- 0:00:01 Galloway Narrates
- Journalist Joseph Galloway explains the purpose of the movie. It is a testament to the soldiers who died in the Ia Drang Valley in Nov. of 1965, the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
- 0:01:07 Where Does It Begin?
- In June of 1954 French troops move into the central highlands of Vietnam. They get ambushed and completely wiped out.
- 0:03:17 Take No Prisoners
- A Vietnamese soldier is ordered to kill the remaining living French troops. “Kill all they send and they will stop coming.â€
- 0:04:18 New Kind of War
- Fort Benning, Georgia, 1964. Two Generals discuss the challenging terrain of Vietnam jungles. Therefore the US Army is going to adopt a plan using helicopters to leap in and out of battle. Lt. Col. Hal Moore is chosen for the job because of his past resume testing experimental parachutes.
- 0:05:00 Move-In Day
- Col. Moore and his family move into their new home while neighbors discuss his past resume.
- 0:06:15 Helicopter Plan
- Helicopters fly overhead while Col. Moore moves in. The first night at home Col. Moore does research on the capabilities of helicopters.
- 0:06:55 Out at Home Plate
- Maj. Bruce Crandall and other helicopter pilots are playing baseball on their break. Crandall is at the plate and gets thrown out at home by Col. Moore. He then meets Two-Tall, Crandall’s co-pilot.
- 0:08:00 Snakeshit
- Col. Moore explains to Crandall, also known as “Snakeshit†because of how low he flies, that he is the solution to his problem. He stresses how important his job will be in battle.
- 0:09:15 Sgt. Maj. Plumley
- Sgt. Maj. Plumey’s extremely intense nature is introduced.
- 0:10:01 Horse in Battle
- Col. Moore formally addresses his men as well as introduces them to Plumley. Their horse in battle for the first time will be a helicopter.
- 0:11:37 Training
- The soldiers train and prepare for the unpredictable nature of battle. Col. Moore stresses the importance of knowing the role of the person ranked above and below.
- 0:13:04 Bedtime Prayers
- Col. Moore shares a prayer with his five children. After that he explains to his wife how he thanks God for her every time he prays.
- 0:15:10 Beautiful Morning
- Plumley, with his intense method of thinking, tells Col. Moore he will stick to his pistol because of how close the enemy will be in battle.
- 0:15:51 Radio Atmospheric Bounce
- Col. Moore’s radio operator picks up a signal from the active and struggling advisors serving in Vietnam. Col. Moore then goes on to explain how each other is all they are going to have.
- 0:18:12 The Leaders
- Col. Moore points out the fine leadership skills of 2nd Lt. Jack Geoghegan while he takes control of his men by carefully checking for blisters. Plumley also points out Sgt. Ernie Savage’s intense leadership skills.
- 0:19:30 Soldiers’ Wives
- Led by Julie Moore, the women who are new to the area meet and discuss common interests while they get to know each other better.
- 0:21:40 Soldier and a Father
- Barbara Geoghegan’s water breaks, and she gives birth to a baby girl. Jack Geoghegan then goes to church where he meets Col. Moore. Col. Moore gives Geoghegan advice on being a father and soldier.
- 0:23:30 Prayer
- Col. Moore prays to keep Geoghegan and his other men safe during battle. He also prays for the Lord to ignore the enemy’s prayers.
- 0:24:37 What is a War?
- Col. Moore’s daughter innocently asks him what a war is, and he responds by telling her that they’re going to try to take his life away, but he’s not going to let them.
- 0:25:40 Can’t Sleep
- Col. Moore wakes up in the middle of the night and does some more research. His wife Julie finds him and assures him he’s the perfect man to lead his young soldiers.
- 0:27:01 LBJ’s Speech
- President Johnson’s speech when he orders Col. Moore’s 1st Air Mobile Division to Vietnam is captured on TV.
- 0:28:15 Going Away Party
- Col. Moore and his men celebrate and share quality time with their loved ones before they leave tomorrow. Col. Moore also finds out here that he will be going into battle understrength, losing 1/3 or his already trained men.
- 0:31:03 Death Will
- Col. Moore goes home and fills out his final will while being reminded of the previous efforts of the 1st Battalion of 7th Cavalry -- the same regiment as Gen. Custer.
