Posted on 07/22/2018 3:22:12 PM PDT by eastforker
After Basic Training Stone landed in Vietnam on September 16, 1967, and was assigned to the 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th infantry, stationed near the Cambodian border. He was wounded twice in action, and was later transferred to 1st Cavalry and assigned to a Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon in April of 1968. It was during this time that he Juan Angel Elias, who would become the inspiration for Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) in Platoon, which drew heavily on Stone's Vietnam experiences. Eventually Stone was discharged in November 1968 after 15 months of duty, and received two personal awards: the Bronze Star with "V" device, which he received after conducting "extraordinary acts of courage under fire," and a Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster.
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
In April 1967, Stone enlisted in the United States Army and requested combat duty in Vietnam. From September 16, 1967 to April 1968, he served in Vietnam with 2nd Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Infantry Division and was twice wounded in action.[15] He was then transferred to the First Cavalry Division participating in long range patrols before being transferred again to drive for a motorized infantry unit of the division until November 1968.[17] For his service, his military awards include the Bronze Star with "V" Device for heroism, the Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster to denote two awards, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Why was he discharged after 15 months?
Many on her said he was nuts for claiming there was a shadow government. If he had only called it the deep state he would have been a genius.
I did not know this about Oliver Stone. I thank him for his meritorious service.
Oliver Stone and John Milius alone in a room as they wrote the script for that movie must have been a thing of violent beauty.
When you are drafted, it’s typically for 2 years. So after basic and MOS training that’s about how much would be left.
The answer is likely to have a relationship to a couple other questions. Why he was transferred from platoon to platoon while he was in the army? And why doesn't he go to reunions with people he served with? It is very possible that like John Kerry, he was a major pain in the rear, a danger to others, and not someone who his fellow soldiers and superior officers wanted to keep around.
That doesn't mean a discharge. The person was put on inactive reserve until the full 6 years was up and then one got the discharge.
I know because I got a drop of 3 1/2 months, but was on inactive reserve for 4 years and 3 1.2 months.
I knew a number of guys who extended their tours a few days or even months to qualify for the 6 month drop.
It was for most, better to be in Vietnam than to put up with the stateside regimen that every one that I knew considered to be mickey mouse.
I once ran into Oliver Stone in the foreigner bar area in Hong Kong, of all places.
He was there to promote his movie at the time - Natural Born Killers. The locals didn’t know who he was, It was late at night and I said “Hey, Oliver Stone, I loved the movie!” and he raised a glass to me.
On each arm he had a tall, slender, gorgeous Chinese model/actress wannabe.
Some version of the casting-couch, no doubt.
Many tours only lasted 12 months in-country, I believe.
“Conan The Barbarian”
Totally did not know this was Oliver Stone. Only Arnie. Clearly today is my day to learn stuff about Mr. Stone, for whatever reason.
HOLY S—T STONE SERVED IN VIETNAM???
I’ll never forgive Oliver Stone for his film, SALVADOR. It was a drugged out Leftist fantasy with the horse-mounted FMLN communist guerrillas being thwarted by U.S. supplied air power.
In reality, the international communist world provided the FMLN guerrillas modern surface to air missiles while the US provided obsolete aircraft. Captain Reynaldo Nochez was killed flying a C47 gunship by one of those eastern block SAMs.
But I still have an opinion...and it is that I think it was disgraceful for him for him to make "Platoon".
Not only did he serve, I believe he ‘volunteered’, not drafted, volunteered. Charlie Sheens character in Platoon was supposed to be Stone.
Eastforker, do you have a Ping list for these threads?
all this means is that it is possible to have served your country and still turn out to be a total PoS.
He did volunteer for combat and as stated in article, his views changed later. If you have ever been a member to a VFW and talk to some of the old honorable warriors, many of them changed their views later in life.
No but you can search keyword famousveteran and find all the previous post .
You got that right. I know my stint in the service was an eye opening experience that helped make me the questioning cynic that I am.
I respect his combat credentials but not his later radicalization. I understand how war can radicalize people but don’t support what they become.
Both Hitler and Tim McVeigh were war veterans but look how they turned out.
Stone reportedly visited Cuba as a guest of Fidel Castro and was given a standing ovation by the crowd in the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana when he was introduced. They knew what side he was on.
Stone also wrote the screenplay for Midnight Express.
Destroyed any desire for me to ever visit Turkey.
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