We were Soldiers...Quite an unexpecting title for a post on my blog huh? 'Cause those who know me would never have guess to see such words coming out from my mouth. However, it's actually the title of a movie I just watched bout 3hours ago. It's a Midnight Movie on Channel 5. I didn't really expect myself to watch a War Movie actually, but the first part of the movie was quite funny. So, I followed the story till the end.
The movie is about the Vietman War in the 1960s, with the Americans & Vietmanese having a war with one another in Vietnam. The movie is more towards the American Army and the main actor is Mel Gibson, acting as Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore.
I watched the movie due to its humourous script in the beginning. Like Sergeant Ernie said to Sergeant Major Basil, "Beautiful morning, Sergeant." And Sergeant Major Plumley replied, "What are you a fucking weatherman now? " That made me laugh. And from there, I started to become interested in the movie. There's a 2nd Lieutenant Jack who said some things that were meaningful. He said that he wants to protect orphans, not making orphans. That's something worth fighting for.
So, when it was time for all the soldiers to go to war, Lt. Colonel Hal gave a speech to his men before going to battle. "I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear, before you and before Almighty God, that when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off, and I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together. So help me, God."
And he really was indeed the first man to step on the battlefield before anyone else. And so, the War began. I didn't really quite like the war part 'cause lots of the "heroes" of the movie eventually died. Like Jack (the one who wants to protect orphans) saw his friend being shot so he quickly carried him on his shoulder to go back to their base. However, while carrying his friend, he was shot and died. I almost cried at that part and shouted FUCK. During the war, a reporter apparently rode a helicopter going to the base. The pilot told him he was crazy but still gave him a ride. The reporter, Joe Galloway, then took shots of pictures with his camera. Lt. Colonel Hal Moore's boss, I guess it's the General, told him to come back to Headquarters but he told him that he won't leave his men behind as he made a promise to them. The really sad part is when the wives back at home in America receive letters bout their dead husbands in Vietnam.
The reporter was at the battlefield for a long time now until Sergeant Major Basil gave him a rifle to hold and shoot at anyone. Joe say he only shoots with his camera and is a non-combatant but the Sergeant said "Ain't no such thing today." And he did shoot some of the enemies with his rifle and back to shoot pictures soon after.
In the end, the Americans won the battle at the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam, using machine guns and missiles from helicopters & airplanes. But what really made me salute the Lieutenant (Mel Gibson) was when he said to Joe(reporter) "I'll never forgive myself."
Joe asked "For what, sir?"
And he replied, "That my men... that my men died and I didn't."
Now, that's a true Leader. He cried to see Jack dead as he was his favourite soldier and leader.
Joe didn't know what to write for his report and when his fellow reporters interviewed him, he was speechless and its as if he didn't care bout it. When friendly bombs exploded at the place, the interviewers ducked their heads while Joe simply stayed calm as he has heard the explosion many times to say that it was a friendly American bomb.
And the Lieutenant told him to write the story, tell the American people what these men did here. "You tell them how my troopers died." And Joe nodded. Finally, every American soldier from the field, dead or alive, headed back to Headquarters through the helicopters. And as promise, the Lieutenant was the last person to step off from the field.
Joe finally ended the movie with his story. "Some had families waiting, for others their only family would be the men they bled beside, there were no bands, flags no honor guards to welcome them home, they went to war because their country ordered them to, but in the end they fought not for country or their flag, they fought for each other. We who have seen war will never stop seeing it, in the silence of the night we will always hear the screams. So this is our story... For we were soldiers once and young."
