
Is We Were Soldiers based on a true story?
We Were Soldiers is a 2002 American war film written and directed by Randall Wallace and starring Mel Gibson. Based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young (1992) by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway, it dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965.
When was the book we Were Soldiers published?
In 1992, Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway (who was present at the battle) published the book We Were Soldiers Once…And Young about the battle. The 2002 film We Were Soldiers brought this story to the screen.
What is the movie we Were Soldiers once and young about?
Based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young (1992) by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway, it dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965. In 1954 a French unit on patrol during the First Indochina War is ambushed by Viet Minh forces.
What is the message of when we were soldiers?
We Were Soldiers displays the courage and the dignity of few men on the fierce battlefield, as well as the pain and suffering of all those who were left behind alive but, nonetheless, wounded.
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Is the movie we are soldiers based on a true story?
Then came the 2002 movie, We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson as Moore and Barry Pepper as Galloway. (Moore says the film is about 60 percent accurate; Galloway, 80 percent.) Later this year, Galloway and Moore will publish a sequel, We Are Soldiers Still, with fresh material gleaned from additional trips to Vietnam.
What book was Mel Gibson reading in We Were Soldiers?
We Were Soldiers Once… and YoungIn 1981, working with his co-author, Joe Galloway, he turned his attention to the research that underpinned their 1992 New York Times Bestselling book on the Ia Drang battles, We Were Soldiers Once… and Young. In 2002, the book was the basis of the acclaimed movie, We Were Soldiers, where Mel Gibson portrayed Hal.
What is the story in We Were Soldiers about?
Based upon the best-selling book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and journalist Joseph L. Galloway, this compelling war drama depicts the true story of the first major battle between the United States and North Vietnamese forces. It is a film about uncommon valor and nobility under fire, loyalty among soldiers, and the heroism and sacrifice of men and women both home and abroad.We Were Soldiers / Film synopsis
What was the mission in We Were Soldiers?
US Army Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore is chosen to train and lead a battalion. After arriving in Vietnam, he learns that an American base has been attacked and is ordered to take his 400 men after the enemy and eliminate the North Vietnamese attackers although intelligence has no idea of the number of enemy troops.
Did Bruce Crandall pull a gun on someone?
Bruce Crandall pulling a gun on another officer who questioned his judgment. It wasn't Hollywood fiction: Crandall, a Washington native and resident, did indeed point a gun at a fellow soldier, but in this case, reality was racier than the screen take.
What did Broken Arrow mean in Vietnam?
The struggle was so intense that after two days of fighting, Moore radioed the code word “Broken Arrow,” which was an urgent call for all available aircraft to rescue an American unit that was in danger of being overrun.
Did Jimmy we soldiers survive?
Jimmy died in an Army hospital two days later, on November 17. For a lot of years I looked for Jimmy's wife and daughter. Last month, after the movie We Were Soliers was released I received a letter from Jimmy's widow. Last week a letter came from his daughter Nikki, now 36 years old and the mother of two young sons.
What happens at the end of We Were Soldiers?
At the end of the movie, it becomes evident that “Landing Zone immediately reverted to North Vietnamese hands after the American troops were airlifted out” (Roark et al 97). Back home, “Moore's superiors congratulated him for having killed over 1800 Viet Cong and NVA soldiers” (Roark et al 75).
Who was snake in We Were Soldiers?
Bruce P. CrandallBruce P. CrandallNickname(s)"Snake", "Snakeshit"BornFebruary 17, 1933 Olympia, WashingtonAllegianceUnited StatesService/branchUnited States Army8 more rows
What does Broken Arrow mean in We Were Soldiers?
The military uses the term “broken arrow” to describe any incident in which a nuclear weapon is lost, stolen or inadvertently detonated.
How many soldiers died in We Were Soldiers?
The book tells what happened to virtually every trooper involved in the 34-day campaign and the climactic four-day battle in which 234 Americans died at landing zones X-Ray and Albany in November 1965.
Is Sergeant Savage a real person?
Earnie Savage was a young buck sergeant, an E5, when he met Plumley in 1964. Savage didn't frighten easily, but he tended to be overly deferential to anyone "above" him. And at 6 feet, 6 inches, Plumley towered over the young Soldier. "It wasn't just his reputation, the sergeant major was literally bigger than life.
How long did the battle of Ia Drang last?
The three-day battle resulted in 834 North Vietnamese soldiers confirmed killed, and another 1,000 communist casualties were assumed. In a related action during the same battle, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, was ambushed by North Vietnamese forces as it moved overland to Landing Zone Albany.
Is Joseph Galloway still alive?
August 18, 2021Joseph L. Galloway / Date of death
How does Lt Col Moore explain war to his daughter?
5. Moore told his daughter that war was when some people in another country try to take the lives of other people and then soldiers like daddy have to go over and stop them.
How long did Hal Moore serve in Vietnam?
Hal MooreYears of service1945–1977RankLieutenant GeneralCommands held1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment 7th Infantry Division Fort Ord Army Training Center Military Personnel Records CenterBattles/warsKorean War Vietnam War Battle of Ia Drang14 more rows
How many stars did Roger Ebert give We Were Soldiers?
Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, gave We Were Soldiers 3.5 stars out of 4, and praised its truthful and realistic battle scenes and how it follows the characters: " Black Hawk Down was criticized because the characters seemed hard to tell apart.
When was the movie "We were soldiers" made?
We Were Soldiers is a 2002 American war film written and directed by Randall Wallace and starring Mel Gibson. Based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young (1992) by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway, it dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965.
How many North Vietnamese soldiers did Hal Moore kill?
His superiors congratulate him for killing over 1,800 North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong soldiers.
