We Were Soldiers is a compelling and action packed movie that really concentrates on the horrors of war. We really see the worst things that war can bring, and it really gets your emotions pumping!

Mel Gibson plays an excellent role as Lieutenant Colonal. Hal Moore (later Lieutenant General) in this epic which is based on a true story, the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Division, US Army, and we watch as he leads his men into one of the most horrific experiences of their lives, LZ X-Ray. Here we see LTC. Moore (Mel Gibson) fight a very tough battle, as well as inspire his men to come through at the end. One of the most inspiring and uplifting scenes of the movie, is when Moore is giving a speech in front of the whole Battalion in a parade before they set off for Vietnam. I quote "No-one will be left behind, dead or alive, we will all come home together, so help me god." This quote is just one of the fine examples of the leadership that is displayed by Hal Moore, and when I heard that speech, it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, as it is one of the most inspiring quotes I have ever heard.

The men of the 1st Battalion arrive at LZ X-ray in Iroquois helicopters, and as soon as their feet hit the ground they are bombarded with waves of enemy fire, and so the fight for survival begins. As for me, I never landed in a "hot LZ", and therefore cannot express the fear and adrenaline that those men must have felt.

In one part of the movie, a whole platoon is cut off and suffers quite a few losses from the enemy, and this is all due to their foolish platoon commander chasing a decoy used by the enemy. This mistake was commonly made whilst I was serving, all it takes is an "over enthusiastic" platoon commander to jeopardise the safety of his platoon.

We Were Soldiers is a movie where the viewer really gets close to the characters, we feel what they feel, and that is what makes this movie so emotionally strong. This is also mixed with the use of napalm. In a scene we see an American Air strike go horribly wrong, and a soldier who we got to know just before is one of the unfortunate victims of this swirling ball of fire. Sadly, this was a scene that was all to common on the battleground, napalm and its effects were some of the worst things that alot of soldiers saw.

As I said above, this movie really gets your emotions going. A perfect example of this is when the letters start coming back to the wives of these men. We see as the wife of Hal Moore takes it upon herself to personally deliver these letters, and it shows us the families that these brave men have left behind, only to find out they will never come home alive. Again, sadly scenes like this were not unique during the Vietnam War, as I have seen the faces of the families of friends and colleagues that never came home alive.

Along with the soldiers, we get to know a young war correspondent, who goes through the fighting not carrying a weapon, but carrying a camera. This young man is exposed to all the horrors of war, and he makes it his mission to report the story true. In parts of this movie, we see all the horrors, and fighting of this battle through his eyes.

In the movie We Were Soldiers we see the courage, and honor that these soldiers displayed. As for my experiences, I cannot say that I ever experienced anything like that battle, but I can say I have heard stories from guys that have. I think that this movie has really highlighted the experiences of the men at LZ X-Ray.

The leadership that LTC. Moore displays in this film is phenomenal, much like in the real war. We see him inspire his men, much like the real Moore did and get them through the most horrific experience of their lives. We even watch as he feels guilty that he gets through the fighting alive, but alot of his men don't. I can honestly say that he was one of the finest leaders I have ever seen, in my whole career. At the end of the movie, we see a whole heap of reporters come in by helicopter, and try to interview the men. As you would expect, they aren't to appreciative of these reporters. This was unfortunately a common occurrence after a major battle, and I can tell you that I wasn't too happy with this occurrence.

Overall, I would recommend this movie, for all the reasons I have mentioned. It is an accurate depiction of the attitudes and experiences of all the men at LZ X-Ray, and Mel Gibson plays an excellent role as Hal Moore, and does a very fine job of it too.