![]() ![]() Many risked their lives not in combat, but in aiding civilian villagers in tasks they could not accomplish themselves. Many good Americans perished directly attempting to prevent harm to Vietnamese people. While I'm generally not into Disney flicks, it's nice to see a more positive side of the war after watching movies like "We Were Soldiers," "Platoon" and "A Rumor of War." Believe it or not, there WERE fun, comedic and altruistic occasions over there, every day. Other than this, it's a straight forward dramedy/adventure. Being a Disney flick, the combat situations are "Yeah, right" and no one gets hurt, but that's to be expected. An NCO indirectly linked to the real operation said the movie was much more interesting and fun than the actual event as the mission was pulled off without a hitch with little entertainment value. Dinh Thien Le appears as the boy, Linh, companion of the elephant Bo Tat. Danny Glover and Ray Liotta star as the two officers in charge of the mission assisted by Denis Leary, Doug E. Released in 1995, "Operation Dumbo Drop" is a Disney flick inspired by the real story of the US Army supplying an elephant for a village during the Vietnam War. I spent two years in country and had many genuine good times, often with the fine Vietnamese soldiers with whom I worked. And to the reviewer who doubted that anything funny ever happens in warfare: You too, speak out of ignorance. It just exposed the truth that a little bit of good can be found in most things, even things as tragic as warfare. And for Heaven's sake, keep political opinions on political forums. You are welcome to your opinion and can state it per the First Amendment but, ethically, you should study and actually know a little bit about the topic before you share an opinion. My OIC (Officer in Charge) was shot down and killed while attempting to evacuate refugees from a besieged A-Camp. I risked my life more than once, not in combat, but in aiding "common" villagers in tasks they could not accomplice themselves. Many good American lives were lost directly attempting to prevent harm to Vietnamese people. I am most proud of my days in Vietnam when I was privileged to provide food, cooking utensils, clothing and other necessities to peoples displaced by the war. As this mission actually went (and as depicted in this DRAMATIZATION), many of us worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the Vietnamese. As all soldiers in every war, some Americans conducted themselves better than others. For those reviewers who chose this forum to again knock a war over 36 years gone, SHAME ON YOU! You have only exposed your own ignorance. There is a direct contact link available. My credibility could be verified on my website which I am required not to include, but I'll be glad to provide it to anyone who is interested. The movie was much more interesting and fun, as the actual mission was pulled off without a hitch and had little entertainment value. I don't know how this problem was resolved. The village chief complained that the villagers were being forced to travel deeper and deeper into VC controlled territory to collect banana trees for their fodder. The elephants were juveniles (weight!!!) and were much too small to drag the large logs. The mountain trails were much too narrow to use bulldozers to drag the trees to the mill and someone came up with this idea. A sawmill had been built in the village to help its economy. The purpose was not for a ceremony but for a much more practical reason. Two veterinarians were flown from England to sedate and revive the animals. If they had been dropped standing up, their weight would have caused fatal physical harm upon landing. If they were hung in slings, their own weight would have suffocated them. They had to be tied down to airdrop cargo pallets. The elephants were not dropped in slings or standing up as depicted in the movie. "Our" Top Secret operation had two elephants called Bonnie and Clyde. I was not directly involved with the mission but had a front row seat and the officers I worked under kept me apprised of the progress. C, 5th SFG(A), 1st SF, HQed In DaNang, RVN. In 1968, I was the CA NCO (Civil Affairs Noncommissioned Officer) for Co. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |