1
As I was leaving
my hotel this morning,
the doorman asked me,
"Where are you
bound for, sir?"
When I replied, "West Point,"
he remarked,
"It's a beautiful place.
"Have you ever
been there before?"
Duty, honor, country.
Those three hallowed words reverently
dictate what you ought to be,
what you can be,
and what you will be.
They are your rallying points.
They give you
a temper of the will,
a quality of the imagination,
a vigor of the emotions,
a freshness of
the deep springs of life,
a temperamental predominance
of courage over timidity,
an appetite for
adventure over love of ease.
In this way, they will
teach you to be an officer
and a gentleman.
From your ranks come the
great captains who will hold
the nation's destiny
in their hands
the moment
the war tocsin sounds.
The Long Gray Line
has never failed us.
Were you to do so,
a million ghosts in olive
drab and brown khaki,
in blue and gray, would rise
from their white crosses
thundering those magic words.
Duty, honor, country!
This does not mean
that you are warmongers.
On the contrary, the soldier,
above all other people,
prays for peace,
for he must suffer and bear the
deepest wounds and scars of war.
But always in our minds ring
the ominous words of Plato,
"Only the dead have
seen the end of war."
Heads up, soldiers!
Heads up!
Lieutenant?
Yes, sir?
Major Huff's got
himself wounded.
Would you look
after him, please?
Right away, sir. Corporal,
would you take this?
Major.
So, one of the Battling
Bastards of Bataan, eh?
Yes, sir. No mama,
no papa, no Uncle Sam.
Well, help is on the way.
I have Washington's
solemn promise on that.
General Marshall, Admiral King,
will you go right in, please?
Thank you.
You said you wanted to talk
over the Corregidor problem.
I certainly do. I've gone out
on a limb with the Filipinos.
We should be getting more than
inspirational radio messages
through the Japanese blockade.
Have any of our ships made it?
One ship has reached Mindanao,
two more made it to Cebu.
The rest were
either sunk or captured.
Thank you.
So far we've lost better
than 80,000 tons.
In other words, MacArthur has
received practically nothing.
That's about it,
Mr. President.
How long can they hold out?
Matter of weeks.
But we're still dispatching
submarines to Bataan and Corregidor.
We managed to land
some munitions and drugs,
and evacuate a few of the wounded,
but that's all we can do.
Unless you're one
to start stripping
the defenses of the West Coast,
the Panama Canal...
One bombing of the canal
and it's out of
action for two years.
It's a more vulnerable and important
target than Pearl Harbor.
And Hitler will have the whole North
American continent for a target
if we don't stop him in Europe.
Exactly.
But you know
what's going to happen.
Like everything else,
Douglas is going
to take our strategy personally.
He thinks the blockade is
a figment of my imagination,
and that I'm somehow deliberately
robbing him of glory.
I wish you people would send
Douglas a globe of the world
to remind him we have
obligations all around it.
We have to support Stalin while he
fights the bulk of the Nazi army.
We have to assist Churchill
to keep England functioning.
We have to protect our flanks,
the Panama Canal,
and General Douglas MacArthur.
I need him.
The country needs him.
We can't leave him
to the Japanese.
He won't leave the Philippines unless
you order him off, Mr. President.
Cut an order.
Put my name to it.
Double 5, O, 673D, L926...
So long, baby. That's 140
million bucks the Japs won't get.
I'm army to the marrow
of my bones, Dick.
I've never disobeyed
an order in my life.
Now, for the first time,
I feel bound to disobey.
Sir, you couldn't.
You'd be court-martialed.
Then I'll resign my commission
and fight on here as a private.
I want you to direct a statement
for the president
to that effect.
General, pardon me,
but you don't mean that.
I will not leave.
I'll stay here with my boys.
Sir, you are the only man alive
that can save the Philippines.
They would never have issued
an order to this effect,
unless they intended you to mount
an immediate counter-offensive.
God damn it, those
convoys they diverted,
the troops and supplies
that never got here,
they're waiting
for you in Australia.
And if you leave now, you can be
back before the food runs out.
Sir, you cannot disobey
a presidential order.
The president.
Strange ways
destiny pulls men's lives.
We have to believe that,
don't we, Jack?
I can't even
find these supplies.
Fresh meat is coming.
File that goddamn requisition.
Yes, sir.
Major. Colonel Huff. Hi, Ah Cheu.
Is the general busy?
The general busy?
You come and see.
He lead a big parade.
Excuse me, General.
The submarine has
arrived to evacuate
President Quezon and his
family, as you ordered.
He still wants you to join them.
No, Sid.
Much more on the drums.
Let's hear those drums.
Louder on the drums.
Sir, President Quezon is
concerned about your safety.
He advises...
No, Sid.
If a commander sneaks out,
how are the men
supposed to feel?
I'll not skulk out of
here on a submarine.
I'll go in one of
Johnny Bulkeley's PT boats.
Sir, I know those boats.
Their engines are shot.
They'll only make half speed.
They're made of plywood.
They've got gasoline
drums all over the deck.
They're like floating coffins.
They'll go up like a bomb.
At least put your family on a submarine.
They'd be safer there.
No, Sid, no.
I will stay with the general.
Jean, you don't understand.
Come here.
We don't even know how many
Japanese are out there.
A submarine might be the only
safe place for you and Arthur.
We are staying with you.
Don't forget those
other soiled clothes.
Yes.
Jeannie, Sid is right. It's gonna
be a very dangerous journey.
I'd rather have you and Arthur...
Now, suppose,
as you are so fond of saying,
"We three are one.
We drink of the same cup."
Jeannie...
You're my finest soldier.
How did Shakespeare put it?
"The general's wife is
the general's general."
Colonel Wainwright, sir,
General MacArthur's arriving.
Thank you, son.
There goes Dugout Doug and his
whole goddamn gypsy caravan.
Goodbye, General, sir.
Castro, keep up the good fight.
A guerrilla force is forming.
I'm joining them.
Very good.
I've got my rifle.
Ammunition?
Enough.
All right, then.
Cross over to Bataan.
There are good men in the hills there.
Join them.
Fight with them.
Yes, sir.
Good luck, Castro.
We'll meet again.
Well, Jim, I have no choice.
I know.
If we get through to Australia,
I'll be back as soon as I
can with as much as I can.
I suppose I can't convince
you to go by submarine.
No, no.
If we can break through, it
will demonstrate to Washington
that this blockade can be pierced
if you have the daring for it.
In the meantime,
you've got to hold on here.
Yes, sir.
Cigars, shaving cream.
Thank you.
Jim, let the men know
that I'm obeying a direct
order from the president.
I will. I will.
When I return, I'll make
you a lieutenant general.
I'll be here, or I'll be dead.
Goodbye, Jim.
Goodbye.
Welcome aboard, sir.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
I'm saying hello
again to you boys on Corregidor.
Especially you,
General MacArthur.
On behalf of
the Japanese nation,
allow me to
invite you to a party
to celebrate our forthcoming victory.
A surprise party.
In fact, a necktie party,
here in Tokyo.
Sorry, General.
Let's skip that
little party, shall we?
Aye, aye, sir.
What is it?
Mines.
I think that's
the last of them, sir.
There's a pot of hot coffee up
forward, sir. Would you like some?
No coffee.
How do you feel, sir?
I'm not exactly
a navy man, Phil.
Well, when we get to Australia,
the commissioner of railways has
ordered his own personal car
for your trip to Melbourne.
Anything I can do, sir?
Can't sleep.
We're safe.
They're doomed.
I know what they're saying.
"Dugout Doug MacArthur
lies a-shaking on the rock.
"Safe from any danger
and any sudden shock."
I've heard that song.
Well, I'm sure that the men
who thought that one up
were just
blowing off steam, sir.
I'm only thankful my father
isn't alive to hear it.
Sir!
I knew the train
would be the best.
This is the first time he's
really slept since Pearl Harbor.
Mmm.
