elephant known as Bo Tat from a local Vietnamese trader (James Hong). They also agree to take along Bo Tat's child handler, Linh (Dinh Thien Le), who has experience with verbal commands in guiding the elephant. Along the way, NVA soldiers attempt to stop them. Following a failed air transport, the soldiers use a combination of methods to reach Pleiku Air Base before the final stage of their journey to Dak Nhe. At Pleiku Air Base, Major Pederson notifies the captains that the mission has been cancelled. The Ho Chi Minh Trail has changed direction, and they no longer need the support of the local village. A CIA airstrip near Dak Nhe has already been destroyed by the NVA, making a landing by plane impossible. Against regulations, they commandeer a cargo aircraft, intending to parachute themselves and Bo Tat into Dak Nhe. The aircraft comes under enemy fire, forcing them and Bo Tat to parachute out early. Quang, having been ordered by Nguyen to kill Bo Tat, refuses to do so this time, explaining "I did not join this army to shoot elephants, especially ones that fly." The soldiers land unharmed in and around the village, except for Ashford, who gets stuck in a tree and becomes separated from the rest. NVA forces suddenly appear, threatening to take the remaining soldiers hostage and kill the elephant. Ashford, however, is able to free himself and create a diversion long enough to distract and incapacitate the NVA troops. The villagers hold their festival with Bo Tat in the place of honor. When Cahill radios the air base, he is informed that the supply route has changed direction again, back to the village. That fact, combined with their capture of high-ranking enemy officers, has prompted the U.S. Army to sanction their relief mission post-facto, and confirm Doyle's original mission, to replace Cahill as liaison officer in the village. Cast Danny Glover as Captain Sam Cahill Ray Liotta as Captain T.C. Doyle Denis Leary as Chief Warrant Officer 3 David Poole Doug E. Doug as Specialist 4 Harvey Ashford Corin Nemec as Specialist 5 Lawrence Farley Dinh Thien Le as Linh James Hong as Y B'ham Tchéky Karyo as Goddard Hoang Ly as Brigadier Nguyen Vo Trung Anh as Captain Quang Marshall Bell as Major Pederson Tim Kelleher as Major Morris Raymond Cruz as Staff Sergeant Adams Tai as Bo Tat Production Development The