Yeah, Dr. Cox was in 'Nam (he plays Red O'Neill). Bonus points: in both roles he's often seen bickering with a smug superior named Bob.
Johnny Depp is in a minor role as Private Gator Lerner, one of Elias' friends.
The depressed commanding officer watching Chris being airlifted away at the end is Dale Dye, who served in Vietnam and to whom fell the honor of writing the novelization of the film.
Goliath befriends the protagonist FNG. As in Pitch Black, David is part of a group under attack by a much larger force, but survives long enough to fly away to safety.