Good crowd. And it looks
like all the Australian brass
you want to talk to are out
there waiting for you, sir.
All I see is people.
Where are the kangaroos?
Well, I'm sure
we'll see some soon, dear.
What I'd like to have is a
public address system by the back there.
Hello, Dick.
Do you have a report for me?
Uh, yes, I do, but...
But there's a crowd waiting.
Why don't you go out, and
I'll brief you in the hotel?
Good news can wait, bad news can't.
Let's have it.
Well, sir...
I...
Nobody knows anything about a
Philippine relief expedition.
I'm sorry.
In the whole of Australia,
there is a grand total of
some 30,000 U.S. personnel,
mostly artillery and engineers,
scattered all over
the continent.
At present, there's no
American infantry.
Air units?
There are about 250 planes of all
types, more or less, in commission.
Sixty-five of them are
undergoing repairs, 122 of them
are being assembled.
There's almost no navy at all.
And no infantry.
God help us.
Well, there are approximately
300,000 Australian troops,
but they've been described as
under-trained and under-equipped.
You know what that means.
Not only is
the Bataan rescue mission
so much blue sky
over the horizon,
it is even open to question
if we can defend Australia.
Ready to go, Daddy?
Shh.
However, there is
one more thing, sir.
Headquarters here at Melbourne
has received a message for you
from President Roosevelt.
He has awarded you
the Medal of Honor.
Congratulations, sir.
MacArthur! MacArthur!
MacArthur! MacArthur!
MacArthur!
MacArthur! MacArthur!
MacArthur!
MacArthur! MacArthur!
Congressional Medal of Honor.
MacArthur!
MacArthur! MacArthur!
MacArthur!
MacArthur! MacArthur!
You know, my father was awarded
the same decoration
when he was only 19.
I had to wait just
a little bit longer.
MacArthur!
MacArthur! MacArthur!
MacArthur!
MacArthur! MacArthur!
But at this moment, I would swap
it for just one trained division.
Excuse me, gentlemen. Would you
please shoot from a low angle?
The general likes
that effect very much.
The President of
the United States...
The President...
The President of the
United States ordered me
to break through
the Japanese lines
and proceed from
Corregidor to Australia
for the purpose of organizing the
American offensive against Japan,
a primary object of which is the
retaking of the Philippines.
I came through,
and I shall return.
This is General
Wainwright speaking.
Subject, surrender.
To put a stop to further useless
sacrifice of human life,
I've decided to accept,
in the name of humanity,
the formal surrender of all
American and Philippine army troops
in the Philippine Islands.
It became apparent that the garrisons
would be eventually destroyed.
This dissension
was forced upon me
by means entirely
beyond my control.
Let me emphasize there must
be no thought whatever
of disregarding
these instructions.
My assistant chief of staff will repeat
the complete text of this letter
by radio to General MacArthur.
It's a trick.
It's a Japanese deception.
No, sir. Everyone recognized
the general's voice.
He struck Old Glory
and ran up a bed sheet.
By what authority does he
issue such an unlawful order?
He's the acting
commander. He's...
The only possible explanation is
that he's temporarily deranged.
For that reason alone,
his orders have no validity.
I place no credence
on this alleged broadcast.
Everybody up there believed
him, the Japanese included.
The conditions...
If it's true, then we
should get back at once.
It's not too late to join
the guerrillas on Luzon.
General, you can't be serious.
They won't be
organized for months.
Now, we both know
that Wainwright
could not hold on indefinitely.
He was not asked to
hold on indefinitely.
His job was to defend the
island until help arrived.
That was his assignment!
He had no supplies,
no food left.
The malaria was
totally out of hand.
If he had tried to
hold out one more day,
then we would've had
a dreadful massacre.
General, would...
Yes, yes, yes.
I suppose it was
just a matter of time.
General Blamey on Line 2, sir.
I can't speak to him now.
He'll call back later.
There's some talk in Washington
about a Medal of Honor
for Wainwright.
They want you to recommend it.
Medal of Honor?
If Wainwright received it,
it would constitute an injustice
to others
who have done far more.
Send the following radio
to General Marshall.
"I believe that Wainwright has
become temporarily unbalanced,
"and that his condition renders
him susceptible of enemy use."
Unquote.
General, this
training is all well and good,
but it's just not enough.
These troops are green corn.
They won't be ready for weeks.
All soldiers are green
until their first battle.
Shit, sir. Excuse me, I don't
even have the transport
to supply a single
division for 24 hours.
Hell, I can't even
land them on the beach.
Harding, I want action
from you, not complaints.
If I don't get going, the
navy's gonna win this war.
Look what Nimitz did
up at Coral Sea and Midway.
I know you don't have
everything you need, but...
Look, sir, if I could just
have a little more time...
That's because our
friends in Washington
are sending it all to George
Patton in North Africa,
so he can run around in the desert,
fighting a seesaw tank battle.
General, if I could just have...
Sid, I want to see
my new air commander.
Where's General Kenney?
General Kenney?
Good morning.
Where'd
you get the B-17?
It flew in from
the States this morning.
We're putting together several
squadrons up in Brisbane.
Good. How soon can you
get them in the air?
Soon enough to get
the enemy off our back,
and maybe go kick
his butt for a change.
Good, good.
My boys say you can't do it.
Well, your boys aren't fliers.
Give me five days to prepare,
and I'll ship the whole goddamn United
States Army to New Guinea by air.
Really?
My staff hear about this?
I doubt it.
Don't tell them. You'll
scare them half to death!
Attack!
And you ram it
right down his throat!
The recent bombings of
our northern airfields
give us every reason to believe
that the nips' next move will be
a massive invasion of
the Australian continent.
The garrison at Darwin, up here,
doesn't have enough troops to
hold for more than 48 hours.
So our best plan, therefore,
is to show token resistance
and fall back rapidly to
this, the Brisbane Line.
To the north, the enemy will
find only burnt offerings.
Meanwhile in the southeast,
we will throw everything
into the fight for the cities
and the farmlands around them.
This is the living
heart of Australia,
and we shall defend it
with our lives.
General.
Thank you.
Gentlemen,
I've been deeply moved
and deeply stirred
by the Allied efforts,
and by the courage and
determination of the Australians
as expressed by General Blamey,
but as supreme commander
of the southwest Pacific area,
I will not be the leader
of another lost cause.
We are attacking, gentlemen.
I am going to make
the fight for Australia
up here in New Guinea.
Hey, Joe,
what are you doing out here?
You should be home on the farm
walking with your girl,
getting your chores done
and sitting down to supper.
Or maybe you should be
taking in a show,
walking down Broadway,
sipping Coke.
The jungle's where we live.
It's where you die.
Bob,
I sent for you
because I don't think you like a
stalemate any better than I do,
and that's what we've got here
in New Guinea.
They tell me that American boys
are actually throwing away
their rifles and turning tail.
That hasn't happened since
the first battle of Bull Run.
I want you to relieve Harding.
This isn't
the Civil War, General.
Harding's a good man,
he's a good officer.
It's just that
he's up against...
I'm sending you in, Bob.
I want you to remove
all officers who won't fight.
If necessary, put sergeants
in charge of battalions
and corporals in charge of companies.
Anyone who will fight.
I want you to take Buna
or don't come back alive,
and that goes for
your chief of staff, too.
Yes, sir.
Bob.
If you come
through this all right,
I'll give you the
Distinguished Service Cross,
I'll recommend you
for a high British decoration,
and I'll release your name
to newspaper publication.
Yes, sir.
Thank you very much, General.
I don't care how
deep the goddamn mud is!
I want you just to kick ass,
or I'm gonna relieve yours!
Good news, General.
This battle is over.
It says so right here
in Stars and Stripes.
General MacArthur
won it yesterday.
Well, the great Sarah Bernhardt.
Another dramatic moment.
God, he tells the newspapers,
but I wish he'd told
the Japanese.
Son of a bitch.
"Mopping-up operation"!
Now, what kind of a phrase
is that to ask men to die for?
