Synopsis: The Vietnam War was the longest war in American history.

 While out on patrol, Second Squad is ambushed by the enemy. The attacking NVA retreat, heading in Goldman's direction and Anderson orders a hasty ambush be set up. Unfortunately, no one lets Goldman's men know that Second Squad was chasing the NVA down, and Myron's men nearly kill their buddies when they come running into the clearing. The NVA that they were chasing had simply disappeared. Wallace and FergusonWallace comes in, finding out what happened as the wounded and dead are being evaced out. It is suggested that they check out a nearby village to see what it holds. Spreading out through what appears to be an abandoned village, Taylor startles everyone when he starts shooting into a hootch. Goldman gets into it with Taylor about scaring the hell out of everyone, Taylor not backing down and mouthing right back to Goldman. Anderson gets between the two men, telling Taylor to leave and for Goldman to forget it. Myron is furious, still clearly at odds with Anderson. Everyone else continues to search the village. While taking a break and eating some c-rats, Baker ends up the source of amusement when a pig gets into some of his dietary supplement and takes off with it. He eventually catches the pig, but the entire platoon comes under fire again. Taylor ends up wounded, taking a shot across the side of his neck. Trying to crawl to safety, he is instead knocked unconscious and taken captive by the NVA. The brief firefight is over as suddenly as it had begun, everyone realizes that Taylor has gone missing and Goldman orders the area searched for the young man. When Taylor is not found, Johnson becomes upset, Anderson assuring him that they will find his friend. Ruiz, while bragging to Horn, sits down on some boards and ends up with a nail in his backside. Horn pulls the board with the nail off of the shouting Ruiz, and realizes he is looking at the entrance to a tunnel. After Anderson tosses in a grenade, he asks for two men to go down inside. Clyde volunteers, wanting payback for his friends who were just recently killed and Anderson sends Ruiz with him. Once down in the tunnels, Clyde goes to climb down to the next level and ends up being viciously and repeatedly piked by an NVA. Ruiz, horrified, is unable to help his buddy and ends up climbing back topside, sobbing it was horrible and he couldn't get his friend out. Doc Matsuda goes in and eventually they get Clyde out, but he is badly wounded. Anderson volunteers to go down by himself, saying he had done tunnels before in III Corps. Goldman refuses to let him go down alone but no one will volunteer to go with Anderson. Wallace arrives, suggests they use gas and hands the canister to Goldman. Taylor is below in the tunnels, water being poured on his face as an NVA officer demands information of him. Taylor insists he has no information and eventually the officer knocks him unconscious. He then orders the doctor they have with them to start treating Taylor. Anderson and Goldman decides he is going with Anderson down in the tunnels, but Anderson tries to dissuade him. The two end up arguing over attitude and who's in charge. Disgusted, Goldman stomps off, grabs his revolver and climbs into the tunnels. Anderson sighs and follows, the two continuing to snipe at each other down below. While negotiating the tunnels, Anderson spots a snake. Myron jumps back in time to avoid being bit by the poisonous viper, but he's clearly afraid of the snake. Anderson realizes that Goldman is terrified, and offers to take care of it, but Goldman refuses and finally gathers enough courage to kill it. He then tells Anderson he's been afraid of snakes ever since he was little. The Vietnamese doctor continues to treat Taylor, curious about the black man, and the two begin to form a friendship with each other when the doctor protects him from further harm from the angry NVA officer. Goldman and Anderson continue to negotiate the tunnels, when they reach a trap door. A grenade is tossed down at them, Goldman throwing it far enough down the tunnel to save them as Anderson shoots his way up through the trap door, shouting in fury: "I'm the nightmare your mamma warned you about!" Both men set chase after the NVA, exchanging fire. They end up in a room filled with ammunition, though, and a shot sets the whole thing off, burying the two men in a cave-in. When the dust clears, Goldman realizes Anderson is unconscious and half-buried. Panicking, Myron quickly digs Anderson out, and revives him, saving Anderson's life. Relieved the sergeant was going to be all right, and a bit overwhelmed, Goldman dissolves into laughter, unable to stop. Baker and Stone (tunnel rat)Topside, Goldman's men watch with amusement and curiosity when the Tunnel Combat Specialists (Tunnel Rats) arrive. Below, Goldman and Anderson try to dig out, and Myron asks about Anderson and why he was on his third tour. They eventually break through enough to get some air, and the tunnel rats arrive to help get them out. But the tunnel rats trip a wire and end up either dead or badly wounded, leaving Anderson and Goldman still trapped. Later, the doctor informs Taylor that his friends had been defeated, killed in a cave-in. Taylor refuses to believe him. Eventually, Anderson and Goldman get free and help to bring the wounded and dead tunnel rats topside. Wallace, disgusted with the entire situation, decides to cut his losses and orders the platoon to leave the village. When the NVA below realize they have won and the Americans are leaving, they start to rejoice and decide they will ambush them outside the village. The NVA officer then orders the doctor to take Taylor above and kill him. Once outside, Taylor begs for his life as the doctor struggles with not wanting to kill him. The NVA officer arrives, and tries to take the gun away from the doctor. All three men grapple for a moment before the doctor is accidentally shot and Taylor secures the gun. Killing the officer, he then watches the doctor die before he sets off to try and save his buddies from the ambush. Taylor arrives in time to fire shots and shout a warning to his friends, saving their lives. Goldman's men drive back the NVA successfully. Anderson and TaylorLater, back at the village, Ruiz roasts the pig and the men enjoy the fresh meat. Johnson takes a slice over to Anderson and Goldman, offering it to the L-T. Myron waves it away, saying "Oy" and walks back to his men. Anderson takes the meat and goes over to Taylor, who has just finished burying the doctor. Taylor then explains to Anderson the doctor was a good man.

