Transcript: (3x8) Thanks for the Memories

From Bravo 3/44th

Directed by: Paul Lynch

Written by: Carol Mendelsohn

See the Episode Guide

[01.44] Medal ceremony

TANNOY: By direction of the President of the United States, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor ??? Cluster(?), is awarded to Specialist Fourth Class Alberto Ruiz. Specialist Ruiz’s display of personally bravery and devotion to duty is in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Higgins: Stop.

BREWSTER: Congratulations Specialist Ruiz. You’ve earned this medal and I’m proud of you.

RUIZ: Thank you Sir.

???: Attention!

[02.25] Salute

HIGGINS: Where’d you learn to salute Colonel?

BREWSTER: At the Point, Sir.

HIGGINS: Marching to the beat of a different drummer are we? Raise the elbow.

BREWSTER: General Higgins, if you have a problem Sir, perhaps we could discuss it in my office. Release the troops Major Duncan.

DUNCAN: Yes Sir. Project -- Ten’hut. Dismissed.

ANDERSON: What’s his beef with Brewster?

GOLDMAN: Well don’t quote me Sergeant, but I’d say the Colonel pushed command a little bit too hard about the Phu An massacre.

ANDERSON: You mean he pushed – period.

[03.37] Play the role of Benedict Arnold

HIGGINS: If you’re gonna play the role of Benedict Arnold and leak classified information to the press Colonel, at least have the guts to do it on the record.

BREWSTER: Sir, I filed a formal complaint with the Inspector General. So how much more on the record do you want me to get?

HIGGINS: I don’t understand you Brewster. I fought a lot of years as an infantryman. I’ve seen my share of what could be called atrocities, but I have never seen, nor can I imagine, American soldiers, men raised by American mothers, massacring innocent women and children.

BREWSTER: The point is General, Team Viking saw forty two Vietnamese civilian bodies buried in a ditch at Phu An. So what kind of message are we sending the men if we refuse to investigate?

HIGGINS: And what kind of message are we sending the American people by making a massacre out of a sweep of an enemy ville?

BREWSTER: Sir, if it were forty two American civilian bodies in that ditch the army’d call it a massacre, so how many Vietnamese does it take?

HIGGINS: Lieutenant Beller’s unit came under fire as they entered Phu An. They killed forty two enemy agents. That unit was under your command – why don’t you believe Lieutenant Beller’s report?

BREWSTER: Because Lieutenant Goldman’s unit was also under my command, and according to Lieutenant Goldman …….

HIGGINS: Oh is this the same Goldman who’s been in lock step with you on this whole Phu An business?

BREWSTER: Lieutenant Goldman saw no enemy weapons in the ville Sir.

HIGGINS: Lieutenant Goldman’s interpretation of the facts is one man’s interpretation. I don’t buy it. Neither does MacV Headquaters. Neither does the Public Information Office. For godsakes Colonel, if any part of that story you fed Sid Boyle could be substantiated, do you think they would have run it on the back page? Doesn’t that tell you something?

BREWSTER: Yes Sir. It tells me that my complaint is buried in the bureaucratic maze and that’s the end of it General.

HIGGINS: Your complaint will make its way through the proper channels Colonel. But I gotta tell you, this sort of rabble rousing makes for bad press and reflects badly on what we’re trying very hard to do over here. You’re wrong about Phu An Colonel. Now, you drop this crazy investigation of yours, or not only will I relieve you of command but I will make you an orphan in this man’s army.

[06.01] Zeke & Danny

PERCELL: Lieutenant McKay came to see me – said something about Colonel Brewster being in trouble with the higher-highers.

ANDERSON: Yeah, well when you make your career out of stickin’ your neck out, sooner or later someone’s gonna chop it off, huh?

PERCELL: Sarge, I sure hope it doesn’t have anything to do with me, I owe that guy a lot. He went above an’ beyond for me when I was AWOL.

ANDERSON: Well Brewster goes above and beyond for all his men. He’s a very good officer. Army needs more like him. Well Percell, this is as far as I go. I got some things I gotta do an’ I suppose you’ve gotta get on back in the ward.

