Transcript: (3x18) War is a Contact Sport

From Bravo 3/44th

Directed by: Stephen Caffrey

Written by: David Kemper

See the Episode Guide

[04.36] Caught with his pants down

GOLDMAN: Copy that Four. Percell bagged himself a prisoner.

ANDERSON: Alright

GOLDMAN: Can the prisoner travel Four. Over.

PERCELL: Yeah, Roger Six. We caught him with his pants down – literally.

ANDERSON: If the prisoner knows anything an’ we can get him to talk, it’ll save us a lot of humpin’ after those NVA supply trails.

GOLDMAN: Four, secure the prisoner, maintain your position. We’re on our way. Six out.

ANDERSON:  ???

[05.02] Tie the prisoner

PERCELL: Kuslits, tie his hands.

KUSLITS: Look at this guy Doc. How the hell these people supply like this, y’know.

HOCKENBURY: Just by doin’ whatever they have to man.

[05.46] Shoot him Doc

KUSLITS: Doc.

PERCELL: Doc! Doc, you’ve gotta do him.

HOCKENBURY: Di-di.

PERCELL: Don’t Doc—don’t let him go.

HOCKENBURY: Di-di mau.

PERCELL: No Doc, when he gets to cover he’ll waste us. Do him!

KUSLITS: C’mon Doc, shoot.

HOCKENBURY: Shut up!

KUSLITS: Then give me the gun.

GOLDMAN: Security!

???: Right Lieutenant

[06.41] Kuslits

no dialogue

[07.17] Back at base

SCARLETT: Well there’s another memorial service brought to you in the name of communist containment.

GOLDMAN: Stow it Scarlett.

SCARLETT: Kid was no older than my son.

ANDERSON: Take it easy Pop.

SCARLETT: Makes a man wanna puke.

[07.49] Colonel Brewster

ANDERSON: Colonel Brewster Sir nice to see you.

ANDERSON: Hey Pop, take it easy.

GOLDMAN: What the hell are you doing?

[08.05] Walking back to hootch

GRINER: What you think they’ll do to him?

PERCELL: What?

GRINER: Pop. What’d you think they’ll do to him?

PERCELL: Stockade – court martial – Leavenworth.

GRINER: Pop’s bunk’s gonna be empty for a long time.

PERCELL: Yeah well speaking of bunks, Kuslits won’t be needing his any more will he.

HOCKENBURY: I’m sorry he’s dead, but that was not my fault.

PERCELL: Of course not, it was the VC prisoner’s fault.

GRINER: He would’ve been dead if you were doin’ your job.

HOCKENBURY: You have nothing to say about this, you were not there. I don’t kill human beings.

PERCELL: But he did Doc, an’ he’d have killed more if we hadn’t got him.

HOCKENBURY: That’s what you do.

PERCELL: Yeah Doc, that’s what I do. I do that Doc because I have to -- I wasn’t born to it.

HOCKENBURY: Neither was I an’ I can’t learn it.

PERCELL: Then you shouldn’t be here.

HOCKENBURY: None of us should be here.

PERCELL: But we are here aren’t we Doc? Don’t you understand that the only thing that keeps any of these men alive are men that are watching their backs.

HOCKENBURY: Okay, then what should I have done?

PERCELL: I’ll tell you what you should’ve done. When they drafted you, you should’ve gone to jail.

HOCKENBURY: Absolutely not. I am here to make a contribution.

PERCELL: No, this was the easy way out for you. An’ you’re here because the Nam scared you less than prison.

HOCKENBURY: I have proven I’m not a coward.

PERCELL: To who?

[10.05] Permission to speak freely

GOLDMAN: Request permission to speak freely Sir.

BREWSTER: Granted.

GOLDMAN: Why aren’t you pressing charges against Private Scarlett?

GOLDMAN: Are you assuming command Colonel?

BREWSTER: Lieutenant, in this man’s army I don’t think I’ll ever assume anything again. I’m here because an army Board of Inquiry has been established to investigate the massacre at Phu An and I’m counting on your testimony.

