Broken Arrow

[tamariki]

In the film "We Were Soldiers"., Mel Gibson uses the term "Call in Broken Arrow"

I have asked friends of mine who served in Vietnam what this meant, since I was under the impression that Broken Arrow is an Americanterm used to announce mishaps with nuclear weapons.

Could any of you clarify this for me?

Jim

[SuperScout]

Believe it was a term to describe a scenario that required a "Danger-Close" call on incoming fire missions. Since the unit was in danger of being overrun, a "danger-close" call, i.e., "boken arrow" may have been the internal lingo at 1st Cav.

[Seascamp]

In context of the time and circumstance, it meant pull all the stops and bring on anything that goes boom. There were USN, USAF and some RVNAF strike aircraft stacked some 25K ft. up, circling and waiting their turn come on down and put their ordinance on the NVA.

USN Carriers at Yankee Point launched all A6?s they could and they joined the vertical stack as well. Amazingly, no mid air collisions and no damaged aircraft.

Scamp

[SuaSponte]

From what I was able to find, it's currently used to describe "an accidental event that involves nuclear weapons or nuclear components but does not create the risk of nuclear war." It was previously used during the Vietnam War to "request close air support from all available aircraft when a ground position is in extreme danger of being overrun by enemy troops."

DoD Directive 5230.16
US Air Force manual 10-206

[reconeil]

Believe you're partially right for such being about a lost or unaccounted for nuclear device. Remember same expression used in a John Travolta movie,...where Old John played the thief of such and/or one of The Bad Guys.

Regardless, SuperScout is also right, since my understanding is that in Vietnam if a Unit Commander thought it inevitable being overrun by an exceptionally overwhelming in numbers force,..."Broken Arrow" was used as a plea for every possible bit of Air & Artillery Support that The U.S. & Allied Forces could muster.

Fortunately, at LZ-Xray things worked out well for my alma mater or "The A-Troop" of then called: "First of The Seventh" or HHT 1/7 CAV SQDN (basically a 395 man recon. battalion), nicknamed; "DESPARADOS" (Great Warriors & bad spellers).
Well,...at least the survivors of LZ-Xray were fortunate, anyway.

The: "Second of The Seventh" Squadron wasn't as lucky, due Big Brass SNAFU which damn-near got them all wiped-out afterwards. Guess "Brass" figured "Charlie" wouldn't hold a grudge about previously suffering over 1,800 deaths (plus no doubt Twice as many wounded), at same LZ-Xray?
Well,..."They" were dead wrong.

Neil

[tamariki]

Thank you all for your prompt reply, and may God bless you and all who took part in that war.

Jim

[A.B]

Sir's!

I wonder if I could ask you for your opinions of the following thought, which "crossed my mind" when I read this post-thread. I have viewed both movies referred to further above, and by this heard the term "Broken Arrow" being for both situations. However, and here comes my perhaps somewhat odd and far-fetched question:

Could it be that, when being for the risk of a unit becoming overrun, it to some degree has a "historical connection" to the below "native American story"?

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The Five Nations

The League of Five Nations were: Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk.

All five nations joined together near what is now Onondaga Lake in 1570 to form the Iroquois Confederacy. It is said that a man from the Huron nation came to what is now New York State many years before European settlers. The Peacemaker, or Deganawidah as he was called, came at a time when there was great conflict between the Iroquois nations. Deganawidah went from nation to nation preaching peace and eventually met Hiawatha, an Onondaga chief. Hiawatha became Deganawidah's companion. They both journeyed throughout the Iroqouis nations persuading tribial leaders to turn from violence, but Tadadaho, a powerful and stubborn Onondaga chief, could not be moved. Legend says Hiawatha ?combed the snakes out of Tadadaho's hair.

Before the Iroquois formed the League of the Five Nations, the Iroquois nations were often at war with one another. Two Iroquois chiefs wanted to stop fighting. They got the nations together. The Iroquois would then be united and would be stronger when warring with other nations outside the league. The nations in the league were not suppose to go to war with each other. The nations worked well together. That was how the League of Five Nations was started.

There are several artistic and cultural symbols that transcend the generations, and are used by each succeeding generation of Haudenosaunee artists. These symbols come for the oral history of the people. Events and knowledge of the past has been shaped into visual symbols in order to covey the essence of those events and knowledge. Designs can have deep meaning and we can see several important symbols that reoccur in the art of the Haudenosaunee over the generations. These include the following:

Arrows bundled together = This symbolizes brotherhood and unity for the original Five Nations. The Peace maker took one arrow and showed how easily it broke. He then took five arrows, wrapped a cord around them, and showed that it was impossible to break them. United in thought, belief and action, the Haudenosaunee would be strong.

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I do not know. Maybe it is just my brain that is "overheated" or something. (?) But when ever I hear the term "Broken Arrow", I always think of the above "story", and can not help wondering, if the term has an "historical connection/origine" to it, as far as the symbolism to the story. Again, maybe my thoughts have "wondered way far out in to the woods" in this, but.... I would indeed appriciate you opnions and thoughts about this.

T G C! (=Take Good Care!)

Sincerely
A.B

[reconeil]

For sure, yours was A GOOD or PEACEFUL variation of: "Broken Arrow".
Whereas, both previously alluded to were BAD & QUITE DEADLY variations.
Sorry.

Neil

P.S. Tamariki,
FORTUNATELY,...never took part in Vietnam War.
Only Buddies opting to re-inlist and do military careers did.

[39mto39g]

I was an RTO in Viet nam and I never heard of Broken Arrow untill I went to the Veterans web site (vietnam) several years ago. They said it was a term to call for help and all the help you could send. Until then I just thought it was a movie thing.
Ron

[DMZ-LT]

In my unit a " Straight Arrow " was a married guy that would not have sex with a boom boom girl and a "Broken Arrow" was a married guy that would