Go Tell the Spartans(1978)

In 1964 Vietnam, Major Asa Barker (Burt Lancaster), a weary U.S. Army advisor, leads a small team at the remote outpost of Muc Wa. The U.S. involvement is still early, but tensions rise as the Viet Cong (VC) gain strength. Barker, cynical and battle-hardened, questions the mission’s purpose.

Barker orders Sergeant Oleonowski (Marc Singer) and rookie Corporal Courcey (Craig Wasson) to investigate reports of VC near an abandoned French fort. They take a ragtag group: Cowboy (Joe Unger), a reckless soldier; Alpha (Dolph Sweet), a no-nonsense sergeant; and local militiamen. The team finds the fort littered with skeletons—a grim reminder of French colonial failures.

Back at Muc Wa, Barker clashes with Captain Albrecht (Jonathan Goldsmith), an arrogant officer pushing aggressive tactics. Courcey bonds with a Vietnamese nurse, Chau (Evan Kim), who warns him about VC infiltration. Meanwhile, Cowboy’s reckless behavior puts the team at risk during patrols.

Barker’s team returns to the fort to set up an observation post. They soon realize they’re surrounded by VC forces. Radio calls for help go unanswered—higher command dismisses the threat. The VC attack, overwhelming the outpost. Alpha dies defending the perimeter. Oleonowski is gravely wounded.

Barker orders a retreat, but Cowboy panics and flees, only to be killed by VC. Courcey stays behind to cover the escape, sacrificing himself. Barker and the few survivors reach a helicopter extraction point, but Barker refuses to leave, choosing to stay with the wounded Oleonowski. As the helicopter flies away, VC forces close in.

Cut to a silent shot of the abandoned Muc Wa outpost. A VC flag flies where the U.S. flag once hung. Text reveals the site was later destroyed by U.S. bombers—a futile attempt to erase the defeat. The cycle of history repeats, echoing the French skeletons found earlier.