Battle of Thermopylae is arguably the most famous battle in European ancient history, repeatedly referenced in ancient, recent, and contemporary culture. In Western culture at least, it is the Greeks who are lauded for their performance in battle. However, within the context of the Persian invasion, Thermopylae was undoubtedly a defeat for the Greeks. It seems clear that the Greek strategy was to hold off the Persians at Thermopylae and Artemisium; whatever they may have intended, it was presumably not their desire to surrender all of Boeotia and Attica to the Persians. The Greek position at Thermopylae, despite being massively outnumbered, was nearly
Go Tell the Spartans refers to the Battle of Thermopylae where over 300 Spartans died trying to hold the pass'. While he is investigating the graveyard, Courcey spots a one-eyed VC soldier, who is presumably a scout. During a patrol, Courcey spots a group of nine Vietnamese women and children fishing along the small river that runs through the deserted village, despite intelligence that there are no civilians said to live in the area. That evening, the VC attack Muc Wa with a harassing attack in which the doped-up Lincoln is wounded. Courcey leads an ambush patrol that kills the Viet Cong mortar crew