- Four more ahead of us. - Let's start the engines.
Let's go.
- Clear on right? - Clear on right?
Clear on right.
Clear on left?
Clear on left.
Those Navy guys are moving up to push us over.
They're not gonna toss this ship overboard.
Come on, baby. Give.
Give. Give.
Check hydraulic pressure.
- Hydraulic pressure okay. - Check brake pressure.
Okay.
There goes Bob.
Two more ahead of us.
Check fuel booster.
Hey, Army. Ted!
Give them for me.
When we get to Chungking, we'll tell them it was a Navy show too.
They'll know that when they see how broke you are. Good hunting.
- Bomb bay doors closed. - Bomb bays closed.
- Pilot to gunner. All set, Thatcher? - Everything okay, sir.
- Wing flaps down. - Wing flaps coming down.
There goes Hallmark.
We're taking off, fellows. Happy landings.
Phew!
Yeah.
Both the flaps up.
We didn't even have them down.
How do you like that? I wonder what else we forgot.
Coffee, sandwiches, water, plenty.
Pilot to gunner. Thatcher.
Gunner to pilot. Go ahead, sir.
- You all right, Thatcher? - Yes, sir.
You'd better get started on those cans.
- We've burned over 40 gallons already. - Yes, sir.
Well, we're on our way.
If anybody's carrying a rabbit's foot, hang on to it tight.
What's our position, McClure?
I figure about an hour and 58 minutes from the coast.
Get that, Thatcher? We can expect their fighters any time now.
- Keep your eyes open. - Watching, sir.
There's nothing in sight. Could we try out this turret again?
Okay. Relay switch on.
It works all right, sir,
but that emergency power's not going to hold out long if we run into trouble.
Turning it off now.
- How far are we behind our first gang? - About an hour.
Then we really can get set for trouble.
Yeah, but nothing like what the guys behind us are going to run into.
I'd feel a lot better on a night job.
Did you hear that left engine miss?
No, singing like a lark.
I must be hearing things.
Navigator to pilot.
Pilot to Navigator. Go ahead.
We ought to hit the Japanese coast any minute.
Look.
- See that flag? - Yeah.
- Saving bombs today. - They're waving at us.
Those guys must be nuts.
Japanese coast straight ahead.
Fujiyama.
We'll be catching buckshot any second now.
Zeros.
- Pilot to... - I saw them, sir.
- Shall I turn the power on for the turret? - No, wait a minute.
I don't know what happened to them, sir. I guess they didn't see us.
There she is fellows. Take a good gander.
When we get back home, the folks will want to know what
Tokyo used to look like.
That must be Davey Jones giving them the works.
Pilot to bombardier, bomb bay doors open.
- There we are, the big red smokestack. - Pilot to bombardier,
- approaching smelter. - I'm on it.
They've got our altitude.
One away.
Two away.
Three away.
Four away.
- Six fighters just above and to the right. - Have you got them, Thatcher?
Ready for them, sir.
Why don't they dive?
They're going away.
We're not going to wait for them to come back. We're getting out of here.
Well, I guess maybe we're in that lucky half.
Not yet. Not till we get to China.
Wow. What a headache.
- Were you scared? - I'm still scared.
- McClure, on our course? - On our course.
A hundred and sixty gallons. I hope it's enough to get us to Changchow.
Yeah, and I hope the Japs don't get there first.
What's the dope, McClure?
About 200 miles to Changchow.
- And we ought to hit the coast any minute. - We'll never find it in the dark.
Pilot to crew.
We're going up and flying on instruments. When the gas is gone we'll bail out.
We'll buzz it. Maybe we can land. Keep a lookout for rocks or logs.
All set for landing. McClure, get our guns out.
Take off chutes and be sure your life jackets are on. Carry your guns.
Wheels down. Flaps down.
Air speed 135.
130.
110.
I lost my ship.
- You hurt bad? - I don't... I don't know.
I can't move my arms.
Your leg, it's all busted up, sir.
Get Davenport.
Ted, Ted, look at me.
That baby and I...
We won't ever need anything but you.
We mustn't either of us be scared about it, Ted,
because the baby, the baby's why I know you're coming back to us.
Lawson!
Shall I shoot them, Lieutenant?
No, hold it.
- But they may be Japs, sir. - Don't shoot, Thatcher.
Hey! Hey!
He says he's Chinese. What's that word for American?
That leg's got to be sewn up, sir.
It's split wide open.
Me, Charlie.
Americans.
- We're Americans. - American.
Americans.
We need a doctor, and some help
to get to Changchow.