I'm surprised he didn't say
we're just "policing the area."
I wonder who really
writes that propaganda.
I don't know.
I don't trust any of those
ass-kissers up there at GHQ
surrounding MacArthur.
Hell, he doesn't have a staff,
he's got a court.
You ever see any of them?
They remind me of
a bunch of barracuda
I used to play poker with
in Shanghai years ago.
We had to put the goddamn cuspidor
in the center of the table
because no one dared look away
long enough to spit.
G'day.
Where you off to?
Gotta go to the latrine, sir.
But I shall return.
Australian. No tags.
No tags?
Take care of him later.
U.S., 7705...
Oh, my God.
Here comes General MacArthur.
Yeah, yeah, and I bet he's got
Eleanor Roosevelt with him, too.
No, I'm serious. Look.
General, sir. Excuse me,
sir, but we just...
We just killed a Jap sniper
here not five minutes ago.
Fine, son. That's the best
thing to do with them.
Thought you said there
were 1,500 Japs here.
We ran into more like 6,000.
U.S., 5813864.
You mind repeating
the last four again?
Three-eight-six-four.
Not my idea of how to win a war.
Australian.
00802. Protestant.
Dennison, E.
I'm thinking about
Hansa Bay still up ahead.
Yes, and Hansa Bay
is not some little outpost
that we can overrun with
galoshes and determination.
We need men, supplies.
Plenty of both.
Well, bombing Hansa Bay is one thing.
Taking it's another.
You can say that again.
Well, let's just say
we won't take Hansa Bay.
We won't what?
That's it.
We don't want it.
General, the farther up
the New Guinea coast we go,
the more trouble
we're gonna run into.
And I hope you don't think it's
gonna be any easier at Wewak.
There's 60,000 of them
holed up there,
sharpening their samurai swords.
Good. I hope there's more.
We don't want Wewak, either. We'll
bypass their strong points,
cut their supply lines and leave
them to wither and die on the vine.
But what about my men?
Starve Hansa Bay.
Starve Wewak.
Starvation is my ally.
Okay,
soldier, welcome to the fight.
So the cut of the cards has dealt
you a tour of the Pacific.
What's it going to be
like fighting the nips,
and who is this man, Douglas
MacArthur, your new commander?
Let's take a look at the general
who, in a few short months,
has turned
the tide towards victory.
Colonel Whitney. Yes.
We've been expecting you.
Welcome to New Guinea.
Come in out of the light.
I'm so sorry.
That's all right.
Please,
have a seat right over here.
Excuse me just a moment. I have
to watch this one section.
Okay, that's more like it.
I understand you're here to organize
Philippine guerrilla activity?
Yes, that's right.
But, you know, I've just
come from Washington,
and I must tell you
straight off,
you've done an absolutely top-notch
job on the general's press.
He's America's
hero now, you know,
and no small amount
of credit belongs to you.
Well, we don't want the home folks
to forget about us out here.
I don't think you realize the
dimensions of the excitement.
Here. Letters from
congressmen, senators,
corporation executives,
even two governors.
And thousands of
just plain folks.
"You are big, B-l-G,
"enough to do
a complete housecleaning
"of parasitic
bureaucrats in Washington.
"As long as the war is on, only
a military figure like yourself
"can unseat the man
in the White House."
There's one from a lady in New
Jersey I want you to read.
Excuse me a minute. I just
want to look at this closing.
Oh, sure.
Just remember,
America's greatest combat general
will be leading you into battle.
"Hit them where they ain't."
That's his motto.
This is the MacArthur touch.
Combining sea and air power
as never before,
he's leapfrogging right over the enemy's
strongholds to cut their chow line,
all the way to the Philippines.
Now you get your chance to
fulfill the immortal pledge.
I came through,
and I shall return.
Good. Good.
Some exciting stuff there.
Thank you.
Okay on this one to Washington.
Wow. President MacArthur.
I like the sound of that.
Only question is, how does
it sound to MacArthur?
You know that I have no
political ambitions whatsoever.
General...
General, this country's
always had a hero.
Washington, Lincoln, Lindbergh.
Now you.
It's in all the papers.
The Republican ones.
No, sir.
Democratic ones, too.
Listen to this woman
in New Jersey.
She says, "I have never wanted to
sin with any other man in my life,
"but I would with you."
How about it, General?
Here's a little boy in Moline, Illinois.
Wants to know,
"Why do you carry a cane?
Are you feeble?"
General, what we want to do
is to print "I shall return"
on candy bars, matchbooks, chewing
gum, sewing kits and pencils,
and drop them on the
Philippines to boost morale.
- First-rate idea.
- Yes, sir.
But back in Washington, the Office
of War Information wants to know
if, before things get going,
you'd be amenable to a small
revision of the wording.
What sort of a revision?
Well, sir, they feel that "We shall
return" is more to the point.
"We shall return"?
Yes, sir.
I fail to see what purpose
that would serve.
Why does Roosevelt
want me at Pearl Harbor?
What's he up to?
Why haven't I been told
what this is all about?
I'm perfectly
willing to discuss strategy
with Admiral Nimitz,
if that's what they want.
I suspect Roosevelt has been pulling
some strings to keep me in the dark.
You know, he's always
favored the navy.
That's our general.
And you should see the fire-engine
red car he just drove up in.
Douglas MacArthur,
starring Douglas MacArthur.
He keeps me waiting
half an hour,
and then he gets a bigger
reception than I did.
Now I see what Eisenhower meant.
He said he spent nine long years
with MacArthur,
studying dramatics.
Excuse me, sir.
Would you look this way?
Keep talking and act natural.
You're looking well, Douglas.
Tell me about your family.
Just fine,
thank you, Mr. President.
Sorry that I couldn't entertain
Eleanor when she was in Australia.
She enjoyed visiting
with Mrs. MacArthur.
You, as I recall, were out
of town fighting a war.
Oh, and, Douglas, before
we get down to business,
I'd like to take
this opportunity
to present you
with a decoration.
The Order of Merit for
conspicuous inspiration
of the American people.
General MacArthur,
we have asked you here
because the Joint
Chiefs of Staff
have been considering for about
a year, without a decision,
the next step to be taken
in the Pacific War.
The president has decided he
would like to hear firsthand
the views of his commanders
in chief in the field.
Admiral Nimitz, would you
please present the plan
prepared by you
and Admiral King?
Yes, sir.
In our westward drive
across the Pacific,
the navy's consistent goal
has been to cut Japan's
line of communication.
Now, as you know,
the central Pacific offensives
have taken under control
the Gilbert,
the Marshall and
the Mariana Island groups.
Now, in our view, the sound
strategy for early victory
is to occupy the western
Pacific and seize Formosa,
both to control
the Formosa Strait
and as a jumping-off
point against Japan.
Now, this means bypassing the
main Philippine island of Luzon
until Formosa is secured.
After General MacArthur's troops
have seized
the southern Philippines,
the access of advance that
should get the highest priority
is the central Pacific
offensive toward Formosa.
General MacArthur
could then move into Luzon
and recapture Manila after my
forces have taken Formosa.
In fact, with the fall of Japan,
the liberation of the northern
Philippines, including Manila,
will follow de facto, without
any need for force of arms.
We therefore propose to invade
Formosa at the earliest opportunity.
And my planners are convinced that
a target date of March 1, '45,
is not unreasonable.
Well, Douglas,
how does it sound to you?
I'm a soldier, and I'll hold
the horse if so ordered.
To bypass isolated
islands is one thing,
but to leave in your rear
250,000 Japanese troops
drawing their sustenance
from the Philippines
involves serious
and unnecessary risks.
From Luzon,
I can clamp a blockade
on all supplies
from the south to Japan,
thus forcing her to
an early capitulation.
Therefore, I propose that we
land at Leyte Beach on Luzon,
and then carry
the fight to Manila.
Given a successful landing, aren't you
afraid of a long and bloody campaign?