- 0:32:10 Goodbye Ceremony
- Col. Moore delivers a powerful final speech stating that he will be the first to step on the field and last to step off, while leaving no man dead or alive behind.
- 0:35:02 Final Goodbyes
- Col. Moore tucks each of his children into bed and spends his last night home with his wife. Geoghegan leaves his wife and newborn baby behind.
- 0:37:55 Boarding the Bus
- The soldiers gather to leave.
- 0:39:35 Central Highlands, South Vietnam 1965
- The soldiers arrive in Vietnam at a base camp. Col. Moore is ordered to mount up.
- 0:41:10 Smells like an Ambush
- Col. Moore and Plumley have a cigar while they talk strategy.
- 0:41:54 Preparation for the 1st Major Battle
- The soldiers board the helicopters and arrive for battle in the Ia Drang River Valley. The North Vietnamese soldiers find out and prepare.
- 0:45:40 LZ X-Ray
- Col. Moore is the first to land. The soldiers all fire in caution.
- 0:47:30 Scout Chase
- A Platoon begins a chase into the jungles after a scout.
- 0:47:51 Second Scout
- Col. Moore and Plumley talk to another scout. He reveals they are nearby an enemy base camp with four thousand men.
- 0:48:50 Hold Positions
- Col. Moore orders all troops to hold positions but not in time to prevent the platoon from pursuing an enemy scout. The lost platoon then attempts to retreat while losing the lives of many soldiers.
- 0:49:59 Stay Down!
- The lost platoon resorts to hiding in the grass. After losing their commanding officer and multiple others who try to lead, Sgt. Ernie Savage takes over and orders everyone to remain lying down.
- 0:50:58 Hot LZ
- Col. Moore remains calm under fire while explaining to the radio advisor to call in fire support at the landing zone for the rest of his men to arrive.
- 0:51:35 LZ Flank
- Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An orders a strategy to flank Col. Moore and his troops at the LZ. Col. Moore realizes this.
- 0:52:18 Die for Your Country
- The commanding officer of the lost platoon dies eventually from leading his men after the scout. Sgt. Savage is now in charge.
- 0:54:28 Artillery Problem for Vietnamese
- Col. An plans to overwhelm the landing zones to choke supply and escape routes. He calls for more soldiers.
- 0:55:17 Not Touching Down
- More American troops rapidly arrive on scene at a hot LZ. Col. Moore bravely gives out orders.
- 0:56:45 Creek Bed
- Col. Moore realizes Col. An will use the creek bed to try to flank. He orders to secure it before they do.
- 0:58:45 Helicopter Down
- Snake and another helicopter pilot escort in Medevac helicopters. One gets shot down, so Snake decides to stay longer and help evacuate the wounded under heavy fire.
- 1:00:30 New LZ
- Because of the hot LZ, Plumley carves out a new LZ by blowing down trees and creating a clearing.
- 1:01:35 Want Moore Out
- Col. Moore is informed headquarters wants him out. That doesn’t make any sense to him.
- 1:01:54 Saving Snake
- Col. Moore saves Snakes life as he lands at the LZ.
- 1:02:17 Wounded
- A wounded soldier volunteers to let another evacuate before he does. He gets shot, and his body falls on the pile as the helicopter ascends.
- 1:03:52 The Knoll
- The lost platoon is out of water and is losing more men.
- 1:05:26 Welcome Lt. Geoghegan
- Geoghegan arrives.
- 1:07:05 Journalist Joseph Galloway
- Galloway decides to take the next helicopter into the battle. He meets Col. Moore.
- 1:09:00 Done for the Day
- Snake finally lands his helicopter at base and gets yelled out by an officer. He responds with anger and pulls out his handgun.
- 1:10:27 Nighttime
- Sgt. Savage and the lost platoon are still fighting for their lives at night. The rescuing platoon notifies them they will not make it there before the night’s over.
- 1:12:06 The Ridge
- Geoghegan and his troops secure the ridge at night without getting much sleep. Col. Moore comforts them. Soon a large enemy force attacks.
- 1:13:37 First Word Back Home
- A rapid change of mood to life back home shows a cab driver deliver a telegram to notify Kathy her husband has been killed.
- 1:15:43 Finding Addresses
- Julie Moore freaks out on the cab driver for scaring her to think her husband may have been killed. She then apologizes and tells him she will do this job for him. Barbara Geoghegan helps her along when many more appear.
