Holmes: Mel Gibson's 'We Were Soldiers' honors warriors on both sides of the Vietnam War

Athens Banner-Herald ^ | March 17th 2002 | James Holmes

[risk]

Holmes: Mel Gibson's 'We Were Soldiers' honors warriors on both sides of the Vietnam War

I cringe involuntarily whenever a new Vietnam movie opens. Not so much because Hollywood has been a remorseless critic of the Vietnam War -- there's plenty of latitude to disagree about the wisdom of the American war and the manner in which is was prosecuted -- but because even the best films in the genre radiate disdain not only for the war itself, but also for the American fighting man who went to Indochina to battle communism.

James
Holmes
more Holmes columns

You know the stereotypes: the butcher of women and children, a la Lt. Calley; the pathetic loser, probably on drugs and suffering from shell shock, destined to become homeless after the war; the draftee compelled to fight an imperialist war and thus perpetually embittered by his wartime service. While it makes for some fine films -- notably the revised ''Apocalypse Now'' -- Hollywood's reigning orthodoxy has slighted Vietnam veterans for a quarter-century.
That was then. Now, along comes ''We Were Soldiers,'' Mel Gibson's latest flick, which recounts the November 1965 battle of the Ia Drang Valley and, in the process, helps restore some luster to the popular image of the American solder. The film shows how the U.S. Army tested its ''operational concept'' -- that is, its understanding of the war and how it should be fought -- in action against a numerically superior force of North Vietnamese regulars.
Beguiled by memories of World War II and Korea -- conventional wars in which the United States had achieved satisfactory results by weight of technologically sophisticated firepower -- the brass crafted a similar strategy for Vietnam. The Army concept envisioned using helicopters to ferry troops into landing zones (LZs). Once on the ground, lavishly supported by ground-attack aircraft and artillery, the Americans would bring the North Vietnamese army to battle on their terms.
In time, U.S. forces would inflict enough casualties to convince Hanoi it could not prevail by force of arms. A negotiated peace settlement would follow. Or so the generals thought.
''We Were Soldiers'' relates the story of a battalion -- about 400 men -- of the 1st Cavalry Division, dropped into the Central Highlands of South Vietnam to prevent the communist North Vietnamese and Vietcong insurgents from wrestling away control of this strategic region. Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Gibson's character) and his men ended up in a ''hot'' landing zone, ''LZ X-Ray,'' defended by around 2,000 Vietnamese soldiers. Surrounded and outmanned, the U.S. detachment fought for its life.
The battle of the Ia Drang Valley lasted two days and exacted a fearsome toll on both sides: 74 U.S. soldiers killed, and more than ten times that many North Vietnamese. Unfortunately, the mismatch in casualty figures in favor of the American side convinced the Army its operational concept was sound.
Yet there was another side to the story. North Vietnamese forces at Ia Drang had amply demonstrated their tenacity in the face of withering firepower, suggesting that Hanoi would be willing to put up with losses of unfathomable -- to Americans -- proportions in its quest to forcibly unite the country. But that lesson remained unlearned for years after the clash at Ia Drang. U.S. forces continued to seek out conventional battles of attrition in this most unconventional of wars.
So much for the historical angle. Does the movie glorify the Vietnam War, as some critics have charged? No. It's curiously apolitical -- especially in comparison with other, more caustic Vietnam films. The American soldiers portrayed in ''We Were Soldiers'' fought gallantly because their country, locked in a global struggle against communism, asked it of them; their Vietnamese opponents are also portrayed respectfully as serving in what they believed to be a good cause.
Nor did the filmmakers downplay the savagery of close combat. Think of the wrenching D-Day sequence in ''Saving Private Ryan,'' expanded to two hours, and you about have the idea. And images of rows of American body bags and Vietnamese corpses stacked like cordwood scarcely constitute a paean to the glory of armed conflict.
And rightly so. War is a morally dubious enterprise, no matter how just the cause. The ''irony of American history,'' as Reinhold Niebuhr put it in the 1950s, is that the United States has to resort to tainted means -- maintaining, and sometimes using, a vast arsenal -- to protect its lofty principles. What ''We Were Soldiers'' does is show that it's possible for warriors to acquit themselves honorably, even amid this moral ambiguity. Even in the hellish environment of war-torn Indochina.
Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of our troops did just that. It's time for a new stereotype of the Vietnam veteran.
James Holmes is a Fellow in International Security Studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a graduate school co-administered by Tufts and Harvard universities.
Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Sunday, March 17, 2002.
Click here to return to story:
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/031702/opi_0317020005.shtml

[risk]

James Holmes has a Fletcher School web page here: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/phd/students/holmes.html. His research interests are listed as US Foreign Policy; Strategic Theory; and Southwest Asian Politics.

