We Were Soldiers

Year:

2002

Duration:

138 min | Argentina:140 min | Germany:126 min (cut) | Spain:143 min | Turkey:124 min (TV version)

Genres:

Action | Drama | History | War

IMDB rate:

7.1

Director:

Randall Wallace

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 2002-03-01

Filming Locations: Castle Green Apartments - 99 S. Raymond, Pasadena, California, USA

Earnings

Budget: $75,000,000

Opening Weekend: $20,212,543 (USA) (3 March 2002)

Gross: $78,120,196 (USA) (30 June 2002)

Cast

Actor

Character

Madeleine Stowe

We Were Soldiers

Erik MacArthur

We Were Soldiers

Joseph Tran

Christian Gibson

Mel Gibson

Lt. Col. Hal Moore

Greg Kinnear

Maj. Bruce 'Snake' Crandall

Sam Elliott

Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley

Chris Klein

2nd Lt. Jack Geoghegan

Keri Russell

Barbara Geoghegan

Barry Pepper

Joe Galloway

Duong Don

Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An

Ryan Hurst

Sgt. Ernie Savage

Robert Bagnell

1st Lt. Charlie Hastings

Marc Blucas

2nd Lt. Henry Herrick

Josh Daugherty

Sp4 Robert Ouellette

Jsu Garcia

Capt. Tony Nadal

Jon Hamm

Capt. Matt Dillon

Clark Gregg

Capt. Tom Metsker

Desmond Harrington

Sp4 Bill Beck

Blake Heron

Sp4 Galen Bungum

Dylan Walsh

Capt. Robert Edwards

Mark McCracken

Capt. Ed 'Too Tall' Freeman

Edwin 'EdVanz'd' Morrow

Pfc. Willie Godboldt

Brian Tee

Pfc. Jimmy Nakayama

Sloane Momsen

Cecile Moore

Bellamy Young

Catherine Metsker

Simbi Khali

Alma Givens (as Simbi Kali Williams)

Jim Grimshaw

Maj. Gen. Henry Kinnard

Forry Smith

Sfc. Carl Palmer

Steven Nelson

Sp5 Charlie 'Doc' Lose

Vincent Angell

Capt. Robert 'Doc' Carrera

Michael Tomlinson

Col. Tim Brown

Keith Szarabajka

Diplomatic Spook

Tim Abell

Army Intelligence Officer

Patrick St. Esprit

General in Hallway

Mike White

Sfc. Bob White, Mortar Sergeant (as Michael John White)

Daniel Roebuck

Medevac CO

Maia Lien

Army Wife

Dan Beene

Cab Driver (as Danny Beene)

Taylor Momsen

Daughter Julie Moore

Joshua McLaurin

Greg Moore (as Josh McLaurin)

Devon Werkheiser

Steve Moore

Luke Benward

David Moore

Billinjer C. Tran

Viet Minh Sergeant

Vien Hong

Mr. Nik

Joseph Hieu

NVA Officer

Lam Nguyen

NVA Soldier with Bayonet

Diep Bui

NVA Wife (as Zoë Bui)

Andrew Wallace

French Bugler

Nicholas Hosking

French Captain

Michael Giordani

French Lieutenant

Shepard Koster

Reporter (as Shep Koster)

Kate Lombardi

Reporter

Ingrid Semler

Reporter

Jason Powell

Sgt. Robert Stokes

Doug C. Cook

Capt. Ray Lefebvre

Sean Bunch

Trooper on Fire (as Sean Thomas Bunch)

F. Lee Reynolds

Chopper Crewman

Stephen Zapotoczny

Edwards' Radio Operator

Frank Kostenko Jr.

