Three Communist PT boats attacked an American destroyer off Vietnam.
President Johnson's response was hard and tough.
He has ordered the Navy to continue patrolling
and, if attacked, to destroy their attackers.
I understand those who regret that we must undertake air attacks.
I share those feelings.
Some nights, you're the only airplane going up.
You're the only Americans over North Vietnam.
It makes you wonder, "What am I doing here?"
We have carefully limited the raids.
They have been directed at concrete and steel, not human lives.
There are at least 850 anti-aircraft and missile sites
around Hanoi and Haiphong.
These make Hanoi's air defence the toughest in the world.
If you get a ridge between you and the radar,
they can't guide a missile at you. It's in the flatlands,
that 30-mile ring around Hanoi...
Representatives of Hanoi simply returned our message
in a plain envelope.
Residents of North Vietnam's capital felt confident
that their city was off limits to US warplanes.
With America's sons in the field far away,
I shall not seek and I will not accept
the nomination of my party for another term as President.
The greatest honour history can bestow
is the title of peacemaker.
- Is it worth it? - I don't know.
They say we're fighting for something.
In Vietnam, American men have served the cause of freedom magnificently.
You're pretty scared up there, especially when you look down
and see nothing but a black cloud or a white cloud down below you.
It's about as scary a mission as I've ever been on.
I think it tries you to the maximum, the missions.
Hey, Morg.
Did you ever notice how some nights you can see more stars than others?
- Have you ever noticed that? - Hm?
- The stars? - Oh, yeah.
I've got an update. I'm cycling to the coast-in point.
You're getting in a rut.
Do you ever think you're taking your job too seriously?
Look at me, I enjoy my work.
- Yeah, I'll bet! - See, I'm happy. Look.
- Enemy radar looking for company. - Time to get on down. Here we go.
- Black Eagle, Devil 505, feet dry. - That's a roger, 505.
- Look at that small-arms fire. - Every peasant with a rifle.
Jesus! You call that a rifle?!
- Lost 'em. - Got that river-bed ahead?
Just picked it up. One more minute to the turn point.
- I see 'em! - Go active on ECM. Jam 'em up.
ECM active.
- You see it? - No, not yet.
- SAM, ten o'clock! - Jam!
- Jesus! - A piece of cake.
- This is it. Stepping into attack. - Arm up.
Your pickle is hot. Get us up to 500 feet.
Nag, nag, nag!
Ground lock. Steady. They're off!
If you got the time, we got the beer!
- See any secondary explosions? - Nothing.
Well, that's real nice. "Suspected truck park."
- Nothing! - Goddammit.
There was nothing there. There never was.
We're raising hell with the jungle tonight.
What is it? What the hell is it?
Oh, my God!
- God almighty! - Help me. Let go of it for a minute.
Black Eagle, this is Devil 505. Emergency!
My bombardier's been hit! Request a ready deck upon arrival.
I'll be on the bridge.
Make a ready deck. We have an emergency inbound.
- Switch to button 3 for approach. - Roger that.
Button 3, Devil 505, gear is down.
I gotta let go for a second. Hang on.
- I'm OK. - Hang in there, shipmate.
- We'll make it. Keep the faith. - I'm hanging.
- Low and straight, partner. - 505, call your ball.
- Intruder ball, 6.0. - Working 22 knots. You're high.
We'll make it. You hang in there. Oh, Jesus!
- He's still too high! - Jakey...
- You're too high! - Morg!
- Steady your line! - Come left, Jake.
- I'm coming in! - Wave him off!
505, wave-off!
I told you we'd make it, Morg!
- I got him, sir, I got him! - Just let go!
Let go, sir, I got him!
Come on, goddammit, let go!
- Hurry up! - Get a stretcher in here.
- Get him out of here, goddammit! - Stand by!
- Bring it in, bring it in. Move it! - Morg!
He's gone, man. Come on, Jake.
Oh, Jesus Christ, man.
You'll be all right, Jake.
We don't want any more of this if we can help it.
- What altitude were you at? - 300, 500, something like that.
- I'd just taken a gun out. - 300 or 500?
- It makes a difference. - I don't know. I'm shaken up.
- You're what? - Shaken up, sir.
- I got Morg's blood all over me. - Maybe we could stop the war!
Nobody asked you to stop the war, did they?
Put McPherson's death behind you, Mr Grafton, right here, right now.
Yes, sir.
Now, what altitude were you flying at?
200... maybe... AGL.
I pushed the nose over
and started a dive in on the gun and levelled out.
Some SAMs had tried us when we came in.
I wanted to get out low and fast.
- You came out by a different route? - Yes, sir. About 30 miles, I guess.
Lucky small-arms fire.
All right. It's bad luck, that's all.
Just ran out of luck. Take Mr Grafton off the flight schedule.
You got liberty in Subic in a couple of days.
You need the rest.
- What was your target? - Suspected truck park.
- You hit it? - We hit it. A bunch of trees.
There was nothing there again.
What's your problem? Spit it out.
I don't think trees and a suspected truck park is worth a man's life.
Targets are picked for political consideration
from the best intelligence we have.
I don't think losing Morg is a political consideration, sir.
Look, I know losing McPherson is lousy.
I don't like the targets. I hate them.
But I don't want any blood feuds.
Often it isn't the mission you're flying that kills you. It's the one before.
- Yes, sir. - OK.
Write a letter to Morg's wife. I'll mail it along with one from me.
- It'll help put this behind you. - Thanks, skipper.
For what? You die, son, and I'll piss on your grave.
- Hey, Jake! - You're not thinking about jumping?
- Not yet. - We thought you might want to talk.
