FIRST TIME WATCHING: We Were Soldiers (2002) REACTION (Movie Commentary) 

My Dad was with the 1st air cav out of Saigon from 72 till they evacuated. He was a Chopper mechanic and Door gunner. R.I.P. Sgt Desparois. Dad, Husband and son. My Hero.

If you're looking for more Mel Gibson, RANSOM (1996) is an overlooked, often forgotten, masterpiece from Ron Howard, who directed Apollo 13. It's an edge of your seat experience start to finish.

Yes Col. Moore did send the book and photo back with a letter telling her that like his men her man had fought gallantly , and died quickly with no fear.

"Whites only" was a Democrat/Southern thing, she moved from the north for that assignment, she was not familiar with that.

My father participated in this battle. Part of the second wave of choppers.

Actually the woman's ignorance about whites only was still common , most segregation was still only in the south. Northern cities weren't as common to be segregated at the time

The Vietnam Memorial Wall, while a simple piece of architecture, is so impactful and will hurt your soul seeing those names the first time you visit it. It really hits the word Memorial.

Hal Moore was not only an excellent soldier but also an amazing husband and father. This true story of the first real battle involving Americans and the Vietnamese that drew us officially into the war is drawn from the real life actions and memories of the men that were there. As for the scene with the wives and the laundry discussion, the woman questioning the laundry only allowing white clothing is using a very deep accent for the northern part of the country, where those kinds of signs were not seen normally.

And think approximately 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam in approximately 10 years. And over 50,000 Americans died at Gettysburg in one battle. Americans have paid for their and other peoples freedoms.

That grenade is white phosphorus. It reacts with moisture and burns. You have to cut the burning parts off or it will just keep going. Nasty stuff.

Critics at first were hard on this movie. Saying the dialogue was too cliched and cheesy. Then the real Hal Moore went public and apologized that his men weren’t being original or creative in their final moments.

Hal Moore (played by Mel Gibson) died in 2017 at the age of 94 having retired as a Lieutenant General. For his actions during the Battle of Ia Drang he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

One of the officers who played a key role in the battle - though not particularly featured in the movie - ultimately died on 9/11, helping people get out of the South Tower.

What made this movie for me is that they touched on how the enemy also felt and how they are as scared as anyone that would be in that situation.

One of the best war movies ever made imo. Excited to watch!

Thank you for sharing this. I was a kid during Vietnam so my memories are from a child's perspective. We lived in a military town, my Mother worked Civil Service on base. There was not a single kid that I knew who didn't have someone fighting in 'Nam. I watched a lot of young men leave, I saw far fewer come back. And those that did were never the same. This is a hard movie to watch because it is so factual. Most of the still shots shown after battle were the actual photos taken. Several photos won awards for the starkness & brutality they depicted. It's important for younger generations to see this and understand what really happened. War is brutal on both sides. Families are affected on both sides. And none of us will ever be the same after living through it.

Sometimes, when you’re surrounded by chaos and death, laughing keeps the horror and grief at bay long enough for some to survive.

"I'll never forgive myself"

This movie is severely underrated.

My dad was drafted at 18, '67-'68. Artillery scout with the 1st Infantry Division. Stories he shared outside of the combat really drove home the horror.