-Trying to score some weed. -Know what I don't get?
Why they haven't tossed you out on some lunatic discharge. . .
-. . .some bullshit like that. -I ain't crazy.
You're out of your fucking mind.
My reasons are my reasons and no one has to like them.
What about these fucking war games? What if it's a lie?
What if the guys who tell you and me shit to do were lied to also?
Maybe since everyone believes in the same mistake, you know. . .
. . .maybe they're all as confused as we are.
All this "Boy's boy, man's man" bullshit.
Ever feel you're just being stupid?
Yeah. And it gives me a warm, gooey feeling inside too.
Oh, man, we need women, Pax!
We need song and prayers to the moon and deep breaths of the night wind.
Oh, I hear you, buddy!
I hear your asshole's tighter than a migraine.
-Fuck you! SOLDIER: Hey, man.
-You're Bozz, right? -Uh-huh.
Fellas say that if you don't want to go to Nam. . .
. . .you better pray to Jesus or talk to Roland Bozz.
-Better start praying to Jesus, then. -Sorry, kid!
-Oh, my God, look here. -Oh, Jesus!
-I'm in trouble, I'm in trouble! -You are!
-Come here, baby. -I'll come if you got some money.
-I might have some money. -You might or you do?
-You better have some. -That's what I need to see.
-You want to see it? -Yeah, I do.
-You got me covered, right? -Here it is.
BOZZ: As I was about to come, I let out a fart. Should've seen her face.
PAXTON: Heard it in the next room. Thought a grenade went off.
-How was yours? -Expensive.
-You feel guilty? -Because I'm broke?
I figured you for a guy who left a sweetheart back home.
-She left me. -That's why you joined the Army.
-Go on, confess. -No, she broke it off when I enlisted.
-Didn't want to be a widow. -She's got a point.
After all this bullshit. . .
. . .you still want to go kill women and children in rice paddies?
-Come on, Paxton! -Where you going, Bozz?
-I have no idea. -Fuck.
-We are gonna jump, my young friend! -Shit, Bozz, I'm too drunk.
-Come on, Paxton. -I'll break my neck.
I don't want to go without you, man.
All right, I see what this is.
This jump, it's like this existential leap of faith.
Abso-fucking-lutely. I have no idea what that means.
We'll break those legs and get out of the war.
-Okay, let's go. -That's it, here we go.
-I'm ready. -That's it.
It's gonna be on my count. It'll be one, two, three.
-Let's break those legs. -Okay, one!
Two!
Three!
-Was that the count? -That was the count.
-Okay, okay. -Here we go, here we go.
-Hot girl. -Oh, yeah, hot girl.
On my count again, one, two, three.
Okay, one!
Two!
Three!
The legs won't move. Shit.
They're out for themselves. Goddamn it.
If that bottle was a leg, we'd be out of the war about now.
-Looks like that would really hurt. -Oh, fuck.
(PAXTON GRUNTS)
Canadian Atlantic Railway. There's your ride out of here, Bozz.
Go to Canada and live with a fucking moose? No way, man.
Mexico, that's where I'd disappear to. Can't you just smell it?
See it? Shit, I can smell it from here.
All that sunshine and tequila. All those little senoritas walking around.
-Would you--? -What?
If I told you about people who can get us to Mexico. . .
. . .away from the war, would you go?
No.
No, I wouldn't.
I enlisted, so there's a place for me.
If I don't go, somebody has to take that place.
And if they die, well. . .
. . .they're dying for me.
You're a brave man.
-You're the brave one, Bozz. -Bullshit.
Courage is when you're the only guy who knows how shit-scared you are.
Then you're right.
I am the brave one.
Let's get out of here. We gotta get back.
Fucking Sergeant Thomas will chew my ass for chow!
-Anytime today, Private Paxton. -I'm coming, Private Bozz.
Fuck.
PAXTON: We should have jumped.
BOZZ: Yeah.
We can always go back.
Come on, man.
(WILSON YELLS)
SOLDIER: Fight!
Calm the fuck down here! Calm the fuck down!
-Calm down. SOLDIER: Get him, Bozz!
Get him, Bozz, get him!
PAXTON: Let him go! You're gonna hurt him, Bozz, let him go!
Let him go, Bozz!
Let him go! Come on! Get off! Goddamn it!
JOHNSON: Damn you, Paxton. Let them fight.
Shut the fuck up.
JOHNSON: You know he deserved every bit of it!
Took four hours for my nose to stop bleeding.
Get off it, Wilson! You had it coming, man!
-I was just fucking with him. -If Paxton here had kept quiet. . .
. . .boy, you'd be in hell right now, sure as shit!
If I knew Bozz would stop, I wouldn't have said anything.
Apologize, Bozz.
Get off it.
You heard me, Bozz.
