We Were Soldiers (2002) ♡ MOVIE REACTION - FIRST TIME WATCHING!

[@Centane]

First got copyrighted and blocked, hopefully this one will work ♥ Thank you if you watched the previous one and also joined in on this one

[@mikealvarez2322]

Ed "Too Tall" Freeman and Snake Shit Crandall both earned the Medal of Honor for their actions in Ia Drang.

[@waltshields5483]

The opening scene where the French Mobile Group 100 was wiped out happened at the Mang Yang Pass. The French lost around 2000 men. They were buried at the top of the pass with all of them facing toward France. My first hump in Vietnam was in the Ia Drang Valley. Hated it then, hate it still today.

[@mikealvarez2322]

The granade the Vietnamese soldier threw at the American soldier causing his face to catch fire is a phosphorus grenade. Pouring water on it only makes it worse. You have to cut it out or it will burn through the victim. The Japanese / American Soldier, Jimmy Nakayama died 2 days later from his burns. In a documentary I saw about the battle Joe Galloway talks about carrying the man to the helicopter and how skin and muscles from his ankles came off in his hands.

[@michaelallen3894]

Galloway relates that story in Vietnam in HD the History channel series. It's heartbreaking.

[@gazoontight]

White phosphorus ignites spontaneously on contact with air, and it is almost impossible to extinguish. Given enough time it will burn through anything, even concrete. One soldier was digging the burning chemical out of the other soldier with his bayonet. Horrible stuff.

[@yes_i_am_THAT_michael_taylor]

During the Gulf War, Joe Galloway was our imbedded reporter. Gen McCaffrey said he was the only reporter he trusted to tell the truth about what was going on. RIP, Joe. RIP, Gen Moore.

[@McPh1741]

I enjoyed this movie. I read the book afterwards. I found it on the care package table while I was deployed to the UAE in 2002. I was surprised that the movie is literally half of the book. That little narration at the end about their sister battalion (2nd Battalion, 7th Cav) being ambushed and nearly wiped out was the second half. This was a good movie though. The charge at the end is fictional and a lot events have been compressed to put them in the movie but it's still well made and a great tribute to those who were there. The 7th Cavalry Regiment of the US Army was commanded by General George Custer and suffered a major defeat in 1876 against the Native American Sioux at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. 5 of the 12 companies were wiped out and the 210 men led by Custer were massacred along with him. It was thought to be a bad omen to have the 7th Cavalry designation at the time.

[@mikealvarez2322]

My late first wife was an Occupational Therapist Intern at the VA Hospital in Gainesville, Florida in the late 1960s. On many a day she would come home in tears and I could tell she had worked with a severely injured Vietnam War vet. I was often not home as I was also a full time student and working. There was one young soldier that had suffered a head wound that really got to her. Of course she bottled up her emotions when she was on duty.😢

[@craigmarshall8377]

The NVA strategy at Ia Drang was to engage the Americans and create as many casualties as possible. The reporter wrote the book on which this movie was based.

[@skiptrace1888]

Centaine, I am astonished at your real genuine reaction to the horror of war. I served in the U.S. Army in Iraq. I thought about writing a book about the war. But I realized that words cannot convey the essence of war. But your tears and anguish and chagrin and being dumbfounded can capture for a moment, the absurdity of what we call war. Thank you for that! You get my love, hugs, and kisses, and my most heartfelt gratitude !!! May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and honor you with all the desires of your heart! ❤😂🎉😊🎉😊❤

[@wakebacon8301]

Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) was a great leader, reading about his life after watching this movie was interesting. Basil L Plumley (Sam Elliot) was such a bad ass, He and Sam became great friends, He attended Plumley's funeral when he passed away.

[@MarcoMM1]

A quick word about Joe Galloway… he was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device (meaning for valor) for assisting wounded soldiers during this battle while risking his own life. He was the only civilian to be awarded the Bronze Star for valor for actions during the Vietnam War. COL Moore's wife helped change the Army in how it supports the spouses of soldiers. You should check it out because she did so much! Also, the parts filmed on the base were filmed on fort benning which as of last year was renamed Fort Moore. Keep up the good work.

[@curtism-w6b]

Civilian? Wasn't he in the army? But a photographer?

[@MarcoMM1]

@curtism-w6b yep civilian he was a newspaper correspondent and columnist. During the Vietnam War, he often worked alongside the American troops. You can search if you want.