- I'm fine. - How did you do before it happened?
- Trees. - Trees? Right.
Again. Jack, you were with the Marine Detachment. Did you get used to it?
- Yeah, I'm a doc, that's what I do. - Nobody gets used to it.
You can put your job in front of it, like the skipper, or joke about it.
Has the old man always been like he is now?
When he chews you out?
Maybe he figures he might not get another chance.
Come on, guys, we got a meeting.
All right, I got all night, too!
I want to introduce our new replacement pilot, Mr Barlow.
Up front, let's hear about your life. Come on.
- Up front! Up front! Up front! - All right, all right, shut up!
- I'm Lieutenant J G Jack Barlow. - Sit down!
- How old are you, son? - 24, sir.
You look 12. Did they teach you to shave at the Naval Academy?
Razor, that's your new name for now.
- Excellent name, sir! - Great name.
Thank you.
Tomorrow at 10.00 there will be a memorial service for McPherson.
Uniform is tropical, white, long. Oh, yeah, one other thing.
Somebody close that door back there. Frank.
This matter of the phantom shitter...
I know it's a phenomenon that occurs on a carrier from World War II,
but this has gotten out of hand.
Last night, the phantom left a note saying he would strike.
This morning, a turd was found in the XO's ashtray.
That only means one thing.
It's no fighter jock or recon puke who's doing this.
It's an A-6 driver. No one else on this ship can hit the XO's ashtray!
Right, right, right.
Someone... in this room, right here,
is the phantom shitter.
It could be your roommate, pilot, bombardier.
- Think about it. Movie Officer! - Yes, sir.
- What's the film tonight? - They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
- Jane Fonda, sir. - In the skin?
- No, sir. - Cancel it.
Dear Sharon, by now you've been notified that Morgan has gone.
He was killed over Vietnam flying a night strike.
I wish I could say that his death was necessary, but it wasn't.
The target we were bombing was non-existent
and the mission was useless.
Too many good men have died like Morgan these past two years.
I guess I knew him as well as any man could know another.
He was my best friend.
I know how heavy a burden his loss is to you and little Bobby.
I know how much he loved you.
I wish there was something I could do
to make up for such a loss as Morgan.
I go on, as Tennyson said, and the world darkens around me,
among new men, strange faces and other minds.
You have my deepest and most sincere sympathy. Jake.
Real sorry about Mr McPherson, sir.
What's this?
- Thought he was single. - He was.
- He was four days ago. - You know this girl, Chief?
Yeah, she's a looker. Probably the first piece of ass he's ever had.
- When did you get married, son? - Last time in port, sir.
You need Navy permission to marry a foreign national. Your folks know?
- No, sir. - Do you love her?
Well, yes, sir. Course I do, sir.
- I got a picture in my wallet. - No, that's all right.
You violated a major regulation, but I'm gonna sign your chit.
You're legally and morally obligated to this girl.
- Yes, sir. - You understand what that means?
- You gotta support her. - Yes, sir.
This aircraft has not been cleaned! Why not?
Sir, I'll see that it's done.
You do that. You get it done. Get it clean!
- Sorry, sir. - Don't explain. Just get it done.
Mr Grafton won't hold it against you. He's just upset.
Nobody's come back dead like that. Whole ship knows.
A lot of 'em come to look. I don't know why we didn't clean it!
- People die, but not like this, sir! - That's all right, son.
Stand by to recover the cart.
Mr Cole! I'm Chief Poole. Come this way.
- Commander Camparelli's waiting. - Hold on.
All right, sir.
I want to smell it.
I've been away for a while.
- I'm ready. - All right, sir.
- Mr Cole, have a seat. - I'm fine, sir.
I was on the Coral Sea when you were on the Ranger.
- Is that so? - Knew a lot of guys in VA-35.
I knew Jim Becker. Flew A-4s with him.
- You went down with him. - That's right, sir.
- And he didn't make it. - No, sir, he didn't.
I know the whole story, before and after.
- I know a lot about you. - I'm glad, sir.
I know a lot about you, too. Everybody in the Navy knows about you, sir.
Yeah? What about me?
- That you're a legend. - That makes two of us.
That can be a bad influence on others.
I'll try and fit in, sir.
- That's my job. - Make sure you do that.
Good evening, Mr Cole.
Mr Grafton, I'm sorry about Mr McPherson, sir.
- Is Guffy around? - He's right there.
- You wanted to see me, Guffy? - Just a minute.
Can I ask you something, Guffy? Is there anything valuable here?
- If there was, it'd be up north, right? - That's right, Mr Grafton.
See this? This is Haiphong harbour. It's loaded with munitions.
They take them out here and stick them here in Hanoi.
It's not for you. It's restricted. We haven't flown over it since '69.
Don't even think about it.
I do have something to brighten your day. That strike you flew last week?
We refuelled at Danang. That one?
Yeah. Army Bomb Damage Assessment says you killed 37.
- Some body count, hey, buddy? - You think I wanna know that?
Would you wanna know? For all you know, those people were farmers.
You get that information, you keep it to yourself. I don't wanna know.
Do you know who I am?
Yes, sir. Commander Camparelli, the CO.
What kind of name is Camparelli? It is an Italian-American name.
Have you ever met a black man with a name like that? No, you haven't.
I got the name because in my past there was a wop in the wood pile.
Do I detect a smile on your disgusting face, Lieutenant Razor?
I thought not.
It turns out that my family are third-generation Mafia.
They made a living in gambling, extortion and murder,
so that their boy could fly jet aircraft for the US Navy.
I take what I do serious. Understand?
Yes, sir!
Get out of my sight. Lieutenant Razor, dismissed!
