We were Soldiers (2002)

Based on the bestseller “We were Soldiers Once … and Young” written by Lieutenant General Harold G. Moore and war journalist Joseph L. Galloway, We were Soldiers tells the story of the US preparations shortly before entering the Vietnam War and then focuses on the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the Battle of the La Drang Valley, the US’ first large-unit battle of the Vietnam War on November 14, 1965.

The story evolves around Lt. Colonel Hal Moore who is chosen to command a newly formed air cavalry unit. Still at home Moore trains his men in preparation to go into battle in Vietnam until he gets orders to take his 400 men after the enemy and eliminate the North Vietnamese attackers – even though intelligence has no idea of the number and strength of the enemy troops.

After landing in a small clearing called Landing Zone X-Ray, Moore and his men learn that the later as Valley of Death known location is the base camp of a North Vietnamese army division and that they are surrounded by 2000 enemy soldiers. The ensuing encounter will become the first, and probably worst, major battle of the Vietnam War.

We were Soldiers mostly received positive reviews and was praised for its strong characters and its truthful and realistic battle scenes. Nevertheless, some criticized that it’s too cliché and that the true story was diluted for mass consumption.