We Were Soldiers

Other mistake: In the scene where Mel Gibson fires off a few rounds into the nearby woods and bushes to see if there are any NVAs, there is a M60 crew, the weird thing about them is that you can only see the muzzle flame from the M60 the first couple of rounds - after that there is no muzzle flame, but the M60 continues to fire at the same rate.

Other mistake: When the black guy from their base gets shot in the head the camera slows down and you can see his forehead starts bleeding but there's no hole on his helmet. [Actually there is. If you pause it, you can see it on the (his) right side of his helmet. Although it looks as if it exploded outwards instead of inwards as a bullethole would.]

Factual error: At the end of the movie, Maj. Crandall is depicted as flying a UH-1 gunship, and attacking the NVA positions. Maj. Bruce Crandall was the Company Commander of A Co., 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division at the time of the Ia Drang battle. A/229th was a "lift" company, flying UH-1D "slicks" (troop carriers). There were no gunships assigned to that company. The gunships (UH-1Bs) supporting the battle were from D Co., 229th AHB. It's highly unlikely that Maj. Crandall would have commandeered an aircraft from the gunship company to attack the NVA.

rotorhead

More mistakes in We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I think you oughta get yourself an M-16.
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: Sir, if the time comes I need one, there'll be plenty lying on the ground.

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Trivia: After Hal Moore calls for "Broken Arrow" the shots of the A6 Intruders taking off from the aircraft carrier are taken from Flight Of The Intruder.

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Question: One of the deleted scenes has a young soldier relating a story about one of his tough old SNCOs who was terrified of Plumley. This tough old Sergeant arrives on parade naked except for two Medals of Honor. Is this possible? As far as I can work out the last dual recipients were during WW1 - posthumously.

david barlow

Chosen answer: Smedley Butler and Daniel Daly. Both were awarded the medal of honor twice, and lived to tell about it. Both were also U.S. Marines. More info here at http://www.grunts.net/legends/butler.html and http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/double.htm.

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