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00:00¶¶
00:30Truck's coming! Close it up! I said, close it up!
00:37Infantry platoon, U.S. Army, Philippine Islands, 1945.
00:42These are the faces of the young men who fight.
00:46As if some omniscient painter had mixed a tube of oils that were at one time earth-brown, dust-gray, blood-red, beard-black, and fear, yellow-white.
00:56And these men were the models.
01:00For this is the province of combat.
01:02And these are the faces of war.
01:24Evening, Captain.
01:27Ain't it a crummy night?
01:30Rough?
01:32We got the bridge, whatever they wanted it for.
01:34Okay.
01:39Japs have got naval guns stuck in the ground.
01:41They're zeroed in. That bridge gets it every three minutes.
01:45The general wants to know where the Jap fleet is.
01:47It's dug in on the road to Manila.
01:50Sergeant.
01:50Who'd we lose?
01:55Lots of wounded.
01:57Maybe ten, twelve.
01:59Four dead.
01:59Hibbert, Horton, Morgan, and Levy.
02:09All right, Sergeant, bet them down.
02:11Check with the mess.
02:13Make sure they got hot coffee and a meal.
02:15If they're not hungry, eat anyway.
02:16Yes, sir.
02:19Hey, company!
02:20First platoon!
02:21Chow down!
02:22Chow down!
02:31Fitz?
02:33Sir?
02:34Sir?
02:37Look, I have got me a bottle of Philippine tuba in my tent.
02:41Now, it's not exactly bottled and bond,
02:43but you'd be surprised what it does to a man's outlook.
02:46Come on.
02:52Cheers.
03:04Bad day, huh, Fitz?
03:07Twelve wounded, four dead.
03:08All in two and a half hours?
03:11Twelve wounded, four dead.
03:15Anything special about the four?
03:18Anything special?
03:20What do you mean?
03:22Well, Fitz, we've lost four men before.
03:24We've lost eight and ten.
03:26You seem to be taking us a little harder than usual.
03:29I just wondered if there was something special.
03:34These four men were all under 21.
03:36Does it have to be more special than that?
03:38No, it doesn't.
03:40But this has gotten to you, Fitz, more than I've ever seen.
03:43I'd just like to know why.
03:46You're a perceptive man, Phil.
03:49It's the mark of a good officer, isn't it?
03:52To ward off trouble by anticipating.
03:53You're going to give me a hard time.
03:59I don't think so, Fitz.
04:01You're a good officer.
04:02You've got guts and brains.
04:05But something has gotten to you.
04:06I told you I'd like to know what it is.
04:10Would you?
04:10Hibbert Horton Morgan Levy.
04:23Killed in action, Luzon P.I. 13, January 1945.
04:27So?
04:28So you want to know what's gotten into me, Phil?
04:32I wrote those names down yesterday.
04:33I wrote them down before we went up.
04:40Why did you write down the names, Fitz?
04:42Oh, we had a weapons check, and I looked into their faces.
04:46And those four men.
04:47Feel better?
05:08I looked into 44 faces yesterday morning.
05:13And when I got to those four, there was something special.
05:16A light or something.
05:19I can't describe it to you.
05:20There isn't any description.
05:22But I looked into their faces, and I knew.
05:24I knew this was their last day.
05:27I knew they were going to get it.
05:30I knew, and there wasn't any doubt about it.
05:35Well, that's, uh...
05:36It's funny.
05:37That's real funny.
05:41I haven't slept much.
05:46I keep wondering.
05:49Is this the way it's going to be?
05:53If every time I stand in front of a platoon,
05:56am I going to be able to look down the line
05:57and know which ones aren't coming back?
06:01Fitz, when did you write these names down?
06:03You're sure it was yesterday?
06:06You're sure it wasn't today, on the way back, in the truck?
06:08Yesterday.
06:09Yesterday.
06:10Yesterday morning, I swear to you,
06:11I wrote those names down yesterday.
06:26Well?
06:26I can't tell, Captain.
