The trials of a U.S. Army platoon serving in the field during the Vietnam War.
After Firebase Ladybird suffers heavy casualties, Sgt. Anderson goes to division headquarters to make a report and recruit replacements. He selects the best from a group of new recruits and meets fir the first time their new leader, 2nd Lt. Goldman.
The VC are mauling the American soldiers through their use of the underground tunnels. On their latest trip into the bush, Anderson and the men provide a blocking force, only the Gooks being driven toward them disappear down into the tunnels... and Goldman and Anderson end up firing on Americans -- thinking they are VC coming toward them. The team ends up in a village but again gets attacked as the VC pop up out the tunnels and then back into them after the attack. Taylor is captured during this fighting -- having been wounded. Taylor ends up being befriended by a VC Doc who has no interest in fighting -- only in returning home alive. On the surface, Anderson and Goldman go into the tunnels, only to end up entombed by a cave-in.
Among the villagers being relocated by the platoon is a beautiful woman to whom Goldman is attracted. When they are attacked on the trail, Goldman's life is saved by a VC who turns out to be the woman's husband.
The men find themselves assigned to a 'hot shot' sergeant with a mission to destroy an enemy bridge. Tempers reach a breaking point when Anderson finds a living Vietnamese child and the sergeant wants the child Killed.
The company provides security for an irrigation project, but after several successful ambushes on them, the men of B Company suspect their Vietnamese scout of spying.
In a time of great racial tension and violence in America, the same problems were carried over to Vietnam, where it was not unusual for bars -- or sometimes entire sections of towns -- to cater only to whites, blacks or hispanics. To wander into the wrong ""territory"" was a mistake that could lead to violence and death. Taylor and three of his brothers encounter such a problem when Percell asks them to meet him at what turns out to be an all-white redneck bar. A fight breaks out between one of the blacks, Tucker and a KKK member, Innis. Both end up in Bravo Co, and while on a patrol, Tucker's friend is killed when Innis fails to provide coverage. Racial tensions mount. As the black soldiers discuss their own people dying at home to obtain some equal rights, they see Innes put up a Confederate flag. Violence breaks out, and, in the end, Johnson gets accused of starting it. A conflict at the brig nearly ends in gunfire but, in the end, Tucker -- the trouble-maker is transfered out and thi
Anderson, Baker, and Johnson are shot down while catching a ride in a helicopter, which explodes just after it hits the ground. They are unhurt but the pilot is dead, and VC soldiers are firing at their position. Zeke manages to kill all of the VC but one, who escapes. With the fighting over for the present, they begin the long trek back to base, all the while being hunted by the VC. The enemy group is led by Trang, a man who wants to kill the Americans for revenge. The three Americans stumble upon a village of Montagnards who have been wiped out, all but a pregnant woman who is dying... and does just as the child is born. Anderson is adamant about leaving the baby behind, but Johnson and Baker consider that move barbaric. Anderson ends up taking care of the baby and forming the strongest bond. Meanwhile, Goldman is out looking for Zeke and the others. Back in the jungle, Anderson risks his life to get milk for the baby and keeps the child from being killed. In a heated exchange of gun
A drunken GI steals a chaplain's jeep and goes on a joy ride with a Vietnamese hooker. They nearly collide with a jeep-load of MPs who chase him down. His arrest is witnessed by Zeke, who recognizes him as Decker, his former drill sergeant and role model. Anderson rescues Decker from a certain court-martial (his second) and drafts him into the squad without checking with Goldman first. Decker is popular with the guys but he almost immediately starts to disobey orders. Decker mans a listening post with Horn to watch for enemy troops movements, but he gets drunk and falls asleep. As a result, Horn is nearly killed.
Baker insists his fellow squad members follow him to an incoming helicopter. The incoming ""VIP"" turns out to be Baker's twin brother, who brings along a skate board that the whole squad uses for fun. Carl Baker turns out to be nothing like his brother: he is hard-drinking, womanizing, party-goer. The two brothers end up in a fight, nearly destroying the base in the process. Carl celebrates their birthdays by bringing in a truck-load full of Vietnamese hookers. They all party down and, in the end, Baker ends up doubly-mad as his brother ""steals"" his girl. Carl leaves the next morning with neither brother on speaking terms and everyone in trouble. Carl's helicopter goes down and Baker goes in after him, managing to get caught by the same VC who have his brother. They are both tortured by the VC and Anderson and Goldman must go in to rescue the two.
