Operation Dumbo Drop

Operation Dumbo Drop is a 1995 American war comedy film directed by Simon Wincer that explores war, politics, and animal welfare. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Gene Quintano and Jim Kouf based on a true story by United States Army Major Jim Morris. The film stars Danny Glover and Ray Liotta as Green Berets during the Vietnam War in 1968, who attempt to transport an elephant through jungle terrain to a local South Vietnamese village which in turn helps American forces monitor Viet Cong activity.

During the Vietnam War in 1968, Captain Sam Cahill Danny Glover has been working hard to create good relations between the United States and Montagnard Vietnamese in the village of Dak Nhe. The U.S. Army is looking to monitor enemy operations on a clandestine weapons supply route which passes near the village. Cahill is coming close to his discharge, and explains to his successor Captain T.C. Doyle Ray Liotta, the delicate nature of Vietnamese customs as well as the counter intelligence involving covert enemy activity. In a lapse of judgment with surrounding village children, a child steals a Nestl Crunch bar, the wrapper, which when found, lets the NVA know of the local villagers cooperation with the Americans. As punishment, Brigadier Nguyen Hoang Ly of the NVA, orders his subordinate, Captain Quang Vo Trung Anh, to kill the villagers elephant right before a spiritual festival. To aid the villagers, Cahill promises to replace the slain elephant before their upcoming ceremony.At camp, Major Pederson Marshall Bell, assigns Cahill and Doyle, with Doyle in command, to secure and deliver a new elephant to the villagers, as well as two soldiers, SpecialistHarvey Ashford Doug E. Doug and SpecialistLawrence Farley Corin Nemec. Cahill blackmails Chief Warrant OfficerDavis Poole Denis Leary into helping as well. They purchase an elephant from a Vietnamese trader. They also agree to take along the elephants 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. ........

Source: Wikipedia