We Were Soldiers

20022002
RR
2h 18m

Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers (2002)

Home Video Trailer from Paramount Home Entertainment

Play trailer2:52

Action Drama History

The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the go... Read allThe story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.

Director
- Randall Wallace
Writers
- Harold G. Moore(book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young")
- Joseph Lee Galloway(book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young")
- Randall Wallace(screenplay)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 wins & 5 nominations

Videos1

We Were Soldiers

We Were Soldiers

Photos127

Mel Gibson and Sam Elliott in We Were Soldiers (2002)

Mel Gibson and Sam Elliott in We Were Soldiers (2002)

We Were Soldiers (2002)

Mel Gibson and Sam Elliott in We Were Soldiers (2002)

Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers (2002)

We Were Soldiers (2002)

Barry Pepper in We Were Soldiers (2002)

Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers (2002)

We Were Soldiers (2002)

Mel Gibson and Chris Klein in We Were Soldiers (2002)

We Were Soldiers (2002)

Madeleine Stowe, Keri Russell, and Simbi Kali in We Were Soldiers (2002)

Lt. Col. Hal Mooreas Lt. Col. Hal Moore

Madeleine Stowe

Julie Mooreas Julie Moore

Maj. Bruce Crandallas Maj. Bruce Crandall

Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumleyas Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley

2nd Lt. Jack Geogheganas 2nd Lt. Jack Geoghegan

Barbara Geogheganas Barbara Geoghegan

Joe Gallowayas Joe Galloway

Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu Anas Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An

Sgt. Ernie Savageas Sgt. Ernie Savage

1st Lt. Charlie Hastingsas 1st Lt. Charlie Hastings

2nd Lt. Henry Herrickas 2nd Lt. Henry Herrick

Sp4 Robert Ouelletteas Sp4 Robert Ouellette

Capt. Tony Nadalas Capt. Tony Nadal

Capt. Matt Dillonas Capt. Matt Dillon

Capt. Tom Metskeras Capt. Tom Metsker

Desmond Harrington

Sp4 Bill Beckas Sp4 Bill Beck

Sp4 Galen Bungumas Sp4 Galen Bungum

Sp4 Russell Adamsas Sp4 Russell Adams

Director
- Randall Wallace
Writers
- Harold G. Moore(book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young")
- Joseph Lee Galloway(book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young")
- Randall Wallace(screenplay)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

The Patriot

7.2

Enemy at the Gates

7.6

Enemy at the Gates

Black Hawk Down

7.7

Black Hawk Down

Defiance

7.2

Flags of Our Fathers

7.1

Flags of Our Fathers

Lone Survivor

7.5

Pearl Harbor

6.2

Valkyrie

7.1

Letters from Iwo Jima

7.9

Letters from Iwo Jima

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

7.4

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Tears of the Sun

6.6

Tears of the Sun

The Thin Red Line

7.6

The Thin Red Line

A telling of the 1st Battalion, 7 Cavalry Regiment, 1st Calvary Division's battle against overwhelming odds in the Ia Drang valley of Vietnam in 1965. Seen through the eyes of the battalion's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore (played by Mel Gibson), we see him take command of the battalion and its preparations to go into Vietnam. We also see how the French had, years earlier, been defeated in the same area. The battle was to be the first major engagement between U.S. and N.V.A. forces in South Vietnam, and showed the use of helicopters as mobility providers and assault support aircraft. —grantss

battle soldier vietnam war helicopter based on true story 156 more

Taglines
- Father. Husband. Brother. No man is just a soldier.
Genres
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for sustained sequences of graphic war violence, and for language
Parents guide

Trivia
The real Joseph D. Galloway stepped out of the movie theater during a scene, but still approved the film. His explanation was "That was my nightmare for 36 years. I don't want to see it again."

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.

Quotes
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [Hal Moore speaks to his men before going into battle] Look around you. In the 7th cavalry, we've got a captain from the Ukraine; another from Puerto Rico. We've got Japanese, Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians. Jews and Gentiles. All Americans. Now here in the states, some of you in this unit may have experienced discrimination because of race or creed. But for you and me now, all that is gone. We're moving into the valley of the shadow of death, where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours. And you won't care what color he is, or by what name he calls God. They say we're leaving home. We're going to what home was always supposed to be. Now let us understand the situation. We are going into battle against a tough and determined enemy.
[pauses]
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: 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.

Alternate versions
Trailers include a scene where Julie Moore explains that the last thing most dying soldiers say is "Tell my wife I love her". This is not included in the theatrical release.

Connections
Featured in At the Movies: We Were Soldiers/40 Days and 40 Nights/Queen of the Damned (2002)

Soundtracks
Hold On I'm Coming
Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter
Performed by Tommy Blaize
Produced by Nick Glennie-Smith

Top review

Hits close to home....

"We Were Soldiers" hit close to home because my dad and his friend Donald were in this very same battle. In 1965, my dad had just graduated from high school in Wichita, Kansas. He volunteered to enlist in the Army because there was practically nothing waiting for him there...

My dad was stationed with the 1st Cavalry. The "Valley of Death" was where he fought his first major battle and lived. I'll never forget the scenes in this movie because my dad didn't have to be alive and well today. After seeing this movie, there has not been one day where I wondered what would have happened to me if he didn't live to see it.

I am eighteen now, and my dad suggested that I see this and gain an idea on how gruesome the battle was and how he managed to live through it. I cried at the end, the same thing I did when I cried at the end of "Platoon", because I think of so many of those who may have been friends with my dad...who never lived to see the next day after that battle ended. I think of those who came back scarred deeply, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

And I will continue to cry for them....cry as deeply as I can...

helpful•93

64

TheRam
Aug 8, 2003

Budget
- $75,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $78,122,718
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $20,212,543
- Mar 3, 2002
Gross worldwide
- $115,374,915

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
2 hours 18 minutes
Color
- Color
Sound mix
Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1

New on Netflix: December 2021 Releases

New on Netflix: December 2021 Releases

Dec 1Den of Geek

New on Netflix for December 2021

New on Netflix for December 2021

Nov 28Gold Derby

Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers (2002)

Top Gap

By what name was We Were Soldiers (2002) officially released in India in English?

More to explore

View list

IMDb's 2022 TV Guide

See the full list

Image caption not available

Remembering the Stars We Lost in 2021

Watch the video

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.