GOLDMAN: You’ve got it Sir, along with the rest of my guys.

BREWSTER: I hear Ruiz and Taylor have been missing for three weeks.

GOLDMAN: How did you manage to pull off a Board of Inquiry Sir?

BREWSTER: Lieutenant Goldman, colonels don’t manage to pull off anything. I bugged the hell out of congress, I’ve got a powerful friend in the Pentagon, I know where some skeletons are buried.

GOLDMAN: So you’re the enemy.

BREWSTER: In a nutshell. The army would like this to disappear as quietly and as quickly as possible.

GOLDMAN: And what happens when it’s all over?

BREWSTER: They find a nice tiny office with no windows for me.

GOLDMAN: Well Colonel, we can always use you back here.

BREWSTER: Goldman if we kill every single Vietnamese we still ain’t gonna win the war. It’s time for a different agenda.

[11.56] Punishment detail?

ANDERSON: We’ve gotta get these body bags off this chopper an’ haul ‘em over to Graves Registration.

GRINER: Well why in the hell are we out here?

PERCELL: Followin’ orders Griner. That’s what we do.

GRINER: This ain’t no detail to be on after you lose a man. It’s like we’re bein’ punished.

ANDERSON: Stick a sock in it Griner, we got work to do.

GRINER: Why’d LT put us out here?

ANDERSON: These are American soldiers Griner. Somebody’s gotta start ‘em on their way home.

PERCELL: Aw hell

PERCELL: Whaaaa!

TAYLOR: How you doin’ Danny?

PERCELL: Taylor

ANDERSON: Ruiz! I don’t believe this.

PERCELL: T—T—Taylor….

RUIZ: Sarge!

PERCELL: Good to see you man. How are ya?

TAYLOR: How you doin’?

TAYLOR: Sarge!

RUIZ: Percell!

[12.55] Transferring you Doc

GOLDMAN: I’m transferring you out of the team Doc. After what happened yesterday, I can’t afford to have you in the unit any more. Now I’m gonna try an’ have you assigned to a dispensary but we won’t know until tomorrow.

HOCKENBURY: I never lied to you. I never misrepresented myself. You knew what you were getting from day one.

GOLDMAN: I know. An’ I share some of the blame for what happened yesterday.

HOCKENBURY: Blame? You wanna blame someone LT? Blame Nixon – an’ Johnson an’ Kennedy - then go down to the Congress and the Pentagon an’ every career officer who needed a taste of real war. An’ then off course, don’t forget that great majority of sheep that we call voters in our country who even allowed this situation to…….

GOLDMAN: Alright save the flow chart Doc. They’re not responsible.

HOCKENBURY: Just me huh?

GOLDMAN: Well we all make our own decisions.

GOLDMAN: I understand why you did what you did, I just don’t happen to agree with it.

HOCKENBURY: That’s funny. I agree with it, I just don’t understand how it could’ve turned out like it did.

GOLDMAN: Do you mind an opinion? I think that sometimes when ideology and reality collide, you just can’t base your decisions on the comfortable beliefs of the past.

HOCKENBURY: Then what d’you possibly base them on?

GOLDMAN: Something you can live with for the rest of your life.

[15.13] Brewster on phone

BREWSTER: That’s Kelman, K-E-L-M-A-N, Michael, Specialist Four. I understand he was brought into 71st Evac with battle wounds …………….. yes .......... look, I want confirmation of his whereabouts……………you call me back.

BREWSTER: You’re closin’ in on twenty years Scarlett, so unless you wanna receive your pension checks in Leavenworth, I suggest you learn to control yourself.

SCARLETT: Beggin’ the Colonel’s pardon, if I remember correctly, you’d rather kick my butt yourself than let Leavenworth do it.

BREWSTER: What the hell happened? Tom, you had two more stripes last time I saw you.

SCARLETT: Just changed shirts is all. The man’s still the same.

BREWSTER: That’s a frightening thought.

SCARLETT: What did you expect Carl, a hug?

