Roger, I'm friends with Darryl Whitcomb who not only was a technical adviser to Bat 21 but was one of the lead FACS flying in that days-long rescue effort. One who survived it, obviously. Several FACs, fighter jocks, and numerous helo crews did not. Darryl just shakes his head at how the movie turned out - as do any other actual FACs.
I've said before that Vietnam was not one war; it was half a million wars as seen through the eyes of everyone who went there. There was opportunity for terror even by the 70% or so of people who went to Vietnam and never saw combat first-hand. Rocket and mortar attacks could kill you at any moment; a cute little girl could drop a grenade into your jeep on a routine trip into town; the smiling barber could slit your throat on a whim. Many could and did die of a bug bite.
It was a literally [bleep] war, but it was the only one we had at the time. It changed me forever. In my mission, I was the last molecule on the tip of the spear and flew every day 100 miles into enemy territory - alone - with a $10,000 in gold bounty on my head. I quit counting after half a million rounds fired at me. I often carried so much adrenaline that I'd puke the minute I got out of my plane. That was MY Vietnam, and it was easy in comparison to some others'.
my uncle fought on hamburger hill. he served two tours over there went back for the combat pay, was a gunner on a helicopter, was shot down twice. he died three months before my mom 7 yrs ago. he claimed it was agent orange that gave him cancer.
