We Were Soldiers vs. Platoon

James R. McDonough sets a spectacular example of what it is to be a second lieutenant in the United States Army and what it is truly like to lead a group of enlisted soldiers for the first time. Lieutenant McDonough, a graduate of West Point, was deployed as a platoon leader in a small fort with the mission of holding a Vietnamese village out of the hands of the Viet Cong. When he arrived, Lieutenant McDonough discovered that the former Lieutenant and platoon leader of the 2d Platoon, Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 503d Infantry (Airborne) hardly ever left his

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. 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 right”.

The author of this book starts off by explaining how Lima Company’s First Platoon started. Fresh new boots out of the SOI (School of Infantry) that were trained to fight in combat as well as open up to each other and create wonderful bonds with one another. After training, they were finally sent to AFG where they spent months patrolling and

Among these leaders was Bravo Company’s 1st platoon’s SFC Robert Gallagher. The platoon endured terrible living conditions including no running water and filthy living space. These inadequate living conditions must be met with some relaxation on the standards they were expected to follow. Company leadership viewed this as a bribe to keep the soldiers in high spirits. In reality, they set the stage for the erosion of the morals the enlisted soldiers are supposed to possess. While the morals were being chipped away, so was the original plan the battalion had hoped to follow. Fragmentation orders became a pseudo-standard for the boys of Bravo Company. What had originally started as short-term overnight patrol bases turned into fortified traffic control points with the exception of any form of fortification other than in notion only. Despite the fact that platoon-level leadership requested for supplies they were repeatedly turned down. A major breakdown in the communication between the leadership created a loss in faith in the higher leadership for the lower-enlisted soldiers on the ground. Very soon into deployment, Bravo Company began to experience contact with unseen enemy forces. The enemy was able to engage and plant IED’s and cause casualties while remaining elusive. After the first few casualties within the company, the mission to start set up traffic control points was to begin. While conducting patrols down the road time and time

In the movie Platoon, the author, Oliver Stone, tells us a story about an American soldier in Vietnam during the war. The story is mostly based on his own experience when he went there. Even though the story is fictional, he keeps it really realistic and the more close possible to what was reality in Vietnam. He shows how that war was hell for the soldiers we sent there and also for the local population. Oliver Stone produced Platoon to show his disapproval of the war in Vietnam, because that war harmed the American soldiers that went there and also the population that they were supposed to protect. To deliver his political message, Stone used different elements of a movie like the structure of the plot, cinematic techniques and

The 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) has a proud history of accomplishments. It has served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Historically, the morale across the brigade was high; leaders took care of their Soldiers, and all of them did their best to train them, accomplish missions successfully, and support them in any way. The 4th ABCT HQ, as well as each of the battalions, were highly efficient and effective, and most of them were jubilant to be part of the brigade. Three years ago, one of the best maneuver brigades in FORSCOM was the 4th ABCT. The brigade had focus; leaders and soldiers were dedicated, and there was a strong work ethics. However, the 4th is facing some challenges ahead that are going to make difficult to reach its full potential. Amongst several leadership problems, there is a major one. There is not an organizational vision in the brigade, and if there is, it is unclear and poorly evident.

War changes people, it transforms them and let's out deep emotions and actions that they never thought they had. These transformations of the human soul are best shown with in the film Platoon with the character Chris Taylor and the chapter Sweetheart of The Song Tra Bong in the book The Things They Carried written by Tim O’Brien revolving around the character Mary Ann Bell. The two stories both similar in the way of a character changing from the experience of war; Chris Taylor a man who arrives at Vietnam pale faces and innocent, joining the war thinking he's doing it for the greater good, quickly realizes that he's not in his element. Just as Chris Taylor, Mary Bell comes to Vietnam pale faced and innocent but she comes to the war to

This unit was practicing improper procedures for their soldiers were drinking, doing drugs, and visiting local brothels. From a tactical stand point the 48th infantry was no better in this aspect either. The patrols they conducted were inadequate and performed far from often. The area supposed to be under their control became dangerous because the insurgents moving in the area were virtually unchallenged. This was no feat for the 101st and 1st platoon because the 101st is a tactically sound unit that could establish control and a presence in the area but for soldiers that had to do so upon arrival when it was supposed to be maintained is not necessarily a good thing. The company commander of bravo, Cpt. Goodwin decided the best way to take back control of their area of operations is to have a three station cycle for his company. Each platoon would have a twenty-one day rotation at a different location carrying out a different task. The three tasks were to set up TCP on a main roads, set up a FOB and be the quick reaction force for the other platoons, and the third task was to patrol the city as per guidance from higher. The least liked job was manning the TCP’s. The soldiers did not like this job because they knew soldiers sitting in the open made for easy targets. The task of patrolling was no easy feat either, as stated earlier the previous unit left the city in poor conditions. The roads were filled with

Beginning my love of reading an early age, I was never the type of child who was drawn to fictional stories. As an 8 year-old child in West Virginia, I was recognized by the local library for my love of biographies, autobiographies and recollections of world events. This love has continued throughout my adult life, desiring to read novels such as “We Were Soldiers Once…and Young” by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore rather than watch the major motion picture “We Were Soldiers” starring Mel Gibson. Even though the motion picture received multiple awards, when reading the recollection of Mr. Moore’s accounts, the feeling of loss, distress, anxiety and fear can be felt in each word that he has written while reliving this horrendous war.

The video I chose to watch was “The Wounded Platoon”. The population related to this video that faces difficulties in terms of access to health care are United States veterans. This video specifically mentions veterans of the Third Platoon, who were deployed to fight during the Iraq War. One overarching difficulty this population has in terms of access to health care is a lack of wanting to come forward. One soldier stated that those who came forward with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) feared ridicule. PTSD is very stigmatized, especially in the military, where it is stated that coming forward with symptoms of PTSD could be considered “a sign of weakness”. Many veterans claimed they did not need help and reported no mental duress. However, it was shown that many of these veterans were self-medicating. It was stated that there was an over three thousand percent increase in Fort Carson soldiers failing drug tests after the Iraq War.

The next part of the book detailed a very sharp decline in the morale and unit cohesion of Bravo Company, but primarily first platoon. The death of Nelson and Casica was the first. Nelson and Casica died when a shooter opened fire on a TCP with a 9mm at

One of the few differences I could find that historically never happened in the real Battle of the Ia Drang, but happened in the final battle scene of the film, was Lt. Col. Moore’s bayonet charge into the oncoming North Vietnamese. According to the book, “We Were

As they began to clear the routes in the AO the casualties starting occurring. After some time had passed all the platoons had experienced many deaths and were starting to lose a lot of their platoon leadership. The mounting pressure of combat combined with the pressure coming down from LTC Kunk communication between the company and battalion level leadership began to digress. With morale lowering with every day and casualty that went by the men began to run the tactical checkpoints that they had set up ruthlessly. They weren’t treating civilian harshly and would even harass them physically. This gave them a notorious record among the Iraqi civilians. Going into December 2005 the men had begun to relax on their own standard operating procedures along the

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.