The Firebase

I was an 8 yr old wanna be marine in 1968, having grown up on a steady diet of books about the Marine's island-hopping campaign during WWII and shows like "Combat!", "Sands Of Iwo Jima", "To Hell and Back", and "The Longest Day." My hearts desire was to be with the defenders of a place I could barely pronounce [Khe Sanh]and help them break out of that siege. As a result, over the years I have read almost every combat account/Oral History and a few novels about that particular war and the experience of being in it.

SOFG answered one of the abiding questions I'd always had during my many readings: "What was it like when your firebase was overrun?" I could never quite understand or picture it until I saw that movie. The performances were excellent--R. Lee Ermey in particular--and the character development of the NVA/VC added a welcome and needed layer to the movie. There were flaws, for sure, like rifles that shot for ever, and defenders not crouching down but standing tall; but from what I have read, the movie was realistic and right on target. The very 'feel' of it seemed to capture what I had read about that war.

And to the many vets who served there: thank you for your service and sacrifice for this country, and all that you saw and endured. If instead of Vietman, WWII or Korea had been the 'first TV War', people's repulsion for what they saw as real war would have been taken out in a similar way on those who served in these conflicts.