PERCELL: Sarge, I’ve been in psych ward a week now. I’ve cleaned up myself, I’ve cleaned up my act – I’m feelin’ good. Why’d I need someone messin’ with my head?

ANDERSON: Come on Percell, don’t do this. You got a problem. Now you’ve cleaned up your act -- that’s the first step. I’m not an expert but it seems to me that the second step would be findin’ out why you got the problem in the first place. D’you trust me?

PERCELL: Yeah. Yeah Sarge, I trust you.

ANDERSON: Alright, get on back in there, do some good.

[07.14] Phoning home

HOCKENBURY: No. No, no, no. Goldman -- Anderson, no they’re not baby killers. They’re great guys – they’re great. An’ so are the rest of the guys in the unit. You’d like ‘em. --------- What? Oh come on, I’m not defending the war. God, no -------- No, I’m defending the guys in my unit -------- I did not vote for Nixon. I wrote in for Gene McCarthy --- thank you. ------------ Yeah I did, I got it. I got it right here – hold on. Oh you look beautiful Nance ------------no, you know the guy with his arm round you, is that—um—is that another grad student? --------- so does this radical dude with a high draft number have a name? ------- no, I just --- are you an’ Ed friends? ------- You moved in with him! What? -------- No, no I have no doubt that two can live cheaper than one, two can definitely live cheaper than one especially if they’re sharin’ the same bedroom. ----- I know all about free love. I know we have an open relationship, I just thought that since I decided to be monogamous, you had too. I guess that was my mistake ------- Happy Thanksgivin’ to you too.

SOLDIER: Excuse me, but are you finished? You finished?

HOCKENBURY: Yes ---- it certainly looks that way.

[08.55] Not into arts & crafts

DR LOUIE: Hi Percell. I hear you’re not into arts and crafts today.

PERCELL: No Sir.

DR LOUIE: May I ask why?

PERCELL: It’s for kids.

DR LOUIE: Sergeant Anderson tells me you’re anxious to get back to your unit.

PERCELL: Yes sir I am. The guys needs me.

DR LOUIE: And you need them.

PERCELL: That’s the how it works.

DR LOUIE: Have you ever let the guys down? It’s not a trick question.

PERCELL: I did everything I was brought up to believe was a sin. Pills, marijuana, heroin. I even went AWOL. Yes sir, I let the guys down.

DR LOUIE: It’s okay Percell.

PERCELL: It’s not okay. If it were okay I wouldn’t be here.

DR LOUIE: Well everyone handles fear and disillusionment differently. Some guys can’t sleep. Other guys wake up paralyzed. Still others turn to drugs. You’re clean now, but we’ll talk about it a few more times. That’s what we do here, we get together an’ talk, so you’ll be able to understand why you got hooked. You can join in the group activities or stay on your bunk. The choice is yours.

PERCELL: You got a problem?

BUDD: Yeah. Pass the red paint.

[11.21] Migraine & no story

BREWSTER: I stuck my neck out to give you the facts Boyle. What do I get? A mish-mash of inaccuracies buried between the classifieds and the stock reports.

BOYLE: If anybody’s got a right to be sore Colonel, it’s me.

BREWSTER: Bull!

BOYLE: Bull to you. I could not substantiate any of your facts. My editor crucified the article. Thanks to you I’m covering some holier-than-thou congressman for the next week. I got a term-term migraine and no story. So give me a break.

BREWSTER: (Ordering food in Vietnamese) (Shrimp and noodles?)

BOYLE: I gotta hand it to you Brewster, you keep surprising me. There aren’t many officers over here with a command of the language.

BREWSTER: Like I told you, I don’t like inaccuracies. Okay, maybe we both got stuck. So what do you say we give it another shot?

BOYLE: You gotta be kidding.

BREWSTER: No, I’m not kidding. Only this time the interview goes on the record and I substantiate my own story.

[12.35] Brewster's obituary

HIGGINS: Son of a …… .

ELLIOTT: An interview with Carl Brewster.

HIGGINS: It’s his obituary. In lieu of flowers send donations to Brewster’s whores on Pasteur Street.

