We Were Soldiers

We Were Soldiers is a 2002 Vietnam War film based on the book We Were Soldiers Once... And Young by Lieutenant General Hal Moore, US Army (ret.) and former UPI reporter Joe Galloway that chronicled the first major battle between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam in the Ia Drang Valley in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Gen. Moore, in the documentary seen on the DVD, states that this film is the only one which gets "[the Vietnam War] right". The film was directed by Randall Wallace (The Man in the Iron Mask) and stars Mel Gibson, Barry Pepper, and Sam Elliott.
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=Rifles / Carbines=
==XM16E1==
The XM16E1 assault rifles are used by the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, including Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), First Lieutenant Charlie Hastings (Robert Bagnell), Second Lieutenant Jack Geoghegan (Chris Klein), Sergeant Ernie Savage (Ryan Hurst) and most US Army soldiers. Later on the film during the Battle of Landing Zone X-Ray, Joe Galloway (Barry Pepper) uses one as well. Many rifles used in this film were not actual XM16E1s. The historical XM16E1s had only a partial magazine fence. Many rifles were actually M16A1s mocked up to look like XM16E1s, modified with chromed bolt carriers and three-prong flash-hiders. Apparently, there were a few original receivers marked XM16E1s in the mix.
==M16==
Supplementing the large number of XM16E1 rifles built for the production by Cinema Weaponry are some slab side M16 rifles (or unaltered Colt SP1 rifles, which look the same). On the left of the stack (in the image) is a slab-sided rifle with no forward assist on the upper receiver or magazine fencing on the lower receiver.
==M1 Carbine==
A Korean War-era M1 Carbine is carried by the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam, the formal title of South Vietnam) interpreter dressed in tiger stripe fatigues. He appears in the scene in which the NVA scout is captured and interrogated. Viet Minh soldiers also use M1 Carbines against the French army during the intro.
thumb|none|450px|M1 Carbine with bayonet lug and adjustable rear sight - .30 Carbine
thumb|none|600px|The South Vietnamese interpreter lands on the Ia Drang Valley with his M1 Carbine.
thumb|none|600px|An NVA scout is apprehended. The ARVN translator points his M1 Carbine at the enemy soldier.
thumb|none|600px|The South Vietnamese interpreter wielding an M1 Carbine interrogates the NVA soldier. Note that it is not an M2 Carbine due to the lack of a selector switch.
==AK-47==
In the film, the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) aka the PAVN (People's Army of Vietnam) used AK-47s with milled receivers. As per the actual battle, we also see several Viet Cong units carrying the same rifle. Real Soviet AK-47s were impossible to get in the U.S. for many years. After the fall of communism, milled receiver AK-47 parts kits were available on the market, and authentic AK-47s were built for the film (using American-made milled receivers by using the proper markings) and the original Soviet-built parts. The AK-47s used in the film were built by legendary film armorer Mike Papac.
thumb|none|450px|Actual screen-used AK-47 from the film We Were Soldiers (built by Cinema Weaponry) - 7.62x39mm. The armorers ran out of time before they could fully finish the finish on the wood forearm, pistol grips, and stocks for the film.
thumb|none|600px|NVA soldiers fire their AK-47s.
thumb|none|600px|An NVA soldier moves in the dark with an AK-47.
==MAS-36==
In the opening scene where a French convoy is ambushed during the First Indochina War, various French soldiers use MAS-36 rifles.
thumb|none|600px|Two French soldiers armed with MAS-36 rifles.
thumb|none|600px|Two French soldiers fire their MAS-36 rifles.
thumb|none|600px|A French soldier gets shot while reloading his MAS-36 rifle.
==SKS==
Several Viet Minh soldiers and NVA soldiers use SKS rifles during the intro sequence and during the Battle of Ia Drang.
==Mosin Nagant M44==
During the intro sequence, a Viet Minh soldier can be seen with a Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine.
thumb|none|600px|The Viet Minh soldier in the center has a Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine while another soldier has a Kar98k.
==Karabiner 98k==
A Viet Minh soldier during the intro sequence and a Viet Cong soldier later on can be seen using Karabiner 98k rifles. It should be noted that according to one of the armorers of the film, Steve Karnes, the Kar98ks used in the film came from Israel and were chambered to 7.62x51mm NATO.
thumb|none|600px|A Kar98k is carried by one of Viet Minh soldiers.
=Machine Guns=
==M60==
The M60 machine gun is used by several US soldiers. Various door gunners of Huey helicopters use them as well. Specialist 4 Russell Adams (Erik MacArthur) and his assistant gunner Specialist 4 Bill Beck (Desmond Harrington) also use an M60 in a deleted scene.
thumb|none|600px|An M60 team lays down fire.
thumb|none|600px|US soldiers train with their M60s.
thumb|none|600px|A close-up of the M60 during the training. The filmmakers cleverly lay real 7.62x51mm cases in the foreground, which is a testament for their eye to detail. During filming, however, brass from the expended 'star crimped' blanks unavoidably flies out of the weapon.