Don't laugh, he's your new wingman.
Just take one. I'll hand it to you. That's the one I want you to have.
There's a pair of A-6s going to Subic tomorrow.
I want you to take one with the doc.
I'll put Grafton and maybe Boxman in the other.
Soon as you get Jake off the deck, fly him dizzy, get him drunk,
anything to wind him down before he goes up in flames.
All that guy needs is a strike on the match.
Doc, don't touch anything. Keep your hands in your lap.
If you have to eject, you got a handle here. Pull it.
The command will be, "Eject, eject, eject!"
- Eject, eject, eject! - Do I say "Roger", or just do it?
You even say "Hi", you'll be talking to yourself 'cause I'll be gone.
Jake!
Give me 15 degrees left. Should make Luzon in about 15 minutes.
- You're getting pretty good at this. - I sort of picked it up.
If I'm wrong, I don't know... China! What do you think?
- Huh? - Swell.
That's good food, man. Good food!
You're my favourite pilot, Jake.
I thought you were your favourite pilot.
Sammy, how are you doing? How's the doc?
- Mad Jack's asleep. - No, I'm not.
- Follow the leader! - How much?
- Talk to the man. - Five bucks, hard cash.
This'll be the most exciting thing you've done with your clothes on.
Oh, Jesus.
Oh, no!
Come on, Jake, you can do better than this. Now I'm gonna have some fun!
Come on, Jake, Doc's falling asleep.
- I'm a little embarrassed. - Sammy, you're a sadist!
You can fly a plane, Jake!
Cool Hand, where are you guys?
- Take some oxygen. - Keep both hands on the wheel!
It's not funny!
- Yeah! - We're having some fun now, Morg!
It's not Morg, Cool Hand, OK?
It's me.
Will you take it easy? Are you OK?
- Where are you guys? - That's all you get for $5, OK?
- But are the girls clean? - Clean?
Are you afraid of a few bugs?
Are you afraid of disease? What kind of aviator are you, Razor?
Who's on for Po City?
- Checklist. Money? - Yeah, I'm cool.
- Prophylactics? - I got two.
Oh, yeah? I always carry 26 myself.
That's not a joke.
No shit, Razor. It is the biggest cathouse east of Port Said.
The whole town is dedicated. Know what I mean?
Are you coming, Jake?
Cold beer, hot women. Put the war in perspective.
I think I'm gonna catch you guys later.
I've got something to take care of.
- Perspective. - Yeah.
Mr Lieutenant?
- Oh, excuse me. - Thank you.
- I was looking for Mrs McPherson. - Sharon's gone.
Her husband was killed.
- I know. - You're here on a duty call.
Did they send you here to stroke the widow?
- Who are you? - Callie Troy.
I'm helping pack their stuff.
The Navy pays me to help people like Sharon.
What can I tell you, Mr Lieutenant?
They were here, but now they're gone, like a lot of people these days.
When you fly away alone, sometimes you don't come back.
He wasn't alone, and he did come back.
I was with him.
Commander Cole here decided to join our posse, Jake.
This is Lieutenant Jake Grafton, Cool Hand.
- Glad to meet you, Jake. - How do you want to be called?
Cole, Virgil Cole.
It's his third tour, man. He really knows his shit.
- You got the DFC and a Silver Star. - Does it matter?
No, it doesn't matter, Cole, Virgil Cole.
- Here we are, home sweet home. - We're on your wing, Jake.
You wanna relax?
- Hey, Jake! - Let's relax.
Ain't it great to be home? Some things never change.
- Thanks, Joe. Don't get the clap. - Give this man another beer.
Boxman! Boxman! How are you? When did you get back?
- Kerri, how's the baby? - Looks just like you!
Carmen! You didn't think I was coming back!
April! Oh, my goodness, you sweet thing!
- You've been working out! - Come up here!
Some of them are dogs!
They're beautiful after being with you for 57 days!
Beast! Beast! Beast! Beast! Beast!
- Get a fighter pilot to do it! - Are you a fighter pilot?
Don't ask a man if he's a fighter pilot. If he is, he'll let you know.
If he isn't, don't embarrass him.
Asshole.
Fighter pukes make movies.
Bomber pilots make history.
Prove it, asshole.
Night carrier landing! I don't hear your engines running!
And I don't see your salute!
Launch the Intruder!
How you doing?
Hey, Fly Boy!
I think you were lucky and I lost money.
Do it again.
- You got a problem? - What's it to you, nigger?
- Hey, watch your mouth! - You gonna stop me?
I gotta go.
Watch out, Razor!
Nature calls.
Repeat after me. Black is beautiful.
Jake, this place is a drag.
Let's go. Come on!
- Come on! You get my hat? - I don't know. I don't know!
Black is beautiful!
I'm gonna throw you in anyway.
Lunch call! Lunch call!
- Room for a six pack and a pizza? - Sure, sailor!
Shit! I'm in shit, Morg.
Hey, Jake. Hey, man. It's the Boxman, OK?
Come on, Jake. Come on!
- Come on, man! - Shore patrol!
We're saved, man! We're saved!
- Emergency egress, gentlemen. - Cole, Virgil Cole. Let's go, man!
Box...
I appreciate you getting me out of there, man.
- I know I... - Hey, Jake. Put it down, man, OK?
Morg's gone. Let him go.
OK?
- Have some coffee. - Are you going back?
My wingman Razor's still out there... alone.
Adios, compadre.
- Thanks. - Cole?
Hold on, Box.
You'll be all right, Mr Grafton.
I'm tactical.
I know this is foolish of me, but I'm a little tipsy.
I made a fool of myself earlier. I was...
Slow down, slow down.
