We Were Soldiers

These are the true events of November, 1965.

The la Drang Valley of Vietnam.

A place our country does not remember...

...in a war it does not understand.

This story is the testament to the young...

...Americans who died in the Valley of Death...

...and a tribute to the young men...

...of the People's Army of Vietnam...

...who died by our hand in that place.

To tell this story, I must start...

...at the beginning.

But where does it begin?

Maybe in June of 1954...

...when French Group Mobile 100 moved into...

...the same Central Highlands of Vietnam...

...where we would go 11 years later.

Maybe the story begins in America...

...when the Army first realized...

...a new kind of war was coming its way.

The White House anticipates a buildup...

...and wants a victory.

Over cavemen, in black pajamas.

We wouldn't be there if they hadn't already beaten...

...the French Army.

The French Army? What's that?

The problem in Vietnam is terrain.

Jungle, mountains, rivers, maneuver is a nightmare.

That's why we came up with the plan to use helicopters.

Leap in and out of battle.

They want you to run the test on the idea.

It'll take a hell of a combat leader.

I know a young light Colonel named Hal Moore.

He led a combat company in Korea.

After that he volunteered to test experimental parachutes.

Experimental parachutes? Sounds like just the guy.

The other side of the mountain...

...was all that he can see.

Was all that he can see...

...was all that he can see.

The other side of the mountain...

...was all that he can see.

The bear went over the mountain...

...the bear went over the mountain...

...the bear went over the mountain...

How about we go back to Bingo?

- What do you say? Bingo! - Oh...

B-I-N-G-O... B-l-N-G-O...

Tom...

How much you know about our new Colonel?

He was in Korea.

Has a Masters in lnternational Relations from Harvard.

Harvard? He's not one of those academic pussies, is he?

Hal Moore?

THE WARS IN INDOCHINA

Come on, Too Tall, give me you best shot, baby!

Did you see that?

Did you see that?

Snakeshit drives that one to the moon.

To the moon!

And he's coming around...

No, he's not...

You're out, Snakeshit! You're out!

Horseshit! No wonder you can't fly! You can't see!

I believe you're out.

- You're a pilot? - Too Tall, sir.

- Yeah, I can see that. - You call, we haul.

- Can I speak to you a minute? - Yes, sir.

- Out! - Safe.

- Can I buy you a drink? - Sure.

Oh, thanks.

So your men call you, Snakeshit?

That's an affectionate appellation...

...of my comrades-in-arms, sir.

Because I fly lower than snakes hit.

Well, I gotta problem, Snakeshit.

And I think you're the solution.

I've been called a lot of things, Colonel never a solution.

You know what Air Cavalry really means?

You fly into hostile territory, out-numbered.

10,000 miles from home.

Sometimes the battleground's no bigger than a football field.

And if the choppers stop coming we all get slaughtered.

Now I figure, chopper pilots won't fly...

...into hell for strangers so...

- ...I'm Hal Moore. - I know, sir.

Why us?

Well, you guys look like shit.

But your equipment is immaculate.

Yesterday was Sunday, you didn't have to be...

...training but you were.

And you got pilots like that Too Tall character.

He's way outside the limits of Army regs...

...they want to fly with you for some reason.

I guess it's because they think you're the best.

It's because I only recruit the dumb ones, sir.

I suppose that I have a choice in all of this.

You sure don't.

I wouldn't miss it for the world.

To The Air Cav.

Good morning, Sergeant-Major.

How do you know what kind of goddamn day it is?

Group!

Attention!

At ease, Gentlemen!

Welcome to the new cavalry.

We will ride into battle.

And this...

...will be our horse.

You don't have to catch it.

You don't have to feed it.

But I can assure you...

...that neither the new technology...

...nor your status as officers...

...will keep you above the danger.

Sergeant-Major Plumley and I come from the paratroopers...

...where the officer is always the first one out of the plane...

...because to follow your instincts...

...and to inspire your men by your example...

...you have to be with them...

...where the metal meets the meat.

Sergeant-Major Plumley made all 4 combat jumps...

...in the 82nd Airborne during World War ll.

Sicily, Salerno, Normandy and Holland...

...plus one more in Korea.

He answers to me...

...and to me alone.

Now I hope you Gentlemen like training.

Because me and the Sergeant-Major...

...we love it.

Three strikes and you're not out!

There is always one more thing you can do!

Go! Go! Now!

- 2... - Let's go!

...3.

- Pretty good, no? - Pretty good.

There's only one thing wrong.

Let's be sharp, men! We will be the best...

...platoon in this battalion.

Be ready in there! Let's go! Let's go!

Alright! Your officer's dead! What do you do?

What do you do?

Alright, he hesitated! He's dead! What do you do?

- Get off the chopper! - Get off the chopper!

Alright, all officers.

Come on in.

Savage, you learn the job of the man above you.

And you teach your job to the man below you in rank.

That goes for every man in this outfit. Understood?

Yes, Sir! We'll be landing under fire.

Men will die.

Have you said your prayers?

No?

- No. - I'll say them with you.

Fall in.

Alright. Ready? Set.

In the name of The Father, The Son...

...and The Holy Ghost. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

...the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women...

...and blessed is the fruit of thy womb...

Holy Mary, mother of...

Cecile, I don't hear you praying, honey.

I don't want to be a Catholic.

I want to be a Methodist like Mommy.

You do?

And why is that, honey?

So I can pray whatever I want.

- That's a sin. - No, no, that's not a sin.

God just made you hardheaded. That's not a sin.

I'll tell you what, do you want to...

...do you want to pray and thank God for our family?

- Yes, sir. - That's good, then let's do it.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women...

...and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

I can hear you laughing, you know, even in here.

I'm not laughing, I'm marveling.

Marveling? About what?

That you can find stubbornness...

...in your children and think it comes...

...from anybody but you.

Oh, yeah?

I'll give you something to marvel at.

When I pray...

...whatever I want...

I thank God for you.

It's a beautiful morning, Sergeant-Major.

Are you a fuckin' weatherman now?

Look what I found for the new baseball player.

They've sent us another bunch of officers.

Real green. Got to train them up.

Makes me think of starting a new unit.

They sent new rifles too. The M-16.

It's supposed to be a pretty good weapon.

Ah, lots of plastic.

Feels like a B-B gun to me.

I think I'll stick with my pistol.

You think we're going to get close enough...

...to the enemy to use that?

What do you think, sir?