I found the lyrics to the film's beautiful theme music, Sgt. MacKenzie by Joe Kilna, and I include them below. I also found an interesting note about the origins of the song, which you'll find after the haunting words.

May we always remember those at LZ Xray who were true when they said to themselves and each other, "When they come I will stand my ground, stand my ground I’ll not be afraid."

The Seaforth Highlanders's stag shield includes the Gaelic motto CUIDICH'N RIGH (Help the King). Click the graphic to visit a website dedicated to their unit. Note: the Seaforth Highlanders were not at LZ Xray as far as I know. Sgt. MacKenzie
Lay me doon in the caul caul groon Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun Lay me doon in the caul caul groon Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun When they come a wull staun ma groon Staun ma groon al nae be afraid Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears Ains a year say a prayer faur me Close yir een an remember me Nair mair shall a see the sun For a fell tae a Germans gun Lay me doon in the caul caul groon Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun Lay me doon in the caul caul groon Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun	Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone When they come I will stand my ground Stand my ground I’ll not be afraid Thoughts of home take away my fear Sweat and blood hide my veil of tears Once a year say a prayer for me Close your eyes and remember me Never more shall I see the sun For I fell to a German's gun Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone Where before many more have gone
	From Moja Irlandia

A note on Sgt. MacKenzie by Willie Younie in the March 2002 issue of The Rothsian

Rothes has an unusual link to the new Mel Gibson movie "We Were Soldiers". Oscar winner Mel Gibson of "Braveheart" fame is using a moving lament for a fallen Scottish hero on the soundtrack of his new Vietnam war film, which is based on a true story.
The lament, "Sgt MacKenzie", is written and sung by Joe Kilna Mackenzie son of Maria McCabe and the late Alex McCabe of Provost Christie Drive, Rothes. Joe wrote the song in memory of his Grandfather a Moray man, from Bishopmill, who along with hundreds of other Seaforth Highlanders from the Elgin/Rothes area went to fight in the great war. Sgt Charles Stuart MacKenzie was bayoneted to death at, the age of 35, while defending one of his badly injured colleagues in the hand to hand fighting of the trenches.

Joe penned the haunting lament after the death of his wife, Christine, five years ago. The track was then included in his band Clan An Drumma's album "Tried and True". Film director Randall Wallace, who also won an Oscar for his screenplay of Braveheart, received a CD of the album and was haunted by the emotion and spirit of reverence captured in "Sgt MacKenzie. He arranged for Joe and band mate Donnie MacNeil, who played the pipes, to re-record 'Sgt MacKenzie' with the backing of an 80 piece orchestra and the WestPoint Military Choir at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. The lament has been introduced into the film during key scenes with Joe singing on his own and on the last track of the film with the orchestra and choir.

Joe's granny, Catherine MacKenzie Rizza, was a daughter of Sgt MacKenzie. She returned to Moray from Glasgow and settled in Rothes where her daughter Maria and son Charles along with her grandchildren and other members of the family were living. Through the years Joe spent many hours listening to her tales of his great grandfather. Sadly his granny died three and a half years ago and never got to listen to the song. Recently Joe visited her grave in Rothes and sang the song to her.
Sgt Mackenzie's wife, Joe's great granny also called Catherine, lived in Rothes for many years. Later in life she married Lewis Allan, North Street where she lived until her death in 1955.
Joe plans to visit France sometime in the future to play Sgt MacKenzie at the grave of his great grandfather.
The film 'We Were Soldiers will be showing in the Playhouse, Elgin in late March.

[Randjuke]

Thanks for the post and the info on Sgt. MacKenzie. I thought the song was integrated into the film very well. Is it just me or does Holmes resemble a young Jimmy Stewart?

