Transcript: (3x19) Three Cheers for the Orange, White, and Blue

From Bravo 3/44th

Directed by: Stephen L. Posey

Written by: Carol Mendelsohn

See the Episode Guide

[01.42] Vietnamese cowboy

[02.25] Pop & Zeke

ANDERSON: How can you stand to eat that stuff?

SCARLETT: Well I can’t, believe me I’ll pay for it later. Spirit’s willing, but the gut can’t take spicy food anymore – or combat duty.

ANDERSON: Well it’s like they say, the older you get the harder it is to stomach the choices you’ve made.

SCARLETT: Well I’ve paid my dues in the mistakes department. The good Lord got his two cents there too – crippled my knees, can’t read without my glasses and the rest is personal, which is why I’ve been thinking. Now that Ru an’ Taylor are back in the saddle maybe I can get myself a rear echelon job.

ANDERSON: What are you crazy Pop? Hell, two days in the rear an’ you’d be beggin’ me to go back out in the field.

SCARLETT: Not this time. Not this war.

[03.13] Scarlett Jnr

ROBBIE: First the army sends a crapper full of conchies over here and now they’re emptying out senior citizens on us.

ANDERSON: Son, you will find a little respect for your elders will go a long ways towards me having a nice day.

ROBBIE: Respect? Hell the man’s got gray hair and he’s still a PFC. An’ I bet you’re the only guy over here that has to pay the women double.

ANDERSON: Boy don’t make me get up off my comfortable chair an’ whip your butt. Your best is to be movin’ along.

ROBBIE: Yeah I’m cool. I just got one more question for grandpa here. How come he can’t talk for himself?

SCARLETT: Get down and give me twenty.

ROBBIE: Yes sir.

SCARLETT: Fifteen seconds, not bad. But your mother nailed it in thirteen, your grandmother in twelve.

ROBBIE: Ohh.

SCARLETT: Sergeant Anderson I’d like you to meet my son, Specialist Robbie Scarlett. You sure are a sight for sore eyes boy.

[04.30] Board of Inquiry

PROCTOR: This is a Board of Inquiry. It’s purpose is to examine evidence and testimony as to whether or not an alleged massacre of Vietnamese civilians die, in fact, occur at the village of Phu An on or about 20 September 1968. This is not a court-martial. However, if the Board determines there is substantial proof that the alleged charges did, in fact take place, it can and may recommend to the convening authority that courts-martial are appropriate. Please be advised that what you say during your testimony can and may be used against you in a court-martial. Do you understand what I just said? If so, please sign the statement before you.

[05.19] Maj. General Higgins' testimony

HIGGINS: I am Major General Edward Higgins, MacV’s Deputy Commander for Operations. On the morning of 18 September nineteen hundred and sixty eight an SR71, Blackbird, spotted several large groups moving across the Cambodian/Vietnamese border just east of Tay Ninh. An attack on Tay Ninh seemed imminent. I ordered Colonel Carl Brewster, Commander of Project Alpha, to deploy one of his SOG teams to the area and recover several known weapons caches at Dau Ha, Cu Chio and Phu An.

PROCTOR: Was it Colonel Brewster who selected Lieutenant Myron Goldman’s team for this mission?

HIGGINS: That is correct.

PROCTOR: By whose authority was Lieutenant Joseph Beller’s infantry platoon made OPCON to Lieutenant Goldman’s team?

HIGGINS: By my order.

PROCTOR: General, were you aware that Lieutenant Beller’s platoon had just come off a twenty day operation in which they suffered heavy casualties from enemy mines and booby traps without encountering identifiable enemy forces?

HIGGINS: Yes Sir. Lieutenant Beller felt that his men had been nickeled and dimed to death and needed a break.

PROCTOR: And still you ordered them out?

HIGGINS: The mission required more fire power than SOG teams have. Lieutenant Beller and his men were the only infantry unit available. It was a judgment call.

[06.50] Been in there for 4 hours

GOLDMAN: General Higgins has been in there for four hours.

BREWSTER: Lieutenant it’s taken five months of my command to get the army to investigate Phu An. You should know speed isn’t its strong suit.

BELLER: Hey Myron.

BREWSTER: Have you spoken to Lieutenant Beller since he was transferred out?

