We Were Soldiers Once... and Young by Harold G. Moore

The area is meant to be the Central Highlands of Vietnam, where the actual battle took place. The scenes that depict the battle in Vietnam were filmed in Fort Hunter Liggett, California. Streets in Fort Benning were used, in addition to military hangers. This Fort has been used in numerous war movies over the years, bringing big-time stars and productions to Georgia. The military fort located in Fort Benning, Georgia was used for much of the filming for the movie. Places in Morro Bay, California were also used in some scenes, such as some of the scenes filmed in the apartments and homes of the soldiers’ families. We Were Soldiers was filmed in two Georgia cities, Columbus and Fort Benning. The full title of the book is We Were Soldiers Once… and Young. The movie was based on the 1992 book written by Hal Moore himself, who spent 32 years in the army. While filming, the audience also gets a look at the families of the soldiers, particularly their wives. Once American soldiers left the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the war, the landing zone fell back under North Vietnamese control. Moore and a few soldiers lead the last charge against An and are helped at the last minute by reinforcements in helicopters. The Broken Arrow call will also attack enemies that are close to American lines. Moore then has to call in an emergency, Broken Arrow, who asks for air attacks against all enemies.

Nguyen Huu An, leads a large attack against the American soldiers. The commander of the Vietnamese unit, Lt. Throughout the first day of the battle, United States helicopters drop in more soldiers. Ernie Savage has to take over the command to keep enemy soldiers at bay. There are around 400 American soldiers and 3000 Vietnamese soldiers, fighting over the course of a two-day long battle.

Moore and his unit are quickly sent to the Ia Drang Valley where they discover a base camp has been established for a unit of North Vietnamese Army soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore will be leading the 7th Cavalry, and there are several scenes of him training and bonding with the soldiers under his command. The opening scene of the movie shows the Viet Minh attacking a platoon of French soldiers before the film jumps to the year 1965. We Were Soldiers focuses on a small group of characters throughout the battle, a storytelling tactic that is popular in many war-centered movies. Gibson plays Lieutenant Colonel Hal, who leads the American soldiers into battle. The film was directed by Randall Wallace and depicts the Battle of Ia Drang during the Vietnam War.

The American war movie We Were Soldiers hit theatres in 2002, starring Mel Gibson, Sam Elliott, Greg Kinnear, and Madeleine Stowe. Fort Hunter Liggett, Californiaĭated/50's-60's-70's Building, Rustic About We Were Soldiers

We Were Soldiers Once... and Young by Harold G. Moore