06:27The stuff you've given me is inconclusive.
06:29I looked up his records.
06:31He's never been wounded.
06:31Seems like a pretty steady customer.
06:33No evidence of battle fatigue or anything at any time.
06:36Just why all of a sudden he should get this weird idea
06:38is hard to say.
06:40But I think we'd better put him in and run some checks.
06:42The thing is, he believes it.
06:44You hear him tell it, you almost believe it yourself.
06:48I'd appreciate you taking a look at him.
06:49He's a good man.
06:51He came in his cadre while we were still back in the States.
06:53He's one of the best officers we've got.
06:55I'll do what I can, Captain.
06:57He's here now, you know.
06:59No, I didn't know.
07:00He's up in the ward,
07:01visiting one of the boys from his platoon.
07:04I'm fine, Lieutenant.
07:06How's the rest of the boys?
07:07Oh, they're all fine.
07:09That Porky got a little piece of shrapnel on his finger.
07:12But you know Porky,
07:12that's about as bad as he ever got.
07:16This is a lucky kid.
07:18That he is.
07:20You're not doing too bad.
07:22You get that all patched up,
07:23you'll be going home.
07:25That's not so hard to take, is it?
07:27Well, sir,
07:28it sure isn't.
07:34No, thank you, sir.
07:37Could you lay it down over there for me, please?
07:39Yeah, sure.
07:40I won't be needing it for a while.
07:42Uh, listen, Smitty,
07:43I got some stuff to do,
07:44so I'll see you tomorrow.
07:46You take it easy here.
07:47Yes, sir.
07:49Uh, anything you need?
07:50You got stuff to read?
07:51All I need.
07:53Okay.
07:53You take care, Smitty.
07:56Thanks for coming, Lieutenant.
07:59Goodbye.
07:59Goodbye, Smitty.
08:01Goodbye, Smitty.
08:01You okay, Lieutenant?
08:22Yeah.
08:22You okay, Lieutenant?
08:23He's dead.
08:51Just like that.
08:52They go awful quick sometimes.
08:55Awful quick.
08:55I was up seeing Smitty.
09:16Yeah, I know.
09:17I read his tag.
09:17Doc said he's going to be okay.
09:19No, he isn't.
09:21I took a look at his face.
09:22I took a look at his face,
09:25and I knew.
09:27And a minute later,
09:28he's gone.
09:30Same thing.
09:31Same thing.
09:33The look.
09:36Funny,
09:36funny light or whatever it is.
09:40And I knew, Phil,
09:41I knew.
09:44Fitz,
09:45I can't explain this,
09:46but...
09:46I don't want you to explain it.
09:48How can you explain it?
09:51I mean,
09:52how can anybody explain it?
09:55I just want you to believe it, Captain.
09:56That's all I want from you.
09:59I want you to believe it.
10:01Bed five, sir.
10:03Smith.
10:03He just died.
10:05I'll have a look at him.
10:06For what?
10:10There's nothing to look at
10:11but a body.
10:13He's dead.
10:14And I knew he was going to die
10:15because I read it on his face.
10:17Going back, Phil,
10:17he'll be right there.
10:20So you knew, huh, Lieutenant?
10:22You bet I did.
10:23I tabbed four men the other day.
10:25Well, that's odd,
10:26don't you think?
10:27Odd?
10:28That's not odd, Captain.
10:30Odd is when you go
10:3130 days on the line
10:31and you don't lose a man.
10:33That's odd.
10:35Odd is when you walk
10:3625 miles
10:36and you don't get a blister.
10:37Now you're talking odd.
10:39This isn't odd, Captain.
10:41This is nightmare.
10:42This is nightmare.
10:43This is a lousy
10:44dog-faced line officer
10:45who can see death
10:46on people's faces.
10:47Or a dog-faced line officer
10:49who's cracking out
10:49of the strain
10:50from having done too much
10:51and felt too much
10:52and finally having
10:52to succumb to it.
10:53I'm five for five, Captain.
