We were soldiers plot overview of the book

Together, these actions at the landing zones xray and albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the vietnam war. Harold moore, were dropped into a small clearing in the ia drang valley. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of and then there were none. Almost as soon as they arrived, american forces were engaged in a series of constant contact. As a result of this book, in 2002, a we were soldiers, the movie was and the story was retold to a greater audience grossing over us 144 million worldwide. Thus the film does not offer information not known earlier about this war. The day this began was november 14, 1965, in the ia drang valley of the central highlands of vietnam. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

We re moving into the valley of the shadow of death, where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours, and you wont care what color he is or by what name he calls god. Learn more about the soldiers that served the united states and how they helped us avoid nuclear warfare. And young, the film tells the story of the first battle of the vietnam war from the perspective of two participants, a u. Hal moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the ia drang valley. We were soldiers, a film produced in 2002, takes place in 1965 beginning in fort benning, georgia, following the family of lieutenant colonel hal moore, played by mel gibson. We were soldiers, directed by randall wallace and starring mel gibson, takes us along with the u. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel. These men flew into a lzlanding zone in the intent of seeking out. Colonel moore back in 1165 and his north vietnamese army opposing commanders actually visit the site together, explaining strategies, etc. The epic account of world war iis greatest rescue mission 2001 is a. Based upon the bestselling book we were soldiers once.

In november 1965, some 450 men of the first battalion, seventh cavalry, under the command of lt. A telling of the 1st battalion, 7 cavalry regiment, 1st calvary divisions battle against overwhelming odds in the ia drang valley. We were soldiers starts out with a french unit on patrol during the final year of the first indochina war in the year 1954. Joseph galloway was a civilian reporter trying to photograph the war, when the battle escalated out of control. I bought this book on the strength of the film starring mel gibson, intending to. Reviews of the book versus movie illustrated some differences and although there was some artistic license taken when creating the movie, many vietnam veterans claimed that they got it.

We were soldiers is an account of the battle of ia drang, written by two survivors of it. We were soldiers once and young is a 1992 book by lt. Then came the 2002 movie, we were soldiers, starring mel gibson. Based on the bestselling book, we were soldiers once. Galloway, this compelling war drama depicts the true story of the first major battle between the united states and north vietnamese forces. We all shave in my outfit reporters included, he snapped. Then, nguyen huu an orders the execution of all surviving french soldiers to discourage any further french involvement. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was brutally slaughtered. We were soldiers is very different from other vietnam movies because does not address the political aspects of the war. And young summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching we were soldiers once.

The second author, joe galloway, was a upi the book opens with five pages listing those killed in the pleiku campaign in october and november 1965 when the war in. After reading general moores book, we were soldiers once, and young about november 14 thru 18 1965 battles in the ia drang valley, vietnam, this is a must read. According to research, he, along with his copilot major ed freeman, was credited with evacuating about 70 wounded soldiers from the battlefield during a coarse of 14 flights from 6. In november 1965, some 450 men of the 1st battalion, 7th cavalry, under the command of lt. The lead author, hal moore, was a lieutenant colonel in the 1st calvary division, one of the units at the front of the battle about which we were soldiers once and young is written. A world war ii soldier, republished as we were heroes, is the fourth book in the my name is america series.

The film also portrays the sense of brotherhood the soldiers felt that the real lieutenant colonel hal moore writes extensively about in his book that the film is. Based on the book we were soldiers once and young 1992 by lieutenant general ret. The real story of mel gibsons we were soldiers, the. Philip lombard, an adventurer, and william blore, an exdetective, think they have been hired to look out for trouble over the weekend. Plot summary for we were soldiers we were soldiers. A great follow up to their book we were soldiers once. Steered by randall wallace, we were soldiers is a mustwatch informative piece that tables the story of the americans involvement in the vietnam war of 1965. It was written by walter dean myers, his second for the series after the journal of joshua loper. The story of the first major battle of the american phase of the vietnam war, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news. American troops were transported by helicopter to clear landing zones and set up the command center of the operation at a large termite mound in landing zone xray lz xray.

