The Real 1st. Battle of Vietnam

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2006)

Excellent Movie!!! Vietnam and combat as it really was. I only have one problem with the story line as it is presented to the public. With all due respect to Lt. General Hal Moore and the brave soldiers of the 1st Air Cave that fought this battle; The Battle of the Ia Drang Valley was not the first battle of the Vietnam War. The first battle took place almost exactly 3 months earlier in I Corps on the Van Tuong peninsula... Throughout July 1965 evidence had accumulated showing a VC buildup in southern I Corps, especially south of Chu Lai. A deserter confirmed to interrogators that the 1st VC Regiment, consisting of the 60th and 80th Battalions, the 52nd VC Co., and a Co. of the 45th Weapons Battalion, had established a base in the Van Tuong village complex.
Operation Starlite was the first offensive military action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War. Originally code named "Satellite", due to a loss of electricity, a clerk made a typing error when the plan was being typed up and Operation "Starlite" was born. D-Day was to be 18 August, 1965. Lt.Col. Bull Fisher's 2nd Bn., 4th Marines, were to be heli-lifted into pre-designated LZ's inland, Lt.Col. Muir's 3rdBn, 3rd Marines, minus "Mike" Company, were to make an amphibious Landing and LtCol. Bodley's, 3rd Bn, 7th Marines, designated the SLF, and were to remain in reserve. These ground units were to participate in the operation with support from numerous other Marine units. Operation Starlite came to an end on 24 August 1965.