[thegreatbeast]

Interesting. I've not seen the film as yet but hope to soon.
Wondering about the age of this article and why it would be posted again.

[sushiman]

Coincidentally just rented the movie last night . My 15 year old daughter went through a box of tissues . A must see . Mel Gibson is a rare breed indeed in Hollyweird these days .

[Tijeras_Slim]

Thank you for this added info.

[risk]

I watched "We Were Soldiers..." last night and immediately felt compelled to write something about my reactions. But when I sat down to make some comments, I was unable to express myself in a way that I thought would add anything new to the extensive threads that include:

"Death in the Ia Drang Valley" posted by dblhlx:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/496525/posts

"SILVER BAYONET: The Battle of the Ia Drang" posted by Chapita:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/190031/posts

"'We Were Soldiers..' IA Drang Battle THREAD II" Posted by Snow Bunny:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/518543/posts

So I searched for a suitable alternative: some conservative commentary on the film. That's when I stumbled on James Holmes' commentary in this thread. I agree with him, mostly.

Yes, this film does transcend the earlier Vietnam film stereotypes for American soldiers. Although I find hidden redeeming qualities in the movie Apocalypse Now (see my profile), that film and others do little to convince Americans that the Vietnam war was not a murderous farse. But Holmes claims that the battle of Ia Drang in November of 1965 persuaded American military brass that it could win the war by using helicopter warfare, and he uses the word 'unfortunately' to describe this decision. I am uncomfortable with his lack of conviction that the war was fought well, or that it should have continued to be fought. I think Americans need to make a decision once and for all: the Vietnam war was fought for the right reasons, and should not be regretted on the merits of how it was fought. But one could write volumes on that!

The 'operational concept' of helicopter war, and the use of conventional means to fight an unconventional army may have indeed been problematic. To say, however, that the American military was 'beguiled' by the effectiveness of our firepower at Ia Drang seems as though it could be misleading. Did Americans ever believe we would have an easy win in Vietnam based only on technology? I doubt it. We understood the potential nature of the war from the French experience at Dien Bien Fu in the mid 1950s, 10 years earlier. Moreover, it was the American civilian leadership that insisted we fight in Vietnam. Despite evident manipulation of the successes and the downplaying of failures we have come to accept as wanton contributions to the tragedy, we were there to stem the flow of communism, and we were there to show that we could fight a war of attrition with the Soviets.

In looking online for reviews of "We Were Soldiers..." I encountered many leftist/pacifist reactions criticizing the morality demonstrated by Lt. Col. Hal Moore and his troops as hollow and artificial. As the son of a veteran of WWII who received the Purple Heart for an injury over Rumania sustained in a B24 when it was hit by 88mm AAA flak, I know that the families of American fighting men can be very traditional and religious. It may be true that there are no atheists in foxholes, or in radio operator cabins on heavy long-range bombers.

One of my reactions during the film includes the sense of irony and betrayal at our selfish reversal of commitment to winning the Vietnam war after the Tet offensive in 1968. The protests and the insults remind me of our contemporary protesters in the Iraq conflict. I'll have more to say about this another time. But Americans have an opportunity now to reflect on their mistakes. We must accept that freedom isn't free, and that fighting is a natural part of nation maintenance. We must accept our obligation to take warfare to our enemies instead of waiting for them to bring it to us. We must be grateful that America is a warrior culture. Like Lt. Col. Moore says in the movie script, the American indians raised their braves in a wider community that was considered an extended family. Every mother of the tribe would suckle the infant warriors. In other words, defending this country always starts at home, and America is no exception. Mothers must raise their children to understand that they may need to fight and die to save the republic. This duty should be considered an honor, and if it is not, the republic will perish.

In any case, we have ALOHA RONNIE (Ronnie Guyer) here on FR, our very own veteran of the battle at Ia Drang. Ronnie is another radio operator I can now say I will never forget. Thank you Ronnie, and all of your comrades dead or alive. By and by, Americans will all come to understand what you did for the cause of humanity's freedom those two days. At some point in our lifetimes, American school children will open textbooks and read about the day when brave and righteous American soldiers jumped off those helicopters and proved to every Soviet adviser in Vietnam that we would fight them with courage and conviction. May every generation of Americans to come have fighting men half as brave as you.

