The movie was released June 68? while I was attending AIT at Ft Sill(13E) pre-arty OCS.
It was a time when the war was hitting everyone
If I remember, the draft was running 50,000 a month after the TET offensive
The MSM was very anti-war and blared their sys-ops to the masses daily
Millions were using college deferment as an escape, a legal draft dodge
1/2 of each graduating OCS class came home wounded
Then, Mother decided she needed more Infantry butter bars, so I was volunteered
to attend FT Benning, class 69-05.
Class started in Sept, I think we were able to see the movie around Thanksgiving, on our 1st-weekend pass.
Additionally, My OCS cadres, 1st Lt "Black Jack" Dawson(RIP, c attached) was a prior SF NCO and we had 5? SF NOC'sin the platoon, each with multiple VN tours.
I think my mind was made up after one session listening to Larry H(3-tours)
I misquote: (it was 52yrs ago :])
Do you want to play with the best team standing next to you??
The ones that will run to you when you're wounded?
Or will you play with the draftees that don't want to be there at all
and don't give a shit about you.
Larry was a good salesman, he retired as an SF O6 and his son is a current SF O6
I think about 1/3 of my class wanted SF and got SF assignments after jump school.
Our class KIA lose in VN was less than 10%, partially because the war was winding down, but I would also add, we were better mentally prepared because of the great SF classmates. The movie was just frosting on the cake.
