I have a nice load of ladies
for you this morning.
Them city dick turd packing hookey
motherfuckers have drafted...
my main man away.
They'll send you off to kill Chinks.
Who's gonna take care of
the vineyards for me on the street?
Look son, I don't care
what you mother says.
You're doing the right thing by joining up
now. Get the service out of the way.
You're fighting a real war over there,
boy. It's not like your make up stories.
You're always bragging about
how you ran off and joined up.
It's good enough for you.
- Vinnie...
- Come on, Jill.
Vinnie, I've got work to do.
You've got work to do?
What am I, going to a picnic?
Hey, where you going?
Excuse me, Inspector. You think
J. Edgar Hoover would fire you?
Well, the cuffs have got to stay on.
Bets, about last night, I...
Well, I just...
I want you to know...
Don't worry, Billy.
I wanted to.
It'll make me feel closer
while you're away.
Well, take care of your ass, nigger.
Take care.
You take care of yourself, you hear.
You relax, just relax.
I'll get out of this.
I'll kiss the sergeant or something.
Hey, peace, man.
Make love, not war, man.
August 27, 1967.
We took the oath this morning.
Tyrone Washington, Chicago, Illinois.
Billy Ray Pike, Galveston, Texas.
Me, Alvin Foster, Emporia, Kansas.
Vinnie Fazio, Brooklyn, New York.
Dave Bisbee, Seattle, Washington.
And a bunch of other guys
from all over the country.
I decided to keep a journal...
and write about our experiences
in the Marine Corps.
Maybe I can get it
published some day.
That is if anybody even wants
to read about what happens...
to a bunch of guys
they're gonna send to Vietnam.
- Hey, look at them guys march.
- What?
Hey, you think we're gonna get
machine guns?
I don't know. What do I look like,
an information booth over here?
- Just guys are marching.
- Hey, my name's Alvin.
Hey, Alvin, I'm Vinnie.
Vinnie Fazio.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Nice to know you.
- Hey?
- What?
- You ever shot a machine gun?
- Have I ever shot a machine gun?
- Yeah.
- I'm from Brooklyn.
- We play ball on the streets, you know.
- You play baseball?
Yeah.
All right, you people, listen up.
You are now at the US Marine Corps
recruit depot San Diego, California.
When you left home, you were under
your mother's care, you are now...
under mine. From now on, you will not
eat, sleep, blow your nose...
or scratch your ass
until someone tells you to do so.
I am going to give you approximately
30 seconds to fall out of this bus...
and god help the last man off because
you better give your soul to god...
because your ass is mine.
Do you understand?
- Yes!
- I can't hear you.
Yes!
Are you a bunch of old ladies?
I still can't hear you.
- Yes, sir!
- Move!
Move. Get out. Get out.
You get out of the bus right now.
God dammit!
What the fuck has the goddamn
recruiters given me now?
Holy shit!
I've never seen a bunch fucking
walking garbage heap in my life.
You look like a bunch of sorry
son of a bitches if I ever saw them!
Mister, you got something
tickling up your ass?
What the fuck are you
bouncing up and down at rest for?
What are you looking at, Hollywood?
Straight eyes.
I don't owe you no money.
Man, we got
Jesus Christ with us today.
What are you looking at? You
should be looking at your father...
God, not me.
Do you find something funny?
Get on fucking knees...
and you be his disciple.
You freaking...
You find again something funny, huh?
Listen, man...
- Listen, man?
- I don't want any hassles.
I mean, I like you. I like you.
I ain't gonna give you no hassle,
I like you too.
- Okay.
- Maybe you love me?
- Yeah, I love you. I love everybody.
- Very good.
I love you, too.
Maybe one day we'll get married.
If you don't get your shit together,
you ain't even have to worry...
about getting engaged!
Okay?
What?!
- All right, sir!
- Thank you very much!
You find something funny?
- Did you eat shit this morning?
- No, sir.
Then why the fucking shit eating grin?
What do you mean?
Don't even start to explain yourself.
You're a bad fucking excuse.
Get up on your goddamn feet,
you shit head!
Come on, snap to!
Hollywood, what are you looking at?
Take off those goddamn glasses
before I yank them off you.
Hey, god dammit.
You, with the fucking pretty face.
What are you spitting
on the ground for?
- What is that shit in your mouth?
- Chewing tobacco, sir.
- It's what?!
- Chewing tobacco, sir!
What the hell are you doing,
chewing tobacco in your mouth?
I don't know sir.
I chew when I play baseball.
Do you think this looks like
a baseball stadium?