With the kind of performance and
support provided thus far by the navy,
I can be in Manila in five weeks
from the day my troops
step ashore on the beaches,
and well before next March.
General, how can you say that?
Because for two years, Filipino
guerrillas have been working
behind the Japanese lines to set
the stage for our landings.
It's your position to know, but I can't
conscientiously agree with this estimate.
To take Luzon would demand heavier
losses than we can stand.
It seems to me
we should bypass it.
In my two years of fighting
in the southwest Pacific area,
and they have been long,
hard years,
fewer Americans have been killed
than in the single
battle of Anzio.
The days of
the frontal attack are over.
Only your mediocre
commanders use it.
Your good commanders
do not turn in heavy losses.
Douglas,
Admiral Nimitz's victories
have been no less than your own.
Franklin, all the years
we've known each other,
I don't believe I told you how my
father won his Medal of Honor.
No, you never did, but you're
about to do it now, aren't you?
It was during the Battle
of Missionary Ridge.
At the height of the fighting,
he saw the flag go down.
As others around him faltered,
he seized up the colors,
and rallied the troops
to victory.
Admiral Nimitz is one of
our greatest admirals.
But just now,
as I listened to the plan,
I thought I saw
our flag going down.
Oh, did you?
Mr. President,
had we the will to do so,
we could have saved Bataan and
Corregidor in the first place.
To sacrifice Luzon a second time
cannot be condoned or forgiven.
My dear General,
bypassing Luzon is not
synonymous with sacrificing...
But bypassing Luzon has implications
which stain American honor.
Do you realize what the Japanese
propagandists are telling
the Filipino people?
That Americans will
never shed their blood
to save the colored
peoples of the Earth.
Your zeal is understandable.
I admire it.
But we can't let it interfere
with a workable Pacific strategy.
"I give to the Philippines
my solemn pledge
"that their freedom
will be redeemed.
"The entire resources of men and
material of the United States
"stand behind that pledge."
Your words, sir.
Mr. President, General MacArthur's
points are well taken,
and I'm sure that
the Joint Chiefs
will wish to consider
them very carefully.
I shall return.
I am going back there next fall
if I have to paddle a canoe.
If your decision be to bypass
Luzon, with its millions of people,
thousands of
American prisoners of war,
to continue to languish there
in agony and despair,
I daresay that the American
public would be so aroused
that they would register
complete resentment against you
at the polls next fall.
Arthur? Arthur Prettyman.
Get me an aspirin tablet.
No, no, make it two.
Nobody can talk me into a headache
the way General MacArthur can.
Gentlemen, I think
it's time to call a recess.
It's been a fatiguing day.
Indeed it has, sir.
Recess was my
favorite time in school.
It's getting to be
that way in war.
Douglas.
Yes, Mr. President?
Why haven't you come home
all these years?
Well, I've had
my hands full out here.
The country has evolved,
grown mature.
Change is inevitable, you know.
The things I value never change.
My only regret is that my son
has never seen his country.
He's never been home.
Where is that for you?
Well, in a sense,
the army is home.
Even my swaddling
clothes were khaki.
Mainly l...
I think of West Point as home.
The lecture halls, the football
fields where I became a man.
And l...
I also see a terrace
overlooking Manila Bay.
Yes, the Philippines
are also home.
I appreciate and understand
your feelings, Douglas.
Now, I shall inform the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, upon my return home,
that I have had two
excellent briefings.
I'm sure they'll be
both pleased and delighted.
And I shall ask them to make
their decision promptly.
Thank you.
I'd like to return to my
command as soon as possible.
For 40 years,
I've held a firm conviction
that a commander's place
is at the scene of the battle.
I agree with you entirely, Douglas.
That is why I am here.
"Southwest Pacific
forces to invade Leyte.
"Target date
advanced to 20 October."
Hot damn, we got it.
This'll make the old man happy.
He'll be returning
to the Philippines
two months earlier
than he expected.
Sergeant, I want you to get this
out immediately, if not sooner,
to all top command headquarters.
Good morning, Captain.
Good morning, sir.
Good morning, General.
Earplugs, sir.
Thank you.
Good morning, Mr. President.
Good morning, General.
President Osmena,
earplugs for your ears.
Thank you.
I hope to hell they do as well on the
beaches as they did in training.
I don't think you have to
worry about that, General.
I know the 5th Cavalry.
When I was a little boy, my father
was a captain at Fort Selden,
New Mexico territory.
Geronimo, the Apache scourge,
was on the loose,
and it was a troop from this same 5th
Cavalry that rode through to help us.
They fought then.
They'll fight now.
And they'll win.
Look at that,
Mr. President.
The second wave is
going in upright.
Our intelligence reports said the
Japanese wouldn't let us on the beach.
But just look at those boys.
Nothing will stop them.
Where's my landing craft?
I'm going ashore.
I had it delayed, sir. Heavy
enemy mortar fire on the beach.
I felt it was unsafe for
the commander in chief...
The landing craft, Captain.
Aye, aye, sir. Bring the
general's landing craft.
President Osmena,
you're home at last.
Follow me.
Correspondents,
please stay in the rear
until after the general
makes his statement.
No questions... Gerry, where
are you going with that?
I'm gonna get a better shot
down the beach, sir.
I want that camera
right where it was.
I wanna see that wreckage
in the background.
The general will think
this smoke is marvelous!
Get back!
Correspondents, back!
Low angle, remember.
Stay.
You see, General, my people are going
to laugh if I fell in deep water.
I cannot swim.
That's not so bad,
Mr. President.
Everyone's about to see
that I can't walk on water.
People of the Philippines,
I have returned.
By the grace of Almighty God,
our forces stand again
on Philippine soil.
The hour of
your redemption is here.
Rally to me.
Let the indomitable spirit of
Bataan and Corregidor lead on.
As the lines of battle
roll forward,
rise and strike.
For your homes
and hearths, strike!
For future generations of your
sons and daughters, strike!
In the name of your
sacred dead, strike!
Let no heart be faint.
Let every arm be steel.
The divine guidance
of God points the way.
Follow in His name to the Holy
Grail of righteous victory.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hold it. Hold it.
General, sir, you've arrived
at the front lines.
Well, I see our boys
fully 100 yards up ahead.
Sir, that's only a forward patrol.
The men are under enemy fire.
You'd be in extreme hazard if
you go on up past this point.
There's Japs right up there.
You can't fight them
if you can't see them, son.
Let's go.
I don't believe it. That's the
first time I've ever seen
a commander in chief
take the point.
Yeah, he's the greatest
general since Sergeant York.
Cease fire! Cease fire!
Come on.
Will you look at him? Does he really
think that he can't get hurt?
God damn it, of course he does.
I've got a little
surprise for the general.
Morning, gentlemen.
Good morning, sir.
Sir, pursuant to
an act of Congress,
you have been promoted to the
rank of General of the Army.
Such promotion to take
effect 18 December, 1944,
by order of the president.
Sir, we thought that you should
get these on as soon as you can.
You got your
fifth star, General.
Well, I have no objections.
I like the look of them.
Congratulations, sir.
Thank you, Court.
I think it would be a good
idea to take that mortar out
before someone gets hurt.
So good
to see you, General.
Finally returned,
but a little late.
May God bless you.
So good to see you.
Thank you.
Get me some more
shots of these people.
Hello, sonny.
You know, I've got a boy at
home just about your size.
I have. Here we are.
Nice going, General.
Survivors of the death
march are in here.
General, you really
made it back.
Oh, I'm never gonna forget this.
We're long overdue, sir.
Long overdue.
It's okay.
We knew you'd come back, sir.
Thank you.
We knew you wouldn't forget us.
We tried. We're a little late.
I'm sorry.
Colonel Fox here, sir. We're
sure glad to see you, sir.
I'm a little late.
I'm sorry.
Yes, sir.
General? General?
General?
Thank God.
Thank God you're here.
We're long overdue.
Long overdue.
Castro.
Yes, sir.
