...ALOHA Gun Runner.
...Thank You, at least for using your head and sharing your feelings with us about the first combat film ever made that actually HEALS Veterans, as per the Veterans themselves. It works for them.
...May I share what my experiences
were in the Central Highlands of a then Free South Vietnam of 1965 in answering your questions...?
...First, this 'Braveheart in 'Nam Motion Picture correctly depicts the best way for US to win at war now ..by taking care of each other on the battlefield and at home in a new -Time of War- with an Enemy that is now Within BIG TIME.
...The opening of .."SAVING PRIVATE RYAN".. shows combat carnage in staccato fashion. ..WWS.. opens with combat carnage that flows in the MING YANG Pass that I also passed thru 11 years later after our Victory in the IA DRANG Valley in November 1965. ...Unrelenting combat is shown as it was in .."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. while not forgetting about our families back home who were also hard hit as depicted. A great Example for the now...?
...The Lost Platoon's Commanding Officer 2/Lt. HENRY HERRICK was the one who DID unwisely lead his men up that enemy infested Chu Phong Mountain chasing one NVA Enemy Soldier right after arriving at LZ (Landing Zone) X-Ray.
...Lt. HERRICK's men paid the Price for what he did, but some now say that our having an isolated American stand outside the North East Flank of LZ X-Ray may have unwittingly been providential in the long run as we were never overrun there in great measure to the unrelenting incoming Artillery required from my Landing Zone Falcon homing in on two seperate targets, bringing confusion to the Enemy.
...I will NEVER FORGET having to personally type up Lt. Col. HAL G. MOORE's -Letter of Condolance- to Lt. HENRY HERRICK's Parents after the Battle.
...SAM ELLIOTT's S/Maj BASIL L. PLUMLEY Characterization is true to life. This -Lion in Winter- who parachuted behind enemy lines in Nazi-Occupied France the night before the Invasion of Normandy, fought at the last Major Battle of the Korean War at PORK CHOP HILL and then at the 1st Major Battle of the Vietnam War in the IA DRANG VALLEY ...carried a .45 Pistol only. I know, because I personally cleaned it for him.
...MEL GIBSON's Lt. Col. HAL G. MOORE standing in the middle of Landing Zone X-Ray at the worst of times to survey his BAttle situation ...actually happened from behind the tall Ant Hill you see in the Film. Again, its RANDALL WALLACE's way of graphically telling us MOORE's saving Leadership story when the 7th Cavalry needed every offensive aircraft in Vietnam at its disposal in his "BROKEN ARROW" Call.
...GREG KINNEAR's Major BRUCE CRANDALL incident at the rear was actually more fierce than depicted in ..WWS.. as a result of his righteous indignation. Fierce Combat does that, especially when the Hueys from the rear refused to come in to the rescue like he and his Congressional Medal of Honor Wingman ED "TOO TALL" FREEMAN did so unselfishly at LZ X-Ray.
...Actually the terrain of the IA DRANG Valley is VERY similiar to the California terrain shown in ..WWS.. at Fort Hunter-Ligget. Almost a perfect match. Highlands are different then the Lowlands in South Vietnam.
...As for any ignorance you express having about the IA DRANG Battle, and everything surrounding it, may I suggest you get a hold of a copy of the book the movie was based on by now Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE (Ret.) and JOE GALLOWAY titled:
'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG" ..?
...It's now availble in small paperback with MEL GIBSON on the cover and in larger paperback and hardcover versions with IA DRANG/World Trade Center Lifesaving Hero Lt. RICK RESCORLA on the cover.
Thank you, again, for your keen interest.
GARRY OWEN, Sir
Signed:..ALOHA RONNIE Guyer
MOORE/PLUMLEY's Radioman/Driver/Orderly Assistant right up to the Battle of IA DRANG-1965
http://www.lzxray.comRonnie, my husband and I saw this film at the theatre and we waited anxiously for the 20th to buy the DVD. Of course, we immediately watched it again. Very few movies cause me to cry, (dry-eyed for Private Ryan) but this is one that I dried tears, both times we saw it. I am sure this will be my reaction each time I see it in the future. I think it is because it was in my time and I knew so many men who survived this trauma. My husband was Army, 1st Calvary, but did not go to Nam.
Thank you and all of the others who bravely went thousands of miles from home and fought honorably.
TC
Wow. Thank you for your insight, and for clearing up my problems. Once again, I hope that I didn't offend any of our great Americans who fought in the Valley of Death or Vietnam (or any war for that matter). And if the events depicted in the film are the real McCoy, more power to them for keeping it genuine. I had just heard that there was some artistic license in the film, and I thought some of the things I mentioned (such as Bruce Crandall's gun incident, and Hal Moore's refusal to take cover) might be a Hollywood invention. I was judging strictly as a film critic and fan of war films.
The convenient thing about film is that it provides us civilians with a way to experience the carnage of war without risk. And since seeing Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now, my views on the reality of war have changed dramatically. The pledges in my fraternity used to interview older brothers as part of initiation, and one of the things they used to ask me was, "If you could go back to any time in history, where would you go?" I always replied that I would like to have stormed the beach at Normandy so I could kill some Nazis and be part of the largest invasion force in history. After watching the Normandy scene in SPR, I felt like a complete idiot. Having never been in combat, it really opened my eyes to how horrid it is. Yeah, I knew getting shot is bad (duh) and that a lot of your buddies died, and it was hard and that veterans always deserved respect. But hey, in combat, you're fighting for your country, right? Any doubts or pain would be rectified by the greater good, right? And if you died it was your time, right? Boy was I stupid. I guess I had no point of reference for something so unbelivably horrid.
I guess this sounds pretty juvenile and stupid to combat vets, but there's only so much a 19 year old with no military experience can grasp (I was 19 when it came out). I feel no embarrasment in saying these things because I think it only heightens the sacrifice endured and the respect earned by veterans. But I feel a little shame because a lot of the boys on Omaha were only 17 or 18. They grew up long before I did.
I didn't join the military, but always thought that I would go if called, without question. Those scenes gave me a glimpse into what a real sacrifice it is. I guess I never envisioned the blood, exploding chests, dismembered limbs, heads blowing off, guts hanging out, men crying for their mothers after they'd been cut in half, etc. SPR really woke me up. The Longest Day it wasn't.
My points had no intention of disagreeing with the VALUES of the film, which were spectacularly rendered (it brought to mind The Rules of Engagement, another great Hollywood PRO-military movie), and maybe I should have been more clear about that.
With the insights given on WWS, I will definitely enjoy it more on the next viewing. I also fully intend to read the book version (after I'm done with The 6 Day War by Michael Oren, killer read).