- No sir, it doesn't.
- Then what the hell...
are you chewing tobacco for?
You got on the wrong fucking train?
- Or did they draft you?
- No, sir. I enlisted, sir.
- You did what?!
- I enlisted in the marines, sir.
What the hell did you do
a thing like that for?!
- Answer me, god dammit!
- I wanna be a marine, sir.
What the hell for?
- So I can fight for my country, sir.
- You fucking turd!
Right now I can't stand
to look at you.
Sergeant, get this shit
out of my fucking face.
I'm Sgt. Loyce.
I'm your drill instructor for the next
two fucking months, maggots.
Jesus. How in the hell do they
expect me to train fucking marines...
when they won't even send me
human goddamn beings to start with!
Sergeant, get these fucking people
through receiving barracks.
I'm gonna help you out. I don't wanna
drop any of their fucking civilian...
slime on the way through. Jesus!
When you are told to do so,
you will reach down by your right foot...
...pick up your bags, empty the contents
on the table in front of you.
You will empty your pockets and place
the contents of your pockets...
on the table in front of you.
Do it, now!
What do you got
in your back pocket?
- A diary.
- Contraband, get rid of it!
What do you got in your pocket?
All right, Technicolor rubber.
- I bet you're a virgin, aren't you?
- I lost it when I was 13.
- What?
- I lost it when I was 13, sir!
Contraband, get rid of it.
- What's in the plastic there, private?
- Cookies from my girlfriend, sir.
Bullshit, contraband,
put it on the table.
Oh, what do we have here?
A little faggot, huh?
Get your jewelry off there,
sweetheart, and put it on the table.
What do you have in your
pocket there, lipstick?
Jesus.
Put the goddamn thing on the table!
You will answer
the following questions.
Have you ever had any sexual act
with another man?
With an animal?
Do you wet your bed?
Do you like to wear women's clothing?
How often do you masturbate?
- Where's your belt, private?
- What?
- Where's your belt?
- Well, I don't know. Where's his?
I'm asking you private.
Where's your belt?
I must have left it in my bed.
You get your belt and you better report
back to me when you're through.
- You understand?
- Okay.
- You get your belt too.
- Yes, sir.
Unhook.
Move it out, guys.
Get out there.
Move it out.
Move it out.
Go, go, go, go.
Asshole!
Get up there.
Move it up to the private
in front of you in file.
Platoon 163 here.
First five privates, get on the chair.
Move it up. Hurry!
We don't have all day, private.
Move it up.
Hold it up there, little man.
Get out of here.
Move.
Move it up.
We're late.
We don't have all day, ladies.
Anytime, anytime.
Move it up.
Next five. Next five.
Come on up, quickly!
Get in here.
Get in there, Jesus.
I want you to do a special job
on Jesus for me there, huh.
Very nice.
Yeah.
Do Jesus real good there for me.
I want to see Jesus' bald head.
Huh, Jesus? Huh?
Very cute.
Sexy.
Very nice.
Cute.
Try to stay in step with the private
in front of you.
Keep your head always up.
Move it up.
Get in there.
Move. Move. Move.
All right, you maggots.
Listen up.
We're gonna say
your Marine Corps prayer.
You will repeat after me.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death...
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death...
I will fear no evil...
for I am the biggest, baddest,
meanest motherfucker in the valley.
For I am the biggest, baddest
meanest motherfucker in the valley.
When I tell you to prepare to mount
you will say "Prepare to mount" after me.
You're will say "Aye, aye, sir."
Then you will do it
as I give you the command.
- Prepare to mount.
- Prepare to mount, aye, aye, sir.
Do it.
At attention worms.
At attention.
You will repeat after me.
- Gung ho.
- Gung ho.
- Louder!
- Gung ho!
- Gung ho.
- Gung ho.
- Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.
- Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.
Revelry you at 0430.
You boneheads go to sleep.
Who the fuck is Chesty?
Who's gung ho?
Hey, what do you think,
we're gonna get to shoot tomorrow?
Oh, great, they got bizzaro over there,
one of those gung ho types.
Hey, what the hell is that?
It's the only paper
I could find to write on.
Oh, yeah?
Tell me, what are you writing,
a note to your asshole?
- No, it's sort of like a journal, sort of.
- Oh, a journal, huh?
Why don't you write in your notebook
or something like that?
You saw them,
they took my notebook.
They did?
What's that under your pillow then,
Swiss cheese? What?
- Hey, that's it.
- Hey...
This is mine.
This is my notebook.
That's right.
- Hey, how'd you get it?