The new york times bestseller, hailed as a powerful and epic story. The movie acted by mel gibson as the starring, takes the audience into the vast ia drang valley based in southern vietnams central highlands. The entire world was watching the conflict between the us and russia, but no one really understood or paid attention to what was happening in germany. The unit gets ambushed by north vietnamese army forces who kill the commanding officers and the unit is overrun. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. It was first published in june 1999 and reissued in march 2012 with new cover art. Joe galloway, a reporter, accompanies the troops into vietnam and tells the story of the first ground battle at ia drang. Ia drang the battle that changed the war in vietnam harold g. Marine corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all marines. Let us understand the situation we re goin into battle against a tough and determined. Scott collins, a sixteenyearold american soldier, fights in the. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of ghost soldiers by hampton sides. We were soldiers hangs on to the less problematic figures of the war movie the concerned commander, the tough, loveable sergeantmajor, the dedicated subaltern.

They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 north vietnamese soldiers. It focuses on the role of the first and second battalions of the 7th cavalry regiment in the battle of the ia drang valley, the united states first largeunit battle of the vietnam war. During midnovember 1965, moore then a lieutenant colonel led 450 officers and men from the us armys 1st cavalry division into the ia drang valley, a trackless waste near vietnams border with cambodia that served as a communist sanctuary and infiltration route into vietnams central highlands. Galloway, it dramatizes the battle of ia drang on november 14, 1965. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the good soldiers by david finkel. Within an hour after arriving at lz xray, 450 american and 2,000 north vietnamese soldiers were fiercely engaged in battle. The film chronicles the famous battle of ia drang valley in south vietnams central highlands.

Moore and his troops were put in harms way without knowing the enemy was within easy striking distance. Army infantry battalion, american journalist david finkels nonfiction book the good soldiers 2009 chronicles the 2007 troop surge during the iraq war. We were soldiers is a 2002 american war film directed by randall wallace and starring mel gibson. Throughout the history of the united states, women have always played an important part in. Moore mel gibson is a family man, and a harvard graduate who. The commandants choice for 1993 was we were soldiers once. Who were the 234 dead listed on panel 3 east of the wall whose memory hal moore and joe galloway honored with their book. Hal moore says, when he realized hed moved his men into slaughter. This means that the movie has no agenda and neither does it addresses why the soldiers are in vietnam. Gen hal moore, the battle in the ia drang valley, and the hardships that the americans went through in an exciting dramatization. In march 2002, paramount pictures released the film we were soldiers once.

A historical look at germany during the cold war from the us soldiers who served there volume 2 by bob kern shows a part of the cold war that many people know nothing about. In 1965, as america prepares to send its troops into south vietnams green central highlands, the devoted commander and seasoned paratrooper, lieutenant. Armys 7th air cavalry in 1965, when american troops were first becoming directly involved in fighting north vietnamese soldiers. It details the insertion of the air cavalry hueys into vietnam in 1967 its the book that the movie, we were soldiers was written from and its a first hand account by a man that wa actually there. Vera claythorne, a former governess, thinks she has been hired as a secretary. Galloway the random house publishing group, 1992 steve heiser u. Viewers learn about moore as a family man at the beginning of the film before moving to the ia drang valley in vietnam just a short while after the familys move to the fort. The lzs were about 30 minutes round trip from the base, and the 16. Galloway immediately repurposed his coffee water for shaving. But hollywood isnt sure in which war by maurice isserman, professor of history, hamilton college. Summary plot overview eight people, all strangers to each other, are invited to indian island, off the english coast. There you have the two emotional poles of we were soldiers, the story of the first major land battle in the vietnam war, late in 1965. Harold moore was a lieutenant colonel, the main commander for the americans in the battle. Galloway and moore wrote a second book, we are soldiers still, which he said grew out of a journey back to the battlefields of vietnam 25 years later.