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We Were Soldiers (2002)

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The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War and the soldiers on both sides that fought it.

Director:

Writers:

(book) (as Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore), (book) | 1 more credit »
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2,224 ( 1,103)
1 win & 5 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Capt. Matt Dillon
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Capt. Tom Metsker
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Storyline

In a place soon to be known as The Valley of Death, in a football field-sized clearing called landing zone X-Ray, Lt. Colonel Hal Moore and 400 young troopers from the newly formed 1/7th Cavalry Regiment of the US 1st Air Cavalry Division were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers dug into the tunnel warren mountainside. The ensuing battle was one of the most savage in U.S. history and is portrayed here as the signal encounter between the American and North Vietnamese armies. We Were Soldiers Once... And Young is a tribute to the nobility of those men under fire, their common acts of uncommon valor, and their loyalty to and love for one another. Written by PHD in CT USA

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Fathers, Brothers, Husbands & Sons. See more »

Genres:

Action | Drama | History | War

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sustained sequences of graphic war violence, and for language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

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Language:

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Release Date:

1 March 2002 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Lost Patrol  »

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$20,212,543 (USA) (1 March 2002)

Gross:

$78,120,196 (USA) (28 June 2002)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (cut) | (TV)

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

A good amount of the musical score is based around the song "Sgt. McKensie", which plays during the closing credits of the film. See more »

Goofs

Contrary to what's shown in the movie, Lieutenant Henry Herrick and 2nd Platoon did not recklessly charge after a lone NVA soldier, but were in fact ordered to advance out to the flank by Captain John Herren and did so in a disciplined manner. At one point, when coming to the clearing shown in the film, Herrick stopped and radioed back on whether or not he should continue through it or go around it, which was when he and his men were attacked by the NVA.

It was also Herrick's platoon that inflicted the first casualties on the NVA in said attack, not the other way around as shown in the movie. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Joe Galloway: [Narrating; voice-over] These are the true events of November, 1965, the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam, a place our country does not remember, in a war it does not understand. This story's a testament to the young Americans who died in the valley of death, and a tribute to the young men of the People's Army of Vietnam who died by our hand in that place. To tell this story, I must start at the beginning. But where does it begin? Maybe in June of 1954 when French Group Mobile 100 moved ...
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Connections

References Broken Arrow (1950) See more »

Soundtracks

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me
By Harry Noble
Performed by Tommy Blaize
Produced by Nick Glennie-Smith
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Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Behind even a forgotten war lies the memory of the fallen...
5 November 2003 | by (USA) – See all my reviews

Behind even a forgotten war lies the memory of the fallen...This movie is definitely among the top 10 films ever made. It places the viewer right in the middle of the Vietnam War, grabs their emotions and sets them free. This movie commemorates the memories and makes heroes of each and every husband, brother, and son involved in a forgotten war- a war that was dismissed and frowned upon by the American nation as a whole. The film also takes the viewer into the home of the soldier. It invades the private life of the loved ones at home. We feel as though we are a part of the family in one scene, and the buddy of a fallen soldier in the next. A wife, child, friend of a soldier gone to war to fight for an ungrateful nation one minute, and the next the brave and loyal soldier. This moving and true story will take its viewer and bestow upon them a closer understanding, and a greater respect and gratefulness for our nation's true heroes.


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Worst scene, always ruins it for me daddymo
Glaringly obvious that this was California. toddtemple28
Anybody else have my humble opinion on this movie? cubstml
Shoulder Patches moonpuppy_ver1-1
Lt. Moore's Worst Command Decision? eliotno3
It was as though the director.. dosedhost
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