Movie Review: We Were Soldiers Once Angela Lewis Student ID# 5849
Mountain State University, GIDS 504
Dr. Kenneth Miller
There is a plethora of exemplary leadership examples depicted in the movie entitled We Were Soldiers Once. Mel Gibson was brilliant in his leading role as Lt. Colonel Hal Moore who led his brigade into battle in Vietnam by being and doing exactly what he expected of his troops. He led by example. He modeled the way. He also exemplified the same leadership qualities portrayed on the battlefield in his roles as father and husband. Not only did Moore signify leadership qualities in his roles, but he expressed his commitment to leadership at all levels of his battalion by delegating that responsibility to all
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In so doing, they empower their subordinates and build their confidence.
This is vital to a thriving organization because empowerment says that the leader will stand behind you and support you when the going gets tough. He was also very direct and honest. He gave them no false hope by being straightforward with them about the possibility of not coming home alive. However, he did promise that they would all come home, dead or alive. Leaders have to be authentic and even at the worst possible outcome show integrity. This is how one creates a climate of trust and creating a climate of trust should be a leader’s first order of business. If there is mutual trust among the leader and his constituents, they can carry out their assignment with diligence, commitment and empowerment; when subordinates feel empowered they can move forward with creativity and initiative.
Colonel Moore demonstrated his creativity in the scene where the cannon would not fire because it was too hot and they had no water supply to cool it off. He showed that he was a leader who could think on his feet and improvise. He stood up and starting pissing on the cannon to cool it off and ordered his men to do the same. In war, and many times in business and personal
The Vietnam War was a nightmare for many soldiers. It re-defined the meaning of war to an entire generation. As the conflict grew it became known around the world that this was a war that could not be won. After this was realized by America the main focus became to "get out" instead of "getting a victory". In the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, directed by Randall Wallace, a true account of the first major battle in Vietnam is given. At the beginning of the film he introduces to us many of the soldiers and their families. This is a very smart technique, because it ensures that the audience not only will care about each one, but also tell them apart. Wallace exemplifies
Starship Troopers is a classic novel written in 1959 by retired Navy Lieutenant Robert Heinlein. At the time that it was published Starship Troopers was controversial yet won the Hugo Award in the 1960’s for being one of the best science fiction novels. One of the controversies surrounding the book is the main character’s history teacher’s view on violence and how violence “has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” The book had such a cult following that there has been a film adaptation. It is a work of literature that has stood the test of time and is being read in our schools today. This may not seem shocking for such a classic book, but being science fiction it is a true accomplishment.
An Army Leader is able and willing to act decisively, within the intent and purpose of his superior leaders, and in the best interest of the organization. Army leaders recognize that organizations built on mutual trust and confidence, successfully accomplish peacetime and wartime missions.” (2006, P. Viii). Balance molds a leader and in turn, an effective leader is a proactive person who works a whole lot smarter. President George Bush (1997) states, “Leadership to me means duty, honor, and country; It means character and it means listening from time to time.” (Adrain, p. 35).
At the end of the day, a true leader “in the army will do these three things live by the army core values, know the warrior ethos, and lead by example”-MSI textbook. Leaders both in and out of the army are held to a higher standard holding themselves in a professional manner at all times. The success of the group is attributed to the leadership styles and core values instilled in the solider to do his job effectively. General Eisenhower once
As an army chaplain, I see leadership as a responsibility that must be upheld regardless of the situation. That means I should be able to demonstrate a good example of a true leader. My name is CH (CPT) Idowu, Oyedeji a C4 student at USACHCS, Fort Jackson, SC. I am writing this paper to share my view on what leadership philosophy should look like.
It’s a known fact that that the Vietnam War was fought by young American soldiers that bled and died next to one another in the jungles of Vietnam. With many wins and loses throughout the war there were over 58,000 American casualties by wars end. The movie, “We Were Soldiers” focuses on the role of the United State’s 7th Calvary Regiment in the Battle of Ia Drang, which was the first large-unit battle of the Vietnam War. Lt. Col. Hal Moore commanded the 7th Calvary Regiment that landed a helicopter in an area named “X-Ray” located in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam. LT. Col. Moore found himself and his men defending an area no bigger than
There are a number of qualities that quantify good leaderships and good leaders. According to Kouzes and Posner in their book The Leadership Challenge, all successful leaders have (5) practices in common. They “Model the Way”, “Inspire a shared vision”, “Challenge the process”, “enable others to act” and “encourage the heart”(15). Never is there a more important time to have exemplary leadership, than in a time of war. Both the American Civil War and World War II showed what was possible through good leadership. From abolishing slavery and preserving the Union, to fighting tyranny and oppression abroad, both events in American history had a profound impact on all those involved. The impact would most certainly be different if not for the leadership of Colonel Lawrence Chamberlain of the Union Army during the Civil War and General George S. Patton during World War II. Both leaders possessed the 5 practices essential for god leadership, yet both leaders to different approaches to accomplish their goals.