What is the call for the broken arrow?
Charlie Hastings, his forward air controller, to call in "Broken Arrow," which is a call for all available combat aircraft to assist and attack enemy positions, even those close to the US troops' position because a position is being overrun and can no longer be defended. The aircraft attack with bombs, napalm, and machine guns, killing many PAVN and Viet Cong troops, but a friendly fire incident also results in American deaths. The North Vietnamese attack is repelled, and the surviving soldiers of Herrick's cut-off platoon, including Savage, are rescued.
Who was the commander of the 2/7th?
The Vietnamese commander, Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An, did not see the conclusion at LZ X-Ray as the end of combat, and the battle continued the next day with combat action at LZ Albany, where the 2/7th, with A Company 1/5th, found themselves in a fight for their lives against Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An's reserve.
Who is the US Army Lieutenant Colonel in Vietnam?
Eleven years later, the United States is fighting the Vietnam War. US Army Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore is chosen to train and lead a battalion. After arriving in Vietnam, he learns that an American base has been attacked and is ordered to take his 400 men after the enemy and eliminate the North Vietnamese attackers although intelligence has no idea of the number of enemy troops. Moore leads a newly-created air cavalry unit into the Ia Drang Valley. After landing, the soldiers capture a North Vietnamese soldier and learn from him that the location they were sent to is actually the base camp for a veteran North Vietnamese army division of 4,000 men.
Who is the leader of the American wives who live on the base?
Meanwhile, back in the United States, Julia Moore has become the leader of the American wives who live on the base. When the Army begins to use yellow cab drivers to deliver telegrams that notify the next of kin of the soldiers' deaths in combat, Julia personally assumes that emotional responsibility instead.
Storyline
A telling of the 1st Battalion, 7 Cavalry Regiment, 1st Calvary Division's battle against overwhelming odds in the Ia Drang valley of Vietnam in 1965. Seen through the eyes of the battalion's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore (played by Mel Gibson), we see him take command of the battalion and its preparations to go into Vietnam.
Did you know
The real Joseph D. Galloway stepped out of the movie theater during a scene, but still approved the film. His explanation was "That was my nightmare for 36 years. I don't want to see it again."
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By what name was We Were Soldiers (2002) officially released in India in English?
Who called in air strikes around the platoon's position?
Command passed to Sargent Ernie Savage who called in multiple air strikes around the platoon’s position. These and the strong stand made by the remaining men pinned down on the knoll, lead to the death of scores of North Vietnamese troops, who never managed to wipe out the platoon.
Who was the commander of the 7th Air Cavalry?
Much of the fabled history of this battle revolves around that 1 st Battalion and its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore.
What did Hastings see when he saw the F-100 Super Sabre?
As two F-100 Super Sabre jets swooped in to deliver their napalm payload, Hastings saw that they were headed dangerously close to the U.S. line. He tried to call them off, but one jet didn’t hear the frantic plea in time. Several U.S. soldiers were wounded and killed in the horrific accident.
What happened to Marm's platoon?
As Alpha and Bravo company advanced to the lost platoon’s position, Marm’s platoon came under fire from an entrenched enemy machine gun. Marm assaulted the gun himself, with rifle and grenades. He was wounded in the neck and jaw in his lone charge but killed all the combatants at the machine gun.
How many attempts were made to rescue Herrick's platoon that day?
Two attempts were made to rescue Herrick’s platoon that day, but both failed. They remained pinned down through the night until around 3:30 the next afternoon when a third rescue attempt succeeded.
How many North Vietnamese soldiers died in the nest?
The next day, twelve North Vietnamese soldiers were found dead in the nest. He was wounded in the neck and jaw in his lone charge but killed all the combatants at the machine gun. The next day, twelve North Vietnamese soldiers were found dead in the nest.
What tactic did Colonel An use to achieve his counter-strategy to the U.S. air?
4 One main tactic Colonel An began using to achieve his counter-strategy to the U.S. air mobility was the human wave. During the nights of the battle especially, large groups of North Vietnamese would attempt to sneak as far up as possible and then charge the U.S. lines.
Overview
We Were Soldiers is a 2002 war film written and directed by Randall Wallace and starring Mel Gibson. Based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young (1992) by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway, it dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965.
Plot
In 1954 a French unit (based loosely on the Groupement Mobile No. 100 ) on patrol during the First Indochina War is ambushed by Viet Minh forces. Viet Minh commander Nguyen Huu An orders his soldiers to "kill all they send, and they will stop coming".
Eleven years later, the United States is fighting the Vietnam War. US Army Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore is chosen to train and lead a battalion. After arriving in Vietnam, he learns that an America…
Cast
• Mel Gibson as Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Hal Moore
• Madeleine Stowe as Julia Moore
• Greg Kinnear as Major Bruce P. Crandall
• Sam Elliott as Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley
Adaptation from source material
In the source book, We Were Soldiers Once… And Young, Hal Moore complains, "Every damn Hollywood movie got [the Vietnam war] wrong." The director, Randall Wallace, said that he was inspired by that comment and became "determined to get it right this time."
The film's final version got many of the facts of the book presented onto film but is not entirely a historically accurate portrayal of the battle or entirely faithful to the book. For instance, the film d…
Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a score of 63% based on 147 reviews, with an average rating of 6.40/10. The consensus reads, "The war cliches are laid on a bit thick, but the movie succeeds at putting a human face on soldiers of both sides in the Vietnam War." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 65 out of 100 based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
See also
• 1st Cavalry Division
External links
• We Were Soldiers at IMDb
• We Were Soldiers at AllMovie
• We Were Soldiers at the TCM Movie Database
• We Were Soldiers at the American Film Institute Catalog