2차대전 당시의 영웅이었던 아버지의 명성을 뛰어넘으려는 골드맨 소위와 1년간의 의무복무를 마치고 귀가했지만 돌아서 버린 가족들로 인해 다시 복무를 결정한 앤더슨 중사의 첫 만남! 그 두 명이 이끄는 소대원들의 첫 임무가 주어진다.

마을을 정찰하던 도중 베트콩의 공격을 받게 되는 브라보 중대! 그 와중에 테일러는 포로로 붙잡혀 베트콩의 비밀 지하 터널에 갇히게 된다. 위험이 도사리고 있는 베트콩의 비밀 통로. 골드맨 소위와 앤더슨 중사는 처음으로 서로를 의지하면서 생사의 기로에 서게 된다.

군사적 요충지에 위치한 베트남 마을 주민들을 다른 마을로 호송하게 된 브라보 중대. 골드맨 소위는 마을 주민인 아름다운 여인 Lang에게 애틋한 감정을 품게 된다. 정든 마을을 떠나는 마을 사람들의 사연들과 Lang의 정체가 밝혀지게 된다.

골드맨 소위, 앤더슨 중사, 혼과 퍼셀은 특수부대원 마이클스가 이끄는 적군의 교량을 파괴하는 임무에 참가하게 된다. 전쟁광 마이클스의 거친 행동으로 인해 앤더슨 중사와는 끊임없는 마찰을 일으키게 된다. 과연, 적진 깊숙이 침투해야만 하는 그들의 임무는?

새로운 정비된 지역 관개시설을 보호하기 위해 출발한 브라보 중대! 도착하자마자 그들을 반긴 것은 피격당한 전임 소대장의 시체와 그들을 노리는 적군의 첩자! 순찰지역과 시간에 맞추어 기다리고 있는 베트콩에 맞서는 브라보 중대의 운명은?

전 KKK단원 이니스가 이끄는 백인부대원과 노련한 흑인 병사인 터커가 중심이 된 흑인부대원 사이에 끊임없는 갈등과 반목이 진행된다. 작전 중 이니스는 브라보 중대의 포인트맨 존슨의 칼에 찔린 채로 발견되고, 골드맨 소위와 앤더스 중사는 존슨의 결백을 믿어 의심치 않는다.

여단 사령부로 가던 앤더슨 중사와 베이커 그리고 존슨은 헬기로 이동하던 중 피격을 당하게 된다. 적진에서의 전투 도중 트랑이라는 베트콩의 아들을 죽이게 되고, 복수심에 불타는 트랑은 많은 피해를 감수하며 앤더슨 일행을 끝까지 추격한다.

앤더슨 중사에게 전투의 모든 것을 가르쳤던 전 지휘관인 백전노장 데커는 작전 중에 술을 마시고 영내에 창녀를 데려오는 사고뭉치로 변해있었다. 베트콩 송신기지 파괴 임무에 앤더슨은 골드맨 소위에게 데커를 추천하게 된다.

베이커와는 정반대의 성격을 가진 쌍둥이 형 칼이 부대로 찾아온다. 특별한 군대식 생일파티를 치른 후 부대로 복귀하던 칼의 헬기는 격추당하고, 베이커는 단신으로 형을 찾다가 베트콩에게 붙잡혀 고문을 당하게 된다.

작전상 중요한 거점인 다리를 확보하라는 명령을 받은 브라보 중대. 연이은 적들의 공격에 모두 지쳐만 간다. 애인에게 헤어지자는 편지를 받고 상심해 있던 퍼셀은 8살 어린 소년을 실수로 죽이고 괴로워한다.

브라보 중대의 핵심요원인 앤더슨 중사의 자신감과 충실함이 시험대에 오른다. 이혼한 부인에게서 딸이 아빠를 궁금해한다는 편지를 받고 마음의 동요를 얻게 된 앤더슨. 앤더슨은 전투 경험상 최악의 지역으로 추락한 조종사를 구하러 가는 임무를 맡게 된다!

브라보 중대는 포로를 잡기 위한 정찰 임무를 맡게 되고, 생생한 전투 영상을 담으려는 기자 비키 아담스가 동행하게 된다. 대위 월레스는 부정을 저지른 자신의 부인을 잊기 위해 비키에게 관심을 갖게 된다.

미군위문협회 소속의 공연단이 탑승한 헬기가 베트콩의 총격을 받게 되고, 순찰 중이던 브라보 중대원들에게 그들의 운명이 맡겨진다. 군인 집안에 태어났지만 간질이라는 질병 때문에 입대를 못 한 롱 존과 동료 가수들은 브라보 중대와 정글 속에서 힘든 행군을 이어가야 한다.