BREWSTER: Some respect.

SCARLETT: That’s gone. I lost that at Old Baldy.

BREWSTER: You don’t understand what happened.

SCARLETT: I know what happened. We got the holy hell chewed out of us on a damn assault that didn’t mean squat. You were the guy out front yelling “charge!”.

BREWSTER: Look man, I took it all the way up the line as far as I could.

SCARLETT: We believe in you. “If Captain Brewster can’t do it, it can’t be done.”

BREWSTER: That’s right, and I couldn’t.

SCARLETT: And a hundred good men died for nothing on a frozen hill in Korea.

BREWSTER: A lot of casualties from that day have yet to be counted.

SCARLETT: How long were you a prisoner?

BREWSTER: Long enough.

SCARLETT: If they gave you those same orders in this war, would you lead us up that hill again?

BREWSTER: No.

[17.22] Drink somewhere else

PERCELL: You guys go ahead, I’m gonna drink somewhere else.

HOCKENBURY: Danny, somethin’ wrong with the beer in here or what? C’mon man, let me buy you a beer.

PERCELL: Hey Hockenbury, why don’t you shove off man, c’mon let me—let me drink in peace huh.

HOCKENBURY: Man, I wanna party with y’all.

ANDERSON: Doc, give us a break here.

HOCKENBURY: Hey look man, um, what d’ya say we go in there, I buy you a drink an’ we make up, okay?

PERCELL: No thanks Hockenbury, I’m just not in the mood, huh

HOCKENBURY: What d’you mean you’re not in the mood man? Not in the mood since when? Huh?

PERCELL: Doc, I am not in the mood since I got the plane over here. I am not in the mood since I killed my first human being. I’m not in the mood since I was on heroin.

HOCKENBURY: I walked you through that nightmare, I held your hand.

PERCELL: You wanna know then huh?

HOCKENBURY: You’re not in the mood since yesterday morning, right?

PERCELL: Yes Hockenbury, that’s it. I am not in the mood since you froze up an’ I watched a good man die for absolutely nothing.

HOCKENBURY: What the hell do you know Danny. What I did yesterday took more strength an’ it took more self-control than you will ever have. An’ you remember that the next time you squeeze off a few rounds when you hear the bushes rustle.

ANDERSON: Now c’mon, why don’t you go…….

HOCKENBURY: I’m not finished. Danny! Danny! Listen to me….

PERCELL: Let it go.

HOCKENBURY: No.

???: Better just stay out of it Doc.

HOCKENBURY: Go to hell!

ANDERSON: Doc, you alright?

SCARLETT: I’ve got him sarge.

ANDERSON:  Alright, take care of him.

[19.39] Taylor & Ruiz

RUIZ: You know what I’m gonna do tomorrow?

TAYLOR: Sure. You’re gonna go into Tan San Nhut, surprise Susanna an’ come back with a smile on your face. You know what I’m gonna do when I get out of here?

RUIZ: Yeah, go home, hang out, get caught an’ go to prison.

TAYLOR: Gonna open a restaurant.

RUIZ: You still got heat stroke Taylor. What the hell do you know about the restaurant business?

TAYLOR: Nothin’. But nothin’ I can’t learn.

RUIZ: You gotta learn business, you gotta know food, you gotta know people.

TAYLOR: You don’t think I can do it?

RUIZ: You just gotta be a lot of places at one time Taylor. If you mess up anywhere, you go under.

TAYLOR: How’d you become such an expert?

RUIZ: My uncle opened one up in the Bronx, lasted maybe sixteen months.

TAYLOR: We can do better than that Roo.

RUIZ: We’ve gotta get the money. Who’s gonna loan us the money Taylor?

TAYLOR: We’re veterans.

RUIZ: That doesn’t mean anything to the bank.

TAYLOR: For somebody who just survived twenty-one days in a hell hole, you’re sure talkin’ like a quitter.

RUIZ: I’d have to run the kitchen.

TAYLOR: I’ll do the paperwork.