I'm sorry I'm
so unpresentable, sir.
You never looked
so good to me, Castro.
Ladies and gentlemen,
if you've ever had
a load of hay fall on you,
then you know
how I feel right now.
I don't know if any of
you pray, but if you do,
you could pray God to help me.
Good luck, Mr. President.
I wish you didn't
have to call me that.
I never felt so out of
place in all my life.
Here is the caisson
of Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
now making the turn off of 15th
Street into Pennsylvania Avenue.
God give me strength to do this.
And there is
the flag-draped coffin.
The horses with black blankets
under their saddles.
The horses on
the right side, unmounted.
And it's moving ever so slowly
as the crowd stands
to pay their last respects
to the man who was their leader,
their commander in chief,
and their friend.
Mr. President.
Hello, General.
We need your authorization.
What have you got?
Well, the president...
Mr. Roosevelt never told me.
They never told me.
We spent months of staff time,
tens of millions of
dollars in preparation
for the greatest
invasion in history,
and when we're primed and ready,
they send an Air Force officer
to tell me they've
constructed this apparatus.
General, what happens
if it doesn't work?
What happens if it does?
Yes?
Excuse me, Admiral Halsey, the
representatives are all on board, sir.
The British
commander of Singapore
has just been released
from a prison camp.
Percival. Good, good. What
about that Russian fellow?
General Derevyanko. He's here.
What gall. The Soviets
declared war after we'd won it,
and now they wanna
horn in on the surrender.
There's someone else
here, too, sir.
General.
Jim.
General.
Jim.
I'm so glad to see you.
General Wainwright, I don't
think you know Admiral Halsey.
Welcome aboard, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Jonathan, good to see you.
Yes, yes, of course.
And Admiral Nimitz.
General.
Admiral.
Come and sit down, Jim.
I'm sorry.
No, no, don't talk like that.
I've disgraced you and the army.
You have not.
That's not true.
We were starving.
You don't have to
say anything, Jim.
I had to shoot my horse.
I realize they'll never
restore me to active duty.
That's not true, Jim. You
can have whatever you want.
Command of a corps.
That's all I want.
Your old corps is yours
whenever you're ready, General.
Sid, what did I do with Jean's pen?
Yes, sir?
Here we go, sir.
We are gathered here, representatives
of the major warring powers,
to conclude a solemn agreement
whereby peace may be restored.
The issues have been determined
upon the battlefields of the world,
and hence, are not for our
discussion or debate.
The representative of
the Emperor of Japan,
and of the Japanese
Imperial General headquarters,
now sign the instrument
of surrender.
General Sutherland, will you
show him where to sign, please?
The supreme commander
of the Allied powers
will now sign on behalf of all
the nations at war with Japan.
Will Generals Percival and
Wainwright come forward, please?
The representative of the United
States of America will now sign.
The representative of the
Republic of China will now sign.
The representative of the
United Kingdom will now sign.
The representative of
Canada will now sign.
The representative of France...
The representative
of Australia will now sign.
The representative of the
Netherlands will now sign.
The representative
of New Zealand will now sign.
The representative of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics
will now sign.
Today,
the guns are silent.
A great tragedy has ended.
I speak for the thousands
of silent lips forever stilled
among the jungles
and the beaches
and in the deep waters of the
Pacific which marked the way.
I pray that
an omnipotent providence
will summon
all persons of goodwill
to the realization of
the utter futility of war.
We have known
the bitterness of defeat,
the exultation of triumph,
and from both we have learned
that there can be
no turning back.
We must go forward to preserve
in peace what we won in war.
The destructiveness
of the war potential
through progressive advances
in scientific discovery
has, in fact,
now reached a point
which revises the
traditional concept of war.
War,
the most malignant scourge
and greatest sin of mankind,
can no longer be controlled,
only abolished.
We are in a new era.
If we do not devise some greater
and more equitable means
of settling disputes
between nations,
Armageddon will be at our door.
We have had our last chance.
Court, I want you to tell
Washington that I'm transferring food
and medical supplies
to the Japanese authorities.
Yes, sir.
The next priority is
to get those men home,
get them to work
rebuilding this country.
I don't know. In terms of communication,
transport, industrial plant,
there isn't any country.
Yeah, well, they'll
have to build a new one.
A new Japan with new ideas, but
preserving the best of the old.
Yes, sir.
All of our troops
will be judged by me
for their conduct
as men and as soldiers.
I want them to
understand that the Japanese
must be treated with
courtesy and respect.
Alexander, Caesar,
Napoleon all failed
as occupiers of
conquered countries
because of the harshness
of their policies.
I do not intend to fail.
We're coming up
on the palace now.
I wonder whether it wouldn't be a
good idea to summon the emperor
to explain your policies.
Show of authority
to the Japanese people.
No. No.
After a lifetime of studying
the Oriental mind,
I can tell you that
I must not directly
challenge the authority
of the emperor.
He lives there in that palace across
that moat, half god, half king.
His decrees limit the degree
of each man's freedom.
His word is absolute.
The time will come when
Hirohito, of his own volition,
will cross that moat
and come to me,
and that will mark the beginning
of the end of his absolute power
over the Japanese people.
Good morning, sir.
Good morning, Court.
Morning, gentlemen. I've been going
over these additional suggestions
from the State Department
on the occupation.
I have to work them in with our
own task force recommendations.
General Marquat, what's
happening with land reform?
The landowners are having difficulty
with their tenant farmers.
Oh, they are?
Well, I don't wanna ever hear
the word "tenant farmer" again.
I want these privileged landowners
stripped of their holdings.
We'll break up
these great estates.
Yes, sir, but...
They've been squeezing
the farmers dry far too long.
But, sir, they're very strong.
Are they strong, sir.
They may not be as
strong as they think.
And the right-wing
industrialists,
now, they are the fellows
who led this country to ruin.
I want them expunged.
Expunged, sir?
Don't you think that you...
All in the best possible
legal language, of course.
I want to see a labor
movement take root.
Labor movement?
That's right.
The workers must have a strong
voice in the means of production.
General, pardon me, but this
reminds me somewhat of...
Well, it's like...
Like what?
Like the New Deal.
Ah.
Well, this is Japan,
not America.
But considering
her fascist past,
it might be good to move her just a
little left of center, don't you agree?
Yes, sir.
Of course, we wouldn't
call it the New Deal.
No, sir.
Now,
Japanese women.
What about them?
They must be given the vote.
The men are not gonna like that.
Well, neither did
our men at first.
General, I'm sorry,
but I still think
it's too much to expect
a feudal country like Japan
to swallow a whole
new constitution in one gulp.
Their cabinet
will never go for it.
The old cabinet wouldn't,
but we've yet to hear
from the new prime minister.
And may I
congratulate you
on your appointment,
Mr. Shidehara.
Thank you.
General, I extend
to you my gratitude
for the penicillin your medical
services made available to me.
It aided me in recovering
from a serious illness.
Happy to be of assistance.
Diseases are conquered, sir,
even very old,
epidemic diseases.
Yes?
Sometimes, though, the
cure is slow and painful.
Yes, of course.
Is there some
particular difficulty?
General, our new
constitution must forbid
any military establishment
in Japan whatsoever.
There must not be an army,
a navy or an air force.
We must renounce now and forever
the use of force as an
instrument of national power.
Mr. Prime Minister,
I can only...
Please, hear me out.
Of course.
In this way,
and only this way,
can we eliminate forever
the power of the militarists.
Only in this way
can we reassure the world
that Japan no longer has warlike
design against any people.
We are a poor country, with 70
million person to feed and clothe.
We cannot afford armaments.
We cannot afford
the trapping of power.
And never, never again can we
suffer Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Let us renounce war, sir.
Please, let us renounce war
in the new constitution
and forever.
Mr. Shidehara,
no man detests war
more than this soldier.
My abhorrence for it
reached its height
with the development
of the atom bomb.
No man, sir, could be
more moved by your offer
or more determined to accept it.