- I guess I owe you one. - Owe me one?
I want to make it right. What can I do?
OK...
- Dance? - All right.
- I make up all my own moves. - Seems like it.
I learned this when I was a hippie.
Thank you.
- Is that your daughter? - That's right.
- Where's her father? - Scattered all over North Vietnam.
He went out one day alone and the SAMs got him.
Since no one was with him, and his body was never found,
they have him listed as MIA. Of course, it isn't true.
You knew I was a pilot.
- I married a pilot. - Didn't it make you remember?
Maybe I wanted to remember.
Hardesty. How's your wife?
She's fine, sir. I appreciate everything you've done for me, sir.
Nice to meet you, Mrs Grafton. You've got a beautiful family, sir.
- Thank you again for everything. - It's no trouble.
Nice to meet you, Mrs Grafton.
Beautiful family!
I know we don't want to complicate things any more than we have to,
but I'd like to write to you if that'd be all right.
I'd like that.
It would be fine.
I'd like it very much.
Have you always been this stupid? How did you become an aviator?
Can you read? Are you that literate? This is no kindergarten!
This is no pre-school... Grafton!
Get in here! You were part of this, too.
Sit down, both of you!
You attempted to feed a merchant seaman to some alligators?
- They were crocodiles, sir. - I don't give a damn! Now, go on.
I attempted to throw the puke to the crocodiles, sir, and I failed.
An altercation ensued, sir.
700 bucks' damage, 30 men in the brig and an alligator injured.
- And you got away. - Using evasion techniques, sir.
I was able to avoid capture.
- And we didn't hurt that crocodile. - Yeah, he was OK, skipper.
Stand up! Who gave you permission to sit down? Who was with you?
- I'd rather not say, sir. - That's the same thing he said.
- Mr Cole? - I couldn't help but overhear.
- I thought I might add something, sir. - Go ahead.
- These men were victimised, sir. - Victimised?
Exactly, sir. We were lucky to escape. I saw the whole thing.
Yes, and I'm sure you'd let me know if these gentlemen were at fault.
- That's affirmative, sir. - That'll be all, Mr Cole.
Yes, sir.
All right. All right, I'll cover your asses, both of you.
You told the truth and kept the faith.
If I catch either one of you shitting in some vital area on my ship,
you'll be keel-hauled, and that's serious on an aircraft carrier.
- Get out of here, Cool Hand. - Yes, sir.
As for you, Razor, running with known psychopaths now?
- Who am I, Razor? - Third-generation Mafia, sir.
Wrong! I was built with this ship.
I'm a weapons system and there was a cost overrun! Dismissed!
Come on in.
- Commander Cole. - Mr Grafton. Have you recovered?
Yeah. I saw the duty roster out here and they've got us paired up.
You're going to be my new BN. I thought we may visit for a minute.
- What you got on your mind? - Well, sir...
I got the word that this is your third tour.
I was curious. What makes a man come back a third time?
I like to fight.
- Have you had a lot of pilots? - Four or five.
I'm kind of hard on pilots.
- Have... you ever been up north? - Sure.
In the old days, that's where the war was.
I bet there was something up there that really made the trip worthwhile.
A guy like you ought to know.
There's a lot up there worth it, you know that.
SAMs are the scene here.
SAM sites are the most righteous targets we got.
- You ever fly Iron Hand? - No, no, no, not me.
I don't let 'em shoot rockets at me for sport.
You get to kill 'em. It's gratifying.
But not as gratifying as what was up north.
I get your drift.
Don't even think about it.
I know it's going to be a pleasure to fly with you, Mr Cole.
Hot dog.
Today's your lucky day.
The only A-6B crew were scrubbed because they didn't have a day trap.
Your BN volunteered you for SAM suppression.
- You ever pull Iron Hand duty? - No, wait, I'm not B-qualified.
- I never even sat in the damn thing. - It's a good thing Mr Cole has.
Besides, you're all we got.
Whoa!
- You know something I don't know? - Maybe, maybe not.
Relax. I'll talk you through it. I used to be an instructor on the B.
The only difference is a couple of black boxes, and they're mine.
So, just follow steering and flow with it.
You see, Iron Hand's my thing.
It's simple. We're the decoys.
We get them to turn their radar on and shoot at us.
We get to shoot back and kill them.
The bombers can have a pleasant, SAM-free evening, dropping bombs.
When you shoot the Shrike, remember not to look at it. It'll blind you.
Otherwise, it's a simple deal.
When the SAM's radar goes on, you shoot.
They shut off and lose the missile or eat the Shrike.
Even if they shut off, sometimes the Shrike remembers where they're at.
- Mean bastards, eh? - You know something?
That's the most I've ever heard you say.
Oh, look, man.
I hate SAMs. I get all worked up just thinking about 'em.
When I tell you to do something, do it.
Well, I can tell this is gonna be a real love affair.
Break left!
That's enough. That's enough!
Just checking.
- Devil 520, feet dry. - We copy, feet dry. Good hunting.
Put your mask on. It's gonna be a gunfight.
Man, we've been made. Give me 15 degrees nose up!
A SAM lifted off, one o'clock! There's another!
It's no fun until they send up three. We send a rocket and you dive under.
Where do you get this confidence in my ability?
- That's four. Happy now? - Aim at the strobe.
- Come on, come on! - They've gone into high PRF.
Just a second.
- Shoot! Shoot! - Where next?
I told you not to look! Left, and hit the chaff!
Two more dead ahead. Get your nose down!
- Another flight-control radar. - It's coming up behind us!
- Maybe a conical missile scan. - That's a MiG!
Black Eagle, we got a bandit crawling up our ass.