RUIZ: You mess with my recipes, I’m gonna make you wash the dishes.

[21.17] Susie's Supermarket

SCARLETT: Shh. We’ve gotta go kid.

HOCKENBURY: Huh?

SCARLETT: It’s past curfew. VC tax collectors are at the bar.

HOCKENBURY: What?

SCARLETT: You were supposed to wake me.

HOCKENBURY: What’d you mean wake you? I don’t even know where we are.

SCARLETT: Susie’s supermarket of love. No need to thank me, let’s just move it okay.

SCARLETT: Take this, I’ll get us an AK.

HOCKENBURY: No.

SCARLETT: Okay you’re on your own kid.

SCARLETT: Thanks kid, now run like hell.

[23.28] Kelman

DOCTOR: May I help you sir?

BREWSTER: Doctor ??? Spec-4 Kelman.

BREWSTER: Specialist Kelman?

KELMAN: I’m not a Specialist any more, I gave my rank back.

BREWSTER: To whom?

KELMAN: The sinners. The army.

BREWSTER: A leg injury. I understand you were very lucky.

KELMAN: Permanent limp – shrapnel.

BREWSTER: How’d you get it?

KELMAN: God.

BREWSTER: God gave you the woung?

KELMAN: As punishment.

BREWSTER: For Phu An.

KELMAN: I am paying my debt.

BREWSTER: How? By limping? You think those forty-three massacred civilians are any better off because of it?

KELMAN: What would you have me do.

BREWSTER: The army would like to hear the story from someone who was there Kelman.

KELMAN: That’s not what God wants from me.

BREWSTER: That’s a good act – a good act, but you can stow it. A simple “no” is sufficient.

KELMAN: I am a prophet. I am not a Judas. They must come to the Lord on their own time.

BREWSTER: You know, if you’d really found God then you’d know that it is up to you to help those that are less fortunate along the path. To do anything less is a disservice to all.

[26.25] Scaring me McKay

GOLDMAN: McKay.

MCKAY: Yo. Oh ho, from that friendly expression I take it you heard.

GOLDMAN: Yeah, Colonel Stringer told me.

MCKAY: Well look at it this way Goldman, it could be worse. I could be givin’ you orders.

GOLDMAN: You’re scaring me McKay.

MCKAY: Look around and this place is a ghost town. Everyone’s out on Operation Christopher in the Phouc Vinh Province.

GOLDMAN: Insertion on my command. There’s Anderson, myself and you. Here, here and here, alright? Now what we’re lookin’ for is Charlie’s motorized supply route, it’s based on S-2 intelligence.

MCKAY: Looks like the Red Ball Express.

GOLDMAN: Don’t fall around on me McKay.

[27.13] Mission

MCKAY: Viking Six, this is Viking Five, over. Viking Six this is Viking Five, over.

GOLDMAN: Six here, break. Viking Four do you copy? Over.

ANDERSON: Four is all ears Six, over.

MCKAY: Viking Six, we’ve got tracks, maybe thirty-six forty-eight hours hold. Over.

GOLDMAN: What kind of tracks Five? Over

MCKAY: Wheels, tyres. Looks like maybe trucks towing howitzers.

SCARLETT: Looks like two companies at least.

MCKAY: Looks like we’ve got foot traffic all comin’ from Four’s sector due south-west of here. Over.

GOLDMAN: Roger Five, break. Sit-rep Four. Over

ANDERSON: Squeaky clean Six. Nothin’ happenin’ here you couldn’t tell your maiden aunt about. Over.

GOLDMAN: Alright. Viking-Five, follow the trail Sierra-Whisky, break. Viking-Four adjust and rendezvous one click November of Boston Tiger. Over.

ANDERSON: Four copies, out.

MCKAY: Viking-Five, roger, out. Okay, let’s move out.

[28.40] Clean bill from medico

HOCKENBURY: Hey Taylor.

TAYLOR: Hey Doc, how y’doin’?

HOCKENBURY: Good. Welcome home man.

TAYLOR: Thanks

HOCKENBURY: So, you get a clean bill from the medicos.