The men of Bravo are certain that Westmoreland has not yet informed the enemy that they are losing, as Firebase Ladybrid continues to come under daily long-range artillery fire. Suddenly a helicopter approaches and lands despite the fact that the base is taking fire. It is the new company commander -- Captain Larry Heath -- a man who initially wins over the favor of his troops with gifts, but he proves to be a complete fanatic. Heath wants to attack despite the fact that it appears that the base is about to be attacked. Zeke and Goldman set them men to putting up a defense and get in trouble because of it. A large attack proves that Anderson was right when the firebase is over-run and Doc Matsuda, with only 15 days left of his tour of duty, is killed when he refuses to abandon his patient.

The squad is in heavy contact with a group of enemy soldiers, and after taking several casualties manage to be retrieved by two helicopters. Danny hears that his father is hospitalized after a near-fatal heart-attack and is given emergency medical leave. Danny finds that his father and mother have separated and his father has taken up with a younger woman who is loyal to him. Danny feels left out and alienated from a man who he already wasn't close to. While waiting for his father to get better, Danny meets Rudy Morales, a vet handicapped by wounds -- a bitter, broken man. Danny is seriously upset by this and further upset by an argument with his father. Meanwhile, Taylor and Ruiz decide that they need to be by Danny's side, so they talk Anderson into pulling some strings and getting their R&R in Bangkok changed to Honolulu. Once in Hawaii they are exposed to the ""real"" world of mini-skirts and negative attitudes about the war.

Goldman, Horn, Calhoun, and Pointer are retruning to the base after spending two days int he rear. Their jeep hits a mine, wounding Calhoun and Pointer. Goldman is blinded when a fire extinguisher blows up in his face. A squad of VC arrive and open fire. Calhoun and Pointer are killed by the attack, Goldman is blinded. In the end Horn chases after the sole surviving VC only to find that she's a woman. He captures her and takes her back to the hut where's he's left the blinded Goldman. Horn then, after much argument, goes after help for Goldman. The woman manages to signal to other villagers for help and so Goldman, blinded, must rig his rifle to her head, marching her off into his ""blind landscape"" so that they can escape the VC that she has called on to help her. As they escape they run into a great deal of trouble, starving families, groups of VC and even a group of Americans who fire on them. In the end, by the time Horn finds them, the woman has died in Goldman's arms, leaving Myro

Retired Major General Goldman arrives by helicopter at Firebase Ladybird on a fact finding mission for Washington brass. Seeing another helicopter landing, he goes to greet and question Anderson and his soldiers about the mission they have just returned from. They later learn that the general is Goldman's father but it is clear when they meet that the two don't have a good relationship. They were estranged when Myron's mother died five years before and haven't spoken since. The Major general finds that his son's leadership methods appall him. Ruiz befriends a new man who joins the team, mainly because he is also a hispanic. But the man manages to get himself killed due to his careless attitude. Dalby orders Goldman's men into an impossible attack which Myron refuses to go on. Zeke and Goldman realize that the new man was on dope and set out to cure the problem themselves.

The men from Bravo company are patrolling in the jungle when they find a fresh trail, one that leads to a trap by a group of VC soldiers. The Americans are out-numbered and in a very bad position. Suddenly they are rescued by Montagnards. Anderson trusts them, and has the squad follow them back to their village where they meet the translator -- an ex-GI (Kithem). The American is obviously hostile to the presence of Goldman and the rest of the Americans. Against Kithem and Anderson's better judgement, Goldman follows orders to help fortify the native ""compound"" against the VC. Kithem warns that all the American attention will only bring down the ARVN and NVA forces. Which is exactly what happens.

In a small South Vietnamese hamlet, an NVA officer arrives to brief his men that they will soon begin infiltrating towns and villages through-out the country in preparation for the Tet Offensive. Meanwhile, Bravo is in the bush, while Baker is losing a battle with his dysentery. As he ""answers the call of nature"" he sights VC closing on the unit and then, pulling his pants up, gets a frog down them, and starts screaming. As the American's come running, a fire fight starts, ending with the capture of an NVA Colonel Trang. Goldman catches a bullet in the helmet and in his jacket as they try to retreat. Though saved by his clothing, he still does need to go to the hospital along with Anderson, who is hit with shrapnel. While Goldman and Anderson recover, Trang dies under mysterious circumstances during interrogation.

Goldman and Nikki have a great time on a brief R&R that they spend together on China Beach. Their reunion is marred by the fact that Nikki refuses to marry him, fearing he will be killed in combat. Goldman returns to Firebase Ladybird to find that his unit has been assigned to help take Hill 1000. They've taken it before and lost it before. And this battle promises to be the worst. Even after the bunker is finally taken, it is found empty. They go back down so that a plane can spray a defoliate. They must go back and take that hill yet again. Horn has, in the meantime, gotten in trouble with a young -- and new -- officer. Sitting at the bottom of the hill and awaiting the court-martial, he sees a wounded Taylor and he decides to go back with his buddies and fight. Horn is seriously wounded and sent home.