GOLDMAN: No Sir – not since this morning anyway. He wrote me a couple of letters – he still wanted to be friends, water under the bridge – that sort of thing. I didn’t respond.

GOLDMAN: What’d you suppose justice is for a man like that?

BREWSTER: Loss of command, loss of freedom, maybe jail.

GOLDMAN: Well it doesn’t seem like enough. After all the women and children he killed, all the people’s lives altered.

BREWSTER: There may be some justice done here. But if there isn’t, at least we know we did the right thing.

[08.06] Basketball

SCARLETT: Incoming!

PERCELL: Say, is he always like this?

ROBBIE: Some things never change.

[08.30] New mission

ANDERSON: Alright y’all, listen up. We got us a mission. Young Scarlett’s Special SOG team’s half strength so we’re gonna take three men (and fill out the complement?). But listen, today’s gonna be different, the ranch hands are gonna be sprayin’ out there.

SCARLETT: Oh come on, I hate that spray. Smells like rotten petroleum.

ANDERSON: Pop wear your poncho if you want to but it’s only weed killer now so nobody should be in any danger. What’s everybody lookin’ at? Go – saddle up.

[08.54] General Elliott's testimony

OFFICER: General Elliott, isn’t it true that during the past twelve months, the ration of weapons captured to enemy killed has been seven weapons captured for every ten enemy killed?

ELLIOTT: That is correct.

OFFICER: But in Phu An, Lieutenant Goldman found forty-two bodies and no weapons. Colonel Brewster’s complaint alleged an unprovoked attack on enemy civilians. The facts were suspect. Why didn’t you investigate the incident?

ELLIOTT: I referred Colonel Brewster’s complaint to the Deputy Commander of Operations, General Higgins.

OFFICER: Did you also submit a report of suspected war crimes and/or a Serious Accident Report to General Higgins?

ELLIOTT: No Colonel, I did not.

OFFICER: Did you take steps to ensure that a proper investigation was conducted?

ELLIOTT: No, I did not.

PROCTOR: Why not?

ELLIOTT: My sole duty was to inform General Higgins of Colonel Brewster’s complaint.

[09.54] One of best commanders

PROCTOR: What did you think of Colonel Brewster as a Project Commander.

ELLIOTT: I think Colonel Brewster is one of the best commanders I’ve ever known in my twenty-two years in the army.

PROCTOR: How did Colonel Brewster get along with his men?

ELLIOTT: Like Lieutenant Goldman, they were all fiercely loyal.

PROCTOR: How did Colonel Brewster get along with those above him?

ELLIOTT: Colonel Brewster had a unique style of command. He was very aggressive but rarely, if ever, misguided. There was some friction.

PROCTOR: Was there friction between him and General Higgins?

ELLIOTT: I don’t know, you’ll have to ask General Higgins.

[10.37] Ranch hands spraying

[11.24] Colonel Brewster's testimony

BREWSTER: Lieutenant Goldman had just located a weapons cache on the outskirts of Dau Ha when he came under small arms fire. Goldman radioed Lieutenant Beller to move in. When the enemy pulled back to the north, Goldman again radioed Beller the enemy was headed in his direction. Goldman next reported hearing M-16 fire. When he reached Beller he found one KIA. Several of Beller’s men then drew their weapons on Lieutenant Goldman’s interpreter.

OFFICER: Why?

BREWSTER: According to Lieutenant Goldman, the men believed the interpreter to be a double agent.

OFFICER: Did Lieutenant Beller take control of his men?

BREWSTER: No Sir, Lieutenant Beller remained silent. Lieutenant Goldman then ordered the men to back off, which eventually they did.

PROCTOR: Did you inform MacV of your reservations regarding Lieutenant Beller’s platoon?

BREWSTER: Yes Sir I did. When Lieutenants Goldman and Beller returned that night and made their reports I informed General Elliott that Beller and his men were on edge and stretched to the hilt. I told him I wanted Beller away from my men.

PROCTOR: What was his response?

BREWSTER: General Elliott ordered the mission to continue at first light. He said “Command wants it that way”. When I asked him if Command was going to take responsibility for what might happen, he said, and I quote “ No Colonel, you are”.

[12.47] Entering ville

ANDERSON(?): Check the hootch. Go – go

???: Keep your eyes open.

