The film is loosely based on a 1968 mission known as , documented by retired U.S. Army Major Jim Morris.
: The elephants were intended to support a sawmill project to improve local living conditions and secure the loyalty of villagers near the Ho Chi Minh Trail , a vital North Vietnamese supply route.
: The role of Bo Tat was played by an Asian elephant named Tai , who also starred in Water for Elephants . Eight fake elephants (two animatronic and six fiberglass) were used for stunts and close-ups.
: Green Beret Captain Sam Cahill (Danny Glover) and his successor, Captain T.C. Doyle (Ray Liotta), lead a misfit team to deliver an elephant to a remote village after the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) kills the village's original elephant. Production :
: U.S. Special Forces were tasked with transporting two elephants, named Bonnie and Clyde, from the village of Ban Don to Tra Bong.
