It is based on a true story, but the movie portrays it very badley. Waht actually happened is a SEAL and a Kit Carson scout dressed as VC got in a Sampan and went up the river in the middle of the night and picked him up.
No one was gonna carpet bomb anything in real life, that guy that joined him never joined him. 11 people however did die in failed attempts to save him.
That movie sucked.