[13.30] Over here sarge

GRINER: Sarge, over here. Over here.

PERCELL: These people don’t look too healthy do they Sarge?

GRINER: Think it’s some kinda epidemic?

ANDERSON: I dunno. They might be suffering from malnutrition, or cholera, or somethin’ we don’t know about. Percell, check the rest of the village, see if there are any more like this.

[14.20] Take my baby

VIET. WOMAN: (Vietnamese)

ANDERSON: Chieu(?), get up here. What’ she saying?

INTERPRETER: Your spray planes come over last month. They destroyed the crops. She say you’re killin’ her people with the white rain. They’re not VC.

VIET WOMAN: (Vietnamese)

ANDERSON: What she sayin’?

INTERPRETER: She wants you to take her son some place he will be safe.

VIET WOMAN: (Vietnamese)

ANDERSON: I’m a soldier ma’am. I—I can’t take your baby. What I can do though is I can get a madcap team – doctors, tell her doctors will come in here and they’ve got medicine will make her baby better. Tell her.

INTERPRETER: (Vietnamese)

[15.09] Move out

ANDERSON: Alright Percell, you’ve got point. Let’s move out y’all, c’mon. Saddle up. Move ‘em out.

ROBBIE: What the hell was that all about?

SCARLETT: Pacification. We move the people out, bomb and shell the hell outta their land, then defoliate it. Then the ones that refuse to go get sprayed. It’s our way of winning their hearts and minds.

ROBBIE: My way makes more sense. Grease them dinks till there ain’t no more left.

TAYLOR: You get the feeling the war’s changed Roo since we’ve been gone.

RUIZ: Either that or we changed.

TAYLOR: You’ve got twenty-seven days and a wake-up baby.

[15.56] Lieutenant Goldman's testimony

PROCTOR: Where was your unit Lieutenant when this happened?

GOLDMAN: Well Sir we were on the march to Phu An when we first heard the gunfire. My sergeant, well he commented that it was some of ours.

PROCTOR: How many units were in the area?

GOLDMAN: Lieutenant Beller’s was the only other unit in our area of operation. I tried to raise him on the radio. There was no response. It was about this time that the gunfire stopped. A short time later my point man pulled up, there was some movement up ahead an’ that’s when Lieutenant Beller appeared.

OFFICER: Was Lieutenant Beller out of position?

GOLDMAN: He Sir, he was. He was supposed to be acting as blocking force to our north.

OFFICER: Did you ask him what he was doing there?

GOLDMAN: Yes Sir. He said that there was some unfriendlies in the area and that his radio was out.

OFFICER: Lieutenant, did you buy that?

GOLDMAN: No Sir. It wasn’t just-----it wasn’t just a few shots that we had heard fired indiscriminately at a sniper. There was a lot of gunfire. When I pressed Lieutenant Beller he said that his guys had just “lit up the area”. But then he said something very strange. He said “what happens in the bush stays in the bush, right”. It wasn’t so much of a statement as it was a request.

[17.30] Don't get trigger happy

???: Watch your intervals.

ANDERSON: Alright y’all stay alert now. We’re nearing the rendezvous point , we’re expecting company, so nobody get trigger happy.

APTER: I’m Sergeant Harold Apter. That’s Towne and Himmel.

ANDERSON: I’m Anderson. That melting in an’ out of line like that must come in real handy at the movies.

APTER: Well we wouldn’t want Charlie to know we’re out here. Now if he spots us, he’ll just think we’re part of your patrol.

[18.27] Drank Elvis under the table

APTER: Robbie’s told us a lot of stories about you Pop. One I liked the best is the twenty-nine kills you had in as many months, in Korea.

SCARLETT: Different war, different circumstances.

PERCELL: Hey Pop, that’s a story you forgot to tell us.

APTER: Still not a bad record.

SCARLETT: When you get to my age Sergeant, it’s just a memory. Like the time I drank Elvis under the table.

PERCELL: No!

ROBBIE: November 15th , 1959

SCARLETT: Freeburg (sp?, West Germany.

PERCELL: You gotta be kiddin’. You get his autograph?

SCARLETT: Damn straight.

[18.59] Lt. Goldman's testimony cont.

