Top-rated
Thu, Jan 7, 1988
Anderson receives a letter from his ex-wife saying that their three year-old daughter is asking about him. Anderson fights back tears and asks the chaplain if he could send his daughter a letter telling her that he loves her and misses her. Lt. Goldman tells Anderson that they must go to the Don Ho Valley to rescue any pilot that lands in their area. Anderson is against it as his previous unit was almost wiped out the last time he was there. They go anyways and reach a downed Air Force pilot surrounded by a company of VC.
Thu, Feb 18, 1988
When Purcell's father had a heart attack in Honolulu, Ruiz and Taylor change their R&R to Honolulu to give Purcell support. They are confronted by the anti-war attitudes and demonstrations back home. Purcell is shocked by the veterans' ward at the hospital, while he deals with his feelings towards his father, who has left his mother and has taken up with a younger woman.
Thu, Feb 25, 1988
Among other casualties, Lt. Goldman temporarily loses his sight when his Jeep hits a mine. Horn leaves him with a female VC soldier (named Li Kiem) and goes for help at Goldman's demand. He removes her gag in an effort at civility but she tries to get a local woman who comes across them to help her escape by speaking Vietnamese. He manages to sense what she is doing but he counters and they leave, with her as his prisoner/shield. It turns out she speaks English but still implacably considers him her enemy; they debate politics briefly. During this time she tries several times to have him killed or captured but he manages to evade these threats as well. They come across an embittered farmer who hates both sides and initially refuses them food but then reconsiders. She seems to soften towards Goldman, whom she calls "GI". He later regains his sight after a dunking while they cross a very deep river. He saves her from drowning but they come under fire from a VC team chasing them, with ultimately deadly consequences.
Sat, Mar 12, 1988
General Goldman, Lt. Goldman's father, is on base on a fact-finding mission. He agrees that Myron has disobeyed orders by withdrawing rather than advancing against his better judgment toward what appeared to be a burned-out NVA facility. It turned out that the NVA were dug in a bit further on the trail. A pal of Ruiz tripped a wire and was killed. He was high on heroin. Sent to chill out with Sgt. Ecksley in supply, Ruiz discovered that Ecksley was selling Army goods in the black market and enabling soldiers to score heroin through the local drug lord. General Goldman saw more "truth" than he anticipated and realized that this war is not the same as previous wars.
Sat, Mar 26, 1988
Bravo Company was saved from a group of VC by some Montagnards, who then brought the guys back to their village, home of a former Special Forces agent. Brigade determined that Bravo Company should train the villagers on weapons. The Special Forces agent opposes giving the tribe the weapons, as it will cause them to become a target. Brigade wants the Montagnards to cut off the VC trail running near the village. Bravo Company runs afoul of a local martinet who takes out his anger on the village.
Sat, Apr 9, 1988
Lt. Goldman is shot loading a captured, injured VC colonel onto a helicopter. At the base hospital, he learns that Nikki Raines, the nurse he is in love with, had an abortion and she wants to break up with him because he is a soldier, a bad risk. The ARVN aide to the intelligence officer who wants to question the VC colonel tries to kill the colonel so that he cannot reveal the plans for a big offensive at the Tet.
Top-rated
Sat, Apr 30, 1988
Bravo Company takes Hill 1000 - again - and finds no trace of the enemy. All the men, especially Horn, question why they take a hill suffering casualties and then abandon it, only to be required to take it again. A day or so later, a helicopter spraying Agent Orange is shot down, and Bravo Company again goes up Hill 1000 through the dripping Agent Orange. Horn walked down the hill but decides that his friends are worth fighting for. Horn is wounded throwing explosives into the VC bunker. And then the men are ordered yet again to abandon the hill. Medals are handed out that highlight a number of the episodes.