On November 14, 1965 in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam, in a small clearing called Landing Zone X-Ray, Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) and 400 young fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons—all troopers from the U.S. 7th “Air” Cavalry were surrounded by 2,000 enemy soldiers. The ensuing battle was one of the most savage in U.S. history. We Were Soldiers is a tribute to the nobility of those men under fire, their common acts of uncommon valor, and their loyalty to and love for one another.