[@curtism-w6b]

@MarcoMM1 I will. I thought he was a military journalist which means he was in the army already.

[@smily4]

Not sure if you noticed but the actor who played Galloway, the photographer/videographer, was the same guy who was the sniper in Saving Private Ryan. Also, I really do appreciate your reactions, especially to war movies and shows, even just saying nothing, as sometimes, as you said, "you can't say anything to do justice to it."

[@loadmastergod1961]

That was a white phosphorous grenade, aka Willie Pete, useful for burning thru doors, artillery barrels etc. Burns at 800c iirc. That's why they had t cutt it our of his face

[@TMConstructionOntario]

This is gonna be another hard one..Thank you to all the Vietnam vet's, ya'll got treated like sh1t by everyone and did not deserve it.

[@scottdarden3091]

Your welcome

[@scottdarden3091]

Colonel Moore made sure Bruce Crandall ( Snake Shit) and Ed Freeman ( Too Tall) received the Medal Of Honor for their actions at La Drang.😊 The story of Joe Galloway's Great Grandfather's meeting in Galveston every year to buy shoes is true.😊 And Lt Colonel Crandall did pull a gun on the commander of the Mediavac unit but it was in his room while he was sleeping that night.

[@tonydeluna8095]

Brings back old memories! Love this movie! I was back in high school when this came out 2002

[@Centane]

[@benschultz1784]

Moore was upset about his unit being named the 7th Cavalry because the original 7th Cav. was massacred to a man at the Battle of Little Bighorn by Lakota Sioux warriors, and Moore thought it was bad luck. White phosphorus ("Willy Pete") was initially developed by the British during WWI as a smokescreen generator, and later learned of its incendiary capabilities. The use of white phosphorus (or other incendiary weapons like napalm) are considered war crimes by the UN.

[@Bakura5445]

For historical context, Hal isn't happy about about taking over the 7th Cavalry because it's bad luck to command a unit that had been wiped out. General George Armstrong Custer lost the battle of Little Big Horn (and the entire 7th Cavalry Regiment) in 1876 when due to his arrogance and incompetence, he was overrun by superior numbers of Plains Indians Warriors.

[@fastecp1]

AKA Custer's Last Stand. Custer and some 200 men in his battalion were attacked by as many as 3,000 Native Americans; within an hour, Custer and his soldiers were dead.

[@johnortmann3098]

I got through the first one OK. Nice job.

[@SilentBob731]

37:15 This is "Sgt. MacKenzie" by Joseph Kilna MacKenzie. "Sgt. MacKenzie" is a lament written and sung by Joseph Kilna MacKenzie (1955-2009), in memory of his great-grandfather who was killed in combat during World War I. Hauntingly beautiful...

[@duanelavely5481]

This battle took place in 1965. I arrived "in country" during the Tet Offensive in 1968. I remember leaving our apt. with my wife still in bed. During my 1 yr. tour of Viet. she filed for a divorce. After Tet, I was sent to relieve troops sent to S. Korea in response to the hijacking of the USS Pueblo by N. Korea. We were then relieved 2 mos. later by Ca. Nat. Guard & returned to Viet. with the assistance of Air America (CIA airlines). I've always felt guilty about my Viet. duty. 1.) I still feel that we deserted the S. Vietnamese people resulting in untold deaths. 2.) Surely someone that didn't make it back would have done more with their life than I have so why me? I don't know why but I have to watch all of the war movies & reaction videos even though they make me cry. This movies reminds me how young we were. I remember having to go to the base hospital to have a bandage changed & seeing a row of large laundry carts parked along the outside wall of the hospital. Each cart was full to overflowing with bloody linens from surgeries the night before due to a major fire fight. I also remember an irreverent twist on the 23rd Psalm often seen engraved on cigarette lighters, "Yea, though I walk through the Shadow of the Valley of Death, I will fear no evil: for I am the evilest son of a bitch in the Valley". Memories?

[@dennisholland8369]

Every soldier fills out a will.

[@garytomblin3572]

I'm really glad you and your editors didn't cut away and paid respects by showy the memorial at the end!

[@jacobstewart3428]

On her personal time, she needs to watch the operations room on this battle. It's awesome. So much more happened they couldn't show

[@michaelragnarsson3476]

The thing I love most about this film is how they try to show all different POVs and how war affects not just the men on the field but also the people at home and even the enemy

[@lukenshazard127]

My wife’s favorite war movie because of the wive’s perspective.

