“We Were Soldiers” Hal Moore Talks About The Battle For Ia Drang (Watch)

LTC Hal Moore and Sgt. Major Basil Plumley, the day they returned from the Ia Drang battle, 1965.
LTC Hal Moore and Sgt. Major Basil Plumley, the day they returned from the Ia Drang battle, 1965.

Lt. General Hal Moore talks about the Battle of Ia Drang at the 2008 American Veterans Center’s conference.

It was November 14, 1965, in the Ia Drang Valley of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. American troops were transported by helicopter to clear landing zones and set up the command center of the operation at a large termite mound in Landing Zone X-Ray (LZ X-Ray).

The LZs were about 30 minutes round trip from the base, and the 16 Huey helicopters could only transport about 12 men each at once. The first boots hit the ground at 10:48 and by 12:15, shots were bring fired. It would be many hours before the battalions were at full strength and the battle would last for several days.

Ia_Drang_Infantry_disembarking_from_Helicopter
1/7 Cavalry lands at LZ X-Ray

For the first two of those days, it was the job of the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 7th Air Cavalry to hold LZ X-Ray against some 2,500 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. Much of the fabled history of this battle revolves around that 1st Battalion and its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore.

The U.S. troops eventually defeated the much larger enemy force, but with very heavy losses.

In this moving video from the American Veterans Center, Hal Moore talks about the battle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82LqvxhuFEY

Joris Nieuwint

Joris Nieuwint is a battlefield guide for the Operation Market Garden area. His primary focus is on the Allied operations from September 17th, 1944 onwards. Having lived in the Market Garden area for 25 years, he has been studying the events for nearly as long. He has a deep understanding of the history and a passion for sharing the stories of the men who are no longer with us.

@joris1944 facebook.com/joris.nieuwint