GOLDMAN: We moved towards the outskirts of Phu An. There were no people and all the livestock was running loose. I signaled my men to move around the perimeter and that’s when an old Vietnamese man appeared. He was yelling at us in Vietnamese, he was screaming that we were murderers. He was carrying a single action rifle, he drew down on us and he killed my interpreter and we killed him. I then ordered a sweep of the ville and on the north side of the ville – we found the ditch. An’ there were dead bodies. There were women and there were old men and there were children and there were babies. The area around the ditch was scattered with M-16 and M-60 shell casings. I think Sergeant Anderson probably put it better than I could. He said that he hadn’t signed up for this. Neither did I. Neither did my men.

[20.30] Ambush

APTER: Himmel!

ANDERSON: Taylor!  ??? lay down fire. Percell, right flank –go—go.

[22.19] Dead and wounded

ANDERSON(?): Pullin’ back

PERCELL: He’s gone Sarge.

GRINER: Looks pretty bad Sarge, he’s lost of lot of blood.

[22.42] Your mission

ANDERSON: Alright Sergeant, your mission, your call.

ANDERSON: Papa Bear, this is Biscuit Man Six. We have two KIA, one seriously wounded. Request dust-off and extraction. Over.

ROBBIE: Hey, c’mon. Let us stay out. We can do it.

APTER: It’s a scrub soldier. We’ll get our payback another day.

ANDERSON: Yeah Roger.

APTER: The kid’s a little too gung-ho at times. He volunteers for missions we haven’t even thought of. He’s got more kills than any other guy in the unit.

ANDERSON: Yo Taylor!

TAYLOR: Yo!

ANDERSON: Readjust the men on the perimeter. Stay alert out there now.

[23.35] Collecting trophies

[24.00] Beller's men's testimonies

BUDD SILLS: We were walking through the ville. Everything was fine. Then all of a sudden one of them starts running – a girl, I think. An’ then we just—we just did it. We shot her. And—uh, then I shot her again – put her out of her misery.

WORTHEN: I didn’t take any pleasure in killing any of those people. How could I? It’s un-American. But the army sent us to Phu An for a reason, same reason they sent us to Nam. To stop communism, They were just pawns, blobs, pieces of flesh.

[25.13] Robbie's collection

SCARLETT: I don’t want no son of mine swiping ears of dead men.

ROBBIE: Hey look, some guys collect AK-47’s, VC flags. I know a guy up in Nha Trang who collected fingers. Big deal.

ROBBIE: Hey, hands off. It’s private property.

SCARLETT: It’s perverted.

ROBBIE: What about your twenty-nine kills in Korea? Was that perverted?

SCARLETT: It was necessary. Wasn’t something I went looking for. I didn’t love doing it Robbie. Truth is, I couldn’t stand to see their faces.

ROBBIE: That’s what makes us different. ‘Cos for me, the thrill of the kill comes from bein’ up close an’ personal.

ROBBIE: Catch you later Pops. Colonel Brewster.

[26.13] Discussing offspring

BREWSTER: My sons heroes are Stokley Carmichael and Abby Hoffman. I find myself shelling out four grand a year for college tuition so that he can tell me that my career sucks an’ he can march on Washington.

SCARLETT: He cut an ear off a dead NVA. It’s not his first trophy. Are we the problem Colonel? Or is the army to blame for makin’ us the way we are?

[26.50] Kelman's testimony

OFFICER: State your name, rank, grade and organization for the record.

KELMAN: Michael Kelman.

OFFICER: Specialist Fourth Class Michael Kelman, Infantry, Fourth Brigade?

KELMAN: No, Michael Kelman. I gave the rank back. “All that a man hath shall he give for his life”

OFFICER: Let the record show that the witness is Specialist Fourth Class Michael Kelman. Specialist Kelman, did you personally kill any civilians in Phu An.

OFFICER: Did you witness Lieutenant Beller personally kill any civilians?

PROCTOR: Specialist Kelman, are you exercising your right to remain silent?

KELMAN: No Sir.

PROCTOR: Michael – Michael. Michael! As God it your witness, did you see Lieutenant Beller personally kill any civilians? Did you see the men in your platoon kill any Vietnamese civilians?

[29.26] Jungle rot

GRINER: Jeez I can’t get rid of this.

PERCELL: Jungle rot Griner, you don’t get rid of it. Everyone in Nam itches.

