Factual error: Throughout the battle scenes on the ridge, the machine gunners can be seen picking up the guns to fire on the move. While not impossible, not as painless as it is made to appear. The M1919 .30 caliber air cooled machine gun was light enough to carry. But for the gunner to hold an already hot barrel and continue firing would have been extremely painful without the issued heat retardant mitten or the barrel "hoop" w/ wooden handle. These fixes allowed the gun to be fired on the move and saved many from having their palms burned and scarred for life.
Suggested correction: They have barrel shrouds which dissipate the heat and allow a grip...they are not in contact with the barrel.
Factual error: The soldiers somehow have cool looking, perfectly fitting dress uniforms, on the day of their enlistment or before they've gone to boot camp. Not something they've have so quickly.
Factual error: In the courtroom scene, The Judge (Philip Quast) wears the Legion of Merit ribbon in the Commander Grade (Crimson ribbon with silver gold bow-knot (rosette)) left of the purple heart ribbon. However, the Legion of Merit is only authorized for u.s. Servicemembers in the Legionnaire Degree (plain ribbon with no markers). The only US exception to this were Gen. Lyman L. Lemnitzer and 59 other officers who received the degree of Officer (gold rosette on ribbon), still a lesser degree than Commander.
Revealing mistake: When Desmond Doss slides down into the tunnel to hide from the Japanese there are rats crawling over the body of a "dead" Japanese soldier but his breathing is visible at his stomach/belt. (02:15:00)
Continuity mistake: The wounds on Desmond's face change size and position when he is reading the bible before they get back to the front.
Continuity mistake: While Desmond and Smitty are training and climbing the wood stairs the sun changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: While Desmond helps Dorothy to climb the hill the sun changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: When Dorothy finds the feather Desmond left in her book, she picks it up with her right hand and pulls the feather out with her left. She then sets the book down. When it cuts to the close up of the feather the feather is now in her right hand and the book has magically jumped of the table and into her left hand.
Continuity mistake: When Desmond and Dorothy are on the mountain top and kiss, the side to which they tilt their heads switches back and forth several times as the camera switches between looking into the face of one then the other.
