We were soldiers is a fact-based tale of men under fire, their common acts of uncommon valor, and their loyalty to and love for one another during one of the most savage military battles in U. S. history. On November 14, 1965, in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam, in a small clearing called Landing Zone X-Ray, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and 400 troopers from the U. S. 7th Air Cavalry are surrounded by 2000 enemy soldiers in what would become the first, and perhaps the worst, major battle of the Vietnam War.
Emotional Intelligence: The ability to do such things as understand one’s feelings, have empathy for others, and regulate one’s emotions to enhance one’s quality of life. Scene One: Lt. Moore’s
...wife Julie was looking at a photograph of them two; holding a rosary and praying, when she turns around and notices a car outside her window. She walks over to the window to get a better look at what kind of car it is. When she realized it was a cab she heard a knock on the door. Her heart dropped and she froze, she fell toward the wall and slide down in fright with their picture and rosary tight in her hand.
After a brief moment she got up to see who was at the door. As she approached the door, frightened, the taxi driver takes off his had as asks Julie if she is Colonel Moore’s wife. “Yes,” she replies. He tells her he needs help finding an address, but she replies cursing at him and telling him do you know what that is and wha
he did to her. The taxi driver then silently bows his head and leaves. Julie tells him to bring all the telegrams to her. Although it does not show much, Julie does demonstrate emotional intelligence. She took the responsibility and the burden of telling the army wives if their men have passed.
Julie is a strong independent woman who stepped up and took the role of leadership. She can help their wives and be the emotional support they need. Knowing that they will hate her that she brought them the bad news about their husbands she thought it would be better to come from a friend than a taxi driver. She was emotionally torched having her friends cry in front of her and be sad, but she was a good friend to be there for them and to hold them when they needed to be held the most. Effective Leader: One who helps group members attains productivity, including good quality and customer satisfaction, as well as job satisfaction.
Scene Two: In the scene of where Moore says to Jimmy that he had made the wrong call, and the airplanes land the rockets in the wrong place and kill some of their own men. Moore encourages him that he is doing the right thing and to keep going because Jimmy froze and was devastated, but with encouragement and positive altitude he kept going and was doing a little bit better. An effective leader helps others become positive no matter what the situation is. Expert Power: The ability to influence others because of one’s specialized knowledge.
Scene three: The reporter said one of the
solders burnt on the ground, he had talked to him before and he told him that his son was being born and he was really excited about it. The reporter helped carry his friend to the rescue helicopter but the skin was coming of his legs. So he picked him up himself and put him on the helicopter. The reporter was very sad, and hurt. He saw his camera hanging on a small branch so then he took it and dropped his riffle down not wanting to fight any more. He then starts to take pictures of the misery the men were going through.
No other reporters would understand what he went through. His specialized knowledge is going to influence not only other reporters but other people as well. His pictures will become an inspiration to the upcoming generation of what this country has been through. Story Telling: As a leader tool some companies hire consultants to help their executives develop the art. Scene Four: While training Lt. Moore was telling his men a story. He says to them, “ When Crazy Horse was a baby, he nursed at the breast of every woman in the tribe. The Sioux raised their children that way.
Every warrior called every woman in the tribe "Mother". Every older warrior, they called him "Grandfather". Now, the point here is that they fought as a family. Take care of your men. Teach them to take care of each other. 'Cause when this starts each other is all we're going to have. ” Lt. Moore wanted to help them understand that they will be in hell. That they have
to stay together like a family, and have each other’s backs no matter what happens. He is helping them realize that they will fight and protect each other, that they won’t kill their own men, or not help their own men.
Spiritual Guidance: Spiritual guidance explores aspects of being human. Spiritual guidance helps us awaken to our sense of meaning and purpose in our lives and develop a deeper relationship with the divine. It is a process of accompanying people on their spiritual journey, based on the understanding that spirit lives within the hearts of each of us and within all creation. Spiritual guidance helps clients renew their sense of the sacred. In spiritual guidance clients examine their relationship with the divine, with others and with their own deep self.
Through compassionate listening and insightful questioning, a spiritual guide provides clients an opportunity to view all aspects of their lives from a spiritual perspective and find deeper intimacy with the divine and with their spiritual self. Scene Five: In the beginning of the movie the men are in the helicopters going off to war, and their wives that have just God and Jesus to pray to that they are fine. Catherine voice shaking singing through tears in church, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest…” music stops as she can’t finish saying that she is sorry. However she keeps singing with tears in her eyes, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteous… “ and she stops and begins to cry. Then the other wives begain to
help her sing, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, (congregation joins in) all other ground is sinking sand. ” It’s easy to praise God when everything around is going good and everything is in its place. However, it’s in the times when things are not going good or the way we hoped that our love for God “doesn’t come easy. It can often be difficult to find the words and/or desire to praise Him or worship Him during tough times. (I found this scene on you tube) Leadership: The ability to influence people to accomplish goals and objectives of the organization through the willing efforts of others. Scene Six: “Look around you. In the 7th Cavalry, we got a Captain from the Ukraine, another from Puerto Rico. We've got Japanese, Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians, Jews and Gentiles -- all Americans. Now here in the States, some men in this Unit may experience discrimination because of race or creed. But for you and me now, all that is gone.