Well, it's damned embarrassing.
I've been telling
Congress for months
we need 400,000 men in Japan,
and MacArthur holds
a press conference,
says he can make do
with half that number.
Now, General, did he clear
this with you? No, sir.
There's been some
misunderstanding.
Not by me, there isn't.
I invited MacArthur
to come home.
I wanted to discuss
occupation policy with him,
and I expected him
to back up our position
before the congressional
committees.
So I held out
the big carrot to him.
I told him we'd set up a series
of welcome-home
demonstrations
and a joint session of Congress.
Well, you know what he
replied, Congressman?
He said he thought the situation
was just too dangerous over there
for him to come home right now.
Said he was too busy.
That's what he said to the President
of the United States. Damn it!
General Derevyanko,
I must say I've missed you.
Only short visit to Moscow.
A meeting with my superiors,
a holiday on
Caspian Sea with family.
Good, good. I was afraid
that Stalin had had you shot.
No, no, no, no. Why do you say that?
Would Truman have you shot?
Sometimes I wonder.
Now, General,
it's come to my attention
that several
hundreds of thousands
of Japanese prisoners
fell into your hands
in the closing days of the war.
You understand
that the Japanese authorities,
and my own superiors as well, are
pressing me for an accounting.
We have some small numbers of enemy
troops in our hands, that is true,
but I can assure you that,
in this matter, as you know,
my government will abide by the
decisions of the Potsdam Conference.
Yes, yes, yes. When
will they be repatriated?
Soon. In that connection,
my government is making plans
for the occupation
of Hokkaido Island.
Hokkaido Island is occupied.
It is under my command.
The Soviet Union
is a coequal ally.
It is my government's intention
to occupy Hokkaido
on its own behalf.
As the supreme commander,
I represent all Allied powers.
We are fully prepared to
commence our rightful occupation
whether you approve or not.
You see, the terms
of my command are absolute.
This is not Germany.
I will not countenance separate
spheres of influence or occupation
of the home islands of Japan
as long as I'm in command.
Well, then, sir, my government
will insist upon a new
supreme commander.
If the day comes
when Soviet troops
attempt to land on Japanese soil
without my expressed consent,
I will throw the entire Soviet
delegation in Tokyo into jail.
Including you,
General Derevyanko.
I believe you would.
And I believe
this is where you get off.
As the historic changes
continue to transform Japanese life,
it was becoming evident this
week that the women of Japan
were winning their fight to end
family contract marriages,
the right to equal
cigarette and sake rations,
and the right to vote.
Dress fashions are not the only
thing that have changed radically.
In the newly established election,
13 million women went to the polls,
and in an unprecedented sweep,
elected 38 women lawmakers
to the House of Representatives.
I regret to say
something terrible has happened.
A prostitute, Your Excellency,
has been elected to
House of Representative.
Prostitute? Well, how many
votes did she receive?
256,000.
She must have
an unusually loyal clientele.
Now, after two and
a half years of painstaking work,
the war crimes trial
in Tokyo comes to an end.
As America prepares for another
presidential election year,
Japan celebrates 1948
with the first anniversary
of its new constitution.
Mmm. Not these.
I think this one's the best.
I thought you
might like that one.
That's fine.
Court, what time is it
in Wisconsin?
Oh, heck,
I can never figure out...
Polls closed
an hour ago.
I wish I had been there.
I would have had one of these
on every lamppost for you.
No, you don't, Vic.
No electioneering
within 50 feet of the candidate.
Why, General,
you're not a candidate.
Just another available citizen.
Excuse me, General,
but I'm from Wisconsin,
and my folks are voting for you.
Matter of fact, I would be,
too, only I'm not old enough.
Well,
thank you, son.
All the precincts?
This just came in on the wire.
You only won eight delegates.
Eight delegates out of 27.
It's their loss, General. You would
have made a great president.
Well, what's on
the calendar for today?
Here's to four more years, Mr.
President!
Hear! Hear!
Happy days are here again
The skies above
are clear again
So let's sing a song
of cheer again
Happy days are here again
All together shout it now
There's no one
who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world
about it now
Roaring their approval
here in the 1949 Tokyo World Series.
The Giants are the heavy
favorites this year.
Meanwhile,
as the Japanese economy
continued its painful
but steady recovery,
the mood of the nation began to
reflect the growing cultural change.
Yes?
General, I'm sorry to
disturb you at this late hour.
We have a dispatch
from South Korea.
The North Koreans have
struck in great strength
across the boundary
at the 38th parallel.
In great strength?
Yes, sir.
Assemble the staff.
I'll be there presently.
Why, General, what's happened?
One last gift to an old warrior.
My fellow Americans,
tonight we face
a serious situation.
On the advice of the best
military minds I could muster,
I have decided to commit United States
ground forces to the Korean peninsula.
We are not at war.
Acting in concert with our
United Nations allies,
we are engaged
in a police action
to counteract a bandit
raid into South Korea
by North Korean Communists.
Would you like to
use my binoculars, sir?
No, thank you.
I've seen all I have to see.
General, what happens next, sir?
My father was asked
that same question
when he found himself
surrounded in the Civil War.
He said, "The situation is
simple and apparent.
"The enemy is closing
on me from three sides,
"and my plan is
to fight like hell."
Now with the threat of
annihilation temporarily forestalled,
MacArthur pays a worried visit to
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek,
leader of the Nationalist
Chinese on Formosa.
Son of a bitch, that's
a goose step they're doing.
Here it is felt the foundation
is being constructed
for Sino-American
military cooperation.
Damn it!
Didn't we send MacArthur
to Formosa to do
just the opposite?
Call off Chiang and tell him he couldn't
send his troops into mainland China
or anywhere else?
We didn't send him over there to
forge his own personal alliances.
Hell, that sounds like
we're concluding
some kind of
mutual defense treaty.
Mr. Secretary, I want you to radio a
message to His Majesty MacArthur.
What's the matter with them back there?
Have they lost their nerve?
I know all about Chiang.
If he had two horns and a tail,
we should use him
as long as he's anticommunist.
We can reform him later.
It's my destiny to
defeat Communism,
and only God or those
Washington politicians
will keep me from doing it.
You didn't read
this one, did you?
It's a letter to
the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
"Nothing could be more fallacious
than the threadbare argument
"by those who advocate appeasement
and defeatism in the Pacific
"that if we defend Formosa,
we alienate continental Asia."
Signed, Douglas MacArthur.
You hear that? "Appeasement, defeatism."
That's me he's talking about.
Alvin, can you explain
why he's done this?
No, Mr. President,
I'm afraid I can't.
Well, did any of you
know in advance
this letter was
gonna be printed?
I want it withdrawn right now.
Good morning, General.
Whitney.
I haven't seen that
pipe in a long time.
In looking over your positions
this morning, General Walker,
I saw that plans are afoot to
conduct retrograde movements
and abandon the perimeter.
Effective immediately,
these plans will be scrapped.
The present line will be held.
We don't have
any perimeters, General.
Just a few scattered
strong points.
As soon as I put out one fire,
another two get started.
I know that you're
outnumbered in this thing,
but sending you more troops
so you can hang on to this
little corner of Korea
is not good enough.
Well, I'll settle for
a regimental combat team.
Can't do it, Walt. We
need every man we've got.
General Shepherd
is putting together
an overwhelming amphibious
assault on Inchon.
Inchon?
One stroke, it'll cut
across the enemy's rear,
sever his supply lines, and isolate
all of his forces south of Seoul.
Without munitions,
supplies, communications,
the North Koreans
will be paralyzed.
Inchon is the worst...
Then you can break out of that corner,
move north and overpower them.
I think that Inchon will
finish the North Koreans.
What?
It'll never be approved.
Inchon has some of the
highest tides in the world,
but only once a month do they
reach a height sufficient
for our largest
landing craft to go in.
There are maybe two
three-hour periods
when MacArthur
can put troops ashore.
