Derrik Horman Horman1

Cody Carlson
American Civilization 1700
7 June 2014
Film Review
We Were Soldiers e!ins as "t# Col# Harold $Hal% &oore and 'is (amily move to Fort )ennin!
*eor!ia army ase in 1+,4# His res-onsiility will e to take command and s-ear'ead t'e trainin! o(
t'e 1
st
)attalion 7
t'
Cavalry# However. t'e cavalry is not usin! t'e traditional 'orse or tank. ut instead
/H01D 1ro2uois 'elico-ters# 3'is is t'e army4s (irst air cavalry# )etween Col# &oore. 5er!eant &a6or
7lumley. Col# &oore4s second in command. and -ilot &a6or $5nake% Crandall. t'e attalion is trained
'ard and intensively# Finally. 7resident Jo'nson !ives t'e order (or t'e airmoile division to increase
t'e military stren!t' w'ic' already e8ists in 9ietnam# 7rior to leavin!. an assemly is 'eld (or t'e
attalion and Col# &oore delivers a -ower(ul s-eec'# He declares t'at in 'is attalion discrimination
does not e8ist# 3'ey will e (i!'tin! a!ainst a stron! and determined enemy and not all will return
alive# Col# &oore also -roclaims t'at 'e will e t'e (irst to ste- onto t'e attle(ield and t'e last to ste-
o(( and no one. w'et'er dead or alive. will e le(t e'ind#
5unday. :ovemer 14. 1+,; (rom t'e army ase *arry <wen in 9ietnam. t'e air cavalry leave
to e!in t'e (irst con(lict etween t'e Americans and t'e :ort' 9ietnamese Army $:9A% in t'e 1a
Dran! 9alley# A loody and intense t'ree day attle ensues# 5i8ty soldiers arrive every t'rirty minutes
totalin! u- to =+; attle ready men# >ac' wave t'at is dro--ed o(( at "andin! ?one @0Ray is t'en
ordered w'ere to add su--ort or secure an area y Col# &oore to create a -erimeter# As t'e attle
-ro!esses and men are in6ured. t'e c'o--ers medivac t'e wounded a(ter eac' dro- o(( o( soldiers# Due
to Col# &oore4s strate!ic knowled!e and care(ul -lannin!. 'e is ale to antici-ate every advancement
t'e :9A de-loy# 3'is is 'ow 'e -revents t'e Americans (rom loosin! t'is e8'austin! attle# Just as
Col# &oore stated in 'is s-eec'. 'e was t'e last to ste- o(( t'e attle(ield and no one. dead or alive. was
Horman2
le(t e'ind#
We Were Soldiers is a descri-tive and in(ormative movie re!ardin! t'e )attle o( 1a Dran! 9alley#
A !ood e8am-le o( t'e 'istorical accuracy in t'e movie (ocuses on t'e incident o( t'e tra--ed -latoon
led y "t# Henry Herrick durin! day one o( t'e attle# 3'is -latoon Aecame se-arated and was soon
surrounded y :ort' 9ietnamese (orces# 1n t'e (ire(i!'t t'at ensued. Herrick was killed and e((ective
command devolved to 5er!eant >rnie 5ava!eB $military'isory#aout#com%# "earnin! o( 'is -latoon4s
entra-ment. Col# &oore sends out Al-'a and )ravo Com-anies as a rescue e((ort# As s'own in t'e
movie. ot' com-anies were ale to advance Aaround 7; yards (rom t'e creek ed e(ore enemy (ire
rou!'t it to a 'altB $military'isory#aout#com%# 5!t# 5ava!e and 'is (ew remainin! men would e
tra--ed and surrounded y t'e enemy (or t'e ni!'t# Himsel( and 'is men literally du! t'emselves into
t'e !round camou(la!in! t'eir odies as mounds o( eart'# Durin! t'e ni!'t. t'e enemy -ersistantly