Get those F-4s over here. Expedite! Let's get out of here.
- Give me 20 degrees, nose up. - We don't even have a gun!
We got a Shrike to take care of the radar site that's guiding the sucker.
- You crazy bastard! I'm gonna shoot! - Not yet!
That's it, right there. Close your eyes. Shoot!
Righteous!
Drop your flares and cut your heat!
Hard right!
We got a flame-out! Engine just shut down.
I got to get power for a restart.
Emergency generator on.
OK, throttle up.
- Here goes nothing! - 1,000 feet and dropping.
- You're decelerating. - Come on!
200 knots. We drop like a rock at 180.
- Why don't you eject? - I came for the ride.
- Come on, you sucker, light up! - 300.
- Come on, baby. - 250... 200.
Engines are alive! We got restart!
Yeah, you beautiful, wonderful little aerodynamic wonder! Yeah!
Flow with it, yeah!
This is X-Ray. We have your bandit in tow. He's ours, gentlemen.
Cavalry's on its way.
I've had enough fun. Let's go home.
Wash the windows, check the oil.
What happened to you guys? You didn't answer my calls.
That? We had a MiG after us. We did an engine shutdown to throw him off.
In the middle of combat?
- Phew! Cool move! - Cool as a jewel.
Bullshit! I backed on the throttle too much. That was a major screw-up.
- It won't affect my decision. - Your what?
If you were a candy-ass, I'd ask for a new pilot, but I figure you'll do.
- Hey, Jake. - Hey, man.
- What are you doing up here? - It's a good place to think.
Oh, yeah? Me too, huh? I like the noise. It's good.
- What you got there, Box? - It's just some mail.
You know, outgoing.
- Is that all yours? - Yeah.
I got a lot of people to write to. It's only Po City.
These are my favourites.
You had time for this and for evaluation?
I got a lot of responsibilities, you know.
I'm a... patriarch. No, really!
- A patriarch? - Yeah. Want to hear something?
- What have you got? - Hold on.
Wait till you hear this.
- Listen to this. Ready? - Yeah.
You hear that? "Daddy"!
He said "Daddy", man. That's my son. That's my son. It's beautiful, huh?
- That's your son? How do you know? - I don't know. I don't give a shit.
- He can be my son. - Sure he can.
She wants him to be. So do I. I mean, that's important, right?
That's right. That's important. What's she like?
She's butt ugly. She's ugly. But she's got a great body.
I could love an ugly woman. You can trust her more.
The pretty ones only care about themselves. You know what I mean?
Yeah, sure. That's nice.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Thanks a lot, Jake. Yeah, thanks a lot, man.
- I'll see you around. - Right.
Mr Grafton.
- Have you anything on North Vietnam? - Like what?
Oh, I don't know, anything with maybe some maps.
Try this Geographic. The map's in the back. Keep it quiet.
- It's not supposed to circulate. - Right, thanks.
You want to bomb Hanoi?
I could have you court-martialled for making the suggestion.
- That's right. - You took a big risk.
- Why do you want to do this? - You know why.
There's guys like Morgan...
They're dying every day, every single day.
This war's not going to end.
You think it will matter? One plane?
Yes, I do. It would matter to me.
It would matter to Morg. It would matter to you, and you know it.
So, putting a couple of Snake Eyes in party headquarters is the answer?
I don't know, but it's gonna get their attention.
You'd be going right downtown. Ain't no piece of cake.
Yeah, but it would be worth it.
It's not gonna be trees or a road junction.
It's gonna be a real mission.
Do you think it would change anything at the peace table?
I don't know. It might.
No dice. I been in this war too long to listen to idealistic bullshit.
There's nothing up there worth dying for.
Let me tell you something.
You risk your life every mission.
- Every stinking mission! - I do my job.
I do my job.
Don't worry. I'm gonna forget we even talked about this.
Dear Callie, last night I talked to my new bombardier
about an idea I had.
He told me it was crazy.
Now I'm very confused.
I have to do something about Morg's death, but I don't know what.
Tonight we go out again to bomb another useless target.
I miss you and little Sallie. I'll write again soon. Jake.
All right, Jakey. Bring it up a little tighter.
Here we go again. Another important road junction.
Probably a couple of goat paths.
Ground lock on target.
OK, dropping Shrike, Jake.
- Pack. - Bombs away!
All right, they're off.
Anybody see any secondaries?
I didn't think so. OK, give me some altitude.
- Level off at 3,000. - Right with you.
Shit, we got SAMs, one o'clock.
- Anybody see anything? - I saw two.
- They're under that cloud bank. - Bank hard right!
- One left. - He's shut the radar down.
Where is the sucker? Jesus!
- It's starting again. - Turn into it!
Where? I can't see it!
- Jake, I'm hit! Oh, my God! - Get out! Eject!
He's gone.
Grafton. Grafton, you still with us?
We all miss Boxman.
But he's gone, OK?
Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Mr Young and Mr Reynolds,
the replacement crew from Cubi.
Why don't you go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourselves?
- I'm Lieutenant Larry Young... - Shut up, asshole!
- We gotta name 'em. - Why don't we call 'em New Guys?
We used up all the good names. Let's call 'em New Guys.
- New One, New Two. - Very good, Razor.
You have a vivid imagination. What's the film tonight?
- No movie, sir. Just news. - OK, news in the Ready Room.
There will be a memorial service for Box and Little at 10.00 tomorrow.
Dress is tropical, white, long.
That'll be all.
A Swiss camera crew in Hanoi took this footage of a celebration,
commemorating the defeat of American air pirates.
In People's Resistance Park, they've set up trophies,
grim reminders of the losses taken
in this seven-year-old war over the North.