[29.41] Race

ROBBIE; Dad, you still run the hundred an’ nine in ten seconds?

SCARLETT: Hell, no.

ROBBIE: How about you try – for ol’ times sake?

SCARLETT: Son, the only runnin’ I do these days is after Charlie and, believe me, my heart ain’t in it.

ROBBIE: Twenty bucks says I can beat you.

SCARLETT: I’ll save my money an’ my knees.

TAYLOR: Ain’t nothin’ like a little wager to get the blood flowin’. I got twenty on Junior here. Sorry about that Pop.

SCARLETT: You guys aren’t listenin’. I’m not interested.

PERCELL: I’m gonna have to go with Pop.

TAYLOR: What?

PERCELL: You heard me. I got faith in the man.

SCARLETT: Forget it.

ROBBIE: No, wait a minute. Last time we raced you gave me your word that I’d get a re-match.

SCARLETT: Guess I better learn to keep my mouth shut.

ROBBIE: I guess so. Alright here we go. We’re gonna run from here to the barracks door. Griner, you call the start. Dad, I’ll tell you what, I’ll just be fair an’ square. Let me give you a head start alright?

SCARLETT: Alright. You just keep your eye on this so you’ll know what to follow.

GRINER: Y’all ready? On the count of three.

TAYLOR: Okay, let’s go kid.

GRINER: One……two…… three

TAYLOR/RUIZ/PERCELL/GRINER: Encouraging shouts.

TAYLOR(?): Pop – you alright Pop?

ROBBIE: Dad—dad—are you okay?

[31.00] Pop wins

SCARLETT: Thought I taught you never to be suckered son. That was a sucker punch if I ever saw one.

ROBBIE: You never change. You know, you’ve never let me beat you at anything. Not cards, not basketball, not racing. Nothing.

SCARLETT: Lighten up, it was only a race.

ROBBIE: Yeah but you cheated.

SCARLETT: Life ain’t always fair son. Sometimes you’ve gotta cheat to win. Believe me, Charlie will.

[31.44] Not very good at father business

SCARLETT: Look about this afternoon ….

ROBBIE: Forget it.

SCARLETT: C’mon, I know I treated you crappy. I’m not very good at this father business but maybe I can improve with age, you know. At least I’d like to try.

???: C’mon man, let’s go.

ROBBIE: Dad, this is gonna have to wait till I get back.

SCARLETT: Well maybe we can do a little R ‘n’ R together. You know,  ??? it loose – raise hell with the ladies. Whadya say?

[32.43] Short timer calendar

RUIZ: Time(?) to get yourself a calendar Percell.

PERCELL: I’m saving my money. You go ahead, you’re doin’a good enough job for both of us.

GRINER: I must’ve walked through a field of poison ivy.

TAYLOR: There ain’t no poison ivy over here Griner.

GRINER: Well somethin’s makin’my skin itch an’it’s drivin’ me crazy.

HOCKENBURY: Um--mind if I take a look at that?

GRINER: No it’s alright. It’ll be gone in a day or two Doc.

HOCKENBURY: Look, I’ve—uh—I’ve been seein’ a lot of guys in the dispensary an’ they all have rashes just like yours. An’ every one of ‘em came in contact with those defoliants.

GRINER: I said it’s nothin’, alright.

HOCKENBURY: All I’m sayin’ is the spraying they’re doin’ is not as harmless as they’re tellin’ us. I mean this is chemical warfare.

TAYLOR: C’mon Doc, give it a rest.

HOCKENBURY: Look Taylor, even the NVA are carryin’ pamphlets about what they’re supposed to do if they’re sprayed. I mean they’re supposed to get rid of their water, their food, they’re supposed to wash. I mean, this kinda stuff gets in your system you don’t know what’s gonna happen. It’s like we’re a bunch of guinea pigs for the chemical companies.

PERCELL: Look sarge said it won’t hurt us. I believe him.

RUIZ: That’s right. I believe him too.

HOCKENBURY: Fine.

[34.04] No more tantrums Doc

TAYLOR: What you doin’ Doc? Packin’ it all up before you throw it out this time?

RUIZ: No more tantrums Doc. We already fixed the window once.

