The Most Chilling Clash in Modern Military History

Just months into his Army service, Private Dan Cochran and his unit, the Iron Rakkasans from the 101st Airborne Division, were aboard a helicopter, soaring over war-torn Vietnam towards the heart of the conflict in Dong Ap Bia and A Shau Valley.

Ahead of them lay a heavily fortified mountain that would soon earn the grim moniker ‘Hamburger Hill,’ and their mission was to take it – at any cost.

Cochran and his fellow Iron Rakkasans set out toward the hill. The American offensive was welcomed by a storm of enemy fire. Enduring the ceaseless attacks from deep within the bushes, Cochran and his comrades pushed on, piercing the first two bunker lines as they ascended the hill.

But the enemy grew even more fierce and unpredictable, and the Iron Rakkasans were soon engulfed in a series of brutal firefights that cleaved their unit and scattered them across the battlefield. Cochran was alone with his assistant gunner, fighting back wave after wave of enemy assaults. The assistant then left to get more ammunition, leaving Cochran to continue the battle. In the heat of the fight, everything blurred into a chaotic maelstrom.

When the other man returned, he frantically shook Cochran, taking his gun away: (QUOTE) "Get out of here, you're wounded!" It was only then that Cochran realized he had been hit with an AK47 round in his right knee, and shrapnel had pierced his thighs and groin.

Cochran, determined to fight on, refused evacuation until he could no longer stand. As he was carried away from the fray, he glimpsed his unit, rallying to continue the assault. For them, the harrowing Battle of Hamburger Hill had only just begun…

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As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -

[jimcaufman]

I served with the 1st Cav in 67 and 68 as a Warrant Officer helicopter pilot. The problems with air mobile operations in Vietnam was there was no school to teach air mobile concepts and operations. The First Cav learned very early and at a high cost of lives that you could not take an experienced infantry commander and put him in an airmobile command position. This lesson was learned in 1965 when a leg Battalion commander decided to walk from point A to point B instead of flying in helicopters. The Battalion lost over half of its men killed in an ambush. (The walk was to LZ Albany). Another lesson learned was land on the high ground and fight your way down. This is what we did one year before the 101st assaulted into the Asha Valley. The 101st assaulted up the hills and paid the price. The 101st became an airmobile division with the stroke of a pen with no understanding of what an air mobile division actually was. The blame starts at the top and does not go very far down. President Johnson, Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Army. This would be like one morning replacing ALL the Naval Submarine Officers with Naval Aviators with no training. To us lonely doers of generals orders we just called it like it was. A cluster Fuck.,

[robertjackson]

My grandfather was platoon sergeant James E. Jackson Delta company 2nd platoon 3-187th and was awarded the silver star for his actions on May 18.

[hazonku]

When I was in 2-502 in the early 2000s I always made it a point to go listen to the old vets that'd come and visit. They always had valuable wisdom, personal insight, and just THE MOST absolutely awe inspiring stories. I count myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to listen to Dick Winters and the 506th guys from WW II as well as the many of the guys who participated in Hamburger Hill in Vietnam in person hearing their stories firsthand and the details you just don't get in any books or media based on their actions. Hearing their stories firsthand most definitely helped me and proved invaluable in my own deployments and battles.

[williamfeldner]

When my cousin came home from Vietnam he slept with a rifle on his chest, my Aunt said it lasted for over a year.. He had been stationed on a mountain top fire base, every night the VC would come for them. He was never the same after Vietnam ….. RIP Leslie Jones, You were one of the HEROES……….

[tomlineberger]

Thank you for publishing this documentary, Dr. Mark! The movie "Hamburger Hill" was one of the most violent military movies that I have ever watched! After that, I could not watch anything that had to do with violence and tragedy! One reason is that I lived in Argentina during the "Dirty War" which killed over 30, 000 people and most were buried in mass graves. As a result of living in fear as a civilian, I have PTSD. I can watch your historical videos, but it is hard for me to watch war movies, like "Hamburger Hill". Thank you for your historical documentaries! I'm able to watch those!