[13.02] Doc Hock

no dialogue

[13.45] Good lover

WHORE 2: Doc have good back – strong. Good lover I can tell.

HOCKENBURY: Ladies, you’re lookin’ at the best lover ever to come out of Memphis.

WHORE 1: Doc must have had lots of girls. Lots of boom-boom.

HOCKENBURY: Doc lost count some place round 1967.

WHORE 1: Doc make boom-boom with me? On the house. I give you good time you never forget.

WHORE 1: What’s wrong? You no like?

HOCKENBURY: Oh no. I like very much. I just—um ---- you see, we—um --- we have a medic-patient relationship. You know like when I come with Colonel Brewster and we inoculate – it’s—uh—it’s (Vietnamese) . Um, it’s sacred.

WHORE 1: Doc have number one girl back home?

HOCKENBURY: Doc used to have number one girl back home.

WHORE 1: I make Doc forget all about her.

HOCKENBURY: I guess I’m an old-fashioned kinda guy.

WHORE 1: We like old-fashioned kinda guy.

[15.20] working on theory

BREWSTER: Come.

ANDERSON: Sir.

BREWSTER: Come on over Sergeant.

ANDERSON: Excuse me. Am I interrupting.

BREWSTER: No, I’m just working on a theory of mine. Yesterday a Chinese-made six-by was spotted by Team Thor here. It had distinctive yellow markings – it was out of gas. That same truck was spotted here, two hundred miles north by a Marine Recon Patrol on Sunday. Given the average tank capacity of thirty gallons at seven miles per, logic dictates there’s a major fuel depot located right there within a three mile radius.

ANDERSON: Yes Sir. Charlie wouldn’t send a truck down the trail just to have it run out of gas now, would he?

BREWSTER: No he wouldn’t. It’s another thing to prove it though. Is there something else on your mind Sergeant?

ANDERSON: Yes Sir. What happened on the parade field yesterday, it wasn’t right. It left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth Sir.

BREWSTER: Duly noted.

ANDERSON: The men are behind you Colonel.

[16.49] Psych ward

BUDD: We were wasted. Twenty days livin’ like animals. Our tails were draggin’. A coupla days before, we had walked into this ville. Tripped a booby trap. I can still hear the screamin’. One killed, four seriously wounded. We were spooked. We needed a break, but this Colonel send us out again as OPCON to one of his SOG teams. Then we walked into Phu An.

BUDD: I heard a grenade blow. That was enough. Then it was sorta like bein’ in a weird shootin’ gallery, you know. There was this one kid, crawling on the ground an’ me an’ my buddy used him for target practice. Oh yeah, we made a contest out of it. I intentionally missed from ten feet away. An’ then I walked straight up to that little sucker an’ I plugged him.

DR LOUIE: Why Budd?

BUDD: I felt the need to succeed. You see that kid Percell? I got him right through here. Ten pointer.

DR LOUIE: What d’you mean you felt “the need to succeed”?

BUDD: You tell him Percell. Or maybe your team operates under different order, huh? Revenge – payback – frustration. Hell, we were so ticked off we would’ve killed anybody. And it was okay too when we were all together. Then we walked into the light of day an’ we saw your unit Percell. You ever—you ever killed a kid Percell? Hm? I shot the kid but – we both died. Do you understand that? The army is pretendin’ like it never happened, but I am dead. I am lookin’ at – man I’m lookin’ to crawl into one of those body bags just to go on home to my folks. But I ain’t got no bag. So, what am I supposed to do? I’m—I’m scared of myself Percell. What I am capable of. I was not this way before. Can you understand that? I am not the kind of guy who kills babies. I’m not—I’m not.

[20.04] Rifle instead of a shotgun

GOLDMAN: You know Colonel, when I was pressuring you to take some action on the Phu An incident, it never occurred to me that you might be jeopardizing your career.

BREWSTER: I did what was necessary under the circumstances Lieutenant.

GOLDMAN: Yes Sir, but going to the press. Didn’t it ever occur to you to use a rifle instead of a shotgun?

BREWSTER: Wait a minute. The army is family for me. I love this system. But experience had taught me one thing Lieutenant, sometimes the system needs a little jump start. That’s why I gave that interview.