10:55How many coincidences
10:57add up to a fact?
10:58How many men do I have to
10:59tab as the least likely
11:00to succeed?
11:02How many more faces
11:03do I have to look into?
11:05What I want to know is
11:06what does it take
11:08to make you guys realize
11:09that somewhere along the line
11:10I picked up a talent
11:10they don't teach at OCS?
11:11One thing you might do
11:14while you're waiting
11:16and scratching
11:16you might put tape
11:18over my eyes
11:19or poke them out
11:20and do something
11:21I won't be able to see.
11:24So I won't have to look
11:25at any more face.
11:26Now we spearhead the attack
11:47moving across
11:48at the point
11:49followed by Baker
11:50and Charlie Company.
11:52Now at this point
11:53to the east
11:54some Filipino guerrillas
11:56will be crossing
11:57the river by boat.
11:59Now their job
11:59will be to knock out
12:00any and all Jap guns
12:01on that side of the river
12:02so that we should be able
12:03to move across the bridge
12:04against only small arms fire.
12:07We've got about 22 minutes
12:09before we load up the trucks.
12:12Give each one of your platoons
12:13a good briefing.
12:15Make sure that each man
12:15has a belt,
12:16five grenades,
12:17six ammo clips,
12:19no backpacks.
12:20All right, that's it.
12:23Good luck.
12:32Kevin?
12:34You still want my platoon
12:35to take the point?
12:37I don't know yet, Fitz.
12:39I think that prob...
12:40What's the matter, Fitz?
12:53Fitz, you think you're
12:53well enough
12:54to take the platoon?
12:56Now Gunther thinks
12:57you'd be better off
12:58with three weeks back
12:59at division.
12:59I agree with him.
13:00Now this thing won't take
13:01more than a few hours
13:02but it'll be messy.
13:03Captain, you better not go.
13:05Why, Fitz?
13:06Here.
13:14It's on your face, too.
13:17If you go,
13:17you won't be coming back.
13:21Fitz, get your platoon set.
13:22You've only got
13:23about 15 minutes left.
13:24Now, Phil, please...
13:25I'll tell you what
13:25we're gonna do about that.
13:28We'll talk about it
13:29when we get back.
13:29We'll have a drink to it.
13:31We'll drink to an illusion
13:32to a couple of coincidences.
13:34Now that's it, Fitz.
13:35I'll see you at the trucks.
13:36Captain, you won't be
13:37drinking to anything.
13:39Because you're not
13:40coming back.
13:41I'll see you at the
13:41end.
14:06I'll see you at the
14:29Lieutenant? What about it? I mean, everybody says you can tell. Everybody says you know who's
14:55going to get it. Who is it? Well, how about it, Lieutenant? Give us a break, huh? Come on,
15:04Lieutenant. Now, look, it ain't fair. You know who's going to get it. Who is it? Knock
15:06it off, Freeman. All right, Sergeant. Now, look, somebody started this wild gag and somebody's
15:14going to get burned for it. There's nobody in this company who's a mind reader, including
15:22Lieutenant Fitzgerald. All right, Lieutenant? That's right, sir. All right, Sergeant.
15:51Let's go. Yes, sir. Let's go. Okay, load them up. Let's go. Load them up. In the tracks.
15:58In the tracks, everybody!
16:00In the tracks, everybody!
16:00Let's go.
16:30Close it up!
16:41All right, close it up!
16:50Okay, first platoon, call in!
17:00Don't forget about extra details this morning, Sergeant.
17:02Because you have a sack.
17:03Yes, sir.
17:06Come on, hurry it up!
17:08Fall in, roll call!
17:10Barrow.
17:11Here.
17:12Ashbaugh.
17:13Here.
17:14Blackman.
17:15Here.
17:16Delgado.
17:17Here.
17:18Jenault.
17:19Here.
17:20Eckhart.
17:21No.
17:22Epstein.
17:23Redmond.
17:24Here.
17:25Here.
17:26Ward.
17:27Here.
17:28Max.