Chiang Kai-shek.
- We're his friends. In Chungking. - Chungking!
- Yes. - That's right.
We go Chungking.
Chungking many, many days. Many.
Doctor. Doctor.
Charlie, go, go doctor. Charlie, bring doctor here.
Charlie, bring doctor or we die.
Doctor, one li.
One li, that's a Chinese mile.
One li. Go.
Bring doctor.
Doctor, Japanese man. Japanese doctor.
Maybe Japanese man, Japanese soldier,
come here.
Japanese man no come at night.
Boat, you go boat.
Let's go.
Hey, cut that out.
I think he wants to trade bullets with you, Thatcher.
Friend.
Charlie, friend.
Charlie, go. Charlie, friend.
Sure, Charlie, friend. Goodbye, Charlie.
The Japs must be all around us.
- I wonder where the rest of the gang is? - Scattered all over the China coast,
if they're alive.
I think I'm going to pass out.
- I, Ted, take you, Ellen. - To be my lawfully wedded wife.
To be my lawfully wedded wife.
- To have and to cherish. - To have and to cherish.
Until death us do part.
Don't let them cut my leg off. Please, don't let them cut my leg off.
- Don't let them cut my leg off. - Lawson, stop it. Lawson.
- Don't. - Lawson.
- What's the matter? - You were yelling.
Thank you.
My name is Foo Ling.
Everything we have is yours.
We know what you have done and we honor you for it.
Our navigator has both his shoulders broken.
Is there anybody who can set them for him?
No one.
But we hope that help will soon arrive for you.
Thanks.
How are they?
We have washed them. They are bandaged.
But we have no medicines.
Not even aspirin.
What's that?
- This is Dr. Chung. - How do you do?
We've come a long way and we're going home now
and we've been hunting a doctor everywhere.
I understand.
Have you got anything that'll knock them out, Doctor? They're in awful pain.
We hope to have some medical supplies by the time we reach my father's hospital.
Hospital? Where's that?
In Lin Hai. About 60 li from here.
- I have come to take you there. - It's a funny thing, Doctor.
There were a lot of planes and we had to take off early.
- You see how it was. - Of course.
They aren't in any shape to make much of a trip, Doctor.
We'll have to move them at once.
The Japanese captured one of your crews yesterday, not very far from here.
So many planes, and we don't know what happened to the others.
All up and down the Chinese Coast.
My countrymen are seeking your countrymen.
We'll bring them through.
I have some money. I want to give it to you.
Please, Lieutenant, you have given us enough already.
- What? - The bombs you dropped on Japan.
Please, now try to rest.
The Japanese, they are in the village we just left.
- Chan. - Mr. Parker.
- Mrs. Parker. - Doctor Chan.
- How are they? - They are very, very sick.
- I'll need your help. - How close are the Japanese?
They took Ching Ming three hours after our departure.
One of the American crews has already fallen into their hands.
Hadn't they better be taken straight through to Hop Sai?
They couldn't stand the trip.
This is my father, Dr. Chung.
- The others, please, help them. - Please, don't worry, Lieutenant.
We'll take care of everybody.
You won't have to take it off, will you, Doc?
We hope not. One cannot tell.
You've had a long journey. Now you must rest.
All we had at our Mission was a little antiseptic fluid and some bandages.
But we've sent out runners for supplies.
Is there any way I could get a message out?
I'd like my mother to know that I'm okay.
The whole region's swarming with Japanese.
Well, do you think they've heard back in the States what happened to us?
We've been listening in on short wave. They know all about the raid,
but apparently they're keeping the details secret
until the rest of your men have been saved.
Have they found any of the others?
We have word that one crew will be coming through here pretty soon now.
I understand there's a doctor among them.
Oh, that must be Lieutenant Smith's crew. Excuse me.
Lieutenant Smith's crew has been rescued, sir.
Smith's?
They found Lieutenant Smith and Doc White and they're coming here.
Don Smith's crew. The Doc was flying with Don Smith.
They'll be here any minute now.
It's funny, isn't it?
I mean the way Clever's head just keeps rocking back and forth,
back and forth.
Somebody ought to help Clever.
I think the Chinese are a swell bunch of people
but I can't say I go for their music.
Shorty Manch would go all to pieces if he heard a little of this.
Yeah.
How's Lawson?
Well, his leg looks pretty bad, sir.
Dr. Chung thinks gangrene has set in.
Looks like a Jap Zero.
You guys ought to go on and leave me.
They think I'm passed out half the time and I hear what they say.
The Japs are coming closer all the time. Why don't you guys go?