==Browning M1919A4==
Two Browning M1919A4s are mounted on two French jeeps during the intro sequence.
thumb|none|600px|A French soldier fires the Browning M1919A4 at Viet Minh soldiers.
==GE M134 Minigun==
A pair of GE M134 Miniguns are seen as part of the M21 Armament Subsystem mounted on the Huey helicopter gunships that rip apart PAVN soldiers in the climax of the film, and another one is also on display on a table near the beginning of the film.
thumb|none|400px|GE M134 Minigun - 7.62x51mm NATO
==Degtyaryov DP-28==
In the scene where the soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division perform a bayonet charge against the NVA position (an event which actually didn't happen in real life), a small crew of PAVN soldiers man a DP-28, a variant of the Soviet Degtyaryov light machine gun.
thumb|none|600px|The Degtyaryov DP-28 light machine gun is glimpsed as Moore's troops advance.
==RPD==
During the Battle of Ia Drang, one PAVN soldier can be seen carrying an RPD light machine gun.
==ZB vz. 26==
A ZB vz. 26 is used by a Viet Minh machine gunner during the opening sequence of the film set during the Indochina War. According to Steve Karnes, the film's armorer, the ZB26 used in the film was sold to the Chinese and converted to 7.62x39mm later in its life. It also has Chinese characters on the side of the receiver.
thumb|none|600px|A close-up of the ZB26 in the hands of a Viet Minh soldier.
thumb|none|600px|Another shot of the same scene.
==MG 34==
When the American soldiers charge the NVA position, a two-man crew of NVA soldiers man an MG 34 before being killed by the Huey helicopters. One NVA soldier also mans another MG34 in the same scene.
==Fake DShK==
A fake DShK heavy machine gun is manned by an NVA machine gun team in the final sequence before being wasted by the Huey helicopters. The DShK in the film is actually a Browning M2HB heavy machine gun mocked up to look like a DShK.
=Handguns=
==Colt M1911==
A Colt M1911 is used by Command Sergeant Major Basil Plumley (Sam Elliott) as his main weapon since he prefers the .45 over the M16. When Moore praises the latter, Plumley says: "Bah, it's plastic... feels like a bb gun to me. I think I'll stick with my pistol". It is not common to see the first model of the M1911 being used by Plumley, since the M1911 was replaced in 1924 by the improved Colt M1911A1 which was the sidearm of the US Military in the Vietnam War, World War II and the Korean War, however they did appear on occasion, usually under special circumstances. Of note is that in real life, Plumley also carried an M14.
thumb|none|350px|Screen-used Colt M1911 pistol (Hero Gun) carried and used by Sam Elliott in the film - .45 ACP
==Colt M1911A1==
A Colt M1911A1 is seen in the holster of LTC Hal Moore and most of the soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division. Some US soldiers use M1911A1s.
thumb|none|350px|Screen-used Colt M1911A1 pistol (Hero Gun) carried and used by Mel Gibson in the film - .45 ACP. Weapons provided by Cinema Weaponry.
==Smith & Wesson Model 15 Snub Nose==
The .38 caliber revolver pulled out by Major Bruce "Snake Shit" Crandall (Greg Kinnear) appears to be a Smith & Wesson Model 15 Snub. In 2007, the real Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Ia Drang Valley.
thumb|none|600px|"You have the balls to face me and not the balls to face the enemy?!"Crandall pulls his Model 15 after he gets reprimanded by a medevac pilot.
==Browning Hi-Power==
During the intro of the film set in the Indochina War (1946-1954), a French officer (Foreign Legionnaire) uses his sidearm, a Browning Hi-Power, to kill several Viet Minh soldiers before being killed. The use of a Browning Hi-Power pistol by a member of the French Army at the time of the battle (1954) was not common, as either the Mle 1935 or MAC Mle 1950 were the official French military sidearms used during that period. The armorers couldn't get an appropriate French military pistol and since Hi-Powers were in the region, they opted for those instead.
thumb|none|600px|A French Army (Foreign Legionnaire) officer fires his Browning Hi-Power at a Viet Minh soldier.
thumb|none|600px|The French officer (Foreign Legionnaire) gets stabbed by a Viet Minh soldier while holding his Browning Hi-Power. Note in the actual ambush(es), they were not Legionnaires, and successfully withdrew from the area, though suffering severe casualties.
=Submachine Guns=
==M1928A1 Thompson==
As the American soldiers are heading off for battle, you can see an ARVN soldier holding up an M1928A1 Thompson with a 20-round magazine.
==PPSh-41==
The NVA and the Viet Cong use PPSh-41 submachine guns during the intro sequence and the rest of the film, with both the standard 71-round drum magazines and 35-round magazines.
thumb|none|600px|A Viet Minh soldier gets shot by the French officer while holding a PPSh-41.
thumb|none|600px|A Viet Minh soldier gets shot while holding a PPSh-41.