Which is not enough time for
a major amphibious landing.
Exactly. This is little more
than a trench in the mud flats.
If every possible handicap were
listed, Inchon has them all.
However, gentlemen,
MacArthur claims
that these very handicaps
are what he's counting on.
He feels that the enemy
won't believe that anyone
would try to surmount
such obstacles.
The element of surprise will
be his most valuable ally.
What do you think of
His Majesty's plan?
It's daring, it's brilliant,
and it's dangerous.
Court, you remember I once said,
"The bullet has not yet been
cast with my name on it?"
I certainly do.
Inchon could be that bullet.
There's 70,000 men out there
waiting to hit Inchon.
As of this moment,
the president has not
personally approved
this mission.
The last communication I had
from the Joint Chiefs
said that
he'd been "informed."
He vacillated, delayed.
Finally gave begrudging
permission to proceed here.
Powerful enemies, Court.
Who advised Truman
that I was insubordinate
when I visited
Chiang Kai-shek?
Who persuaded him to force me
to withdraw my letters
to the Veterans of Foreign Wars?
Who are those who seek to humiliate
me and undermine my authority?
The Communists and their fellow travelers
in the British Foreign Office.
If Inchon fails,
they will have a jubilee.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff
approved this invasion
because your
arguments were valid.
Yes, they were valid,
but if the enemy is ready
with a superior force,
we will not be able to disengage
without suffering
enormous losses.
We could lose this entire fleet.
This date could be marked as one
of the greatest military tragedies
in American history.
General,
I don't think for one...
Are you surprised, Court?
I'm sharing my doubts with
you after all these years.
Did you think
I was invulnerable?
It just came in.
We've got Wolmido Island.
What?
Wolmido is ours.
It took my boys 58 minutes.
Good work,
General Shepherd. Good work.
I'll be the first to admit it.
He did a hell of a job,
and here's to him.
Hear, hear.
What's the matter, Alvin? Don't
you like the taste of victory?
Bourbon's not bad, either.
Yes, Inchon is a masterstroke.
Damn right it is. Now that's
what I call "generalling."
I've heard that
the North Koreans
have turned tail and are running for home.
Lickety toot.
It's not the North Koreans
I'm worried about.
Mr. Panika, the Indian
ambassador to Peking,
informs us that any American
troops above the 38th parallel
will provoke an intervention
by the Chinese.
Yesterday, we monitored this very
same warning over Radio Peking.
Yeah, well, we've heard that sort
of thing before, haven't we?
Now, how serious are they?
Frankly, we don't know.
Well, what's MacArthur say about it?
He's not worried.
He's calling it
political blackmail.
Well, he's probably right.
Mr. President,
let's watch our step.
If we expand the war in
Korea to include Red China,
we're up against the
Soviets, A-bomb and all.
Alvin, you go on ahead to Wake Island.
Make the usual preparations.
I think it's time I had a
talk with General MacArthur.
I never met the man.
Yes, sir.
Wake Island,
Mr. President.
By golly,
that was quick.
How about one of you
fellas radio on ahead?
See if the big general's there.
The president should be greeted.
He shouldn't be the greeter.
I don't see him,
Mr. President.
They probably had
a little trouble
getting him down off his cross.
Wait a minute.
There he is.
That son of a bitch isn't in
uniform, he's in costume.
I don't know why it is
an old man like that,
and a five-star general to
boot, has to run around
dressed up like a 19-year-old
second lieutenant.
I'll tell you one thing, if he
was an officer in my outfit,
I'd bust him so fast he
wouldn't know what happened.
And making me wait.
He can do that to Harry Truman,
but not to his
commander in chief.
General, I've been
a long time meeting you.
I hope it won't be
so long next time.
Why, so do I.
General Bradley.
MacArthur.
Oh, yeah. Bess sent along a
plum cake for the missus.
How very thoughtful.
Thank you, sir.
And how are Mrs. Truman
and your daughter?
Oh, they're fine.
Just fine, thank you.
General,
I've read a little
military history, and it's a
pleasure to congratulate you
on your success at Inchon.
Now, that was the work
of a master strategist.
Thank you, Mr. President. Coming
from you, that's a real tribute.
And I'd like to apologize for any
misunderstanding raised by my trip to Formosa.
Oh, don't think anything more about that.
I understand your feelings.
I was a captain in Battery
D in World War I,
and, well, that was the center
of the whole war effort for me.
Well, perhaps you should have
stayed in the army.
Nope, I don't think so.
I've heard it's a bad idea for
army men to dabble in politics.
Mr. President, you know that I'm not
involved in politics in any way.
I did let the politicians make a chump
out of me in the '48 elections.
If a general is going
to be running against you,
his name will be
Eisenhower, not MacArthur.
Eisenhower?
That man doesn't know as much about
politics as a pig does about Sunday.
General, I came over here
to listen to your ideas
on the rehabilitation
of postwar Korea.
Mind if I smoke,
Mr. President?
No, I suppose
I've had more smoke
blown in my face
than any man alive.
The formal resistance,
I believe,
should end in Korea
by Thanksgiving.
And now that we've authorized
military operations
above the parallel,
do you include North
Korea in that estimate?
Yes, I do.
By the time I'm finished, we should have
the entire peninsula under control.
General, you do
understand the limitations
on your directive from
the Joint Chiefs of Staff?
No military operations beyond
the Chinese and Soviet borders,
and no American troops
near those borders.
Yes, I believe I understand
that directive fully,
and our boys should be home
by Christmas, Mr. President,
provided that Red China
stays out of the conflict.
Well, I'm glad
to hear that, General.
I've got the whole
United Nations on my back.
Now, a couple dozen members have
got troops under you in Korea,
and the whole bunch
of them are scared stiff
that we're pushing them
into World War III.
Now, there's no doubt that
Stalin's pact with Mao Tse-tung
pledges that the Soviet
A-bomb backs the Chinese
if we should tangle with them.
You mentioned Chinese
intervention now.
Is there any chance
of that, do you think?
Mr. President,
you must have
more complete intelligence
on that matter than I have.
Anything that I would say
would be purely speculative.
Of course.
And I'm sure that
you also realize
that any question
involving China
requires a political evaluation,
not simply a military one.
Our intelligence on the
Chinese is limited.
They're believed to have about
300,000 men in Manchuria,
but I doubt they could get more
than 50,000 across the Yalu River.
They'd be highly vulnerable
to our air attacks.
So in my opinion, the chances of
Red intervention are minimal.
And if they were to try to
get down to the parallel,
they'd be walking into
disaster, a crushing defeat.
Well, I've never had
a more satisfactory conference
since I've been President.
General MacArthur is a member of the
government of the United States,
and he's loyal to that government
and to the United Nations,
and he's loyal to the president
and his foreign policy,
and he's confident that the fighting
in Korea will soon be over.
That's what he said.
Hey!
What the hell is this?
Turkey! Real turkey!
What'd you expect,
shithead? It's Thanksgiving.
Best thing about Thanksgiving
is eating white meat.
I tell you, if I had my way...
General Bradley called me
at 6:15 this morning
with a message from
General MacArthur.
He says there are 260,000
Chinese out there against him.
He says he's stymied.
Says he has to go
over on the defensive.
It isn't a matter
of a few volunteers.
The Chinese have
jumped in with both feet.
Well, what are they saying
about me in Washington?
Sir, to be candid about it,
they think you walked
into a Chinese trap.
That was a deliberate
misunderstanding.
The defeat of the North
Koreans was decisive.
In the face of this victory, the
Chinese Communists have committed
the most offensive act of
international lawlessness in history.
We are now facing a new,
fresh, highly-trained army.
What does Truman mean by calling
this a "police action"?
Isn't it a fact that the
casualties are mounting daily?
This "police action" has almost
destroyed the Korean nation.
For what?
Guess I've seen as much
blood and disaster
as any man now living.
Every time I come out of here,
I could just be sick.
It curdles my stomach.
