True to life

Rating: 9/10 (4 October 2003)

This movie had so much action in it that at first I could not believe all of it happened. So, being the inquisitive type, I asked a couple of fellows I work with about the factualness of the movie. BOTH WERE HELICOPTER PILOTS WHO FLEW DURING THAT TIME PERIOD IN VIETNAM. Both said the movie was around 85% to 90% accurate. FACT, one has the dubious distinction of being shot down three times in one day. The author, played by Barry Pepper, lives in South Texas not far from us and writes without fantasy. The movie is a great portrayal of the events which took place and the fighting which occurred. Our soldiers got killed and we had our outstanding leaders in the field; the enemy soldiers got killed and they had their leaders there too. Mel Gibson did not portray a "John Wayne" "Green Beret" if you want to watch a laughable war movie. He portrayed an actual living breathing person who survived the war. GOD BLESS THE USA and the men who serve her.