BOYLE: Colonel Brewster! Colonel Brewster!

BREWSTER: Sid Boyle …. Lieutenant Myron Goldman, one of my team leaders.

GOLDMAN: Mr Boyle

BOYLE: Lieutenant. Can I buy you a drink?

BREWSTER: Yeah, sure. Come on.

BOYLE: So how does it feel Colonel?

BREWSTER: What’d you mean?

BOYLE: Being relieved of command. Thought you knew. Rumor’s been circulating all over town.

GOLDMAN: And it’s just a rumor Sir.

BOYLE: A colleague at the London Times saw a clerk at MacV headquarters processing the orders. Colonel, if it’s true I can help. You’re another Billy Mitchell – I can take the case to the people.

BREWSTER: You find your way back Lieutenant?

GOLDMAN: Yes Sir.

BOYLE: The army’s gonna crucify that poor bastard.

GOLDMAN: You bought the hammer and nails – what’s that make you?

[21.38] Save it, already heard

BREWSTER: General.

ELLIOTT: Carl, listen before you say…….

BREWSTER: Save it, I’ve already heard. I’m being relieved of my command.

ELLIOTT: I’m sorry, I was tied up in briefings all day. I wanted to be the one to tell you.

BREWSTER: Jack, how do you tell a friend that he’s being reprimanded for speaking the unspeakable – the truth?

ELLIOTT: Going to the press was just the final nail in the coffin Carl. There was your refusal to close down those bars on Pasteur Street, your unorthodox methods of command. That complaint you filed alleging a civilian massacre at Phu An. Aw hell Carl, every time you take a deep breath you tick somebody off.

BREWSTER: If it’s a choice between ticking somebody off and … paralysis, I’ll take the ticking somebody off any time.

ELLIOTT: My prayers are with you Carl.

BREWSTER: No Jack, you save your prayers. Save ‘em for the men, women and children who could die here because the army looks the other way.

[22.53] Happy Thanksgiving LT

BREWSTER: Happy Thanksgiving Lieutenant.

GOLDMAN: Colonel -- what---what time is it?

BREWSTER: Five a.m. How’d you like to volunteer for a special assignment.

GOLDMAN: Sure

BREWSTER: Look, I’ve contacted Lieutenant McKay. See if you can round up Sergeant Anderson an’ the men and meet me at the helipad in, say, ten minutes.

GOLDMAN: Does this mean you’re not being relieved of command Sir?

BREWSTER: No, but if we get out of here before my orders are delivered, that gives us all day to find a major enemy fuel depot.

GOLDMAN: Yes Sir.

[23.25] Early morning mission

BREWSTER: The blue line in the Ho Chi Minh trail between Binh Long an’ Saigon. The X’s are truck sightings by US Intelligence. Now my theory is the enemy has a half dozen large fuel dumps in the south, located equidistant from each other, 175 clicks, based on the average range of the average truck. My gut tells me that one of these dumps is within a three mile radius of Point A. So let’s find it.

[24.03] Searching for trail

no dialogue

[24.49] Ho Chi Minh trail to victory

ANDERSON: Ho Chi Minh trail to victory, huh.

[25.27] Blame the army

DAVE: You’re bein’ too hard on yourself man. Now you put some of that guilt where it belongs – on the army. They’re the ones tellin’ us the more gooks we kill the sooner we can win this sucker an’ go home.

BUDD: Army didn’t pull the trigger man.

DAVE: You ever walk down the street in your home town an’ blow away a few of the locals?

BUDD: No.

DAVE: Well there it is.

PERCELL: Budd can’t blame the army for his problems any more than I can. The other guys in my unit – Ruiz, Taylor, Johnson. They’ve been through the same stuff I have and I didn’t see them in some skuzzy little alley, smokin’ dope with some burnt out dirt back.

DR LOUIE: How come?

PERCELL: I don’t know.

DR LOUIE: What makes you different than your buddies.

PERCELL: I said I don’t know.

BUDD: You an’ me Percell, we’re the same.

PERCELL: No we’re not.