We're not sticking around here because of you, Lawson.
- None of us here are able to travel yet. - I was just thinking.
I guess Ellen and I aren't going to ski anymore.
That's too bad.
I was going to teach her some fancy stuff.
Now don't start talking like that. You're going to pull through all right.
What do you think a girl would do? I mean, say Ellen and I like to ski.
Be kind of funny if they cut my leg off, wouldn't it?
Why don't you try to go to sleep?
Yeah, it'd be kind of funny, all right.
You marry a guy, he's got two arms and two legs.
Then he comes back and he hasn't any.
- I am Dr. Chung. - Where are the boys?
How are you, Pop?
Did you have a good trip?
- Here they are. - Hi, fellas.
- How are you? - How you doing?
- Hello, Sarge. - It's good to see you.
- Holy Joe, what happened to you guys? - Nothing serious.
The Duck forgot to duck.
Yeah, McClure's been trying to do his own flying ever since.
This really looks like something left over from a massacre.
Well, you guys don't look so good yourselves.
You don't smell so good either.
Well, there's nothing wrong with us that a good bath won't fix.
- I wish we could say the same for you. - How's the grub around here?
I think I'd like a good thick steak, French fried onions
and a baked potato with plenty of butter
and about three bottles of beer...
You'll take bean sprouts and like them.
- Say, where's Lawson and Davenport? - They're upstairs.
- Lawson's in pretty bad shape. - You better go up and see him.
He needs you bad, Doc.
Well, it's certainly good to see you fellows again.
Hey, Pop, how's the chop suey around here?
He doesn't speak English.
I'm sorry, Pop.
Yeah, and when Shorty jumped, he had two. 45s, a. 44 rifle,
a. 22 automatic, that Luger of his, a hunting knife, a Bowie knife
- and an ax. - What a guy.
He stuffed his shirt full of chocolate bars but he forgot to button his collar.
So when he pulled the rip cord,
he just naturally molted candy all over North China.
- What happened to his photograph? - It went down with the ship.
Next morning Manch scared the Chinese right out of their wits.
They didn't know anything human grew that tall.
What about Bob Gray?
He's okay. I think they moved on to Chungking.
Oh, yeah, and that guy "Me, Charlie" said to tell you hello.
If it hadn't been for Charlie, the Japs would have had us that first day.
Yeah, us too.
I'd like to come back some day and fight alongside that guy.
Me, too.
Well, it's all over.
Let's save some of this talk for tomorrow.
A pint and a half, that's not bad.
You'd better get to bed now.
You're an old grandma, Doc.
But I'll take it slow, just as a favor to you.
Be seeing you, Lawson.
Thanks, Doc.
How's the leg, Doc?
It's not good, Lawson.
The next forty-eight hours will tell the story.
Well, thank you.
- Hey, Don. - Yeah?
Tell Doolittle to hold off that party till we get there.
Okay, Davenport. We'll wait for you.
- Where's Thatcher? - He's in with Lawson. He'll be right out.
Okay.
I wish you would let me stay here until you're ready to go, sir.
These people will take care of us.
There's no reason for you fellows to hang around and maybe get caught.
Yeah, I know, but I might come in handy if the Japs show up, sir.
Thatcher, when you get back to the States,
if you should run into my wife,
just tell her I'm okay.
Don't let her know about anything being wrong.
I understand, sir.
And say hello for me to that girl in Billings.
That I will, sir.
- Goodbye. - Goodbye, Thatcher.
Good morning.
- Good morning, Lawson. - Hi, Doc.
I'll try not to hurt you, Lawson. I'll have a look at this.
Thanks.
You going to take the leg, Doc?
Yeah, I think so.
We talked it over and there's nothing else to do.
It's pretty rough to have to cut a man's leg off.
I guess it'll be all right.
After all, a wooden leg is just kind of like wearing a shoe with a high instep.
When are you gonna do it?
I might as well give you a shot right now.
You mean we have something to knock me out?
Our runners arrived with anesthetic this morning.
It'll only be a spinal, Lawson.
You won't feel anything from the waist down, but you'll be conscious.
That's the best we can do.
Oh, swell.
I can watch you and make sure you don't take off too much.
All right, Lawson. We'll have to roll you over.
It'll take a little time to work.
We'll get you over to the operating room.
- Doc? - Yes?
- How high are you going to cut? - Oh, not too high.
- Will I have a knee, Doc? - I'm afraid not, Lawson.
- Any feeling there? - No. Look, Doc.
We can't waste any time, Lawson. When that anesthetic wears off,
- we haven't got any more. - Okay, but just one thing more.