17:29Here.
17:30Dobrowski.
17:31Here.
17:32Gordon.
17:33Here.
17:34Korski.
17:35Harris.
17:36Henry.
17:37Here.
17:38Ward.
17:39Here.
17:40Here.
17:41Jacob.
17:42Hunt.
17:43Here.
17:44As you were, Fitz.
17:51I just thought I'd drop around and congratulate you boys on the good job you did.
17:56Thank you, sir.
17:57All the odds fell in on our side.
17:59Those guerrillas did a right-handy job on those guns, and you fellas walked right across,
18:03didn't you?
18:04Right across.
18:05That's fortunate.
18:06The Air Force must have picked off at least six or seven of those 25s.
18:10Of course, those guns have been operating.
18:12That might have been the longest bridge you'd ever been on.
18:15Or the shortest.
18:16Sniper fire.
18:17That's all you had, wasn't it?
18:18Yes, sir.
18:19Sniper fire.
18:20Mm-hmm.
18:22We lost one man.
18:33Well, that's a pity.
18:36He was a good man.
18:39You were good friends, weren't you, Fitzgerald?
18:52So much for Mrs. Riker's lovely wedding.
18:56Seven happy years.
18:59Two fine sons.
19:03Man, war stinks.
19:09Lieutenant?
19:14Captain Gunther wants to see you.
19:20Lieutenant, some waters have come through on you.
19:22You're to report back to division.
19:23Back to division?
19:24Yeah, they want to look you over.
19:26Be a nice couple of weeks rest for you.
19:28So you'd better pack up your gear and take it with you.
19:30Okay.
19:31Thank you, Captain.
19:32Thank you, Captain.
20:06Lieutenant Fitzgerald?
20:11The jeep's ready to take you back to division, sir, anytime you're ready.
20:15Lieutenant Fitzgerald?
20:17What?
20:18This your bag, sir?
20:22Yes, that's my bag.
20:23May I put it in the jeep for you, sir?
20:25Thank you very much.
20:27Well, sir, we're ready anytime you are.
20:36Well, it's a little bouncy, sir, but it sure beats walking.
20:59You going back to division?
21:01Yeah.
21:02The further back I get, the better I like it.
21:04He's taking the Cavite Road?
21:06Well, I got to.
21:07There's a bridge out up here on the highway.
21:08That's what I figured.
21:09The engineers think they've spotted some mines just a mile up the road.
21:12They haven't had a chance to dig them up yet, so take it easy.
21:14Stay close to the shoulders.
21:16I want you to take good care of the lieutenant here.
21:20Sergeant, you're looking at the most careful driver in the United States Army.
21:23If I could lift this here jeep and walk tippy-toe garrant, believe me, brother, I'd do it.
21:33Well, Lieutenant, you may as well get comfortable.
21:35I guess we got about a four-hour ride ahead of us.
21:43Do we?
21:47I doubt it.
21:47You play that pretty good.
22:15You play that pretty good.
22:17One hand.
22:34Did you hear that?
22:36Thunder?
22:38I don't think so.
22:39It sounded more like an explosion.
22:40Maybe it was Thunder, yeah.
22:49That's what it was, probably Thunder.
23:00From William Shakespeare, Richard III, a small excerpt.
23:04The line reads,
23:07He has come to open the Purple Testament of Bleeding War.
23:12And for Lieutenant William Fitzgerald, A Company, 1st Platoon,
23:16the testament is closed.
23:19Lieutenant Fitzgerald has found the Twilight Zone.
23:22I hear the
23:23Oh, that regards Terry Winkler, who's outwitted are a little Stephen Haw Restorος,
23:26they made the
23:39all the time to come out and do little stuff,
23:40it will seem quite good.
23:41I can make me feel the Parrish Doctor for some reason.
23:42Don't ring the bell to me,
23:44but it won't百 rồi.
23:45And we'll get some interest in a while,
23:46because thanks,
23:47let's see what is in trouble.
23:48It can be a rich note.
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