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's a testament

to the young Americans...

who died in the Valley of Death...

and a tribute to the young men

of the Peoples 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--

jungles, mountains, rivers.

Maneuver's a nightmare.

We have a 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 could see

Was all that he could see

Was all that he could see

The other side of the mountain

was all that he could 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".

B-I-N-G-O

B-I-N-G-O

B-I-N-G-O

And Bingo was his name-o

Tom, how much you know

about our new colonel?

He was in Korea...

has a master's in international

relations from Harvard.

Harvard? He's not one of those

academic pussies, is he?

Hal Moore?

Want me to get one of those?

Come on, Too Tall.

Gimme your best shot!

Did you see that, sports fans?

Did you see that?

Snakeshit drives that one

to the moon, baby!

Hit the cutoff man!

Hit the cutoff man!

And he's coming around!

- Here he comes!

- No, he's not.

You're out!

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, Crandall?

- Yes, sir.

- Out.

- Safe.

- Out.

- Safe.

- Can I buy you a drink?

- Sure.

Thanks.

So, your men

call you "Snakeshit".

That's an affectionate appellation

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

'cause I fly

lower than snake sh*t.

Well, I got a 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,

outnumbered, 10,000 miles from home.

Sometimes the battleground's

no bigger than a football field.

And if the choppers stop comin',

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 sh*t,

but your equipment is immaculate.

Yesterday was Sunday. You didn't

have to be training, but you were.

You got pilots

like that Too Tall character.

He's way outside the limits

of army regs.

They wanna fly with you

for some reason.

I guess it's 'cause

they think you're the best.

It's 'cause I only recruit

the dumb ones, sir.

I don't suppose

I have a choice in all this.

You sure don't.

Wouldn't miss it for the world.

To the Air Cav.

Good mornin', Sergeant Major.

How do you know what kind

of goddamn day it is?

Group! Atten-hut!

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 four combat jumps...

in the 82nd Airborne

during World War II.

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...

'cause me

and the sergeant-major--

we love it.

Three strikes

and you're not out!

There is always

one more thing you can do.

Here we go, boys.

Move! Move! Go! Now!

- Two.

- Let's go!

Three.

We're outta here!

- Pretty good, huh?

- Pretty good.

There's only one thing wrong.

Be sharp! We will be the best

platoon in this battalion!

Be ready in there!

Let's go! Let's go!

All right!

Your officer's dead!

- What do you do? What do you do?

- First--

All right, he hesitated.

He's dead. What do you do?

- Get off the chopper!

- Get off of the chopper.

Hold off the third one.

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, gentlemen.

Men will die.

Have you said your prayers?

Come on.

I'll say them with you.

- Fall in.

- Gimme that bear.

All right.

Ready. Set.

In the name of the Father,

the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women...

and blessed is

the fruit of thy womb Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners--

Cecile, I don't hear you

praying, honey.

I don't wanna be Catholic.

I wanna be a "Nethodist" like Mommy.

You do?

And why is that, honey?

So I can pray whatever I want.

That's a sin.

No, that's not a sin.

God just made you hardheaded.

It's not a sin.

I'll tell you what.

You wanna--

You wanna pray and thank God

for our family?

- Yes, sir.

- That's good. 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? At what?

That you can find stubbornness

in your children...

and think it comes

from anybody but you.

- Yeah?

- Mm-hmm.

I'll give you something

to marvel at.

He's a wild man.

- When I pray--

- Mm-hmm.

whatever I want--

I thank God for you.

Beautiful morning,

Sergeant Major.

What are you,

a f***in' weatherman now?

Look what I found

for the new baseball player.

- Sent us another bunch of officers.

- Uh-huh.

Real green.

Gotta train 'em up.

Makes me think

I'm starting a new unit.

They sent new rifles too.

The M-16.

That's supposed to be

a pretty good weapon.

Lots of plastic.

Feels like a BB gun to me.

Believe I'll stick with my pistol.

You think we're gonna get close

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