You apologize to me right now.
Yeah, Bozz. Apologize to the man.
Say, "I'm sorry I didn't kill your ass! "
Think that's funny?
Fuck.
You tried to embarrass me in front of every fucking person here.
Apologize.
MAN OVER P.A. : Cease firing!
Clear your weapons!
Weapons clear.
Next group on the line, let's move!
Next group on the line!
-Weapon safe? -Yeah, all clear.
Take a mag.
Ready on the right.
Ready on the left.
Firing line is ready.
Shooters, prepare to fire!
Fire!
Cease fire! Clear your weapons!
-Weapon clear, Barnes? -All clear, Bozz.
JOHNSON: The fuck you doing, Wilson? -Killing me a Cong.
What the hell's going on?
Unload that weapon!
Head or the body, Bozz? You choose!
Unload that fucking weapon!
-Head or the body? BOZZ: Damn it, unload that piece!
-Fuck you, Bozz. -Unload that weapon!
Fuck you, Bozz!
Fuck you!
(SOLDIERS REACTING)
(WILSON SQUEALS)
SOLDIER: It's jammed.
Did you see that? Did you see that?
Looks like a misfeed jammed it.
Well, you are one lucky dick, Bozz.
It would've killed you and the three people next to you.
-Hope you're not too disappointed. -What do you want to do?
How about get Wilson as far the fuck away as possible, sir?
Well, you have the right to press for a court-martial.
Otherwise, you can let us handle it our way.
I'd personally prefer that option.
-Consider it a personal favor to me. -Get Wilson out, sir.
I don't recall telling you to open your stinkhole.
He's right, sir. Wilson shouldn't be in the Army.
Even if he did try to kill somebody.
You and I need to exchange some ideas.
That doesn't solve our problem.
We need to get him out now or we'll file for a court-martial.
Paxton, you're dismissed.
Yes, sir.
He's learning.
Bozz, do you think the Army's never seen pissants like you before?
I know you think you're some big swinging-dick hero.
I know a lot of the men think so too.
But I know you for what you are. You are a coward.
You're a born leader and you're afraid to take any real responsibility!
That's why you dropped out of school, why you drop out of everything!
You're pissing your life away!
I don't need the fucking Army. . .
. . .and I don't need the war to tell me that, sir!
Get on your feet, soldier.
Attention!
I don't want you in a stockade. I don't want you recycled.
I don't want you drummed out on some bad conduct discharge.
I want you exactly where you are.
And we'll just naturally chew you up.
I'll take care of Wilson. You get the fuck out of my face.
Sure glad they got Wilson's ass out.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
-Shut your fucking mouth. -You shut the fuck up.
-Guys, relax. -I ain't starting.
You already got your ass beat once.
-Just watch your back in Tigerland. -I'll do that.
I guess I'm supposed to joke about how I owe you my life.
-He almost killed you. -You jealous?
You wanted to know what it was like.
What what was like?
The great lesson of being close to death.
Know what I know?
Same thing you know.
We're in a real bad way.
Fuck.
Real bad way.
All right! Let's go! Move it!
Come on! Let's go!
-Come on! Move! Move! SERGEANT: Move your ass!
Come on, fat boy! Move your ass!
Let's go, soldier!
SERGEANT: Let's go! Let's go!
C.O. : Welcome to Tigerland!
Your final training before you're shipped overseas!
Here, everything's done exactly as it is over there.
You will search and destroy, hunt and kill!
You'll move by chopper to secure any area deemed necessary.
You'll be allowed one hour's sleep.
Minor mistakes will pay back major punishment.
Maybe you've heard we've lost this war.
Or we've lost the support of people here at home.
It's too late to ask those questions.
You're not back on the block.
You're alive in a year, we'll talk about it.
When you arrive in Nam. . .
. . .it's important to get acclimated as quickly as you can.
Remember to think.
-You understand me? -Yes, sergeant!
What matters now is sharpening your ability to find and destroy the enemy.
Practice how to stay alive.
I know what you're thinking. I've been there myself.
You're thinking you'll go somewhere safe.
You'll luck out.
Tigerland is where you stop bullshitting yourself.
SOLDIER: Sarge, you got any advice on how to stay alive in Vietnam?
SERGEANT: I do, private. Don't go. -Right on, right on.
BOZZ: My friend here wants the experience.
Says he ain't scared.
Well, good luck.
If you ask me, I'll stick with the smart and the scared.
You'll be under the care of NCOs and officers who were in combat.
Listen to them.
They know what they're talking about. Cota.
I'm Staff Sergeant Cota.
I've done two tours in Vietnam.
My first in '67 with the 1 01 st.
Ijust completed my second with MAC-V.
I only have two words of advice for you.
And those are to listen...
...and to learn.
All right, let's saddle up.