Yes.
If anything happens,
don't let Ellen know anything about the operation.
She might just as well think I died while all in one piece.
All right, Lawson. Now, you're not going to feel this.
But you might get nervous and jump or something,
so the nurses are going to hold you.
Okay, Doc.
Fire away.
Oh, when you said "no knee." you weren't kidding.
If I cut any lower we might have to do it again
and your system couldn't take it.
What're you stalling for, Doc?
We're doing the best we can, Lawson. Take it easy.
Okay. Only hurry.
It seems like I'm beginning to feel my other leg.
It seems like I can move my toes, Doc.
I think I can move my ankle. Hurry, Doc, I'm sure I can.
Hurry, Doc, hurry.
- Hello. - Hello. Hello, Ellen?
- Ted, where are you? - I'm in a lumber camp.
I had to make a forced landing in a mud puddle.
- You aren't hurt, are you? - No, not a scratch.
- Have you got the tree all fixed? - Oh, yes, Ted. You should just see it.
- It's so beautiful. - Anything under it?
- Oh, yes. - Well, let's open them up.
- Oh, we can't do that. - Sure we can. Go ahead.
Well, if you say so.
I'm not going to be cheated out of my Christmas by a cracked up airplane.
Oh, Ted, it's the most beautiful
box of candy I've ever seen in my whole life.
Good. Isn't there maybe something else lying around?
- Let me see. Yes, there is. - Well, open it.
It's a silk scarf. And it looks like it's handmade, too.
- I'll bet it's got my initials on it. - That's not fair.
You peeked while I was making it.
I just know my wife.
- Oh, Ted, I wish you were here. - So do I, honey.
I'll be thinking of you tonight.
I'll sit in front of the tree and turn the radio on to Christmas carols
and just think of you.
Thank you. And thank you, scouts.
I mean, all the fellows would like to thank you very much,
for everything.
Lieutenant, my father has asked me to present this to you.
It has been in our family since the fifteenth century.
Father begs me to tell you that beauty belongs to beauty,
and asks that you honor him by presenting it to your wife.
Oh, thank you. Thank you.
I didn't know that you knew about Ellen, my wife.
You spoke of her a number of times.
It says, "This is an American hero who has bombed Japan.
Whenever he goes among the people of China,
let him be accorded respect and honor."
He has just come from Kow Chai.
Another one of your crews has been captured
and the Japanese are moving in this direction.
I think Lawson will be able to travel in a couple of days.
There's nothing wrong with me, Doc. I can travel right now.
I'm afraid a couple of days will be too long.
This is Wang Tsung.
He has walked all the way from his native village of Kow Chai.
And he begs the honor of presenting gifts to his American Allies.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
He felt a lot worse than I did.
There, I can get along pretty well already.
I should say very well for your first day out of bed.
I guess, I'll have to be a little more careful.
I don't ever want anybody to see me do that.
I don't want anybody to see me till I get a new leg.
Lieutenant White, word just came.
The American plane will pick you up in Changchow tomorrow afternoon at 5:00.
Wonderful.
He says if we don't hurry, the Japanese may get there first.
- When are you leaving? - We're going to stay here.
We're quite used to it, you know.
- Here. This may come in handy. - Thank you.
You and Mr. Parker have done so much for us,
and we'll never forget it.
- Goodbye, Lawson. - Goodbye.
- Good luck. - Thank you, sir.
- Goodbye. God bless you. - Goodbye. Thank you.
My father wishes me to tell you that you have honored us with your visit
and that he will offer prayers for your safe return to America.
Isn't he coming along with us?
Father feels that he must stay with his people.
They will need him here.
Goodbye, sir.
- Goodbye, Doctor. - Goodbye, sir.
- Goodbye, Doc, and thanks for everything. - I hope, sir, that we may meet again.
That goes double, Doc.
Goodbye, Doctor, and thank you.
Thank you.
If you ever come to the States, Doctor, look me up, will you?
I'll be in the Portland telephone directory.
- With pleasure. - Goodbye, Doctor.
I have one sorrow, Lieutenant,
that we did not have the medicine to ease your pain.
- You saved my life, Doc. - I hope someday you will come back to us.
We'll be back, maybe not us ourselves
but a lot of guys like us. And I'd like to be with them.
- Because you're our kind of people. - Thank you, sir, and goodbye.
- Hello. - Hello.
- Go ahead, sit down. - Thank you.
I know how you feel. Take it for a while.
Thanks.
Smell that?
That's America. That's the USA.
Every time I make a trip back, she smells better and better.