- 1:19:55 Prayer with Galloway
- Col. Moore prays over the dead from the first day of battle. Galloway shares his purpose in Vietnam with Col. Moore.
- 1:22:58 Col. An
- Congratulates his men on the day’s battle and notes their accomplishments.
- 1:23:54 Lost Platoon at Night
- Sgt. Savage and the rest of his platoon are hiding in the grass at night with Vietnam patrols directly on top of them.
- 1:25:49 Col. An Prays
- Prays for the dead soldiers he lost.
- 1:26:15 Three Rounds
- Col. Moore orders every soldier to fire three rounds at anything that looks suspicious. After they shoot, Vietnam troops charge at them.
- 1:28:17 Geoghegan Rescue
- Geoghegan goes out of his way to rescue a downed soldier. He gets shot and killed.
- 1:30:00 Vietnamese Perspective
- A Vietnam soldier tries to sneak-attack Col. Moore from behind.
- 1:31:05 Mortar Team
- Galloway meets Jimmy Nakayama. Plumley then forcefully hands Galloway a M16. Col. Moore tells the mortar team to urinate on the mortars to cool them off for immediate use.
- 1:32:50 Whistle Attack
- Galloway joins the soldiers while they are attacked by a group of enemy soldiers who aggressively charge at them.
- 1:34:05 Broken Arrow
- Col. Moore paces around each side of the battlefield and realizes they’ve been overrun. He calls in every means of air support through codename broken arrow.
- 1:37:30 Friendly Fire
- Air support operator mistakenly calls in support too close to the American position. It takes out American troops as well as Jimmy Nakayama. Galloway carries him to the medevac.
- 1:42:15 Lull Rescue
- After the fire support, a squad goes into the jungle to rescue the lost platoon.
- 1:44:40 Fresh Troops
- After forty men were killed in battle, a group of new soldiers arrive.
- 1:46:00 Not Leaving
- Gen. Westmoreland orders Col. Moore to leave, but he refuses and continues to fight and find all of his men. He finds Geoghegan’s dead body.
- 1:48:30 Jack Geoghegan
- Julie Moore gets the news Geoghegan was killed and goes to tell Barbara Geoghegan. Col. Moore is distraught about his death.
- 1:50:20 Ordering Everyone Out
- Col. Moore denies pulling out even though all have been ordered to leave. Sgt. Savage and Gary Owens rejoin the lines. They all prepare for a final battle.
- 1:52:37 Preparation
- Col. An reveals orders to his men. They prepare for a final battle.
- 1:53:30 The Third Day
- Col. Moore orders his men to fix their bayonets for the final battle.
- 1:55:55 Snake to the Rescue
- Just before the American troops reach the top of a hill, a large enemy force is awaiting for their arrival. Snake saves their lives with a deadly helicopter assault.
- 1:58:20 American Breakthrough
- The soldiers break through the Vietnam lines. Col. An has no choice but to pack up and retreat.
- 1:59:20 Clean Up
- The battle is finally over and the Americans clean up and gather all the dead bodies. Col. Moore is not content and no one is really celebrating.
- 2:01:20 Reporters Arrive
- Journalists arrive after the conclusion of the battle and stick out like a sore thumb. They try to question Galloway and Col. Moore, but they refuse to answer them. They don’t understand.
- 2:03:25 Final Tears
- Col. Moore expresses to Galloway how he will never forgive himself for having so many of his soldiers killed. He then tells Galloway that he has to let the American people know what happened in the battle.
- 2:06:10 Going Home
- Col. Moore is the last one to step off the battlefield.
- 2:07:10 Tragedy
- Col. An expresses his frustration at the battle. He explains how the ending of the war will be the same no matter how many soldiers die.
- 2:08:00 Daddy’s Home
- Col. Moore returns home to his family. Not all soldiers have this privilege.
- 2:10:08 Loss of Jack
- Col. Moore returns Jack Geoghegan’s bracelet to his wife and writes a letter to her expressing his condolences.
- 2:10:45 Retelling the Story
- Galloway cannot control his emotions as he starts writing the book, We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young.
- 2:11:25 Vietnam Memorial
- Col. Moore goes to the memorial to honor his lost men.
- 2:11:55 The names of those who died at LZ X-Ray.
- 2:12:15 End Credits
