Much of the film was shot in 1967 at Ft. Benning, Georgia, hence the large pine forests in the background rather than tropical jungle trees.
Some of the "Vietnamese village" sets were so realistic they were left intact, and were later used by the Army for training troops destined for Vietnam.
The colonel who ran the jump school (and who was seen shooting trap with John Wayne) was the real jump school commandant and a legendary commander of U.S. paratroopers.
Late in the movie John Wayne can be seen to wrap his rappelling rope through a carabineer the wrong way. Called a "fatal hookup" in the Army, this would result in an immediate fall once weight was applied.
Co-director Ray Kellogg was originally hired as the second-unit director to stage the various battle and action scenes. During filming, however, John Wayne was so impressed with Kellogg's work that he elevated him to co-director status.
David Janssen was working on this film when the final episode of his series "The Fugitive" (1963) aired.
In the book "Green Berets" by Robin Moore, the main character is based on Maj. Larry Thorne (originally Lauri Törni, a Finnish soldier who moved to USA after WWII).
George Takei missed working on the "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode of the original "Star Trek" (1966) series to work on this movie.
WILHELM SCREAM: As enemy soldiers are thrown into the air by an exploding grenade.
Scenes were filmed with Vera Miles as John Wayne's wife but they were cut before release by the studio. Wayne made up for this by casting Miles in his next film Hellfighters (1968).
Colonel Mike Kirby:
What are you going to say in that newspaper of yours about us in Vietnam?
George Beckworth:
If I say what I feel, I may be out of a job.
Reporter:
Could you answer a question that all of us are asking?
Sergeant Muldoon:
We'll try.
Reporter:
Why is America raging this ruthless war in Vietnam?
Sergeant Muldoon:
Foreign policy decisions are not made by the military. A soldier goes where he is told to go, and fight whom is told to fight.
George Beckworth:
There is such a thing as due process.
Colonel Mike Kirby:
Out here, due process is a bullet.
Hamchunk:
Was my Peter-san brave?
Sgt. Petersen:
[after being woken up by Sgt Muldoon] 3:30! Is that right, Sarge?
Sergeant Muldoon:
That's right, Soldier-boy. That's right!
Sgt. Petersen:
We'd better get some sleep! We've got a hell of a lot of work to do tomorrow!
Sergeant Muldoon:
[after seeing him in non-military issued pajamas] Peterson, I worry about you. Three tours of duty and you're still acting like a civilian!
Sgt. Petersen:
Muldoon, I'm not a Marine. I believe in my comfort!
Capt. Nim:
My home is in Hanoi. You see, first I kill all stinking Cong, then go home.
Colonel Mike Kirby:
[Later] Sounds like he means it.
Capt. MacDaniel:
He keeps score on the wall.
[last lines]
Colonel Mike Kirby:
You're what this is all about.
Sergeant Muldoon:
Are you sure that's what he wanted?
Colonel Mike Kirby:
Affimative!
Sergeant Muldoon:
Maybe he liked so many guys thinking about him.
Colonel Mike Kirby:
Besides that... It SINGS!
[exits]
Sergeant Muldoon:
[to himself] It sings? That's what he said. Provo's Privy, It DOES sing!
Revealing mistakes: The M-16 that Col. Kirby smashes against a tree is a toy gun made by Mattel in the 1960s. You can see tell by the speaker holes in the magazine (which is also much larger than a real M-16 magazine).
Revealing mistakes: Col. Kirby uses a "fatal hookup" when rappelling from the mansion's balcony. He is clearly shown wrapping the rope the wrong way through the karabiner. As soon as weight is put on it, the karabiner opens and the rappeller falls free. U.S. Army karabiners in 1968 were non-locking, and were called "snap links" because of it.
Revealing mistakes: When Kirby's helicopter crashes in a ball of fire the rigging cables used to suspend it are visible.
Revealing mistakes: During the night attack on the base, a medium shot of the attacking "Vietcong" clearly shows that, although dressed in the traditional VC black pajamas and conical straw hats, most, if not all, of them are Caucasians (the film was shot at Fort Benning, Georgia, and many soldiers were hired as extras).
Errors in geography: The closing scene shows Kirby & Hamchunk walking along the beach with the sun setting in the background. They were walking southeast - you can't see sunsets in Da Nang.
Factual errors: The mortar tube that the crew is using in the pit is a 4.2 inch (diameter) mortar. Yet they are dropping 81mm rounds down the tube. Also, when a round is fired out of a mortar, it sounds like an explosion, not like a small "poof".
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During the parachute jump from the CH-47 Ramp, Col Kirby issues jump commands, but never hooks up his own static line in the sequence.
Factual errors: When the main characters are walking around the base, they pass several "Claymore" mines set up in sandbagged mounds. The concave curved section is seen facing out, when it clearly states on these mines which side is to be faced out, and the convex section is to be faced outwards towards the target.
Factual errors: When the Viet Cong are attacking the base, you can clearly see a VC carrying a Thompson Sub Machine Gun with no magazine (clip).
Continuity: Before they all leave for Vietnam, Sgt. Muldoon wakes everybody up and turns to Petersen's place and the top of an open guitar case can be seen with a guitar in it. Then we get a look at the place from Muldoon's point of view. The next shot shows Muldoon again, but the guitar is now out of the case and leaning against the wall.
Errors in geography: The movie supposedly takes place in Vietnam. Besides the southern yellow pines that make up 95% of the forests, there is an obvious lack of palm trees and other tropical plants. In addition, in the beginning of the movie they walk past a water tower with a red and white checkered paint scheme. This is how water towers are painted on U.S. military bases in the United States. Forward operation posts do not build water towers like this.
Revealing mistakes: American soldiers in groups of more than three do not walk in a bunch. They march in a line with one out front calling cadence.
Anachronisms: In real life Peterson could not leave his mortar bunker to find Hamchuk in the middle of a fierce battle. He would have been court-martialed for abandoning his post.
Anachronisms: Kirby arrives in Vietnam on an airfield where the airfield operations do not make any sense. For some reason there are troops marching around in circles on the tarmac and one version of every single type of aircraft the army owns sitting right next to each other. In addition, there are jeeps driving all around the tarmac with troops with loaded guns. This is a very dangerous and improbable use of an airfield.
Anachronisms: Kirby smashes an M-16 against a tree with one hand and breaks it in half. This is next to impossible since M-16's weigh eight pounds and are solid metal. One could not break one in half even if they used both hands.
Factual errors: The helicopter Kirby is in does not react correctly in terms of aerodynamics after it is hit and catches fire. The helicopter would have swung violently around, speeded up as it fell, and would have crashed extremely hard, easily killing everyone on board.
Referenced in
The Projectionist (1971)
- The Projectionist mentions Green Berets while imitating John Wayne.
"Mystery Science Theater 3000: Angels' Revenge (#7.22)" (1995)
- "The Green Barettes"
Canadian Bacon (1995)
Box of Moon Light (1996)
Black Hawk Down (2001)
- SSgt. Jeff Struecker (Brian Van Holt) yelling "Get on that 50!!!"
"Howard Stern on Demand: Robert Duvall" (2006)
- George Takei talks about working with John Wayne
Featured in
In Country (1989)
The John Wayne Anthology (1991) (TV)
This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
- Clips from The Green Berets are shown.