Two sappers make their way into Firebase Ladybird without being detected, but Percell sees the third one, killing him. The other two manage to set off their explosives before they can be stopped. The next morning, Capt. Wallace orders Anderson and Goldman to have their men police up the dead bodies.. Anderson complains his men are beat, but Wallace isn't concerned. Percell is upset both over a friend's dying and having received a ""Dear John"" letter. Goldman, meantime, runs into an old friend: Lt. Nikki Raines, and promises to meet her later. Goldman, Anderson and the squad go out to destroy a bridge, which they blow up. Percell, in the midst of chasing a running VC, accidentally kills an 8-year-old. Percell is devistated over the incident.
One of a GI's big events is the arrival of his mail. When Zeke opens his mail to find that his ex-wife, it is to find that she is complaining that he is not writing letters home often enough to their 3-year-old daughter. Zeke already has enough responsibilities... this one isn't wanted. However he has little time to worry about it before he finds himself out on patrol. Goldman orders the squad forward when Anderson warns that they are walking into trouble, Anderson scouts out ahead and ends up in a near-lethal mortar barrage. Anderson is nearing his limit when he finds out that the squad's next destination is a valley where Zeke's last outfit was nearly wiped out. Anderson fights going tooth-and-nail and it is obvious to everyone that Zeke is falling apart. There is little time to help him, though, as the men have to consider their mission first. The squad ends up going after a downed flyer... and while Zeke continues to deteroriate.
Anderson, Goldman, and Captain Wallace are checking out a new weapon that has been added to the platoon's arsenal: a flamethrower. Zeke and Goldman are unhappy that the next mission will also include a beautiful female reporter -- Vicky Adams. Zeke fights against the woman's urges to ""get the good stuff"" and his own men's attempts to impress her -- at the risk of their own lives. A prisoner is caught and tells the unit that they are surrounded by an NVA regiment. Wallace refusees to go back to safety, though, and a bad situation continues to get worse and worse.
A USO band comprised of three female dancers, a sax players, and a singer, completes their performance at an outlying base, and are rushed to a helicopter to be flown to their next destination. None of them get a chance to even change their costumes. The helicopter is shot down and the entire crew is killed. Meanwhile, Bravo company is out on a recon, and Taylor who is on point, thinks he must be going crazy when he sees the girl in hot pants and leather boots. Bravo company takes the girls with them but can't call in for help because the radio's batteries are dead.The USO people make the transition to ""soldier"" with various degrees of success.
The men of Bravo are certain that Westmoreland has not yet informed the enemy that they are losing, as Firebase Ladybrid continues to come under daily long-range artillery fire. Suddenly a helicopter approaches and lands despite the fact that the base is taking fire. It is the new company commander -- Captain Larry Heath -- a man who initially wins over the favor of his troops with gifts, but he proves to be a complete fanatic. Heath wants to attack despite the fact that it appears that the base is about to be attacked. Zeke and Goldman set them men to putting up a defense and get in trouble because of it. A large attack proves that Anderson was right when the firebase is over-run and Doc Matsuda, with only 15 days left of his tour of duty, is killed when he refuses to abandon his patient.
The squad is in heavy contact with a group of enemy soldiers, and after taking several casualties manage to be retrieved by two helicopters. Danny hears that his father is hospitalized after a near-fatal heart-attack and is given emergency medical leave. Danny finds that his father and mother have separated and his father has taken up with a younger woman who is loyal to him. Danny feels left out and alienated from a man who he already wasn't close to. While waiting for his father to get better, Danny meets Rudy Morales, a vet handicapped by wounds -- a bitter, broken man. Danny is seriously upset by this and further upset by an argument with his father. Meanwhile, Taylor and Ruiz decide that they need to be by Danny's side, so they talk Anderson into pulling some strings and getting their R&R in Bangkok changed to Honolulu. Once in Hawaii they are exposed to the ""real"" world of mini-skirts and negative attitudes about the war.