HOCKENBURY: I did that – I was just—uh—lookin’ for somethin’. Anyway, the dispensary’s been keepin’ me really busy, you know, so they’ve got a spare room in the back – just –uh stay over there – save on my commuting time. So—uh, see you guys later.

PERCELL: What are you lookin’ at me for?

RUIZ: Nothing Percell.

[34.43] Lieutenant Beller's testimony

PROCTOR: Lieutenant Beller, this investigation is being conducted under Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is therefore my duty to advise you that you are suspected of murdering Vietnamese civilians and disobeying orders and regulations. Do you understand your rights as a witness?

BELLIER: Yes Sir. However, I’d like to state for the record that the only crime I’m guilty of committing Sir, is one of judgment, that of putting the lives of my men above those of the communists.

PROCTOR: Duly noted. Lieutenant, on the morning of 20 September 1968, did you lead your platoon into Phu An.

BELLER: Yes Sir.

PROCTOR: For what purpose?

BELLER: It was an enemy ville.

PROCTOR: You were operating as a blocking force for Lieutenant Goldman. His unit was not in the area.

BELLER: Yes Sir, but my point man, Specialist Michael Kelman, spotted suspicious activity on the trail. I decided to follow the suspected VC and they led us directly into Phu An.

PROCTOR: What happened next Lieutenant?

BELLER: We—uh—checked them out like we’d done a hundred times before. I ordered Sergeant Worthen to herd the locals into a semi-circle in the center of the ville. When several of them refused I determined they were likely VC and had booby-trapped the area. I had lost three good men to booby traps that week. My judgment proved correct, heard an explosion and they opened fire on us. We defended ourselves.

PROCTOR: Lieutenant Goldman has already testified that he found no enemy weapons in the ville. How you do explain this Lieutenant?

BELLER: I can’t explain that Sir. I can only tell you the facts. We were fired upon, we returned fire.

PROCTOR: Lieutenant did you personally kill any civilians?

BELLER: Negative Sir. I did not personally kill any Vietnamese. I represented the United States of America and my President.

PROCTOR: Lieutenant, did you witness any of your men kill innocent civilians?

BELLER: Negative Sir.

OFFICER: Lieutenant Beller, Lieutenant Goldman testified he found forty-two civilian bodies in a ditch.

BELLER: Sir, you asked me if I saw my men kill innocent civilians. No Sir, I did not. Those civilians were not innocent. The next day any one of those so-called civilians could have ambushed my men, Lieutenant Goldman’s men or some other platoon. I didn’t want to take that chance.

OFFICER: There were children in that village Lieutenant. Babies.

BELLER: Sir, I’ve seen children throwing grenades, laying mines; young girls carrying AK-47’s. I’ve lost good men to children Sir.

OFFICER: How do you sleep at night Lieutenant?

BELLER: With due respect Sir I sleep very well with the knowledge that I am doing my duty by serving my country and my President.

[37.58] Anderson & Goldman

GOLDMAN: How’d Ruiz and Taylor do?

ANDERSON: Not too bad. But now Pop’s son, that’s another story. The boy seems to think the only way to win this war is to kill all the Vietnamese.

GOLDMAN: Think that’s his fault?

ANDERSON: Yes Sir I do.

GOLDMAN: Well I’m starting to wonder. I spent the last two days sitting outside of a court room in Tan Son Nhut an’ I watched Beller an’ I watched his men. I think the system’s as much at fault as they are.

ANDERSON: Excuse me Sir, but maybe you’ve been sitting there too long. As for myself I’ll never forget lookin’ into that ditch that day or into Lieutenant Beller’s face at the river when he said “nothing has happened”.

GOLDMAN: But they keep on pushing for body counts and orders are orders. An’ maybe you an’ I just put a different spin on things with our guys.

ANDERSON: No-one ordered Lieutenant Beller to grease that ville, Sir.

[38.48] Give a buddy a second chance?

GOLDMAN: Come in.

BELLER: Wrapped my testimony up this afternoon. Thought maybe we could grab a drink. Catch up.

ANDERSON: Catch you later LT.

BELLER: What’d you say Goldman, you ready to give a buddy a second chance>

GOLDMAN: I got a lot of paperwork to do Skip.

BELLER: Look Myron, I know it seems like we’re on opposite sides in this Inquiry thing but you know, we both want the same thing.

