During the war in Vietnam, many Americans had extraordinary experiences in combat and later wrote novels to share those experiences with the rest of us.

Among our Vietnam veterans and authors are retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and journalist Joseph Galloway, who brought the 1965 battle of Ia Drang back to life in 1992 in their book "We Were Soldiers Once … And Young."

Moore, commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry -- one of the American units involved in the battle -- and Galloway, the only journalist on the ground with the troops, have taken their acclaimed book to the next level.

Described as a realistic "must read" by everyone from "The Wall Street Journal" to retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the novel is making the transition to the big screen, and Moore, a 1945 West Point graduate, wanted current cadets to be a part of it.

Fifty members of the Cadet Glee Club sang their hearts out Jan. 9, lending their voices to the solemn airs of "Mansions of the Lord," said Glee Club officer in charge Maj. Augustus Fountain.

Glee Club members were excited about the opportunity to be a part of history.

Cadet 2nd Class Beth Bourne said, "This will allow those of us in the Glee Club to relate to those who came before us. It will connect past and future members of the Army."

"It’s an honor for future leaders and officers to be a part of this," said Cadet 1st Class Benjamin Steadman. "It’s a great sentiment that they chose soldiers to perform the music for the film."

The song is set to play during the film’s closing credits, and was written by Nick Glennie-Smith -- whose other film credits include "The Rock" and "The Man in the Iron Mask." Director Randall Wallace, who also directed "Braveheart," penned the lyrics said Micheal Dalling, Wallace’s public relations specialist.

"We Were Soldiers," starring Mel Gibson, is set to hit the theatres March 1.