Posted on 02/24/2002 1:16:13 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
NEVER FORGET
...MEL GIBSON's new ..'BRAVEHEART' in 'Nam.. Motion Picture ..'WE WERE SOLDIERS'.. which opens this coming Friday, March 1, 2002 in theaters nationwide...
.. is .."Just OUTSTANDING" .. to coin the oft used phrase of approval of the Heroism of his Young Men fighting under heavy enemy fire for the then Lt. Col. HAL G. MOORE in the -Valley of Death- that was known as the IA DRANG of 1965 .
...This 1st Major Battle of the Vietnam War between American Forces and Invading North Vietnamese Communist Army Regular Forces was first fully reported in depth in the 1993 Bestselling Book...
..'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG'..
...by now Retired Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE and by JOE GALLOWAY ...who as UPI's Vietnam War Correspondent was fighting right there along side MOORE at Landing Zone X-Ray, IA DRANG-1965.
...Preview showings of ..'WE WERE SOLDIERS'.. for we Veterans of the Battle of IA DRANG-1965 have been showing in select cities around the country the last two weeks ...as well as at the -Home of the Infantry- Ft. Benning, Georgia ..where the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) Story bagan in 1965 ...and at Ft. Hood, Texas ..its current Headquarters.
...I was first blessed to see ..'WE WERE SOLDIERS'.. with MOORE/GALLOWAY in attendance at the February 13th Ft. Benning Screening and then again last thursday in San Diego with a family member who said the Movie was -STRIKING-...!
...This Movie is about the Heroism of the Hero Soldiers fighting on both sides of this Battle as well as the Heroism the Hero Families who waited for them to come home or not.
...I -LOVED- THIS MOVIE.
...I -LOVED- being able to personally tell IA DRANG-1965 Hero Families at Ft. Benning 2 weeks ago that it's now America's turn to follow their example they set long ago as shown in ..'WE WERE SOLDIERS'.. in a new -Time of War- in a new Century ..with an Enemy that is now Within BIG TIME.
...Now everyone in America is going to be put in the middle of these Hero families' feelings of 1965. This could not have come at a better time in the aftermath of the Airstrike Attacks on US on September 11, 2001.
It was really something watching the IA DRANG-1965 Landing Zone X-Ray Battle Area firefights on screen and hearing the bullets just zing overhead by our ears out there in the theater thru a great Stereo Soundtrack.
...As I originally witnessed the Hell of Landing Zone X-Ray from our 7th Cavalry Field Radios and rapid firing Artillery Batteries at Landing Zone Falcon 4.2 Miles out ...I could smell the STENCH of over 1,100 Dead North Vietnamese Communist Army Regular Soldiers rotting in the Hot Sun ..but not the zinging of rounds speeding overhead. On February 13, 2002 ..I did hear them at the Ft. Benning Special Screening. And soon ..so will YOU.
...MEL GIBSON's 360 Degree surmizing of his dire Landing Zone X-Ray Battle situation that brought his Lt. Col. HAL G. MOORE to cry out .."BROKEN ARROW".. to his Radioman BOB OUELLETE for unlimited Airstrikes Support on his position from all over the Vietnam Theater ..is UNFORGETTABLE.
...MEL GIBSON's standing at the Vietnam Wall's 3rd Panel viewing our IA DRANG-1965 Killed in Action names was truly profound at the End.
...A silent IA DRANG-1965/WTC-1993/WTC-2001 Lifestaver Hero then..Lt. RICK RESCORLA.. picking up the North Vietnamese Communist/French Battle Bugle at Landing Zone X-Ray was very moving and now heralds the U.S. 1st Cavlary Saber ..Bugle... Call for our holding ACCOUNTABLE those who are truly responsible for the Sept 11th Attacks on US and HIM on American Soil.
..'WE WERE SOLDIERS'.. puts us all there in Battle as well as in the waiting Hearts at Home of November 1965.
...This Message of War and LOVE for each other at Home and away could not have come at a better for our Country.
...I -LOVED- being Blessed by GOD to suddenly be able to go to the Ft. Benning ..'WE WERE SOLDIERS'.. Special Screening ...after putting all in His Hands ... then personally wishing my Vietnam Commanding Officer Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE a Happy 80th Birthday under the ..'Iron Mike'.. Statue in front of Infantry Hall's Sergeant YORK Parade Field. We were like Young Soldiers together again with me carrying his Radio for him once more before the Battle of IA DRANG-1965.
...ALL UNFORGETTABLE -&- definately ALL IN GOD's PLAN.
Signed:..ALOHA RONNIE Guyer / Battle of IA DRANG-1965 / Landing Zone Falcon / www.LzXray.com
NEVER FORGET
...Now I have just a Big Belly.
..-977-.. RICK RESCORLA ..Medal of Freedom Award Petition Signatures...
...and growing...!!!
The episode indicated in this link was but one in a six-hour series. I'm hoping TLC will air the whole thing. Either way, it's certainly worth a look for anyone interested in an accurate report of what happened and at the same time honoring the men who fought. Something you won't see in the mainstram media these days.
...Tuesday Morning after 7am on CBS' ..'The Early Show'.. not NBC's ..'TODAY'.. Show...
...as he's been there, done that on Monday.
Thank you Ronnie.
((hug ))
Looking back over the years, three decades or more ago, we were young and blissfully unaware of how our lives would change. Back then, we were strong, filled with bright dreams but as we entered that war, pain became our companion.
Ah, yes, we were young then, but many of us, here and now can still feel the sickness, the injury, the death... and we still feel the pain... it is all a part of our dreams. We were young then and some returned only in memories, faded photographs or as names chiseled into a black, stone wall.... all of us lost a part of ourselves.
We are no longer young, but deep inside there resides something uniquely ours... hearts that fill with pride when we see the flag popping in the wind, eyes that fill with tears at the sound of taps... and when we meet, we are brothers, bonded forever by war.
copyright, e.w. richardson, 1999
Personally, I find it hard to believe it was 32 years ago for me. To be honest, at times it still seems like 32 seconds, though most of the rough edges have been rubbbed off by time.
Looking back over the years, three decades or more ago, we were young and blissfully unaware of how our lives would change. WOW He has that exactly right. I wind up, every year, giving a talk at least once at the local High School, and trying to dispel at least some of the liberal stew served up by the NEA. I make sure they know exactly what the return home was like, and what the result was (my hiding in the bottle for 10 years). I hope that I somehow make them a little prouder of their country, and aware that we didn't "lose" Vietnam, as is preached widely today. (BTW, its kind of fun, because I, and some other vets who also speak, open up for questions, and give straight up, honest answers to them, and even with the lib indoctrination, the kids have learned some history at least ;-)
I probably won't go to a theater to see this movie, will probably wait until it becomes available on DVD..(hey, I'm Lazy, and would rather use DVD, so I can FReep at the same time ROFL).
Greg
Good to be seen. . . and hugged. -:)
When I read that article here on freerepublic a few years ago, it was so intense I got a visceral response.
I never read the Post article, but this film follows the pattern you describe. As for kids under twelve, there isn't anything worse than they've seen in films such as Blackhawk Down. But use your own judgment.
I don't know where the film they got for this episode was taken from. I know Joe Galloway was on the ground at XRAY, but I don't think they had any film crews on the ground during the height of the fire fight.
All the same, the documentary doesn't soft peddle a thing. And Smith neither glorifies nor understates his own participation at ALBANY. You ask me, this guy is not only a patriot, but the epitome of what a journalist should be.
A hearty Garry Owen! for Jack Smith. I only hope TLC airs the entire six-hour special.
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