Does he intend
to let this go on?
By what sophistry of reason?
Sir, he has the Russians to
consider, and our allies.
General Bradley
feels the same way.
He says that a war with China
would be the wrong war
at the wrong time, in the wrong
place and with the wrong enemy.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I requested permission to bomb the
Chinese airfields in Manchuria.
The request was denied.
I requested permission for hot
pursuit of enemy aircraft
into their privileged
sanctuary above the Yalu.
That request was denied.
I requested permission
to bomb the Yalu bridges
to keep the Chinese
out of Korea.
They said, "You might bomb the
southern half of the bridges only."
In my 50 years of
military service,
I have never learned
how to bomb half a bridge.
It's the most imbecilic order ever
given to a commander in the field.
This is appeasement.
Unless some positive and
immediate action can be taken,
we should withdraw
our forces to Japan.
Forgive me, sir, but...
There are some of those back home
who believe that it's possible
to regain
the offensive without...
Well, without danger
of widening the war.
Without widening the war?
Well, the Eighth Army is Ridgway's now.
He can do what he likes.
It won't do any good.
For the first time
in military history,
a commander has been denied
the use of his military power
to safeguard the lives of his
soldiers and the safety of his army.
It leaves me with a sense
of inexpressible shock.
Well, hallelujah. Matt
Ridgway's retaken Seoul.
What'd I tell you?
I wish I could celebrate,
but the war hasn't been won.
The battle lines roll up
and down, up and down.
Victory nowhere in sight.
This isn't war.
It's half war.
It's an immoral
compromise with evil.
There's more than dust
settling in Korea, Sid.
It's American blood.
Yes, sir.
Oh, the head of
the United Kingdom
mission wants an
appointment with you, sir.
Well, what does he want?
He's worried that we're
getting desperate in Korea,
and we'll use the bomb.
Probably more worried about protecting
British profits in Hong Kong
than in saving lives in Korea.
I'll shift his appointment, sir.
Excuse me, General. We just got
word that Washington wants you
to stop all offensive
operations immediately.
What?
They want to affect a political,
rather than a military solution.
They're planning to draft
a cease-fire proposal.
They ask for any recommendations
you may have for minor adjustments
along your battle lines
to consolidate your position
for adequate defense.
Minor adjustments?
What are they talking about?
Why should I recommend anything?
This is total capitulation.
Well, sir,
in view of Truman's feeling,
you want to substitute
your policy for his.
I couldn't substitute
my policy for Mr. Truman's,
because Mr. Truman
doesn't have a policy!
Well, fine, sir.
Why don't you
let me notify them that
you're taking the proposals under
study, and that way, we'll be...
No. I have
a better idea.
We'll send a message
to the Chinese commander.
Put it on all the wire services.
I want maximum exposure.
Sir, you have been
specifically prohibited
from issuing any statements.
Sir, that is a direct
order from the president.
And that is part of
a dangerous concept,
that men of the armed forces
owe their primary allegiance
to these temporary occupants
of the White House,
instead of to the country and the
Constitution we're sworn to defend!
I ought to kick his insubordinate
ass right in the Sea of Japan.
The lousiest trick he's pulled.
I travel 14,000 miles to reach
an understanding face to face,
and he still thinks he can do
exactly what he damn well pleases.
Can you imagine? He
actually sent a message to the Chinese
threatening to
destroy their forces
unless they were to negotiate a
solution with him personally.
You know, there's a story
where Abe Lincoln was trying to
mount a horse that was skittish,
and the horse kicked a hind
hoof into the stirrup.
So Lincoln says to him, "If you're
gonna get on, I'll get off."
Well, I'm not getting off.
I think Roosevelt should have pulled
Wainwright out of Corregidor,
and left that five-star,
brass-hat MacArthur there
to be the martyr.
What shall I do with
the cease-fire proposal?
Scrap it.
I can't approach the Chinese
on any political basis,
not after this.
That man's trying to start World War
III, and I'm trying to prevent it.
I'll fire that brass-hat
prima Donna right now.
Who the hell does
he think he is? God?
What do you think Congress would
do if I relieve the big general?
Congress would flay you alive.
Fortunately for me, the navy
outfielder's throw was also wild,
over the third baseman's head,
and with those two wild throws,
I was able to dash around
the bases into home
with what turned out
to be the winning run.
Excuse me.
And the final score was
West Point 4, Annapolis 3.
I think that the loudest
cheers were led by my mother.
She was always there.
They used to say about us
that we were the first...
The only mother and son
ever to graduate
from West Point on the same day.
That was in Annapolis
in the spring of...
Well, Jeannie,
we're going home at last.
That was the first varsity
baseball game ever played
between West Point
and the Naval Academy.
Well, so much for
my baseball career,
and for happy memories.
And now will you
excuse us, please?
I've
never seen anything like it.
The entire city's
come out to celebrate
the return of
America's greatest hero.
Officials estimate from seven to 10
million people are here on hand,
and that surpasses
Lindbergh's and Eisenhower's
homecomings put together.
Schools are out,
the crowd is excited,
the office workers are...
Just have taken a holiday.
Meanwhile,
in our nation's capital,
the statement from the Joint Chiefs
of Staff said in part, quote,
"It is fundamental
that all military commanders
"must be governed by our laws and
the constitutional guarantee
"of civilian control
over the military."
When asked to comment,
President Truman said...
Well, people who think
they're God
are bound to get into trouble
sooner or later.
What you have to understand
is that the people
of this country
are men and women
of common sense,
and whenever anybody
gets too far out of line,
the people are gonna take charge
and put him out of business.
But once war
has been forced upon us,
there is no other alternative
than to apply every available
means to bring it to a swift end.
War's very object is victory,
not prolonged indecision.
In war,
there can be no
substitute for victory.
For history teaches us,
with unmistakable emphasis,
that appeasement but begets
new and bloodier war.
Like blackmail,
it lays the basis for new and
increasingly greater demands
until, as in blackmail,
violence becomes
the only alternative.
"Why?"
"Why," my soldiers ask of me,
"surrender military advantages
to an enemy in the field?"
I could not answer.
The magnificence of the courage and
fortitude of the Korean people
defies description.
They have chosen to risk death
rather than slavery.
Their last words to me were,
"Don't scuttle the Pacific."
I am closing my 52 years
of military service.
When I joined the army, even
before the turn of the century,
it was the fulfillment of all
my boyish hopes and dreams.
The world has turned
over many times
since I took the oath
on the plain at West Point,
and the hopes and dreams
have long since vanished.
But I still remember the refrain
of one of the most popular
barrack ballads of that day,
which proclaimed
most proudly that,
"Old soldiers never die.
"They just fade away."
Like the old soldier
of that ballad,
I now close my military career,
and just fade away.
An old soldier
who tried to do his duty
as God gave him
the light to see that duty.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, hell.
He's running for president.
I give you
the greatest war hero
America has ever known,
our finest leader of men,
our most brilliant strategist,
a man of inspiration
and a man of action.
I give you the next President
of the United States,
five-star General of the Army,
Dwight David Eisenhower!
What kind of president
do you think he's gonna make?
I think he'll make
a fine president.
He was the best clerk
who ever served under me.
The shadows are
lengthening for me.
Twilight is here.
My days of old have
vanished tone and tint,
they have gone glimmering through
the dreams of things that were.
Their memory is one
of wondrous beauty
watered by tears and coaxed and
caressed by the smiles of yesterday.
I listen vainly, but with thirsty
ear for the witching melody
of faint bugles
blowing reveille,
of far drums
beating the long roll.
In my dreams,
I hear the crash of guns,
the rattle of musketry,
the strange mournful mutter
of the battlefield.
But in the evening of my memory,
always I return
to West Point.
Always there
echoes and reechoes,
duty,
honor,
country.
Today marks my final
roll call with you.
But I want you to know
that when I cross the river,
my last conscious thoughts
will be of the Corps,
and the Corps,
and the Corps.
I bid you
farewell.