Big Horn. Now I don't know if he's a superstitious man or not, but he's obviously concerned that he is the commanding officer of the same regiment that got massacred by Crazy Horse.

So, the French administered French Indochina from 1887. It was run by the French as a colony producing rubber, rice and other agricultural goods. Very few Vietnamese spoke French and fewer still had any education. By the time of WWII, the French were pretty unpopular and there were several rebellions against them. France surrendered to the Nazis early in the war and the French forces were largely pulled back. The Japanese took over administration and were there until the end of the war. President Roosevelt wanted Vietnam to govern themselves but died before the end of the war. President Truman had little international experience and was convinced (like many were) to support the French reacquisition of the country. France was shattered by the European war and needed lots of help from the US to regain control. France was also a potential victim of the Communists. The French tried to get control but the Vietnamese fought back. In fact, Ho Chi Minh tried to establish relations with the US (the Vietnamese Constitution was based on the U.S. document) but the US thought that the Communist world was trying to eliminate the non-communist governments. The USSR and China stated the this was their objective. The US assisted the French militarily but the French could not control the countryside. Finally, the French surrender at Diem Bien Phu in 1954. In a nutshell, the US took over the conflict from the French. Set in 1965, this was towards the start of major fighting and so the war, as much as it was known at the time, was fairly popular. You hear one US soldier saying he was glad he could die for his country. As time went by, thousands of men, especially the poor ones, were drafted. The government line was all happy days and rainbows. People didn’t buy it. The draftees became hardened and there was lots of drugs. The government wanted the retire “with dignity” but this was impossible so Nixon decided to make the Vietnamese think he was crazy but expanding the war. That also didn’t work. Unfortunately people were so annoyed that they turn on the soldiers. We are still paying for that mistake, today.

First, I'll recommend "Danger Close" about the largest battle fought in Vietnam by the Australian forces. Not many people know about it and it hasn't been reacted to much or at all. All of those trained troops were pulled out because of the state of the US military at the time. For one thing it was still operating on a peacetime footing. That meant that things like schools and other specialist training was still scheduled and men were pulled out for it even though the unit was about to deploy. Then there were the men who had been drafted and were nearing the end of their term. They were pulled out so they could be processed out of the army. This was also why the cabs were delivering the notices. The division didn't have enough notification groups. The division was still being built up and they hadn't expected to be sent into such heavy combat so soon. The Army was in that state in part because the US has a habit of gutting the military after a war, meaning the draw downs tend to go too far and are done without much thought toward maintaining coherent units. This happened after WWII and and again after the shock of Korea. The plan was, primarily, to rely on nuclear weapons as a deterrent. Most eggs were in that basket, so to speak, and it was cheaper than fielding many divisions of tanks and infantry. Problem was it didn't work. Vietnam showed, like Korea had before, that not everyone was afraid of nukes duento the low probability of them being used. Likewise the conventional plans in Europe proved to be utter failures in exercises. So, the US began building back up again, sort of.