I'll do it. I'll go downtown with you.
But first I want you to know something about me.
I had a pilot by the name of Jim Becker. He was a good man.
We made an agreement that, if we ever went down and one of us got hurt,
the other guy would go on.
A SAM took us out.
We were down on the ground for days, sneaking around, eating bugs,
living in holes that we'd dug.
On the sixth day, Becker stepped on a mine. It blew half his leg off.
I tied it off, and he told me to go on.
I got about a half-mile away.
I couldn't do it.
But, by the time I got back to him,
they'd already found him and killed him.
I saw it happen.
I just thought you ought to know
that the skipper and a lot of guys think I just left him there.
I don't think you left him there.
All right... All right.
Forget your party headquarters.
Did you see those trucks behind the display on the news?
- Yeah. - Did you ever hear of SAM City?
- I've heard a lot of stories but... - They're true.
You just saw it. It's no story. It's real.
The Air Force photographs them every day.
- You're shitting me. - No.
- There's gotta be data on it. - Honey, we aren't in the Air Force.
I saw a picture of People's Resistance Park.
- There's no reference on the map. - It's there.
- How can it be? - I've seen it!
SAM City! They take them out of there and fire them at us!
If we could get a couple of bombs in there,
set off some of those warheads... the whole place would blow!
A lot of guys' names are on those missiles.
You tell me you're interested in payback.
That might be worth a court martial. What do you think?
I think we should look at that tape.
What are you doing up? You got an alpha strike tomorrow.
- Couldn't sleep. I'm walking it off. - Watch out. Skipper's on the prowl.
The shitter posted a strike. Said he's gonna piss.
That doubles his capabilities. It's dangerous. He could hit anywhere.
Steam irons, aftershave bottles. Just think of the targets available.
- What are you doing up? - Don't lose sleep over it, Grafton.
The price of peace is eternal vigilance.
- That's it. - God, look at those mothers!
Rows and rows of them.
If we just knew where that was, People's Resistance Park.
So that's the Land of Oz...
Need some help?
Red River. Paul Doumer Bridge.
You follow the main boulevard right to it. People's Resistance Park.
It's right across the square from the National Assembly. SAM City, man!
You guys must be nuts.
The Air Force won't give me pictures. I'd have to send for 'em.
That would be like robbing a bank and using your own car for the getaway.
You follow the boulevard to it. But I did not tell you.
I did not tell you, man!
You know what this is? The Yellow Brick Road.
In three nights we hit the power plant at Bac Giang.
We'll be carrying 1,000lb Snake Eyes, instead of 500s.
That's right. We'll drop 'em retarded.
We can get really low, maybe even 200 feet.
We can use two on the power plant.
- That leaves us eight for SAM City. - We'll never get another chance.
You guys are crazy! You're never gonna friggin' make it!
Yeah!
I get good vibes.
It looks like we got Indian Country ahead.
We are coasting.
Black Eagle, Devil 505, feet dry.
Roger. Good hunting, gentlemen.
Initial point, new heading, 287.
OK, keep your eyes peeled for that power plant.
400 feet.
I see it.
- On target and into attack. - Here she comes, five miles out.
Ground lock, ten seconds.
Hold it. Your pickle's hot.
- Pack. - Bombs away.
Your new vector is zero-two-zero degrees, heading north.
- Zero-two-zero. - Anybody you want to say goodbye to?
Oh, maybe just a girl and her kid.
But they hardly knew me. How about you?
I used up my goodbyes.
Let's do it. 200 feet.
- Level at 200. - Hot dog.
Five miles to target.
- OK. There she is. I see it. - It's too quiet.
- Where's the flak? - Don't worry about it.
Gomers can't get us now. Nothing's gonna get us now.
- Jesus! - Flow with it.
- We have to go through this crap. - Into attack, pickle's hot.
Velocities have gone bananas.
It's either the navigational system or the computer.
The manual says kick the bitch, get the rotors going. State of the art!
It's gone. We're gonna have to bomb by hand.
I think I got it. Left five!
We're at the initial point. Hard left.
- The Yellow Brick Road is in sight. - Jesus, what a great target!
Steady now.
A SAM just lifted off!
A hair right.
- Hold it. - Come on! Do it!
Bombs away! Breaking left!
- Shit! Get it off! - You're in the clear. You all right?
- Did we hit it? - I don't think so.
- You had a lock on it? - Affirmative.
- The bombs fused? - Absolutely.
- Then why not? - Because they didn't drop.
You're kidding me!
All that jinking around must have thrown off the ACU.
They'd never expect us to come back.
Nobody'd go through that again.
Tell you what, I came here to bomb.
Come hard left, heading 180.
- One-eight-zero. - One more time.
Check the ACU circuit breakers.
- Circuit breakers back in. - Maintain 300 feet.
Hard left. Get it on.
- "Though I walk through the valley... - Three miles to target.
- Right, two degrees. - "...I shall fear no evil.
- Get it on. - "For thou art with me.
- "Thy rod and thy staff... comfort me." - Pickle's hot. Stand by, one mile.
Keep on truckin'.
- Stand by, pack! - They're off! Breaking left!
Payback, you mothers!
- Get down! - Righteous!
Listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon lights are pretty
How can you lose?
The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles Forget all your cares
And go downtown!
This further dramatises the reasons
for withdrawal from the peace negotiations in Paris.
The only damage was to a children's hospital,
leaving hundreds of infants dead.
A French journalist from Hanoi about an hour ago. You were over Hanoi!
- It was a good mission. - We blew the shit out of them.
- We didn't come near any hospital. - You think I don't know that?