Let's go! Let's saddle up!
Let's go, goddamn it!
COTA: Get down!
Good job, Paxton. Good job.
Good job, Johnson.
All right.
Get your ass behind that tree!
Fantastic. You guys move like fucking soldiers!
Get your ass down!
Ryan, get your ass down!
Go! Move! Move!
Bozz, keep that barrel out of the dirt!
Move, move, move!
Paxton, why are you slowing up?
Get your ass down!
You are the weak link!
This is not the time to slow up.
Adapt! Overcome!
Move! Get in there!
You good?
Why were you slow, Paxton?
-Are you hurt? -No, I'm fine, sergeant.
Diagonal, Private Barnes.
-So you don't chop your knee off. -Yes, sergeant.
Go ahead, Paxton. I gotta take a piss.
-You okay? -Yeah.
BOZZ: "Jim Paxton on personal guide to pain. "
Get that fucking torch out of my face and put that cigarette out.
You might as well hang a big neon sign that says:
"Dumb-fuck grunts, right here. "
You broke light discipline. Therefore, you're dead.
-Do you understand? PAXTON: Yes.
-Good. BOZZ: I'm still alive, sergeant.
-What did you say? -I said, I'm still alive.
I miraculously survived the attack.
-You didn't get hit? -No.
Are your friends alive?
Yeah, Paxton's good. Johnson, he's good and he's good.
If you're gonna make up a story, make up a happy one.
I ain't making anything up, son.
And in Vietnam there are no happy fucking stories.
I had a best buddy, Kelly Morgan. . .
. . .that I went to AIT with.
In '67, when the call came, we got sent off to Nam.
We had only been in country a few days. We was green as grass.
We were in a two-man listening post, talking just like we are here.
Kelly lit up a cigarette.
One minute we're naming his unborn child. . .
. . .and the next second his brains were in my lap.
The sniper zeroed in on the cherry of his cigarette, Bozz.
Gentlemen, it's all about respect.
Respect for your superiors and what they're trying to teach you.
Respect for yourselves and your unit.
And most important. . .
. . .respect the enemy.
You have 42 minutes. . .
. . .then the squad's on patrol.
Fuck.
Gentlemen, this is the best Vietnamese village we could create for you. . .
. . .here on the base!
Now, listen. You're all gooks, so nobody speaks English.
Anybody asks you a question in English, you answer, "No bic. "
It means, "I don't speak" in gook-ese. Let's hear it.
No bic.
Good. Private Bozz, you are the only man that speaks English.
Speak only to the man who identifies himself as interpreter. Understood?
-Yes, sir. -Good. Private Paxton.
You are the Vietcong.
They come through, their objective is to find the VC sympathizer.
In other words, you, Private Paxton.
They have five minutes.
You tell them nothing.
I warn you, they're beat up.
They've been awake three nights.
Forced marched all day.
They fuck this up, they'll march another six miles.
One other thing:
They find out which one of you is VC...
...and you'll be the ones out in the boonies...
...on no sleep, forced marching for the next two nights.
Understood?
-Yes, sergeant. -Let's get to work.
Private Bozz, Paxton. Over here.
Lets see. . . . Lukins, Barnes, in this hooch.
Make it as realistic as possible.
This is not a fucking joke.
I like this. It's like a war theme park.
I'm so tired. I'm gonna pass out.
Hey, here they come.
Shit.
It's Wilson.
What?
-I thought we got him out. -There's a war going on.
Plenty of room for psychopathic killers.
Let's move it. We don't got much time.
We gotta find the VC.
No bic.
Fuck me.
-VC? -No bic.
-Get your ass on the ground! -No bic.
-No bic. No bic.
Get on the fucking ground!
-You VC? -No bic.
HICKS: How'd that feel?
Need an interpreter? I'm the only one that speaks English.
HICKS: How does that feel, Paxton?
HICKS: What are you gonna write about now?
What are you writing in your journal?
Don't fucking move!
Let go of him, goddamn it!
-You're in charge! On your feet! -Yes, sergeant.
COTA: Where is your weapon, soldier?
There it is.
Why didn't you secure the area, Private Wilson?
I'll tell you why. Because you lost control!
Yes, sergeant.
Did you find any VC?
No, you didn't. That's the fucking answer.
Come here.
I promise you tears before breakfast. Get your men and get out of here.
Get out of here! Let's go. Move!
-I'm gonna kill you. -Is that right?
-You gonna kill me again? -I'll kill you.
Get your hands off him!
You want to go?
Get the fuck out of here!
-Get the fuck out! -I'll break your neck!
-Let's move! WILSON: Get the fuck out of here!
Somebody grab my steel pot.
COTA: Get out of here.
-How you doing? -Shit.
Is he all right?
BOZZ: No, he's not all right.