[SPN]

My grandfather (my mother's dad was at Hamburger Hill) in the 101st Airborne. That was his second tour, this was the battle of all his 24 months in the jungle was what marked him the most.

[guysolis]

First off, hats off to Dark Docs for putting together such a splendid video. The actual footage and on target story telling makes this and his many other documentaries come a live. I missed going to Nam by just a few years. Some buddies and myself geared up for our turn to fight there by working out, running in the Rockies and being very physical with each other. When the war stopped, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that I didn't go to Nam but I was lucky too...I appreciate the break I received and every time I see an old fella with a cap on that states Vietnam I go out of my way to shake his hand. What a thing to have to go through.

[jeffprescott]

I met many survivors at their 50th reunion in 2019. I have all of their autographs on a print that was commissioned for this occasion. I am a Rakkasan that fought a later war, the Gulf War.

I spent a week with these heroes…a few I already knew through the Rakkasan Association. We drank, we cried, we laughed, we drank a whole lot more.

We welcomed them home with a huge ceremony…50 years later. These men are my friends…

[Jimtheneals]

Ted Kennedy complaining about unnecessary loss of life? That's the dude who left a woman to die after he wrecked his car drunk driving.

[dennisross]

I grew up around many Vietnam and Korea war vets as my grandfather surved in Korea, and they were and still are some of my heros. The stories I was told as a young kid were one of the major reasons I joined the Army. I wanted to try to repay them and all others who served before me for the sacrifices they made in some way. When I returned home from Iraq they looked at me different and I could understand them on a little deeper level.

[charleswade]

Politicians running wars is why we loose battles and lives for unnecessary.

[jimhosteter]

My stepdad was in 101st airborne screaming eagles.... Miss him to this day... He passed a couple years back now from brain cancer....

[chiphailstone]

My dad, Dan Hailstone, started out his first tour with the Rakkasans, of his three tours, '67-'70. He was wounded in the back of the knee about 4 months in and after recovery in a hospital in Japan, returned to duty at Eagle Beach for "Light duty" as a gunner in Hueys and Chinooks. He found it better than lugging that gun on foot and settled in.
When he reupped, he took training and returned to the 101st as a crew chief for a CH-47 Chinook in the 101'sts 200 Headquarters supply, Eagle Beach/Hue city. His flight was the "Flying Pachederms" with an elephant painted on the rear rotor mast, his personal ship was "Up Up and Away".
They flew relentlessly during the "Hamburger Hill" battles.

[shawndunlap]

My Bro, Danny Olivares was there in the 101, dude, you wouldn't believe what he told me about that battle, he got hit while walking through a rice shithole by a BAR, IT broke his fiemer in half, Danny Olivares is an American Hero ❤😂

[chris]

Well that was unexpected, the old man firing the M4 is my Dad.

[TheGlobalTravelr]

These infantry men were real soldiers at that time. RIP

[michaelspaulding]

The city "Hue' is pronounced-'way' its the city smack dab in the center of Vietnam its the city that separated north and south it played a major part in the 1968 tet offensive. It's also the city in Full Metal Jacket where the Marines had to battle it out with the sniper.

[nicholasklangos]

I have NEVER considered that our military lost in Vietnam, our men fought bravely, did their duty and should always be proud and honored for their immense sacrifice for and by our Nation and it’s people! Yes hard lessons were learned, but like now it seems our leadership especially the weak unthinking, incompetent politicians are the ones who let our troops down! As a brother veteran I salute you ALL!! Sadly the Vietnam veterans are falling at an alarming rate their stories and lives must be told and preserved for history!! God Bless, hoorah!!

[albertthomas]

Each generation has it's own hero's. The young Marine at Con Thien made the cover of Life magazine and he also became a casualty of the Vietnam Conflict. Jane Fonda and Henry Kissinger sold us all down the river....

[jackieeastom]

So sad that our boys didn’t have the support of their government that they really needed!