We're moving into the 'valley of the shadow of death' -- where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours. And you won't care what color he is or by what name he calls God. They say we're leaving home. We're going to what home was always supposed to be. So let us understand the situation. We are going into battle against a tough and determined enemy. I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear before you and before Almighty God: That
when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to stop off.
And I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together. So help me God. ” Moore gave one of the best speeches any leader can give. He was honest and he kept his word. He was the first to step foot there and he was the last. He did bring all his men home dead or alive. He knew most would die, and he wasn’t sure that he will be coming home, but he knew that he was going to come home with pride and honor. Courage: leaders need courage to face the challenges of taking prudent risks and taking inactive in general.
Courage comes from the heart, as suggested by the French word for heart, Coeur. Leaders must face up to responsibility and be willing to put their reputations on the line. It takes courage for a leader to suggest a new undertaking, because if the understanding fails, the leader is often seen as having failed. Scene Seven: Moore finds LT. Geoghegan at church praying and he wanted to ask him a question. What do you think about being a soldier and a father? And Moore answers him, “I hope that being good at the one makes me better at the other. Why? What about you? and Geoghegan answer him with worries in his voice, “Geoghegan: I don’t know, sir. Between college and here, Barbara and I spent a year in Africa. We helped build a school for orphans. They were
orphans because the warlord across the border didn’t like their tribe. I know God has a plan for me. I just hope it’s to help protect orphans, not make any. ” Then Moore gets him up and says why don’t we ask him, he starts to pray with LT. Geoghega. Our Father in Heaven, before we go into battle, every soldier among us will approach You each in his own way.
Our enemies too, according to their own understanding, will ask for protection and for victory. And so we bow before Your infinite wisdom; we offer our prayers as best we can. I pray that You watch over the young men like Jack Geoghegan that I lead into battle. You use me as Your instrument in this awful Hell of war to watch over them, especially if they are men like this one beside me deserving of a future in Your blessing and goodwill. Amen. When we need to know the purpose for our lives, the best plan is to turn to God to find out what He wants.
Or how to keep on living and knowing that someone is next to you and protecting you. When Moore gave courage to the LT, it doesn’t mean that he is still not scared, but he knows now that he has god with him, and if he’s better at being a soldier he is going to be better at being a father. Leadership: The ability to influence people to accomplish goals and objectives of the organization through the willing efforts of others. Scene Eight: Julie Moore is hosting a meeting of officers' wives. Knowing that
her husband and all their husbands are going to war they will need to know what they will do to help each other.
She takes the roll of being their leader and helps them decide what they will approach. Who will be taking care of shopping, taking kids to school, doing laundry? She even said that she would go to the general to get the washer machines fixed. Julie is had a very powerful character in this movie as a leader, just like her husband. Dictatorship: The ability to influence people to accomplish goals and objectives of the organization without the willing efforts of others. Dictatorship implies absolute power someone person who takes control of a political situation, a family, a classroom or even a camping expedition.
In government, a dictatorship leaves no room for input from anyone who is not the top guy or gal. The noun comes from the late 14th century Latin word, dictare, which means to "repeat or say often. " In a dictatorship, one person keeps repeating the same command: "My way or the highway. " Scene Nine: the Vietnamese person who was in charge was giving orders in the hole not fighting with his men. To me that would be dictatorship, he sent all his men out there to fight and to be killed. However he stayed in the same spot doing nothing but yelling and giving directions.
Where Moore was crying that his men died and he was still alive. After the war was over he went out to see his men, not even a tear or an emotion came out of him all there
was is anger and saying that the Americans think this is victory. He was asking for another war. Commitment: effective followers are committed to something beyond themselves, be it a cause, product, department, the leader facilitates progress toward achieving a goal. Scene Ten: The battle at the valley of death, all the men run up the hill not knowing what is coming for them; they see that there were other soldiers there with guns ready to shoot at them.
Moore had a look on his face that he is going to die; as his eyes open wide helicopters come from behind and start to shoot the other army. They were so committed to each other that they will do the impossible to keep each other alive. We were soldiers brought tears to many people. It showed us what this country has been through, how many innocent people died to be where we are today. Most people have never been in a war or never seen one, and never lost anyone in a war, they are truly blessed, but they will never understand the feeling of fighting for freedom. I am truly and proudly to say that I am thankful to be an American.