COTA: Take your time.
(PAXTON COUGHS)
-You going? BOZZ: I can't take you with me.
Not me. Paxton. He's hurting.
He signed up.
And you judged him for it.
You even made me feel guilty and I was drafted.
You saw what Wilson did to him today.
He's broken down.
And the Army didn't do all the breaking. Take him.
It's not my fault if he just realized what he did.
I only got time for my sad story.
-Take him with you. -Fuck off!
Wilson's gonna take his hate out on somebody.
You run, he'll kill Paxton. If not here, for sure over in Nam.
Johnson, I like you, but fuck off.
Yeah, well, I ain't standing in your way.
Rise and shine, gentlemen!
Let's go, gentlemen! Roll 'em!
Let's go! Move! Get on your feet!
I know you're tired, but you'll be doing a lot of this in the next year!
If you're not. . .
-. . .then you're in a body bag. -Where's Bozz?
Waiting for a dust-off.
Where is your squad leader?
Is this his weapon?
Does anybody know where your squad leader is?
Where is he, Johnson?
-Where is your weapon, Private Bozz? -Right here, sarge.
I know that.
The next time you decide to take a piss or a fucking shit. . .
. . .you make sure you have your weapon.
Your weapon is your lifeline. Why didn't you have it?
I was gonna make a break for Mexico. I didn't think I'd need it.
Very funny.
You take point.
Paxton, take slack. Johnson, drag. The rest of you fall in behind.
Listen up.
You'll square off against the boys from yesterday.
They may have booby traps.
They may have forward observers watching.
They may do all manner of shit that you don't know.
That's why you will keep your eyes open and your mouths shut.
-Is that fucking understood? -Yes, sarge.
Let's move out.
-Welcome back. -You owe me 1 50 bucks.
COTA: Hurry up, Paxton. Let's go.
Dixie, dixie, my 1 2.
Dixie, my 1 2.
Move it! Come on!
You okay?
Fuck, Bozz. Joke's over. Can't you see we're fucked?
Relax. You'll be fine.
You'll be fine.
WILSON: Psst, psst, psst.
Wilson, what the hell are you doing? That's live ammo.
Ambush! 1 2:00!
Live ammo!
Cease fire! Cease fire!
PAXTON: Fuck!
Private Wilson!
Private-fucking-Wilson!
Private Wilson, look at me, goddamn it!
PAXTON: Oh, Jesus Christ!
Look at me.
You will place your weapon on safe!
You will raise your weapon above your fucking head. . .
. . .or I'll blow your fucking brains out!
PAXTON: Oh, Jesus!
Do it!
On your fucking knees, now!
Get on your fucking knees!
You will be court-martialed! Do you fucking hear me?
COTA: What happened? -An accident. My fault.
-Let me look. -Oh, fuck!
COTA: Get him up.
Let me see the eye.
I miss my mama
RYAN: I miss my woman and kid
I think about all the things
From way back when
SOLDIER: Sing it, boy.
I miss my grandma 's apple pie
Shit, I miss getting high
And my Uncle Sam is sending me to die
You know what now?
He got me looking for Charlie
And I don 't know who he is
I used to have a Cadillac
I left it back home
Shit, I left my woman
Still can hear her moan
Is so much misery
Up here in Charlie Company
I wonder if I die Will they still remember me?
Let's go, move it! This war is not gonna last forever!
Bozz, bus number three!
You don't want to miss this war! Let's go!
PAXTON: Hey! Bozz.
-Want to come along? -I did, but you wouldn't let me.
How's your eye?
Got an injury bad enough to get out, no permanent damage. Imagine that.
More corny wisdom for your book.
"In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. "
Pretty fancy shooting, Tex. Thank you.
It was just luck, Jim. I could have killed you.
No, it wasn't.
Somebody had to take your place.
Bozz!
Last chance. Don't make me bring the war to you.
Write me when you get there.
This is it, man.
No more phony Army buddy crap.
Go home.
Live a long time.
Try not to be too much of an asshole.
I'm gonna write a whole book about this.
Tell everyone about you.
Paxton.
Sergeant Thomas. . .
. . .sorry for my misbehavior earlier.
Real sorry.
See you back here. Take care.
-Watch your back. JOHNSON: See you.
-I'll write a book about you, Bozz! -No, you won't.
Come on, quit playing. That's my journal.
Jesus! Bozz!
Come on, quit fucking around. That's my book!
What are you doing? Shit!
Stop the bus!
Oh, Bozz, what is this shit?
PAXTON: I never saw Bozz again.
Some guys said he died in Nam...
...but he was never listed.
Some said he just disappeared over there.
One guy called and said he thought he saw him in Mexico...
... with a beautiful woman.
But knowing Bozz...
...he'd be pissed off I was talking about him anyway.