- I don't reveal my sources.
I didn't register because I figured
if they got you, they got you.
If they don't, they don't.
Well, they got me.
I guess that's my karma
coming out the Marines.
Shoot
I knew the Army could draft you, but
did you know the Marines can draft you?
The guy at the recruiting office told me
that if I can prove myself as a writer...
he could get me assigned
to public information in the Marines.
- Oh, yeah?
- Right.
So I can write about all the stuff
we do around here. And then...
if we get sent to Vietnam
I can get into combat information...
...write about the war.
- Combat?
- Yeah.
- You wanna get into combat?
- I'm gonna write about it.
What, are you kidding me?
Listen, I'll tell you something.
The only thing I wanna get into is
how I'm gonna get the hell out of here.
And Vinnie Fazio is
gonna get his ass out of here.
- Out of boot camp?
- Yeah, out of boot camp.
- Good luck.
- Good luck?
Hey, listen.
You gotta know the angles.
I've seen a golf range
on the base on the way in.
All the hoi polloi use the golf range.
All you gotta do is move in,
get with the people that can help you.
That's what I'm talking about.
Well, you're gonna have
to do it without me.
I'm not going.
I'm getting out of here.
- I'm not killing anybody.
- Hey...
What's the matter with you,
you chicken?
Shit.
Pussy.
Hey, what are you doing, son?
And what are you doing, son?
You're gonna get warts, boy?
Hey, stop shouting, you jerk!
Jerkin' himself off!
Give me back my blanket.
Shut up!
You listen to me dip shit.
And I ain't gonna repeat myself.
Don't mess with me.
Don't mess near me.
Don't bring no heat down on me.
You're all headed for a fall and
I ain't taking the ride. Do you dig?
You just stay clear of Tyrone.
Because your all a bunch of fuck ups.
And you're all gonna die.
Every last one of you.
You too, dipshit.
Platoon 163.
Sir, Platoon 163.
Aye, aye sir.
Get on the road.
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
Hurry up.
Quickly, quickly, quickly.
What are you doing on my grass,
private, huh?!
Move, move, move.
You wanna rest on that grass?
Get in line!
Move it down.
Move it down.
Oh, what do we have here?
Nice fucking move sweetheart.
When we come out of the village
we're fully dressed, you understand me?
Do I make myself clear?!
Oh, Christ, my nuts!
- Do you like your nuts?
- Let go, man, what are you doing?!
You don't talk to me like that.
- Do you like your nuts?
- Yeah.
- You want some?
- Shit, yeah.
- Do you wanna keep them?
- Yeah.
All of you son of a bitches,
grab your fucking nuts.
Right now, grab your nuts!
You too, you freak.
All of you guys grab your nuts.
- Grab your fucking nuts.
- Get a hold of them.
- Do you like them?
- Yes, sir.
- Do they feel good to you?
- Yes, sir.
If you fucking guys
wanna keep them son of a bitches...
...you better listen to your
drill instructors.
I'm trying to help you keep them.
- Is that clear?
- Yes, sir.
Do you think your girlfriends is gonna
love it if you come back without them?
No, sir.
If you come back without your balls
they're gonna find another guy.
Did you understand
what I'm saying to you?
Yes, sir!
I've got eight weeks to train you...
to think, to act, to be one.
I'll have to make you
depend on each other.
I have to make you
a fighting Marines unit.
Look around you.
You like the man next to you?
You think he's a nigger or
that one's a Jew or that one's a spik!
I don't care.
That motherfucker
is gonna save your life one day!
And you better depend on you buddy.
And you're buddy's buddy.
- You understand what I'm saying to you?
- Yes, sir.
Sergeant!
Explain your two tours
to these people...
and clean this shit off
the fucking street.
I spent 26 months in Vietnam.
And I can tell you
right goddamn now, privates...
if you don't pay attention to what's
happening here in the recruit training...
and learn, you're gonna come back from
Vietnam in a goddamn plastic body bag.
Right now the casualty rate for
young Marines is over 50 percent.
If you don't pay attention, you are
gonna be that private in the body bag.
September 1, 1967.
We can't seem to do anything right.
In fact, half of us don't even know
our right from our left.
Sgt. Loyce says if Uncle Sam
is counting on our platoon...
to win the war for him,
he's betting on the wrong side.
Without my rifle I am useless.
Undoubtedly, you people have set
some kind of a new record today.
You have fucked over
these weapons so goddamn bad...
they'll probably never fire again!
Let's move.
Oh, come on, baby, pull that out.
Get out of here!
Peace!
Kill, kill, kill!
