Literally invoked by the effects of napalm. Especially on poor Jimmy Nakayama... He's so badly burned by the napalm that when Galloway goes to grab his legs to carry him to safety, his skin peels off his legs. That's not creative liberty on Hollywood's part, that actually happened.
Muscle too. You can literally see both of his tibia.
The onscreen deaths of the soldiers. Crosses over with Tear Jerker when the wives are notified of the deaths of their husbands.
One soldier is hit with White Phosphorous—or Willy Pete—in the face from a Vietnamese grenade. White Phosphorus, once ignited, burns at well above 2500 degrees Fahrenheit, and will continue burning while immersed in water, as it simply pulls oxygen from the water to maintain combustion. A fellow soldier has to carve out the burning fragments out of his face with a knife.
While training stateside before their deployment, Moore's radio operator is able to tune in on broadcasts from US forces in a firefight on the far side of the world. Moore's men are able to do no more than passively listen to the urgent radio message as the sounds of a pitched gunbattle can be heard, while being helpless to do anything to aid the troops in the battle.
When Moore calls in "Broken Arrow", a signal that US positions are in danger of being overrun, and for all available combat aircraft to attack enemy positions, even those close to the US troops' position.
Savage's platoon's ordeal after being cut off from the rest of the battalion, but especially after night falls. The Combat Breakdown scene is pure horror.
In one of the midnight scenes two American Men are on their stomach's in the trees when an explosion flashes and they see 10 NVA Soldiers walking next to them.
The ambush of the French troops at the start of the movie - the soldiers fight bravely but are overwhelmed by superior numbers and slaughtered to the last man, in a few minutes.
