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As someone who actually was in Vietnam...

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EdM

In Reply to: Major, fatal flaw of "Apocalypse Now:" posted by tinear on May 24, 2005 at 17:00:11:

I can absolutely attest that Apocalypse Now was and remains the most realistic film about that crazy war. Yes, commanders like the Duvall charactor actually existed! I myself did some crazy things. There was somewhat of a party (like it was the end of the world) atmosphere that just brought out wierdness.
I worked on planes that had 5000 watt audio systems to broadcast propaganda (and music) to the Vietnamese villagers- just like Apocalypse Now.
I was involved in taking a Filipino rock band through Viet Cong lines during the Tet holiday to their hotel because the base commander dug the lead singer!
I also traveled hundreds of miles through enemy territory in order to trade steaks for a propeller which we then traded to some Army troops for an air conditioner.
I knew guys who didn't want to leave Nam because they owned bars and were making a fortune so they traded IDs with newly arrived troops and send them back home in their place!
Yeah, Apocalypse Now was realistic- unlike the "Deer Hunter" for example. No one I ever knew there sat around pointed loaded guns at their head!
Music is Emotion

Follow Ups:

My father is a VN vet and agrees - JDK 23:30:42 05/26/05 (0)
He says that over his 12 month tour, he saw every bit of wierdness shown in the film, except for soldiers fighting with music blaring.
Hell, Dad was even friends with a real Colonel Kurtz - an Australian Army Officer based in Cambodia or Laos or someplace, bankrolled by the CIA, with his own private army. He even had pet tigers :~)

Cheers,
John K
Anyone that stood around during a mortar and arms - tinear 07:37:41 05/26/05 (2)
attack on a flat beach would have been toast. Sure, Duvall's character could have been unscathed but all around him would have been toast. Great examples of your experiences, though.
Like I said, Sheen wasn't believable and that was a major problem. Hopper was also in-credible.
I must say that Brando few moments make the film worthwhile, but hardly so as a classic.
- Believe me, there are always Col. Kilgore's around . . . - mr grits 10:52:08 05/26/05 (1)
  My unit had Ivy League CO's but that's a different story. AN just says it all with the craziness. (Being in an Intel/Photo unit we traded camera film for steaks and whiskey all the time. We had two john boats at our villa. One for fishing and the other for water skiing. We took off all federal holidays and partied. Once our supply sgt. came in excited because a helicopter unit wanted to give him a Cobra gunship. Of course, we had no pilot or place to land it. But why? The chopper wasn't in the company property book and they had to ditch it before the CMMI inspectors got there. Craziness.)
  Everybody who went to VN could write a very amusing and/or terrifying book.
  
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  This space available.
  - Tim O'Brien has written the best Vietnam book(s). nt - tinear 15:08:43 05/26/05 (0)
    s

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