I know what you hit. The Air Force knows what you hit.
So does CTF-77.
So does General Giap and the entire World Communist Union.
No one's gonna admit it!
As far as this Navy is concerned, you didn't kill a rat! Face forward!
I'm just starting.
Where do you get off, mister? Are you special?
You're just a sensitive fellow here.
I'd like to take you home to my momma.
And as for you, you can lead the Manson family,
now that Charlie's in jail.
You'd like that, wouldn't you?
You're a maniac. They ought to study you, Cole.
Are there times when you have the moral obligation
not to follow orders?
Of course there are.
The Navy didn't tell you to strafe women and children
or do anything that violated your conscience.
But you heroes do not have the right to make up your own orders!
You abused my trust and the trust of every officer in this squadron.
You'll be confined to your quarters until tomorrow morning,
when you will accompany me on the cart to Subic Bay
for inquiry into court-martial charges.
Get out of my sight. Dismissed!
Be seated.
I hope you realise that now is the time to come to Jesus.
Anyone giving me less than 100% truth
will find himself in a place like Adak, Alaska or Diego Garcia.
You will be there awaiting court martial or resignation process.
It will take four years to process a resignation.
Do I make myself clear?
What about it, Mr Grafton?
- There was only one mission, sir. - Is that right, Mr Cole?
That's about the size of it.
We did it ourselves.
Normally, I'm blabby. But I sat on this one.
You took an oath, Mr Cole. You too, Mr Grafton.
You took an oath to defend the Constitution
and obey the officers appointed over you.
It's the same oath that every officer in the Navy has taken for 200 years.
The military has always obeyed the civilians
who were the elected government.
They might not have always been right, or wise, or even smart.
But they were elected.
Any other way, and the United States would be nothing more
than another military dictatorship.
Why did you do this, Cole? An officer with your fine record!
Did you think you were gonna win the war?
Frankly, sir, I think we're gonna lose this one.
But I do love the work.
Mr Cole, you may find that amusing, but we don't.
Gentlemen, this is our country you're messing with.
Mr Grafton, you have an audience.
Explain why you thought a one-plane war was the way to go.
Well, sir, we bomb worthless targets night after night.
Tents under a tree, sampan repair yards that have been hit ten times.
Sir, you know the list better than I do.
My first bombardier and 50,000 other Americans are dead.
Can anyone tell me why? I realise that I'm Lieutenant Nobody.
I'm not sure about anything any more. This war's become very confusing.
Nobody wants to fight in it. Nobody seems to want to win it.
Maybe it never should have happened, but people do die in it.
Maybe for me it got personal.
I know the difference between dying for something and dying for nothing.
I know that's no excuse. I know that.
I broke the faith and for that I am truly wrong.
Perhaps I should hang.
Hanging, Mr Grafton, is no longer a punishment much in use.
But a prison term in Leavenworth is.
Or a dishonourable discharge, should the court martial so decide.
Whatever happens, it's safe to say your career in the Navy is over.
The only question is how.
Well, hell, I guess I got you into this, didn't I?
I don't see it that way.
Well, it was my fight, my fault.
It was your idea. It was my choice. Nobody tells me what to do.
It's part of the reason these human Dobermans are watching me.
Look, Jake, I've never trusted anybody.
I've never counted on anybody but myself.
But I'll tell you, nobody has a chance alone.
I'm glad we did this together. We never broke the faith, amigo.
If we hang or go to jail, we'll do it together.
Hell, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
What we're going to tell you must be held in the utmost secrecy.
Its importance will become obvious. I think you'll understand.
- All charges have been dropped. - Sir?
They're gone. Dropped. Never happened.
What do you want me to do, Captain?
Cover it up. Sweep it under the rug.
Take your men back to your carrier. Keep their mouths shut.
Beyond that, do what you want with them, but this is over.
May I ask the Captain why?
The President of the United States, Richard M Nixon,
is irritated at the opposition for leaving the peace table.
He's ordered Operation Linebacker II,
the unrestricted bombing of military targets in North Vietnam.
We'd look like real idiots,
court-martialling an A-6 crew for doing what the President has told us.
If a rumour got to the press, you can understand the ramifications.
Yes. Yes, sir.
I want you out of my squadron.
You'll be transferred out at my convenience.
Wait a minute!
Good men die, and all we care about is the rules?!
What are you looking for, Grafton? Revenge?
This is not the place for it.
You gonna shake your fist at God and say, "Give me revenge!"?
He ain't listening. You know what's going on back home.
Bombs, riots, people spitting on soldiers in airports.
The country is tearing itself apart.
Is anything in this pissant war worth that?
Christ, all we really got is each other.
I want you to think about that
while we're out there this morning, Mr Grafton.
This is a daylight raid. Air Force, Marines, Navy, everything we got.
They've had three years to get ready for us.
The most formidable air defences in the history of warfare.
The task of the Intruder is to kill SAMs.
Make no mistake, gentlemen.
SAMs are where your ordnance goes, or those B-52s will be dead meat.
We can expect a forest of SAMs and flak.
We've got to cut a path through for the Air Force.
We'll be going in daylight with nothing to hide behind.
We'll be easy targets, gentlemen.
But they're counting on us. Lean into it! Let's go downtown.
- Yeah! - All right!
This is Nomad Leader. Give me the co-ordinates.
We're well painted, Mustang. Orbit at 8,000. You'll be good bait.
- Devil 511, move when I tell you. - Roger.
This is 503, five miles behind you.
- Skipper, you ever afraid of dying? - You got to have permission to die.
I'll tell you when that is.
It's a gun down there. He's got me painted.
I'm bracketed. OK, break right.