Yeah.
- I think I know what you mean. - I'm from Pittsburgh.
I know it may seem screwy to you, but
it seems to me as if I can smell some of that coal smoke
right off the old Monongahela River. That sound crazy?
No. I'm from California and I can smell orange blossoms.
Oh, it couldn't be, that's too far. It must come from Florida.
Oh, if you want flavor, you've got to have a California orange,
but for smelling, Florida's just as good.
Hello. Yes.
What's that?
- Just a minute. Ellen. - Yes?
Ellen, Washington on the phone.
Hello?
Yes, this is Mrs. Lawson.
Hello, Colonel. I mean General Doolittle.
Oh, yes, I'm fine, thank you.
No, not a bit excited, General.
Oh, he's back, Mother. Ted's back. He's back.
Oh yes, General, how is he?
Oh, yes.
I understand.
Of course, I do.
Yes, I'll be ready.
I know, I know.
Oh, that's so nice of you, General.
Yes, thank you. Oh, yes, thank you, General.
Thank you.
Just cry, darling.
Cry it out.
He got in this morning, Mother.
General Doolittle just saw him, so it's true.
General Doolittle's sending a plane ticket for me.
Ted doesn't want to see me.
He doesn't want to see me because he's lost his leg
and he doesn't even want me to know it's happened
till he gets a new leg and learns how to use it.
As if it would make any difference.
As if anything would make any difference to me as long as he's alive.
Oh, I'm going to see him, I'm going to see him.
Well,
that means we have to get your clothes ready in a hurry.
Have my things come back from the cleaners yet?
Let's see, I'll take this suit.
And my blue coat. He always liked it best.
I can't take any of these things. I can't take any of my pretty clothes.
They don't fit me anymore.
Do you think Ted's going to pay any attention
to what kind of clothes you wear or how you look?
He always did.
Oh, Mother, I'm scared.
There's nothing to be frightened about.
Lots of people lose a leg or arm
- and continue living perfectly normal lives. - I'm not scared about Ted.
- I'm scared about me. - About you?
Well, you see, most husbands and wives are together while things are changing.
Husbands get used to things like that because, well, they're around.
Ted's been gone all this time and when he went away, I was so slim.
All the time he's been gone, he's been thinking of me like that.
Ted loves you Ellen, and you love him.
That's why neither of you is going to notice any change when you meet.
- Do you think so, Mother? - I know so.
All the same, if I held my coat like this
when I walk into the room, don't you think it would hide me,
just a little?
Hello, Lawson. How're you feeling?
- Pretty good, sir. - You look fine.
Thank you, sir.
- Won't you sit down, sir? - Yeah, thanks.
- Well, got any plans? - About what, sir?
Well, about the future. Have you decided what you're going to do?
Not particularly, sir.
I always wanted to be an aeronautical engineer.
I suppose I'll start studying again
after they muster me out.
Who said they'd muster you out?
Well, I won't be much use to anybody with a...
What are you talking about?
Do you think we'd let a man of your experience get away from us?
- Well, that's fine, sir. Thank you. - Don't thank me.
I just happened to think of something, Lawson.
Yes, sir?
What about your wife? Does she knew you're back?
- No, sir. - Why not?
Well, I thought I'd wait till I get my new leg and my scars fixed up.
It won't be so much of a shock to her that way.
Shock? What kind of a girl did you marry, anyway?
She's okay, sir. She's a fine girl.
Well then, she deserves to know.
She deserves to see you too.
No, no, sir. If you don't mind, I'd rather wait.
When I see Ellen again, I'm going to be all dressed up
and have a new leg.
And I'm going to take her out to the best place in town
and I'm going to dance with her.
- That may be quite a while, Lawson. - No, sir.
You see, I'm getting along fine. And in a month or two...
In a month or two you'll be back at work, hard work.
Well, I'll try to drop in on you again, Lawson.
- I hope you can, sir. - Goodbye.
Goodbye, sir.
Your wife's going to have a baby, isn't she?
Yes, sir.
I've got a couple of kids myself, both in the service.
You know, Lawson, if my kids and all the other kids who are in this thing
could fix it so this would really be the last one,
your kid would get quite a break, wouldn't he?
He sure would, sir.
I just had to come.
Ted, Ted, Ted. Let me help you.
Don't, Ellen. You'll hurt the baby.
When things were worst,
when there didn't seem to be any chance at all,
I could see your face, your beautiful face.
I knew you were coming home, Ted.
Tell me, honey.
How come you're so cute?
I had to be if I was going to get such a good looking fellow.