A-roed t'eir lines and conducted t'ree assaults a!ainst t'e lost -latoonB $military'isory#aout#com%#
Alt'ou!' t'e movie s'ows only one o( t'ese assaults. 5!t# 5ava!e4s men were ale to resist eac' o(
t'ese attem-ts# 1n t'e mornin!. Al-'a and )ravo Com-anies were ale to -enetrate t'rou!' t'e :9A
and come to t'e aide o( t'e lost -latoon and return t'em to ase cam-#
Anot'er detailed and accurate incident s'own in t'e movie was t'e -ressure C'arlie Com-any
received y t'e :9A attem-tin! to advance t'rou!' t'e -erimeter# 3'is de(ensive line was e!innin! to
(alter# Heavy air rein(orcements were called in to -revent t'e :9A (rom -ro!ressin! any (urt'er# 3'e
'eavy air su--ort contriuted wit' lar!e enemy losses. 'owever. due to miscommunication etween
!round and air Aa (riendly (ire incident led to some na-alm strikin! t'e American linesB
$military'isory#aout#com%# An American soldier -reviously introduced in t'e movie. Jimmy. was one
o( t'e victims (rom t'e (riendly (ire and t'e detail used to s'ow t'e tra!ic e((ects (rom t'e e8tensive
urns was !ri--in!# Durin! t'e endin! credits t'e names o( t'e soldiers w'o died durin! t'e )attle o(
1a Dran! 9alley is s'own. A7(c# Jimmy :akayama. Ri!y 1da'oB $We Were Soldiers% was one o( t'em#
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"t# Col# &oore and Anewly -romoted "t# Col# *eor!e Cas'in!tonB $mountvernon#or!% ot' 'ad
a similar style o( leaders'i-. eac' o( t'em would (i!'t side y side wit' t'eir men# Also. ot' leaders
lead America into a war# 1n &arc' o( 17;4. Col# Cas'in!ton was deliverin! a second letter written y
t'e Royal *overnor o( 9ir!inia. Roert Dinwiddie. to t'e Frenc' at Fort Du2uane in t'e <'io 9alley#
He was !iven orders Ato 4act on t'e t'e de(ensive4 ut also clearly em-owered Cas'in!ton to 4make
7risoners o( or kill D destroy4B $mountvernon#or!%# 5'ots were (ired resultin! in a (ire(i!'t# Col#
Cas'in!ton did not (lee to lead t'e attle. ut (ou!'t ne8t to 'is soldiers and was ale to overcome t'e
Frenc'# 3'irteen Frenc' soldiers were killed and anot'er twenty one were ca-tured# Col# Cas'in!ton
lead America into t'e Frenc' and 1ndian Car (rom a minor incident w'ic' A'el-ed s-ark a war t'at
would ultimately s-read to -laces as (as as >uro-e. A(rica. and 1ndiaB $mountvernon#or!%#
Col# &oore was !iven similar orders -rior to de-loyment in t'e 1a Dran! 9alley. t'ey were
sim-ly to Akill t'e enemyB $We Were Soldiers%# He was t'e (irst to set (oot on t'e attle(ield. and
des-ite ein! !iven orders to return to 5ai!on. 'e stayed until t'e attle was (inis'ed# Col# &oore 'ad
t'e same military leaders'i- c'aracteristics as Col# Cas'in!ton. 'e (ou!'t side y side wit' 'is men
and never le(t t'em# He lead t'e t'ree day attle (rom a small. secured -erimeter o( a termite mound
under constant (ire. not a remote and sa(e location# )ot' t'e Americans and t'e :9A took 'eavy losses
(rom t'is (i!'t and Col# &oore remained to witness it all# 3'e )attle o( 1a Dran! 9alley. lead y "t#
Col# Harold $Hal% &oore. was t'e (irst land assualt a!ainst t'e :ort' 9ietnamese Army w'ic'
introduced America into t'e 9ietnam Car#