[@zooks527]

The black and white photos during the battle scene are the actual ones taken by Joe Galloway.

[@frantaf]

I love helicopters, beatifull and elegant machines. TV medical/helicopter series Medicopter is one of my favourite.

[@4Kandlez]

You have such a pure heart Kamilla. Mel Gibson is a very talented actor/director, there's no one better at conveying the heartache of the people left behind when a loved one is taken away.

[@nicholascrespo9003]

The pilot focused on in this movie, Bruce Crandall, earned the Medal of Honor for the flight missions he led during this battle. A true testament tp ARMY aviation.

[@mikealvarez2322]

Kamilla, here is something few people know. Don Duong, the actor that played Colonel Nguyen Huu An, was criticized by his fellow Vietnamese and the government for his portrayal of Col. Nguyen Huu An. They objected to the opening scene where he tells his men to kill the wounded French soldiers. He was denied the right to participate in any future film making (is this where our cancel culture got the idea?) and his passport was confiscated. He wrote a letter to his sons and they brought it to the attention of the press. People flocked to Don's side and the Vietnamese government relented and allowed him to move to the US with his family. Don Duong died in 2011 at age 54 from a heart attack and a brain haemorrhage.😢

[@wiseguy01]

No, as the US government made it literally illegal for news papers to criticize the USA joining WW2 and the USA deported Charlie Chaplin for speaking his mind. Americans have never really valued freedom of speech. You just pretend to.

[@ColdWarShot]

Colonel Hal Moore, would go on to rise to become the a pivotal General in the post-Vietnam War Army. He went on to become the Deputy Chief of Personnel of the Army, and made a lot of changes and improvements in the quality of life for soldiers. He implement social programs, and brought the army out of the worst recruiting and retention crisis in its entire history. Fort Benning in Georgia was renamed Fort Moore in 2023 both in recognize of him and his contributions to the Army and that of his Wife.

[@texasdustfart]

This is my Wife's favorite war movie as it shows what she went through when I went to war.

[@tomswift3482]

No matter how many times you see this one, it is always a difficult watch. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway's book on this, and the follow up battle, is stunning. In May, of last year, the training base in Georgia - Fort Benning, was renamed Fort Moore, in honor of Hal Moore, and his wife, Julia, for their "meaningful and lasting contributions" to the Army.

[@keeftaylor834]

One of the many soldiers not depicted in this movie is Rick Rescorla, despite his image being the cover of the book "We Were Soldiers Once, And Young," co-authored by Hal Moore and Joe Galloway. He was born and raised in England during WWII and immigrated to the US and decided to serve. He fought most valiantly in the Ia Drang campaign, and throughout his tour in Vietnam. He would later be employed by Stanley Morgan if memory serves me correct at the World Trade Center. He predicted a terrorist attack in the basement of the WTC before it occurred. After the 1993 bombing, Mr Rescorla knew this would be a target again...and conducted evacuation drills regularly. On 9/11, Rick saved countless lives and was last seen going up the tower to find more people. His last known words were to his wife on a cell phone call, "Stop crying. I have to get these people out safely. If something should happen to me, I want you to know I've never been happier. You made my life."

[@CPLChavez]

Kamilla I have been waiting for this one for you to react to. I work in the auto parts industry and one of my customers, his name is Frank, was there when this happened. He served as an MP (Military Police) on the base in Vietnam. When this battle happened, he Volunteered and flew with Snakeshit several times as one of his door gunners. I asked and he said this movie was pretty closely accurate on what it showed and who the men were. With one exception. He said Sam Elliots portrayal of Sgt. Maj. Plumley was close but the real Plumley was meaner, nastier and scarier in person, he said with deep admiration and respect. But overall, the filmmakers and cast did a good job. I look forward to seeing many more of your movie reactions and anime reactions in the future. May i suggest an Anime for you to watch that quietly was released in 2021, Eighty-Six. (Just do the main episodes of 1-23, the half episodes are only fillers and not needed, and watch the episodes all the way through.

[@mikealvarez2322]

The actor that plays the N. Vietnamese General is Vietnamese.

[@mikealvarez2322]

Was Vietnamese. He died in 2011. See my comments about him.

[@4Kandlez]

Good casting then

[@harmandeepsingh6598]

Fort Bragg is called Fort Moore now.