Oh, shit, I'm hit! I'm hit!
511 to Devil Leader. You're smoking. Get out, sir!
My BN is dead. I'm getting out.
My canopy's stuck. Dammit! I can't eject.
- Get out, sir! - I'm taking her down.
I've got a clearing ahead. I can make it.
Level your wings.
I'm right behind you. You can do it, sir.
Devil Leader off the screen. Do you have a visual?
Devil Leader is down on the road.
The aircraft is smoking. We need a rescue team.
- I've got a Jolly Green, unarmed. - We need prop-driven planes in here.
- They can get in under that ZSU. - I'm right behind you, 511.
- There's a gun down there, 503. - How else are we gonna find him?
I've found it, 511. This place is crawling with NVAs.
We've been hit! We've been hit!
- Call it in. - Black Eagle, this is Devil 503.
My primary hydraulics are gone. I'm losing fuel.
- I think I can make feet wet, easy. - Skipper, do you read me? Come in!
Skipper, do you read me? Do you read me?
Black Eagle, I can't read the skipper.
This is 511, going down to take a look.
Devil Leader, this is 511. Come in.
Stay high, 511. Those guns are still out there waiting for more game.
They think I've got a missile. They won't turn on their radar.
- We have bingo fuel. - Can it!
- I'm not leaving the skipper. - I heard that.
- Do nothing of the kind. - You're naked without us, sir.
- Get your young ass back and re-arm. - No, sir, we're staying.
- That's an order! Do you hear me? - Yes, sir.
Make a ready deck!
Hey, one more thing.
I'm changing your name to Straight Razor.
- You've become a real weapon. - Yes, sir.
- Aren't Grafton and Cole grounded? - I see a strike preparing to launch.
- Yeah! - Devil Leader, we got you covered.
You criminals, that gun is still down here and there may be more.
OK, here it is, I see it.
- Downing the bombs. - Shove it down his throat.
They're off.
- You ever eject? - Not my trip. Keep rolling the dice.
- Shit, we're gonna have to bail out. - Not yet!
I hoped I'd never have to do this. This is the end of Devil 505.
- Say goodbye! Eject, eject, eject! - Goodbye, asshole!
Hi.
Damn, it's broken! Watch your big feet!
You think this changes anything? You hoodlum!
Yeah, you disobeyed orders again. I grounded you!
- Hey, I am on the ground. - Funny, cute.
Virgil, Virgil, do you copy?
Do you read me?
Where are you?
Son of a bitch, I'm gonna get him!
- What can you do? - I gotta do something!
What can you do? You don't know if he's dead, or where he is! Sit still!
Virgil, where are you?
Virgil, do you copy?
Virgil, this is Jake. Do you read me?
Virgil?
Tell me where you are. I'll come and get you.
Calm down, buddy. I had to split, man.
It was a bad scene for a while. Everything's cool now.
- How's the skipper? - He's with me.
Now, listen up. Tell me where you are.
Tell me where you are, buddy.
I've got my face painted and bushes tied all around me.
The mothers are gonna have to step on me to know where I am.
- I don't believe him. - Get down.
They'll bomb your ass if you don't come out!
I'm out of here, man. They'll never catch me.
Sandy, this is Cole, 505.
Strafe where you can see and expedite.
- Virgil, I'm gonna come and get you! - Grafton, get back here. Grafton!
See, you stupid ass, I told you to stay down.
They got you pinned. You wanna get killed? Crawl back to the skipper.
Now! Do it!
Sandy Low Lead, this is Cole, 505.
Go ahead, 505.
I'm done, Sandy. I'm all screwed up. My back's broken.
They're everywhere.
I'm sitting on a ZSU. They're using me for bait.
Don't do this! Don't give up! We're not going anywhere without you.
Do it, Sandy. Lay it in on me, man. I'm popping smoke.
Virgil!
Do it, Sandy. Do it now!
I'd do it for you.
That's a roger, 505.
Alpha, Mike, Foxtrot.
No, no... Virgil!
- Virgil... - Come on.
I know you didn't want to lose another one.
I didn't either. It hurts. We gotta go.
Get out, 505, we're marking for napalm run.
Come on, let's get out of here. Come on!
This is Devil 505. Does anyone read?
This is Rover. What's your Charlie Sierra?
Sandy, clear out this ground fire!
Devil 505, do you read?
Go on, leave me here. You got a chance alone. Get going, Grafton.
Devil 505, if you read, pop smoke.
Rover, this is Grafton. I'm popping smoke. Drop the penetrator in.
It's over! What are you doing?
I'm taking you out of here, sir.
You told me it takes more to live. You're gonna live!
All right, asshole.
- We both go or nobody goes! - There's a guy out there!
He's looking for a target! He's gonna have to show himself!
I gotta get him or you won't make admiral.
Who are you? Wyatt Earp?
- Flow with it, sir. - What?
He's down there! Send it down! Put it down!
- Getting low on fuel! - This is Sandy. Clear out!
Up, up! Get him up!
Sandy, we're getting out. Cover us.
That's a roger, Rover.
- That hand better, Mr Grafton? - Yes, sir.
- Letter from home? - Well, sort of.
This is your home, Mr Grafton.
You're a lifer, like me, Cole and the others.
When I was young, I didn't have a home, just a ship.
When we go back, it's like I'm only visiting.
Well, sir, you've been selected early for captain.
They're gonna give you a carrier.
Sir, I wouldn't be surprised if you make admiral.
Have you seen a black man who's an admiral?
- Third-generation Mafia, sir. - That's right, Grafton.
- That's right. - I hope I'm on that ship, sir.
I do too, Mr Grafton.
I wouldn't have it any other way.