[risk]

>>> Is it just me or does Holmes resemble a young Jimmy Stewart?

He does! He also looks conventional in a conservative sort of way. I'm thinking about sending him E-mail and inviting him to join us at FR.

[risk]

>>>> Wondering about the age of this article and why it would be posted again.

I hope my #6 explains -- after seeing the film, I looked online for a conservative viewpoint on the movie and found Mr. Holmes' comments.

[risk]

>>>> My 15 year old daughter went through a box of tissues.

I'm relieved to know her generation has the capacity to care. There is hope for the republic.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Risk. Good article and commentary.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for the ping.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


GARRY OWEN, Sir
(U.S. 7th Cavalry Salute)


SEE:


'Ronnie Guyer Photo Collecton'

http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm *

(*Photo Collection Set #2 = Lt. Col. HAL G. MOORE's actual -Smile of Victory- taken at IA DRANG's Landing Zone Falcon



"WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG" - U.S. 7th Cavalry Website

http://www.lzxray.com *

(*To sign our Petition to President BUSH to award the Presidential Medal of FREEDOM to Battle of IA DRANG-1965 & Sept. 11th World Trade Center Tower 2 Lifesaving Hero RICK RESCORLA ...who unselfishly saved 1,000's of lives on that Day of Infamy, like he did 100's in the IA DRANG-1965, only to have Tower 2 come crashing down on him as he was lovingly going back up the stairwell for stragglers)



"WE WERE SOLDIERS" - The Movie Website

http://www.WeWereSoldiers.com



Signed:..A Witness-ALOHA RONNIE Guyer / Vet-LZ Falcon, Battle of IA DRANG-1965


NEVER FORGET

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


Here's my own personal WWS Thread:


'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE...& YOUNG'...4 FREEDOM


http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39626542519c.htm


NEVER FORGET

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


More "WE WERE SOLDIERS" =


Enter - "ALOHA RONNIE" in:


http://www.Google.com


NEVER FORGET

[VOA]

My 15 year old daughter went through a box of tissues .

The scene with the one soldier pushing the obviously-impaired "head shot"
vet through the airport terminal...and then seeing a sign you'll see in every airport...
that's the scene that got me good.

[joesnuffy]

RICK RESCORLA ...who unselfishly saved 1,000's of lives on that Day of Infamy, like he did 100's in the IA DRANG-1965, only to have Tower 2 come crashing down on him as he was lovingly going back up the stairwell for stragglers)

A man among men...a hero of epic proportion.. God Bless him and his family Vietnam 69-70 9th Inf Div CIB CMB

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET

...Yesterday on the Nationally Broadcast JUDICIAL WATCH Report Talk Radio Show...

...HILLARY -&- CLINTON's Former White House Political Advisor DICK MORRIS confirmed for the 1st time anywhere that they did indeed refuse 2-Free Offers in 1996 from the President of the Sudan to extradite OSAMA bin LADEN to the United States for a Trial that would have prevented the Attacks of September 11, 2001 in advance.

2-CLINTONS = 1-RESCORLA Death

Will they again skate..?


NEVER FORGET

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET



'Remember the Lost and Suffering on September 11, 2001'


(Photos & Thread posted by Son of "WE WERE SOLDIERS" Hero BRUCE CRANDALL)
http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33



NEVER FORGET

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


In a new Century of FREEDOM...

Pres. BUSH is promising its Return...

during a BUSH Presidency to:

1) Communist Vietnam
2) Communist North Korea
3) Communist Cuba

---

'..GARDEN GROVE votes Free South Vietnam Flag -IN-, who's next..?'

(The Thread)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/863430/posts


Next to follow was:

San Jose, California
Milpitas, California
Falls Church, Virginia
Santa Clara County, California
with
Westminster, California 1st among all.


*This week the Santa Ana City Council of California voted to honor the Little Saigon Business District of Orange County by approving a Monument to Little Saigon Businessmen inside Santa Ana's Western Border, looking forward to a subsequent prosperous future for all in that Area.

Vietnamese-Amercans =
An Real American BUSINESS & FREEDOM Success Story


NEVER FORGET