[@eriklehman5782]

During the onset of Vietnam the army indeed wasn't ready for the amount of casualties, they had cab companies delivering telegrams to the widows and in the scene where Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Geoghegan went around to deliver the telegrams. After the military received pressure from the families of the fallen as well as Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Geoghegan, the U.S. Armed Forces set up casualty notification teams that are used today to inform the next of kin of the death and to help the families as best they can.

[@mickt3390]

Loved this movie v,,,,,bruce willis tears of the sun ,,,brutal movie as in hard hitting

[@bigwrig0485]

Thank you for leaving the war memorial and names scene in. Not alot of reactors do that.

[@jaykaufman9782]

The first scene of "We Were Soldiers" shows the Viet Minh (predecessor to the People's Army of Vietnam) massacring French wounded in the Mang Yang Pass on 24 June 1954. This became a huge issue in Vietnam after the film was released. The filmmakers went out of their way to show the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley from all points-of-view: American military, military wives, a civilian reporter, and the North Vietnamese. The film ducks the issue of PAVN murdering American wounded. The official US Army casualty numbers are 234 killed and 242 wounded; there was usually a 5:1 ratio of wounded to killed in Vietnam. The explanation is the PAVN shot all the wounded Americans they found on the ground at Ia Drang. The Communists already took no prisoners among South Vietnamese and Laotian soldiers; after the Ia Drang it was clear they also massacred Americans, and afterwards the U.S. never left wounded men behind, and medevac achieved the 5:1 ratio. (The North Vietnamese did take airmen shot down over North Vietnam prisoner, and tortured them for military information, propaganda, etc.) This was a sore point with Communist propagandists and their admirers around the world. They ignored the unending crimes by their side and played up the smallest incidents by South Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Americans, South Koreans, and Australians. Decades later Hanoi is still hyper-sensitive about their war crimes. Vietnamese film star Ɖương Dơn played Colonel Nguyễn Hữu An (1926-1995), commander of PAVN forces at the Ia Drang. Duong Don (1957-2011) was one of Vietnam’s most famous celebrities. He appeared in fifty films and won several awards, including the Vietnamese equivalent of the Best Actor Oscar. The government approved Duong Don’s appearance in "We Were Soldiers." The authorities apparently skipped the part of the script involving the French, and after the film’s release the authorities punished Duong Don for the reference to the 1954 massacre of the wounded of Groupement Mobile No. 100! The Vietnam Actors Association expelled him, ending his career. The government barred him from leaving the country. Mel Gibson and the other filmmakers of "We Were Soldiers" protested the treatment of their former cast member, raising a stink. But almost no other Hollywood actor, director, or producer spoke up for Duong Don. The Communists relented, but Duong Don’s career was over. He and his family fled to the United States, but he couldn’t find work in Hollywood. He did a single South Korean film and died in exile a dozen years ago.

[@michaelnewsham1412]

Almost every commentator skips the last words of the Vietnamese commander: "Such a tragedy. They will think this was their victory. So this will become an American war. And the end will be the same, except for the numbers who will die before we get there."

[@McPh1741]

Great reaction as alway. Another really good war movie that tend to fly under the radar is the 2005 movie "The Great Raid" starring James Franco. It's base on an actaul event and is about 80% accurate. I hope you consider adding it to your watchlist. Another one of my favorites is 'The Beast" aka "The Beast of War" from 1988 starring Jason Patrick.

[@OLDFa_t7205]

Add “Streets of Fire” 1984. to your list of movies to watch. This is an under rated rock & roll type of movie. With performances of hit songs from the 1980's. A mercenary is hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped. Including Rick Moranis, William Dafoe, Bill Paxton, Amy Madigan and others.

[@mikealvarez2322]

The best Vietnam War movie and the most accurately historically, besides WE WERE SOLDIERS is HAMBURGER HILL. It amazes me that so few people have reacted to it. Check it out. BTW, for all the PLATOON, APOCALYPSE NOW, and FULL METAL JACKET there is a Lt. Col. that fought in that war that says those movies do not portray the men he knew fighting in Vietnam. I wish I could remember the Lt. Col's name.

[@gazoontight]

Watching again.

[@curtism-w6b]

Everybody is a gangster until it's time to do gangster 💩. When it goes down, you have to get aggressive enough, quick enough.