GOLDMAN: We do?

BELLER: Yeah, we do. The truth. My men were just doin’ their duty. The Brass is so hot to blame somebody, they can blame themselves. We just followed the orders. I could really use that drink.

[39.47] What's the true story

SCARLETT: That’s the story.

GRINER: Now what’s the true story.

SCARLETT: That is the true story, I just embellished it a little bit.

[40.14] McKay's advice

MCKAY: Mind if I sit down?

HOCKENBURY: I don’t mind if you don’t mind. Thank you.

MCKAY: You’re welcome. So I hear you moved out of the barracks.

HOCKENBURY: Uh mm.

MCKAY: You know Doc, I’m the last guy in the world to give you advice but if you want things to be the way they used to be with the guys, moving out of the barracks isn’t the answer, it’s not gonna help.

HOCKENBURY: Things are never gonna be the way they used to be.

MCKAY: Look, we all make mistakes – God knows I’ve made mistakes. But you learn from them, so do your buddies.

HOCKENBURY: Lieutenant, you an’ I are different, you know. I wear glasses, I have the same chest I was born with, never had to fight the ladies off with a stick. I’m a loner, not a joiner. I’ve never had so many friends I just couldn’t count ‘em – on one hand. An’ I had a few good months there you know, I was just one of the boys. An’ I never thought it was gonna last – it didn’t. I’m back to where I started an’ I’m inclined to stay there.

MCKAY: You know, that’s where you’re wrong Doc. We’re more alike than you think. See my strong suit is ticking people off. Hell, Goldman’s my best friend an’ he doesn’t even like me.

HOCKENBURY: This is a little different. I let a man die.

MCKAY: Yeah, I know. Look Doc all I’m tryin’ to say is that it’s tough enough goin’ through life on the outside lookin’ in. In the Nam you need your buddies just to survive. You can’t do it on your own.

HOCKENBURY: I gotta try.

MCKAY: What you’ve gotta do is you’ve gotta let your buddies like you again. If they knock you down you’ve gotta get back up.

HOCKENBURY: It hurts.

MCKAY: Yeah, well, I’ll loan you my chest.

[42.24] Pop's stories

SCARLETT: …. One night I was on guard duty an’ I saw this GI over at the motor pool. Filled up his canteen with gas and started drinking. I walked over and asked what he was doing and he said he was gonna blow himself up – asked me if I had a match. Before I could say no, up walked Elvis in his uniform. I never saw a GI so excited as that boy. He got Elvis’s autograph and that’s what saved his life. Elvis thought that called for a heck of a celebration.

GRINER: An’ that’s how you drank “the King” under the table? PERCELL: Hey Sarge.

ANDERSON: Hey.

SCARLETT: Hey, buy you a beer?

ANDERSON: Ah no thanks. Listen Pop, I got some bad news.

[43.04] He's my son

???: You’d have been proud of him man. Robbie had hair. Cut off that gook’s ear good before they got him.

SCARLETT: He’s my son. I’ll take him.

[43.41] Inquiries' findings

PROCTOR:

The findings of this Inquiry are as follows…….. on 20 September 1968, US Army troops of the First Brigade massacred forty-two noncombatants in the hamlet of Phu An Village, Phuc Long(sp?) Province, Republic of Vietnam. The massacre resulted primarily from the false and misleading picture of Phu An that Lieutenant Beller presented to him men when characterizing it as a VC stronghold.

Prior to the massacre, there had developed within Lieutenant Beller’s unit, a permissive attitude toward the treatment and safeguarding of noncombatants which attitude contributed to the treatment of such persons at Phu An. This Board finds sufficient evidence to charge Lieutenant Joseph Beller with the pre-meditated murder of forty-two Vietnamese persons, and recommends that General Court Martial proceedings be instituted.

Evidence also indicates that numerous serious offenses in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the law of war have been committed by military personnel who were present in Phu An. This evidence will be furnished to representatives of the Provost Marshall General of the Army for further investigation.

[44.53] Not a monster

GOLDMAN: He’s changed a lot since OCS but he’s not a monster.

BREWSTER: The horrors of war are seldom committed by monsters Lieutenant. They’re committed by normal men in abnormal situations. That’s the tragedy.

GOLDMAN: I’ve gotta talk to him. Oh God!

End

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