Platoon Tapestries
Description: A stark tribute to Platoon, the definitive 1986 cinematic experience that brought the brutal realities of the Vietnam War to the screen. Oliver Stone's visceral, Oscar-winning film pulls no punches as it follows the spiritual and moral destruction of Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) and his comrades. This design captures the film's core theme, memorialized in the final, chilling thought from Taylor's narration: "The first of war is innocen."
Description: The 42nd Infantry Platoon Scout Dog, created during World War II. The unit was created to provide infantry units with early silent warnings of ambushes, booby traps and other dangerous situations. Its greatest use and contribution occurred during the Vietnam conflict. The unit was made up of teams of two; one dog and one dog handler. These teams saved the lives of many combat infantry men. There were over 4,000 dogs sent to Vietnam to work as Scout Dogs, Mine Dogs, Tunnel Dogs, Tracker Dogs and Sentry Dogs.
Description: 1966–1973: Approximately 5,000 US war dogs served in the Vietnam War (the US Army did not retain records prior to 1968); about 10,000 US servicemen served as dog-handlers during the war, and the K9 units are estimated to have saved over 10,000 human lives. 232 military working dogs and 295 US servicemen working as dog handlers were killed in action during the war. It is estimated that about 200 Vietnam War dogs survived the war to be assigned at other US bases outside the US. The remaining canines were euthanized or left behind.
