Trivia

Movie was banned in France for over 10 years. Subsequent French releases were heavily edited until the full DVD-release in 2002.

This American movie was the first to openly speak about the French war in Algeria. France would wait eight years with Yves Boisset's R.A.S. (1973) to evoke this French war.

Anthony Quinn was generally considered too old to play a military role.

The use of helicopters by the French Army was done before the US Army do it in Vietnam. Before, the choppers were used mainly to evacuate the wounded.

The US provided considerable help to the French in Vietnam.