What I saw 3 years later was damned authentic

Rating: Null/10 (30 May 2005)

In November of 1968, the North Vietnamese still held to the old principle of "Control the Central Highlands and you control Vietnam". Three years to the month after the battle of LZ X-Ray, I led a LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrol)team from Duc Co south toward the Ia Drang River. We never made it to the river. Instead, we spent a very long afternoon of E&E, along with intermittent combat. Thus, my worst day of the war was within 1/2 mile of LZ X-Ray.
I know that area well. The locations for the movie were excellent. LTG. Moore's principle was still in use, ie, when the Air Force choppers I had contacted on an emergency radio picked us up, my foot was the last to leave the ground. (Not heroism, just the way we did it.) By the way,Those aren't "radio towers", they are parachute training towers on Eubanks Field, Fort Benning Ga. (Almost the same shot as in "The Green Berets" when Wayne saw the airborne recruits running shirtless in formation.
I was in college during the battle, but what I learned later I saw confirmed in the book and movie. Thank you General Moore and Mr. Galloway for the book and thank you Mel Gibson and Randall Wallace for the movie. (Being of Scottish descent, I also thank you two for "Braveheart")