During the Vietnam War, a great deal of the commentary focused on the need to win the \"hearts and minds\" of the Vietnamese people to the American cause. That of course never happened as the American forces were largely seen as foreign occupiers and the resistance never ended. This tape is does not consider the overall view or feature battles, it deals with the hearts and minds of the men of Charlie Company.
The men of the unit were from several locations in the United States, unified only by their being in a combat unit. Their opinions are diverse; from those convinced the war is a legitimate one to the company medic, a man that refuses to fight. They are a microcosm of the country at large, which had by the time this video was made had become sharply polarized over the war.
The men are interviewed about their feelings and purpose, but the high point is when their highly esteemed captain is transferred and they receive a new C.O. The old captain was very knowledgeable about how the war was being fought so when the new captain orders the men to walk down an open road, they refuse. Their old captain had always ordered them to bypass roads, a tactic that had worked very well for them. After the mini rebellion, both sides are interviewed about the incident and the new captain tries to put a smiley face on what was a rejection of his authority.
Many of the battles that took place in Vietnam were personal, within small groups and inside individuals. This tape is a concentration on those personal battles as the participants struggle to survive and deal with their feelings of uncertainty about what is widely perceived as an inappropriate war.