Russ Vaughn comments on "We Were Soldiers ..." Contributed by Bill Faith
Russ has been kind enough to give me permission to post part of the email he sent CSM Marshall after reading :
Command Sergeant Major Marshall, your review mirrors my perceptions of that fine movie exactly. The attention to the details of the Army of that era were exceptional. Watching it, I kept telling my wife, "Sunovabitch! They got it right! they actually got it right! Sorry bastards actually got it right for a change!" It is without question the best Vietnam War movie ever produced by those pinko pukes in Hollyweird.
As it happens, I actually served with COL Moore, right alongside him as a matter of fact, as his SSGT, tactical net radio operator for a whole 24 hours in a little known battle in a place called Truong Loung in the 101st area of operations near Tuy Hoa in the summer of 1966.
Our battalion-minus, 2d, 327th, Airborne Infantry, air-assaulted right into the middle of the 18B NVA Regiment while the rest of 1st brigade was off on an operation and we were supposed to be guarding the airstrip at Tuy Hoa. I was the battalion CBR NCO, functioning as an assistant S-3 NCO and rotated the radio operating job with other junior NCOs when we were on forward operations. As soon as the HQ element went in on what had begun as a company-sized operation, we discovered that we had NVA regulars all around our TOC. Although I had served several months as a line company NCO before my CBR slot at battalion opened up, this was the closest I'd come to heavy incoming small arms since becoming a staff weenie once again. It was flying all around us and casualty reports from the line companies were coming in fast and furious. It wasn't quite Ia Drang but it was starting to get real hairy, real fast.
As soon as our CO correctly assessed the situation, we began calling for help from II Field Force. There was a Marine landing force sitting just off the coast but they were completely green and their commander balked at committing them. Just as the situation was beginning to look desperate, here came the Cavalry, riding to the rescue from An Khe, in the form of full colonel Hal Moore and the legendary 7th Cav. COL Moore swept into that TOC like George Patton himself and immediately started barking orders at officers and NCO's alike. I looked at this guy and I thought, "There stands the ultimate Airborne infantry commander." He was tall, lean and Airborne mean and left no doubt in anyone's mind that we were going to get out of this mess. Our own battalion CO was an old Airborne warhorse himself from WWII and Korea but he wasn't in the same category as Moore, not even close.
For the next 24 hours, my butt was glued to an upended wooden ammo box while I sent out COL Moore's orders to his Cav troopers and our paratroopers and took back their sitreps. I have very little actual memory of any of it: it's all a blur to me; but I never forgot the image of that lean mean fighting machine in action. Truth is though, I couldn't remember the colonel's name until the book came out with his picture and I said to my wife, "Hey, that's the guy I probably owe my life to!" After reading the book, I sent Galloway an email and corresponded with a vet who had been Moore's RTO at Ia Drang. Both said they'd put me in touch with the General but neither ever did. I have to admit also, that I don't remember his CSM although I'm sure one came with him; if it was CSM Plumley then I must apologize and would love to do so in person sometime when I'm at Benning on business. Please let him know I'd be delighted to buy dinner and if you're in that area for you as well.
Contributed by Bill Faith on February 26, 2007 at 02:38 AM in , , , , |