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Exactly who was the Captain talking to on the radio?

posted 2 years ago by PittPanthers47 (237)
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Certainly one great scene in Platoon---a movie that is made up of many terrific scenes---is just before the final battle when we see and hear the Captain (played very well by Dale Dye) having a dire conversation with a young American GI on the radio. I believe that when i first saw this film some 36 years ago I just assumed that the young soldier was on a firebase somewhere in the near distance and being overrun by the NVA onslaught that was on a collision course with Bravo Company. But I don't believe that to be true.

I was wondering who the young soldier was and what unit he was with? When we see King and Taylor talking we see a group of soldiers heading out into a forward position and we hear King say something to the effect "Glad that I am not going with them. The Beast is out there and he is hungry tonight." Was this group of soldiers simply a forward ambush unit from the 25th Infantry/Bravo? Were they the ones that were being slaughtered by the NVA as the young soldier talked to the Captain just before we assume he met his own demise? Or were they simply some other American unit operating out beyond the perimeter of Bravo? Any thoughts here from BO and our Platoon roundtable?

[–] BOandBarbecue (2264) 2 years ago

yes pitt i always assume this soldier is from patrol who chris and king see walking out.

it is crazy they send patrol out like that into lions den. why would you do this?

this scene must be inspired from 'ghost patrol' in battle of khe sanh.

[–] PittPanthers47 (237) 2 years ago

BO---I could understand why you would want to have an advance patrol or post out beyound your lines----but if I was the CO I would tell them to proceed with extreme caution and move slow while observing everything around you. But with the thick jungle the truth is that you could be litterally stepping on a large body of enemy troops before you even knew they were there. It would be a bad situation.

I wonder how far the patrol went out. Did we hear the guns from where the Captain was? i don't recall that. They must have been out pretty far. We do see the jets deployed shortly thereafter as Barnes gives that creepy smile to an unnerved Wolfe.

But the scene with the Captain talking on the radio to the overrun patrol was very memorable. It did a lot to build the tension of what was out there and coming Bravo's way.

[–] BOandBarbecue (2264) 2 years ago

i guess pitt. if that is the military strategy to send men out like that then i think it must be effective and work but to me is bad!

taylor already say before battle "somewhere out there is entire 141 NVA regiments" so is seem nuts to send troops out there. that is why i mention ghost patrol, as i thought american would not send troops out if they know how many out there (ghost partrol did not know enemy numbers strength).

they are right on combodian border, probably epicenter for troops coming down from north. and send patrol out? hahahah crazy!

i have not seen this film in many year but i think at one point taylor hear gunfire in distance after king gets helicopter out out of battle zone. is he standing near where captain is when he speak on radio to distressed man?

yes it is memorable scene pitt. dale dye is superb actor. he make that scene believable. his calm demeaner is just what you expect from someone who was great leader in army.

and yes pitt the scene does help build great tension for fantastic end battle. Oliver stone is very talented writer and director. he know how to film war. the nam war scene in 'born on the fourth of july' lasts 15 mins but is some of the best war i've seen in a film.

that is why platoon is such great film - stone is good writer and director and was veteran so it all come together to make this great war film.

[–] PittPanthers47 (237) 2 years ago

Those are all great points you make, BO. Yeah, right near or in Cambodia would be a real bad place to be for the reasons you state. It would be being right in the hornets nest or the dragon's lair. Many NVA/VC there and supplied to the hilt.

I would like to see and hear that scene you talk about with Taylor hearing the gunfire. Okay, that makes sense. They could not have gotten all that far from when we see the patrol walking out. Unless it was meant to be another unit operating out there that got caught in the NVA death grip.

[–] BOandBarbecue (2264) 2 years ago

yes right in the hornets nest pitt! did you know that america use B-52s to bomb NVA troops coming down ho chi minh trail from combodia into south? one story say one single B-52 raid wipe out 1000 charlie!! unbelievable firepower americans have in this war. just staggering hahahah

could be another unit yes, pitt. i think taylor hearing gun shots come right before scene where captain speak to soldier in distress, so this is same battle going on. that would be by guess.

[–] ebhaynz (3724) 2 years ago

Yes, it's the patrol they sent out as bait. As King said; "fuckin bummer!"