Come on, Alvin.
Protect yourself, Alvin.
Alvin, get up, get up.
- Come on man, get up now.
- Come on Alvin, get up.
Protect yourself!
Come on Alvin, get up.
Protect yourself.
- Pop it!
- Hey, man!
Why'd you get on my foot, boy?
All right, move it up.
Quickly. Quickly.
Jesus, get your ass back there.
Go over that goddamn bar.
Let see a little goddamn teamwork.
Quickly!
God damn it, you're in combat!
AK-47s are firing over your head.
They'll tear your asshole
the size of a goddamn basketball.
Move it up.
Get over there. Get over there.
- How's my time, sir?
- Good work, but you lost, dummy.
You left the half of your goddamn
platoon behind the enemy lines!
Come on, get moving.
Don't wait.
Don't you wait for him.
Shit!
Faster private!
God damn it, Washington, you just
put two private's on a trip wire.
You just wiped out everybody
in a 50 meter radius, you dummy.
You wiped me out!
Go!
God damn it, teamwork.
You're all dead!
Get in the fucking water.
Get in the water.
Get in the fucking water.
You're all dead.
Get over there Washington, quickly.
You're dead!
The VC just heard you
and you're dead!
And you can thank that man.
Washington, you're instructors
have been telling you for weeks...
...to pull together, pull together.
But he let you get wiped out.
That's all it takes,
one fuck up.
You look like shit.
So I'm going to give you a shit detail
that will help you pull together.
Let's get this goddamn aircraft loaded.
Let's get this aircraft loaded.
Get them moving.
Hey, Billy Ray Pike.
Billy the Vile.
Damn, you ain't Smoke Spaulding,
are you?
In the flesh, bro, in the flesh.
You know, I got me
a nice soft desk job here.
I'm the company clerk. You know,
I thought that was your name I saw...
- on that telegram I got the other day.
- What telegram?
Your D.I.'s got it, man.
Betsy's up at Ocean side,
and the Marines...
- Wait man, Betsy's here?
- What a hole in the wall!
- Full of sailors.
- Shit man. She might need me bad.
Hey man, you gotta...
Can I get to see her?
- Can you give me a pass?
- Hold your horses.
Don't get your balls in an uproar.
Look...
I gotta take some stuff op tomorrow
and I'm gonna a private to help me...
Goddamn shit.
Oh, my god!
Christ Almighty!
Shit! God, no!
- Who's in charge here?
- The Lieutenant, sir.
The Lieutenant.
Is that your Lieutenant?
Leave me. Leave me.
Get away.
- Are you all right?
- Alvin...
- What the hell.
- I'm okay, nothing happened.
Damn bastards.
Just trying to make fools of us.
I knew they were just
trying to scare us.
They did a good job on you, Billy Ray.
You almost pissed in your pants.
Bullshit.
Good afternoon, Lieutenant.
What seems to be going on here?
Well, sir, it looks like we just
wiped out your entire platoon here.
We got an airplane
and two trucks beside.
Now, sir, I'm afraid
there has been mistake.
These people die at my command.
Excuse me, you gentlemen are all dead.
Will you please lie down?
I'm their drill instructor.
This a recruit platoon...
Are you all right?
All right? Hey, I knew they were
blanks the whole time.
El Toro called up and they said
they had an emergency shipment...
...that had to go to Vietnam.
I volunteered my privates...
to come up here and now
they are involved in some kind...
- of a silly ass war game.
- Excuse me, sir.
This is not a game.
This is an advance combat tactical
exercise and these men are all dead.
Now, lay down, that's an order!
Come here, Lieutenant.
May I have a word with you?
You're dead. You're dead.
Get down.
Get down!
What is all this stuff anyway?
- HQ111 Marine Air Force, Da Nang.
- RVN. What's RVN?
Republic of Vietnam.
This stuff is going to Vietnam, Alvin.
What is this?
Ouch!
What the hell is this?
I don't know.
Hey, Fazio.
- Foster, what is this stuff?
- We don't know.
I think it's a giant rubber.
Put it over your head,
Pike, you're a big prick.
Shit.
Hey, look here, man.
Looks like an airbag or something.
I don't think so.
Hey, I got it, you sleep in it.
It's a lightweight, sleeping bag.
Look at this!
Hey, look at this.
It's for sleeping, man.
I can sleep all night in this thing.
Hey, Billy...
Billy, if you fall asleep in that,
you won't wake up.
It says it's a body bag.
What's a body bag?
What's a body bag?
That's what they ship the stiffs in.