Synopsis:   The twelve month period American soldiers were required to serve in Vietnam was known as their tour of duty.

pilot episode: JohnsonFirebase Ladybird- Vietnam- 1967. During the night hours, Ladybird is nearly overrun by the NVA when they attack the base. The following morning, Captain Wallace assesses the damage and casualties before deciding to send Sgt. Zeke Anderson to Division Headquarters at Chu-lai. Anderson catches a chopper ride to the rear and, after speaking with the brass there, goes over to see about some new recruits to take back with him to Ladybird. There are dozens of new men, fresh from combat orientation and all playing volleyball in the mud. Anderson calls over the two teams that are winning, explaining that he was looking for winners. And survivors. Using his own criteria, he selects out Privates Clyde R. Lawrence, Scott Baker, Alberto Ruiz and Corporal Danny Percell for his own squad.

Later, while speaking to his friend, Mad Dog- another sergeant- Anderson hears a harmonica being played. He discovers Private Roger Horn. Mad Dog warns Zeke that Horn is a war protester. Anderson, impressed with the young man's ability to play and the chance to learn how to from him, decides to put Horn in his squad anyway. That afternoon, while the men are loading into trucks for the ride back to Ladybird, Anderson meets his new CO, 2nd Lt. Myron Goldman. Goldman, all of 21,is all spit and polish and fresh from the States. On the road back to the firebase, Anderson asks Goldman if he is a "West Pointer" to which Myron replies no, Officer Candidate School. Goldman also finds out that Zeke is on his third tour in Vietnam, both men agreeing he must be crazy.

Pilot episode: GoldmanUpon arriving at Ladybird, Goldman goes immediately to meet his commanding officer, Captain Rusty Wallace. Rusty welcomes Goldman, placing him in charge of Second Platoon, Bravo Company with Anderson as his platoon sergeant. Goldman is less than thrilled with the choice of his sergeant, Wallace assuring him that Anderson was an excellent soldier. Wallace also finds out here that Myron is the son of the famous Lt. Colonel Martin Goldman, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor during WWII. Myron makes it clear to Rusty that he intends to live up to his father's legacy and hopefully surpass it in some ways.

The new men move into their quarters, the "veterans", especially Marcus Taylor, giving them a hard time. The next day the entire platoon is sent out to help with a mission to locate the NVA who had nearly destroyed Ladybird a few days prior. Horn tells Anderson that his opinions have not changed and he will not fight. Anderson makes it clear that Horn will fight, but also decides to make him RTO in order to keep him closer to himself and the lieutenant.

Pilot episode: Goldman and squad in HueyGoldman's platoon is brought out by Hueys to the bush, but upon reaching the LZ, is immediately attacked. Horn leaves his rifle back on the chopper before jumping off. They suffer casualties immediately, Goldman trying to get the men to advance. Anderson finally yanks him down before the younger man gets himself killed, and then calls in artillery. Goldman is less than thrilled with Anderson, and also with Horn when he discovers Roger does not have his rifle. He threatens both with court martial upon return to the base.

After the shelling, the platoon moves in. Johnson finds a blood trail, which they decide to follow. Goldman and Anderson continue to disagree with each other, exchanging words on exactly who is in charge. The blood trail eventually disappears and, after a further search that turns up nothing, Goldman's men are finally ordered to rejoin the rest of the company. While carefully making their way back, Baker and Ruiz keep sniping at each other, driving Goldman to distraction. Ruiz finds a small lizard, which he uses to tease Baker. Disgusted , Baker finally knocks the lizard out of Ruiz's hand. Wanting the lizard back, Ruiz jumps out of the line, Anderson chasing after him. But while searching, Ruiz stumbles across an encampment of what appear to be the NVA they had been sent out to find. Goldman and the rest of the men join them,

Goldman, realizing he is in over his head, calls in for help. But while he is talking to Wallace about how best to handle the situation, Lawrence realizes he's on a wire and tries not to panic. Anderson, Taylor and Johnson all try to keep the boy calm, but Lawrence sets off the mine, alerting the NVA of the platoon's presence. They immediately come under attack, Goldman's men returning fire. Unable to get support from Wallace, and the situation becoming a bit desperate, Anderson tells Goldman to stand fast and grabs Johnson and Ruiz. Flanking the enemy, Anderson has Ruiz pin down some of the NVA while he and Johnson get close enough to use an RPG and blow up the ammo and most of the encampment in the bargain.

 

Afterwards, with Wallace congratulating both Goldman and Anderson on a job well done, Horn sees one of the NVA has survived and is reaching for a gun. Shouting a warning, he jumps on the man and in the ensuing struggle, ends up stabbing and killing the enemy soldier. Horrified at what he has done, he looks at Anderson in bewilderment, telling him the war is wrong. Anderson tells him that maybe it is, but that's not the point. And shoves his rifle into Roger's hands.

Worth another look: Zeke, needing new recruits to take back to Ladybird, calls over the two teams of young men who were currently winning at a volleyball game. Using his own criteria, he selects Percell, Baker, and Ruiz for his own platoon and squad.

 

Music:  •Land of 1000 Dances- Wilson Pickett. As the new recruits play volleyball in the mud.

•When I was Young- Eric Burton and the Animals.  When Third Squad is shown in the Huey flying out for the first time with Goldman and the other new members.

•All Along The Watch Tower- Bob Dylan.   When Horn realizes he's just killed the NVA with his knife.