Finally, Eisenhower has experienced leadership by leading his men into the war without any hesitation and without any regrets. In the poem The Odyssey by Homer and in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Odysseus and Atticus experience kleos, violence and leadership through bravery. If a person searches up hero online
The quote above personifies what type of person LT. Colonel Moore was. In today’s society you will rarely find individuals such as LTC. Hal Moore that exhibit those rare qualities of what a leader should be. In this essay I will describe some of the leadership qualities that are displayed in the movie We Were Soldiers. I will also discuss how the characteristics were portrayed, evaluate the success or lack of for each, apply a real life situation and explain how his leadership style affected those who followed.
We Were Soldiers Once and Young is a history book written by LT. GEN. Harold G. Moore (RET.) and Joseph L. Galloway. The history book is based on the Vietnam War, which took place in 1965. The Battle of Ia Drang was said that it was the battle that changed the war in Vietnam. The book is a tribute to all the soldiers in the war and for their great braveness, love, and care for one another. It was a bloody war, but very inspiring to read about the courageous soldiers who put their lives on the line for the United States of America.
The New York Times Bestseller We Were Soldiers Once... And Young was authored by Lt. General Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. In November 1965, Lt. Colonel Harold Moore commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th cavalry at the Ia Drang Valley-one of the bloodiest battles of Vietnam. He eventually retired from the Army in 1977 after thirty-two years of service. After his military career, Lieutenant General Moore resided as executive vice president for four years at a Colorado ski resort before founding a computer software company. Harold Moore currently lives in Auburn, Alabama and Crested Butte, Colorado.
I really enjoyed this play as it kept me wondering what will happen next and taught me some life lessons on how people react or make decisions. As I read on this play goes into the man Sergeant Vernon C. Waters personality and who he really was. We learn that Sergeant Waters hates being black and anyone who may exhibit black characteristics or stereotypes for example. For example in Act Two we learn that Sergeant Waters does not really like C.J. as he frames him and provokes him to attack so that he could be arrested for any reason. Sergeant Waters admits to this is Act Two and wanted C,J. arrested so the world would be free of one more simpleton colored boy. In Sergeant Waters’s
There are many defining characteristics of a good leader. It is not one characteristic alone, but many combined that exemplify good leadership. Robert Shaw in the film “Glory” displays the qualities of self-sacrifice, his ability to connect with his men to gain their trust and respect and to make difficult decisions that were in the best interest of all of them. Although the beginning of the film depicts Robert Shaw as being overly difficult on them, eventually he begins to realize that the men of the 54th infantry want to be there, and they are willing to continue training as hard as possible without any of the typical resources given to the infantry.
LTC Moore was the commander of the First Battalion of the Seventh Cavalry, that was the first to engage the enemy in a major conflict. The book does an excellent job illustrating his steadfast courage under fire, and sound use of tactics. Which can be easily argued as one of the key reasons why this engagement is called a battle and not a massacre of U.S. soldiers. Moore constantly anticipated the enemy commander's moves. He concentrated his limited man power, artillery, and air support; exactly where the enemy would attack. As stated before, Joseph Galloway is the co-writer of this book and was the only reporter on the scene during the battle. He literally begged his way onto a helicopter that was doing a return trip to drop off ammunition and other supplies. While there, he not only took some amazing combat photographs, which are illustrated in the book, but also helped tend to the wounded and even picked up a rifle to help hold the line. Moore and Galloway collaborated to write a passionate novel in gripping detail as only people who have witnessed war and their friends dying in front of them could. They have even gone through the trouble of contacting the
Even though a soldier is made for war they are still human on the inside so if they start to feel a range of different emotions it is not odd, I have chosen to explore ‘the portrayal of soldiers’ the movies I will focus on are: ‘Pearl Habour by Michael Bay, American Sniper by Clint Eastwood, Black Hawk Down by Ridley Scott and the song Hero Of War performed by Rise Against to see if there are any similarities in the emotions of soldiers whether it be a sense of pride or a feeling of depression.