Some of us put up a better front than others, but underneath...
...all of us were god-awful scared.
I was scared until just a few minutes ago,
when our landing craft came up.
But now it's gone.
I feel fine, you know?
It's the waiting, I guess.
Once you get into action, the adrenaline gets into your system.
Tell us all about it, Mouse.
Us kids wanna hear the facts of life from a tried-and-true hero.
Cut it out, Sarge.
I was just saying how I feel.
When are we gonna go in?
We've stood around that compartment since 0500.
That's why you're getting that big fat salary for, Red.
Just hold your water.
Hey, Colombo, maybe the Japs took off...
...when they saw that we're here in force.
- Maybe, huh? - Stop dreaming, Chubby.
They are dug in ten, twenty feet underground.
Sure, they're just laying low till we hit the beach.
God, that bombardment last night must've softened them up some.
Hey, Colombo.
How long was that Bougainville operation?
Too long, man.
Pushing through those jungles got me.
My boondockers rotted off.
And this is worse, with these lousy beaches.
We're going in for a wet landing about 200 yards off.
Holy mackerel!
For God's sakes, Colombo.
Hey, what do you want me to do, kiss it?
Come on, come on. Clear the way. Let old Gopher get his shot.
Would there be wars if clocks had never been invented?
Cut the philosophy.
You're not a lawyer anymore, you're an officer.
And this is it.
Don't get impatient in the landing craft, you men.
We're going to be circling a long time in the rendezvous area before we go in.
In the landing craft, until the Coxswain lowers the ramp,
keep your heads down and your helmets on.
Keep your weapons close by and try to keep them dry.
Good luck to all of you.
I could get killed today.
Well, boys, here we go.
All right, move!
Hey, wait a minute!
Me first. I wanna shoot up as you're coming down. Get your best angle.
Let's go!
Move! Get your ass over!
All right, girls! Don't let 'em step on your tiny little hand! Let's go!
Move! Let's go!
Go!
Move!
Let's go!
Move!
I thought I had it. I studied all the points...
...sticking up. They'll cut hell out of you.
What were you doing? Praying? Nothing wrong with it.
Just now? No, not really.
I was... I was just thinking about all these fish
that are gonna get blown up today, and then about back home.
I used to go fishing a lot with my pop.
What's your old man do? Is he a doctor or something like that?
Worse. He's a minister.
That's why I was named Joseph Joshua Cliff.
A minister! Sure enough?
But he's a great guy, too.
I mean, most people think because he's a minister,
he's gotta be square... not fun, not human.
You should hear him at church. He gets more laughs than Bob Hope.
I never heard a minister but he was funny as a graveyard.
He's serious, too.
I mean, he makes people think.
Most people, he says, pray like they were going to the bathroom
or brushing their teeth... a reflex, almost.
"Forgive us our trespasses, and help us to forgive those who trespass against us."
How many people ever stop to think what that really means?
Yeah. You're damn right.
When is something gonna happen?
When are we going in?
Goldberg said it'd be at least an hour more.
...sometime tomorrow. Anytime.
Your folks still alive?
Hell, I ain't seen 'em since I was four.
That sits just fine with me.
For God's sakes, Colombo.
Only man among living things says prayers.
Or needs to.
They can't get me.
I hope we don't have any hand-to-hand fighting.
What the hell?
Keep your fat head down, you won't catch any spray.
Let's go! Go!
Move!
Get the hell on your feet!
Corpsman! Let's go!
I got to move faster.
I can't move. I can't move.
Oh, please.
You're ruining my shot.
Get the hell out of there, you slo...
Oh, my God.
Yes, there's very heavy fire, mostly mortars and machine guns.
Yes, sir, we're moving. Out.
- You all right, son? - Yes, sir.
All right, come on.
Come on, move.
Charlie One to Charlie Six.
That damn smoke.
I'll stop it down, make it a 5.6.
Oh, please. Oh, please.
Egan, get that...
Mouse!
Not there! Move up!
Charlie One. Charlie One.
Move them out to the next shelter.
Move up!
All right, every man move up. Move up!
You too, Colombo! Go!
Okay, you, move up!
Move!
Egan, get some fire on that gun!
Move up!
Spread out! Move up!
All right, Mike.
Come on, son.
Please.
Oh, please.
You men seen Mouse?
Not in some time.
Go look for him!
God!
Mouse!
No. No.
Gotta get 'em off this beach.
Get up here!
Get up, Colombo! Get your butt up here!
Charlie One. Charlie One.
This is Charlie Six. Move 'em out, Domingo.
Yes, sir. Over and out.
Move 'em out!
Move out! Move out!
I'm gonna move over. You follow me!
Come on up here!
Automatic weapons, cover!
Let's go!
- Over the line! - All right!
Oh, Jesus!
Oh, Jesus.
Oh, Jesus...
