The reception among Vietnam veterans was very positive towards the film's authenticity and brutality.
A number of Vietnamese advisers served to ensure the authenticity of the Vietnamese people. John Irvin in particular made sure that the film looked real.
During production, an electrician was electrocuted and died in front of the cast and crew. Production was almost shut down, but eventually continued after a memorial service.
After the May 17 battle, Dylan McDermott, as Sgt. Frantz, vehemently tells an Army photographer who shows up to "Unass my AO!" In the condensed language of GI slang, it is an order to move his ass out of the sergeant's Area of Operations, and in this context it expresses the infantry GI's contempt for soldiers who don't fight.