TAYLOR: Close. We’ve got light duty for a while. We get to bunk in the barracks.

HOCKENBURY: That’s good.

HOCKENBURY: That’s um, that’s Kuslits. He was ??? learn how to play it an’ Pop’s all the time hidin’ it from him.

TAYLOR: Adjutant General’s boys musta missed it when they took all his stuff.

[29.42] Thought of nothing else for 3 days

HOCKENBURY: You know, I haven’t thought about one single other thing for three days. It’s just like my—uh—my whole systems of values is just scrambled.

TAYLOR: You stuck to what you believed in Doc.

HOCKENBURY: What if what I believed in is wrong.

TAYLOR: You think you shoulda killed the guy?

HOCKENBURY: No. But maybe there are circumstances when you have to react. An’ either way, you know, my life was gonna be screwed. The VC prisoner’s dead – regardless. I dunno, maybe if I just would’ve pulled that trigger – other people would be alive.

GRUNT 1: That’s why they call it war man. W-A-R – Waste and Regret.

GRUNT 2: Six big ones across the chest – kid had chance zero.

GRUNT 1: Y’know what the kicker on this one was? Kuslits was killed with his own weapon.

GRUNT 2: It’s a cold world man.

GRUNT 1: Yeah, you’re tellin’ me.

[31.36] Welcome back Ruiz

BREWSTER: Specialist-Four Ruiz -- good to have you back. Good to see you.

RUIZ: Thank you Sir. Good to be back. It’s good to see you too.

BREWSTER: Doesn’t sound like it.

RUIZ: I just came back from Tan Son Nhut Sir. I went to see a friend – she went home.

BREWSTER: You can’t blame her for wanting to rotate back to the States now.

RUIZ: I don’t Sir. She didn’t. She cracked up – she flipped during surgery in the OR. She was pretty messed up, had to be sedated.

BREWSTER: And you feel?

RUIZ: Helpless Sir. I feel helpless.

BREWSTER: Yeah we are. It’s tough to sit back and let other people live their lives, especially when you’re an expert at telling them what to do. It’s a tough line to draw for yourself soldier – knowing when to bleed for somebody you care about an’ knowing when to pull back.

RUIZ: Think there’s an easy way of knowing?

BREWSTER: Um um, truth is I don’t have a clue. Sometimes you just have to walk away, let it go. Otherwise you become a martyr an’ you know how insufferable they can be, huh? Why don’t you write her a letter, let her know that there’s a landmark that doesn’t change. Maybe then she can find a way back on course.

RUIZ: Thanks.

[33.33] Outside a ville

ANDERSON: What have we got here? Alright, hand me the radio. Viking-Six, this is Viking-Four, over. Viking-Six, this is Viking-Four, over.

GOLDMAN: Six here.

ANDERSON: We’re just outside a ville, three-four hundred meters Sierra of the river. Over.

MCKAY: Correction Four, there is no ville in your area. Over.

ANDERSON: Yes Sir. But beg your pardon, there is now.

GOLDMAN: Have you got any movement Four? Over.

ANDERSON: That’s a negative Six. Place looks deserted to me.

GOLDMAN: Alright, all teams will rendezvous at Four’s location. Four, until that time keep the village under observation. Do not enter the objective, remain out of sight. Say again, you are not to enter the objective.

ANDERSON: Roger that Six. We are located from Foxtrot Papa Red Zulu up two-zero-zero miles, right three

NVA/VC:  ???

[34.30] Doesn't exist

ANDERSON: Yeah, it’s deserted alright.

MCKAY: They’re aren’t even any animals. The pens are all empty.

ANDERSON: We scouted the perimeter for more than an hour LT. There’s not a soul in there but the tire tracks come right through the ville.

MCKAY: The damn things not on any maps. S-2 confirms that.

GOLDMAN: That’s because it doesn’t exist.

ANDERSON: Sir?

GOLDMAN: Well look at it. Not only are there no animals, there’s no dung, there’s no feed.