Corpsman!
Oh, Jesus!
- Honeywell! Lindstrom! - Here!
Corpsman!
Hey, Gunny.
We're in a crossfire here.
You get that right gun.
Lindstrom...
- Go ahead fast. - All right.
Cover me. I'm going for that machine gun.
Corpsman...
Don't forget to cover me.
Corpsman! Corpsman! We need a corpsman over here!
Coming.
Corpsman!
Move 'em out!
Move 'em!
Egan, Cliff, move up.
Hell, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be.
I'll have to get glasses when I get back.
Pardon me... if I get back.
Hold it, you two!
We got the son of a bitch!
Get back here!
Hey! It's a dummy!
Cliff and Egan didn't do too bad.
That Cliff though... I don't know.
He'll grow up or he'll go to pieces or he'll be dead.
It's so easy to get killed.
I never saw a man die before today. Or even a dead man.
They can't get me.
I tell you, they ain't gonna get me.
Weaver and Ullman... and poor Huff.
Always yakking about his wife and kids.
I'll have a lot of those... those letters to write.
I'd rather get shot, I think.
Gunny, let's hold them up here.
Hold up!
The tanks will be here in a minute. We'll wait for them.
We don't know what the hell to expect in these damn rice paddies.
Fix bayonets.
Fix bayonets!
Charlie Six calling Pickax Six.
Come in, Pickax. Come in, Pickax.
Yes, sir?
Oh, we've crossed through the Palm Belt,
and we're in the Rice Paddy area... we're crossing that.
No, sir. No incoming fire.
Hey, Egan. How come you're still alive?
Hell, boy, they can't get me till I get me one more woman.
I bet you a pack of cigarettes they get you before they get me.
If I win, you won't pay off.
Yes, sir.
Right. Roger and out.
You gotta figure the odds. We got 8,000 guys here.
Now, why should I buy it?
The best thing to do is to get yourself a wound...
...a good one that doesn't hurt too damn much.
Then you're on your way home, out of this muck.
Hit the deck! Hit the deck!
Move 'em out!
Move out!
Hey, Domingo, Gunny, get that tank on that machine gun,
the other one on the bunker, and send us a flamethrower.
Aye, aye, Skip.
I'll get that one on the machine gun.
All right, get that tank to zero on that bunker,
and then you bring up the flamethrower.
12:00.
I've got you.
A little lower.
Gunny, drop the packs.
Drop your packs!
Are you crazy?! Are you crazy?!
All right, move up across that ditch
and cover the flamethrower.
Let's go!
Move up!
I got him!
Oh, my God... I got him.
Don't!
You do your job, Sir Galahad. I'll do mine.
I'm just glad I got boots to fight this war.
Colombo! Snyder! Down!
Corpsman! Corpsman!
What about Snyder... is he gone?
Yeah, Skipper. He caught one in the head.
Well, then forget the corpsman.
I think it missed the bone.
Let's put a bandage on it and let's go.
You're damn lucky, Skipper. A couple of inches lower...
Looks like it went clean through flesh. Move your arm around a little bit.
It's okay.
Gunny, don't let those men bunch up. Get the Lieutenant.
And, Lindstrom, keep those people back.
Aye, aye, sir.
All right, forget the corpsman!
The Skipper wants to see the Lieutenant! The rest of you people spread out!
Skipper's okay!
- Gonzalez! - Yes, sir!
Pickax Six, this is Charlie Six.
We have objective Able.
Moving out to Baker.
Yes, sir. Roger. Out.
Is it all right, skipper?
Yeah. Domingo...
...there's that beautiful jungle.
We're going in in column.
You take the advance guard, find us a trail.
Yes, sir.
Lindstrom, move 'em out!
Cliff... you stay back with me.
Egan, you and Ginger take the point.
Colombo, you and Bill keep back.
Now, watch out for an ambush and keep quiet. Let's go.
Egan, it's so easy to get killed.
Yeah, it sure is.
Hope I never get it like Mouse did.
Yeah... his arm.
I never figured on this kind of war.
Bunkers, pillboxes... hell, we're out in the open like a possum on a dead tree.
How many men did it cost us to take that bunker?
Those Japs went up in flames like... like tissue paper.
Yeah. Everything goes poof except the skull and the kneecaps.
That bunker really shook me.
The flamethrower's the worst. I...
...I mean, I'd rather get shot or anything.
Except maybe a bayonet.
Mouse'll be okay, I guess.
Yeah. They'll take care of him.
I know a lot of guys that would settle for that right now.
I suppose.
Why did he have to get it like that? I mean, Mouse, of all people.
What did he ever do wrong?
Bullets don't give a damn about that, I reckon.
There ain't no use thinking about it.
Come on, buddy. We got some diggin' to do.
There's gotta be some other way. There's just gotta be.
Or what's the point?