Foxhole Trooper

Ben Allison

Lt. Cochran (uncredited)

Brian Carpenter

Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara

Chris Cate

Soldier (uncredited)

George Cheung

NVA Officer (uncredited)

Cliff Fleming

Capt. Jon Mills (uncredited)

Brendan Ford

Jump Coordinator (uncredited)

Kelli Franklin

Mrs. Charlie Hastings

Justin Gordon

French Officer (uncredited)

Shannon M. Hart

Army Wife (uncredited)

Lyndon Johnson

Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Derrell Keith Lester

Black Private (uncredited)

Will Klipstine

Private Davey (uncredited)

Matthew Lang

1st Lt. John Arrington (uncredited)

Danny Le Boyer

Sergeant

Matt Mangum

Pvt. Soprano (uncredited)

Johnny Nguyen

Young NVA Lieutenant (uncredited)

Randy Oglesby

Lt. Col. List (uncredited)

Jonathan Parks Jordan

White Private (uncredited)

John Paul Rice

Pvt. John Henry (uncredited)

Keni Thomas

Sergeant

Phong Atwood Vo

North Vietnamese Soldier - South Vietnamese and vVillager (voice) (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Keni Thomas, who acted as both a military/technical advisor for and an extra in this film, fought in Mogadishu with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in 1993, the battle depicted in the film Black Hawk Down (2001).

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Was originally scheduled for a 2001 release but was pushed back so Chris Klein could work on American Pie 2 (2001).

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The closing music, "Mansions of The Lord", has become the unofficial Army funeral hymn. It was used as the recessional at President Ronald Reagan's funeral.

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Goofs

When the scene Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An was telling his soldiers about their final attack, but the Vietnamese quote doesn't match the subtitle. If you listen carefully, you can hear it is exactly the same dialogue as when Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An is sitting on the grass, speaking to himself.

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When Joe Galloway helps defend the aid post, as he aims his M16 it can appear that there is no round chambered, since the bolt is in the forward position. However, the M16 fires from the closed-bolt position, so when a round is chambered, the bolt will be forward.

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The conversation between SGM Plumley and Joe Galloway regarding his status as a non-combatant did not take place as shown in the film. The conversation actually took place more than a week earlier, and it was between Joe Galloway and an Army Special Forces Officer, Major (later Colonel) Charles Beckwith. Joe Galloway arrived with in the Ia Drang with an M-16.

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Quotes

Joe Galloway: [Narrating; voice-over] These are the true events of November, 1965, the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam, a place our country does not remember, in a war it does not understand. This story's a testament to the young Americans who died in the valley of death, and a tribute to the young men of the People's Army of Vietnam who died by our hand in that place. To tell this story, I must start at the beginning. But where does it begin? Maybe in June of 1954 when French Group Mobile 100 moved into the same central highlands of Vietnam where we would go 11 years later.

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Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An: [in Vietnamese] Such a tragedy. They will think this was their victory. So this will become an American war. And the end will be the same, except for the numbers who will die before we get there.

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Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [Narrating; voice-over] Dear Barbra, I have no words to express to you my sadness at the loss of Jack. The world is a lesser place without him. But I know he is with God and the angels and I know even Heaven is improved by his presence there. I know you too are sure of this and yet this knowledge can't diminish his loss and your grief. With abiding respect and affection, Hal Moore.

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Faq

Q

Why did the one VC soldier try and bayonet Col. Moore instead of just shooting him?

A

When the VC soldier runs into the hollowed out tree, he checks the magazine in his AK-47, which was empty. He is pondering what he should do, when he fastens his bayonet on his rifle. His objective was likely to take out the Commanding Officer. But considering he had no ammo left, he ran the risk of dying trying to bayonet the Colonel or live and not complete his objective.

Q

Why are Col. Moore and other soldiers seen banging their magazines on their helmet before loading them?

A

This is done to make sure the rounds are properly seated in the magazine (so that the back end of the casing with the primer is flush against the back end of the mag). This reduces the risk of the weapon jamming. You can see Private Reiben do it in the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan with a magazine for his BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) and Cowboy do it in Full Metal Jacket.

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