Goldman, Horn, Calhoun, and Pointer are retruning to the base after spending two days int he rear. Their jeep hits a mine, wounding Calhoun and Pointer. Goldman is blinded when a fire extinguisher blows up in his face. A squad of VC arrive and open fire. Calhoun and Pointer are killed by the attack, Goldman is blinded. In the end Horn chases after the sole surviving VC only to find that she's a woman. He captures her and takes her back to the hut where's he's left the blinded Goldman. Horn then, after much argument, goes after help for Goldman. The woman manages to signal to other villagers for help and so Goldman, blinded, must rig his rifle to her head, marching her off into his ""blind landscape"" so that they can escape the VC that she has called on to help her. As they escape they run into a great deal of trouble, starving families, groups of VC and even a group of Americans who fire on them. In the end, by the time Horn finds them, the woman has died in Goldman's arms, leaving Myro
Retired Major General Goldman arrives by helicopter at Firebase Ladybird on a fact finding mission for Washington brass. Seeing another helicopter landing, he goes to greet and question Anderson and his soldiers about the mission they have just returned from. They later learn that the general is Goldman's father but it is clear when they meet that the two don't have a good relationship. They were estranged when Myron's mother died five years before and haven't spoken since. The Major general finds that his son's leadership methods appall him. Ruiz befriends a new man who joins the team, mainly because he is also a hispanic. But the man manages to get himself killed due to his careless attitude. Dalby orders Goldman's men into an impossible attack which Myron refuses to go on. Zeke and Goldman realize that the new man was on dope and set out to cure the problem themselves.
Bravo company is on another S mission. A new man is on point, and he stops the patrol when he sees some blood, which he follows to a Vietnam booby trap. He's killed. Taylor takes over point, even though he is a short timer. Later, he manages to survive an encounter with an NVA machine gun nest after he destroys it. Taylor must address his mixed emotions about his near return to home. His fear and distaste for Vietnam is equaled only by the darkness of the life waiting for him at home. Taylor, after a ""Dear John"" phone call from home, signs up for another tour.
The men from Bravo company are patrolling in the jungle when they find a fresh trail, one that leads to a trap by a group of VC soldiers. The Americans are out-numbered and in a very bad position. Suddenly they are rescued by Montagnards. Anderson trusts them, and has the squad follow them back to their village where they meet the translator -- an ex-GI (Kithem). The American is obviously hostile to the presence of Goldman and the rest of the Americans. Against Kithem and Anderson's better judgement, Goldman follows orders to help fortify the native ""compound"" against the VC. Kithem warns that all the American attention will only bring down the ARVN and NVA forces. Which is exactly what happens.
In a small South Vietnamese hamlet, an NVA officer arrives to brief his men that they will soon begin infiltrating towns and villages through-out the country in preparation for the Tet Offensive. Meanwhile, Bravo is in the bush, while Baker is losing a battle with his dysentery. As he ""answers the call of nature"" he sights VC closing on the unit and then, pulling his pants up, gets a frog down them, and starts screaming. As the American's come running, a fire fight starts, ending with the capture of an NVA Colonel Trang. Goldman catches a bullet in the helmet and in his jacket as they try to retreat. Though saved by his clothing, he still does need to go to the hospital along with Anderson, who is hit with shrapnel. While Goldman and Anderson recover, Trang dies under mysterious circumstances during interrogation.
Goldman and Nikki have a great time on a brief R&R that they spend together on China Beach. Their reunion is marred by the fact that Nikki refuses to marry him, fearing he will be killed in combat. Goldman returns to Firebase Ladybird to find that his unit has been assigned to help take Hill 1000. They've taken it before and lost it before. And this battle promises to be the worst. Even after the bunker is finally taken, it is found empty. They go back down so that a plane can spray a defoliate. They must go back and take that hill yet again. Horn has, in the meantime, gotten in trouble with a young -- and new -- officer. Sitting at the bottom of the hill and awaiting the court-martial, he sees a wounded Taylor and he decides to go back with his buddies and fight. Horn is seriously wounded and sent home.
Terence Knox
Sgt. Clayton 'Zeke' Anderson
Stephen Caffrey
Lt. Myron Goldman
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
Pvt. Marcus Taylor
Tony Becker
Cpl. Daniel 'Danny' Percell
Stan Foster
Spc./Sgt. Marvin Johnson
Ramón Franco
Pvt. Alberto Ruiz
Dan Gauthier
Lt. John McKay
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