==PPS-43==
Viet Minh soldiers use PPS-43 submachine guns alongside their SKS rifles and PPSh-41s to kill the French soldiers in the intro sequence that takes place in 1954 in the Indochina War. During the rest of the film, the PAVN (People's Army of Vietnam, the formal name of the PAVN. Also known as the North Vietnamese Army or NVA.) and Viet Cong (Informal name for the National Liberation Front or NLF.) also use PPS-43 submachine guns against US Army soldiers in the Battle of Ia Drang.
==MAT-49==
Various French soldiers use MAT-49 submachine guns during the opening scene. Various NVA and Viet Cong soldiers also use them during the rest of the film, surely captured from the French army during the Indochina War.
=Shotguns=
==Winchester Model 1912 Field Gun==
In a deleted scene, Specialist Galen Bungum (Blake Heron) and his wife are seen using a Winchester Model 1912 Field Gun to shoot skeet.
thumb|none|600px|Specialist Galen Bungum (Blake Heron) is seen firing the Winchester Model 1912 Field Gun.
thumb|none|600px|Specialist Bungum's wife firing the Winchester Model 1912 Field Gun.
=Others=
==M26 Hand Grenade==
In several scenes, U.S. soldiers are seen with M26 hand grenades strapped to their pouches.
thumb|none|600px|A production image of Captain Tony Nadal (Jsu Garcia) and his RTO patrol the battlefield with M16s in hand and M26 hand grenades strapped to their pouches. Note the trigger discipline - fingers resting alongside the trigger guard.
==M79 Grenade Launcher==
Various US soldiers can be seen carrying M79 grenade launchers in a few scenes. Specialist Galen Bungum (Blake Heron) uses one since he is the grenadier of Sergeant Savage's squad.
==RPG-2==
An NVA soldier is seen firing an RPG-2 (Vietnamese-made model was known as the B-40) against the American forces.
==M1A1 "Bazooka"==
A Viet Minh soldier uses an M1A1 "Bazooka" with a modified rear sight to destroy a French jeep during the intro sequence. While it seems that a Viet Minh soldier using a Bazooka could be an anachronism, the French army widely used the M1A1, M9A1 "Bazooka" and M20 "Super Bazooka" during the Indochina War. The Viet Minh widely used captured French weapons during the Indochina War, and the PAVN and Viet Cong also widely used them during the Vietnam War.
==Hispano-Suiza HS.404 (M2 Autocannon)==
The M2 autocannon, the American license-built model of the Hispano-Suiza HS.404 appears in the film as the gun armament of US Air Force A-1H "Sandy" ground-attack planes that respond to the "Broken Arrow" call, making strafing runs on advancing Vietnamese infantry. Note that a Navy aircraft is shown here.
==Colt Mk 12 Cannon==
The Colt Mk 12 cannon can be seen as the gun armament of a US Navy A-4 Skyhawk responding to the "Broken Arrow" call, strafing Vietnamese infantry during low-level passes.
==M34 White Phosphorous Grenade==
A wounded NVA soldier is seen throwing an M34 White Phosphorous grenade (known as "Willie Pete" during the war) at Sergeant Forrester, severely wounding him.
==Type 67 Stick Grenade==
Chinese Type 67 stick grenades (aka Chinese Type II grenades) are seen in chest pouches on NVA soldiers. In one scene, one grenade is thrown near wounded American soldiers, and a brave soldier jumps on it to save his comrades.
thumb|none|600px|Seen on the dead NVA soldier is a chest pouch with Type 67 stick grenades.
thumb|none|600px|A US soldier sees a Type 67 stick grenade as it hits the ground nearby.
=Notes=
==French Uniform Errors==
There are several errors also in the uniforms of French troops:
# No lieutenant from "troupes de Marine" (2 golden horizontal stripes on bleu) would have a white kepi (Kepi blanc for Foreign Legion soldiers only, excluding NCOs and officers)
# The red berets are worn the wrong way (Insignia on the right in France for all the Army. Only exception French Navy Commando green berets)
# Insignia on the red berets are wrong (infantry instead of paratroopers)
==The actual battle and its effect on the war==
Although the battle would last more than 300 days, the film covers only the initial engagement, the first time the US used the Air Mobile Infantry (called "the helicopter soldiers" by a Vietnamese officer) in combat. Over three days, Moore's regiment suffered the loss of 72 out of his 395 men and were responsible for over 1800 enemy soldiers KIA out of 4,000. The utterly lop-sided casualty figures helped to convince Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and Vietnam theater commander General William Westmoreland that the communist North Vietnamese could be persuaded to give up their attempt to conquer the South using attrition tactics. Events, of course, would prove this strategy disastrous.
Category:Movie
Category:War
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Category:Drama
Category:French Produced/Filmed
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