[@GeoffNelson]

Always a good cry

[@paulalexandredumasseauvan2357]

doggone youtube 😖 ALWAYS NICE to see your smiling face 👍☺

[@SilentBob731]

Hope you have your tissues handy, M'Lady, because this is a rough one. Between the chaos and tragedy on the battlefield, the heartbreak and trauma on the home-front, and the representation of the other side as actual human beings fighting for what they believed in, I'd rank this as one of the finest War Movies of all-time (even if the war itself was completely unnecessary and scarred a whole generation, and some subsequent generations, for life).

[@dennisholland8369]

You need to watch Galloway the reporter interview.

[@curtism-w6b]

"That's scarier than any horror movie." Yeah, because it's real. Monsters aren't.

[@azmusiclover3384]

I know you're not a US citizen, but you owe it to yourself to go to Washington DC and visit the memorials and learn how US soldiers sacrifices have moulded the world. Hope you get the chance! You're Amazing! ❤

[@williambranch4283]

Outnumbered 20 to 1.

[@digitalbegley]

Ultimately the Americans should never have been there and the wash should never have been fought. 20 years of war and it didn't change a single thing. Apart from the lives of the people that were killed, and America got off lightly.

[@gallendugall8913]

One of the few war films to provide insight into why so many relationships break up during a war. The stress of constantly being exposed to news about the war, usually reported in terms of casualty numbers, is emotionally exhausting.

[@EnglishJim]

Deja vu ? i swear i watched this last night ? lol

[@Centane]

read the pinned comment Jim ☺️

[@EnglishJim]

@@Centane Oh yeah my bad 😂

[@ImBetterThenYou]

Downfall reaction ? I highly recommend it .

[@creasefold1986]

Never should have been there

[@JackyJames1]

This movie is not accurate despite being a true story! Notice everything is dry while everything was wet and 50 % of M-16 jammed , nothing was shown about the bugs or snakes... typical mel gibson horrible try of a true story!

[@mikearmstrong8483]

That's just scratching the surface. First, this was actually a battle we lost, easy to look up. Second, there was no bayonet charge. Third, the helicopter hovering just above the ground in the enemy camp and pivoting to fire is laughably ludicrous. Lastly, Broken Arrow does NOT and never has meant a unit being overrun needs all available air support. It refers to a specific level of nuclear weapon accident and requires a very specific reporting procedure to a very specific level of command. One does not declare Broken Arrow by just yelling the words into a radio. I am well aware that Col Moore was an advisor for this film, but he didn't have control over the script. The Broken Arrow story originated much later in a book written by the son of his radioman, who wasn't there.

[@skiptrace1888]

Please respond to: FULL METAL JACKET SAVING PRIVATE RYAN

[@Centane]

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is alreadyon my channel ☺️ its actually my most viewed video! 👏🏼💓

[@skiptrace1888]

@@Centane ok beautiful thank you soooooooo much!

[@mikearmstrong8483]

Typical Mel Gibson entertainment. Great action movie, as long as you're not looking for much historical accuracy. Fun to watch, but don't expect to get educated about the topic. Although the part about the telegrams was correct.

[@cliveklg7739]

As usual, Mel Gibson propaganda BS. Especially the ending.

[@buddystewart2020]

Sigh, only 4 mins in and so much outstanding dialog, lost. Ok, I watched another 50 seconds and the edits are just killing the dialog. I can't do it. I think I'm damn near done with YT movie reactions. They just can't do it justice. I know a lot is due to copyright, but, I can't deal with the results of it.

[@mikealvarez2322]

I have a problem with the wife that doesn't know she is living in Democrat controlled South. The year is 1964. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement have been around for a while and this woman doesn't know what Whites Only means. I moved up to NC in 1969. The first thing that hit me was a huge billboard sign in Goldsboro that read, "Welcome to Klan Country." The sign had a white hooded rider on a horse that was rearing up on its hind legs. I guess the script writer and the director wanted to get in the fact that Black Soldiers were going to fight for a country that considered them second class citizens. BTW, if you want to know where the Nazis got their ideas for the Nuremberg Laws that stripped Jews of so many of their rights you don't have to look any further than the Jim Crow South. The Nazis just took the word "Negro" out and inserted "Jew".

[@ramstrong1961]

Colonel Douglas Macgregor 1) Trump and the Storm of the Century 2) Netanyahu Arrest Warrant! (Judging Freedom)

[@4Kandlez]

Is this some sort of riddle, wtf are you talking about