On Nov. 14, 1965, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, loaded onto helicopters and flew to a remote patch of ground in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam’s central highlands. Within an hour, they came under attack for the first time by North Vietnamese regulars, launching a four-day battle that killed hundreds of Americans, perhaps more than 1,000 Vietnamese and changed the course of the Vietnam War. The Ia Drang Valley is where the U.S. truly went to war. After years of advising the South Vietnamese against the communist North, and months of chasing black-clad guerrillas, a large formation of American troops faced well-trained, well-equipped regulars of the People’s Army of Vietnam. The North Vietnamese enjoyed numerical superiority in the valley. Unlike Viet Cong guerrillas, the northerners were prepared to stand and fight. We Were Soldiers Once… and Young - Wikipedia Ia Drang Valley: Where the US truly went to war
“You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and I will win.” Ho Chi Minh
And, of course, don’t forget the Hollywood version.....courtesy of Mel Gibson Steve We Were Soldiers - Wikipedia
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the film fell a bit short in explaining the strategy of the Americans. It didn't seem to be anything more subtle than 'poke hornets nest with big stick and see what happens'. I actually got the book and actually read it. Despite being a very detailed account of the action, I was left none the wiser as to the overall aim; maybe I missed a bit... Mel G also missed something. One of the standout characters in the book failed to make it into the script; I suppose it would have been confusing to have an Englishman on the 'good' team. Rick Rescorla would go on to be a security manager at the Twin Towers but didn't make it out. Rick Rescorla - Wikipedia
I'd heard of him, but I had no idea he was a para in Cyprus, a Rhodesian policeman, a copper with the Met and in Vietnam with the Americans. Even if he was 'just' awarded service medals for his commonwealth stints, his 'set' has to be unique.