BUDD: You still care too much.

DAVE: You listen to the man Percell. I saw it first time I laid eyes on you. You’re one of those poor, naïve suckers who bought into the lie “my county always right, never wrong”. You’re like the kid who finally realizes that maybe his parents aren’t perfect. Maybe they’re even liars an’ they’re cheats an’ they don’t give a damn about him. I reckon when you learn that late in the game, it can really mess with your mind.

[26.42] What have I got left?

PERCELL: You know Doc, everythin’ that I was brought up to believe in’s been taken away. What have I got left?

DR LOUIE: What we’ve all got. Ourselves – and a few friends.

[27.12] Detroit after the riots

TAYLOR: What’d you think Sarge?

ANDERSON: Looks like a graveyard.

TAYLOR: Yeah, either than or Detroit after the riots.

[28.48] Where's Team Viking?

???: We still haven’t raised Team Viking Sir.

HIGGINS: Is there anybody on this post who knows where the Colonel is?

DUNCAN: No Sir.

MCKAY: Lieutenant McKay reporting as ordered Sir.

HIGGINS: McKay, I’m looking for Colonel Brewster. Have you seen him today?

MCKAY: Yes I have Sir.

HIGGINS: Did you fly him and several members of Team Viking out to an LZ?

MCKAY: Yes Sir.

HIGGINS: For what purpose?

MCKAY: I’m not presently disposed to discuss the mission Sir.

HIGGINS: Colonel Brewster’s mission was not authorized by MacV Headquaters. He is no longer in charge of Project Alpha. Now, I know you’ve got to pick him and his men up later today, but unless you wanna spend the holidays in Long Binh Jail Lieutenant, that better be the last thing you do for Colonel Brewster.

MCKAY: Yes Sir.

[39.37] Camouflage

RUIZ: Sarge.

ANDERSON: LT.

ANDERSON: Camouflage

[30.37] Ruiz steps on something

RUIZ: Sarge.

ANDERSON: Be still now. Don’t move.

ANDERSON: You’re gonna live. Lookey here Ruiz, just lookey here.

RUIZ: Talk about being lucky, huh.

ANDERSON: Luck ain’t got nothin’ to do with it. Brewster had a theory.

[32.20] NVA

NVA:  ???

[33.27] How fast can you run?

GOLDMAN: Three minute time delay Sergeant.

JOHNSON: This place is gonna blow sky high Sir. Can we get out that fast?

GOLDMAN: That depends on how fast you can run.

HOCKENBURY: Charlie three o’clock!

HOCKENBURY: Thanks man.

TAYLOR: Don’t worry about it. Just run.

[34.47] Back at base

BREWSTER: You men hold tight.

ANDERSON: If the Colonel has any more theories he’d like to check out, I’d be happy to volunteer.

BREWSTER: I appreciate the vote of confidence Sergeant, but after that show we put on at the fuel depot hits the fan, I’ll be lucky to stay in the army as a hootch maid.

MCKAY: Excuse me Sir but that’s a pretty big score. Isn’t that somethin’ for General Higgins?

BREWSTER: It is, and it’ll just kill him that I did it too.

[35:24] Mom's Cooking

HOCKENBURY: I'll bet you all the turkey's gone. Did you ever see my turkey? Watch this.

TAYLOR: That's as close to old Tom Turkey as we're gonna get this Thanksgiving.

RUIZ: Man, my mom... She makes the best turkey in the world. She turns it nice and slow, until it's golden brown... And it's never dry. Always moist and juicy.

JOHNSON: No, no. You fellas have not tasted cornbread stuffing till you've tasted my mother's. I'm talkin' plump, and tender. With just the right amount of spices to give it that extra--

TAYLOR: Mmm!

JOHNSON: ...kick.

HOCKENBURY: Yeah, and sweet potatoes, you know? With some marshmallows everyplace, it's all like, it's all gooey and sticky. Oh, man, you get lost in there.

RUIZ: Cranberry sauce. I love cranberries.

JOHNSON: No. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Homemade... honey... biscuits. Huh? I'm talkin' soft... sweet... hot... honey biscuits.