MCKAY: That’s it. That’s what’s missing – the smell.

GOLDMAN: Alright Sergeant, you flank left – I’ll flank right. McKay you go right up the middle. Check it out hootch by hootch.

MCKAY: Thanks a lot.

GOLDMAN: You wanted to be here, remember? Let’s do it.

[35.19] Kelman & Brewster

BREWSTER: Michael

KELMAN: Go away!

BREWSTER: Go away? You called me. You asked me to come back.

KELMAN: I changed my mind.

BREWSTER: It’s too late. What’s done is done.

KELMAN: This is my house, get out!

BREWSTER: You pervert this place by your presence.

KELMAN: What?

BREWSTER: This place was built for salvation. You come here to hide.

KELMAN: I have admitted my sinse in the presence of the Lord.

BREWSTER: You would allow pain and suffering for the innocent while the guilty are allowed to go free. You are guilty of the sin of complicity.

KELMAN: I am the guilty party.

BREWSTER: Along with the rest of your platoon Michael.

KELMAN: I can’t squeal on them.

BREWSTER: You can’t not squeal on them Michael.

[36.00] Entering the ville

[36.50] In position

GOLDMAN: Six in position. Report.

ANDERSON: Four set.

MCKAY: Five set.

GOLDMAN: Alright go. Low and slow.

ANDERSON(Radio): Left flank movement ???

GOLDMAN: Percell.

[38.05] VC Tank

???: What is it LT?

MCKAY(?): Get down!

???: Get down.

MCKAY: Pull back.

[39.30] Pinned down, need help

GOLDMAN: Percell, get the ??? rocket. Pull back.

ANDERSON:  ???

GOLDMAN:  ??? Hold it ???

MCKAY: Goldman, they’ve got us pinned down, we need some help.

GOLDMAN: Radio. Viking Four do you copy? Viking Four do you copy? Anderson…Anderson.

ANDERSON: This is Viking Four, over.

GOLDMAN: Four, there’s an open trench fifteen meters your November. Do you see it? Over. I’m gonna blind them with smoke. Over.

ANDERSON: I already know what you’re thinking LT. I’m in motion.

GOLDMAN: Scotty, give me all the smoke you’ve got.

GOLDMAN: McKay, pull back.

GOLDMAN: Go Sergeant.

???: Medic! Medic!

SCARLETT: Why me?

???: ??? two o’clock

???: Fire in the hole.

SCARLETT: C’mon kid, let’s di-di.

???: Go—go—go

[41.13] Higgins & Brewster

HIGGINS: I understand you convinced one of Beller’s men to testify at the inquiry.

BREWSTER: He kind of convinced himself General.

HIGGINS: You know you’re swinging a stick at a hornet’s nest.

BREWSTER: Sometimes the truth stings.

HIGGINS: I know, but I would hate to think all of this has been an exercise in vindication.

BREWSTER: No Sir. There was an egregious wrong committed. Those responsible must be held accountable. It is the army way Sir.

HIGGINS: Perhaps, but there are times when we can do a better job of it ourselves without intervention from Congress.

BREWSTER: I do understand General. But this isn’t one of those times to be swept under the rug Sir.

HIGGINS: That’s all Colonel.

BREWSTER: If I may Sir, I’d like to propose a mission.

HIGGINS: Colonel, you do not have a command here. You do not have a franchise. And at the moment you do not have many friends.

BREWSTER: I think the General might be interested in my proposal.

HIGGINS: Why’s that?

BREWSTER: I stand a greater than average chance of being killed Sir.

HIGGINS: You’ve got to be out of your mind.

[43.27] Doc's tantrum

???: What you talkin’ about?

TAYLOR: No way –no-no-no-no-no-no.. Not for sale.

???: Percell look at…

GRINER(?): Hey Pop, sing us some ‘Red River Valley’’

SCARLETT: Why would I do that without being ordered?

TAYLOR: C’mon Doc, take it easy.

PERCELL: Just leave him.

SCARLETT(?): Hey Doc, come on.

End

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