Damn, the zipper is stuck.
Get me out of here.
Get me out!
- Come on. Come on.
- Come on, take it easy.
Hey, Alvin, are you still writing
about that creepy shit?
Listen, I'm gonna show this
to the public information officer.
This is a story
I can really say something about.
I mean, the way they stick somebody
in one of those bags...
...seal it up and send it off?
It's like a neat little convenient
package.
And nobody even thinks
about what's inside.
Yeah?
Nobody ever looks inside.
Alvin, Alvin, look at this.
This is that driving range I was
telling you about. Look at this.
And look, look at the full bird
colonel out there.
And look at the legs
on the chick his playing with.
Well, I'm gonna be that guy's Caddie.
I'm not fooling around here, no more.
- Hey, Vinnie, no, no...
- Hey, hey, listen...
You only got one shot, right?
I mean, it's not like you got forever,
you know what I mean?
- Yeah, I know what you mean.
- Okay, see you.
Take it easy, man.
Stupid motherfucker.
What else can we do?
You know...
You see...
I heard about, you know,
down in Tijuana...
they got real doctors.
They ain't like it as here.
You're allowed to...
You know. I mean...
- I can get the money.
- I have the money.
It's just ain't the right time now.
It's just not the right time.
You see?
I see.
Baby...
I gotta go.
Please don't leave yet.
Halt. Who goes there?
Hey, you!
Goddamn! Oh, Goddamn!
Jesus!
You son of a bitch,
you didn't have to shoot me.
Well, you scared
the shit out of me, asshole.
Goddamn!
Sir, here are the agents of Hanoi who
have come to fuck the Marine Corps, sir.
Which one is the Dago, Fazio?
Ain't he the cute one?
It says here, he was trying to get his
end in with the Colonel's daughter...
...out on the driving range.
Let me tell you this, private.
We'll take care of your
overactive sex drive in here.
We got us a Foster, Alvin,
apprehended by public information...
...for disseminating classified
and subversive material.
- No, sir, that was...
- Quiet, Billy Ray.
AWOL and resisting arrest.
Sir, private's wounded, sir.
Quit your whining you candy ass turd!
You ain't got nothing but a scratch!
And you, what are you doing
bleeding all over my floor?
Sir, this prisoner
is by nature a filthy hippie.
He was trying to desert,
but he was so high on marijuana...
that he tripped and fell
into the barbed wire, sir.
That's a lie.
I'm sorry.
That's a lie, sir.
Don't you wanna be
n the Marine Corps, Private?
Don't you want
to fight for your country?
Sir, the war in Vietnam
is a purely, internal, civil war.
- Do you believe that crap?
- Yes, I believe that.
You're all fucking communists.
Sergeant...
Get this faggots out here. See if you
can teach them how to walk around...
without falling down and
hurting themselves all the time.
About face!
Move out!
Hey, there Jethro, what for
they stick us in this outfit?
They got more niggers in this platoon
than the Oakland fucking Raiders.
Sambo, why don't you get some of that
whitewash on your black ass there?
Hey, boy, what you going
inside for there, boy?
I thought the hot sun
don't bother you.
Sir, Private Washington requests
permission to speak with...
- the drill instructor, sir.
- Speak.
Sir, Private Washington requesting
permission to enter the duty office, sir.
Enter.
Sit down.
You've met our four new
replacements yet?
Their drill instructors call them
the four fucking stooges.
Replacements?
Man, I ain't no fool.
Those fucks won't last
a week out there.
And anybody who's gotta depend
on them is already dead meat.
I don't believe that.
But I'll tell you what, Washington.
I respect your judge of character.
You think they're anymore fucked ups
in the rest of the shit we got in this...
- goddamn platoon?
- No, shit.
Why don't you just march
the whole fucking platoon right here...
blow their damn brains out right here...
cause you're gonna end up
killing all of us.
I'm not the goddamn one, Washington,
that's killing these people.
It's you, asshole.
You're the one!
- Not me.
- That's bullshit. That's Bullshit.
That's bullshit!
Let me tell you something,
Washington.
I've got one hell of a shitty
goddamn job here.
They send me 60 to 80 buckets
of civilian shit...
and expect me to train them to become
combat-goddamn-ready marines.
I've got to send these people
to Vietnam.
I'm the one that has to send them.
They're gonna come back in bags.
They're gonna come back in
wheelchairs.
They're gonna be maimed.
They're gonna be fucked up people
when they come back.
It's up to me how they come back.
And you, asshole,
Washington, you're not motivated.
You're not motivated at all.
You can fucking help me.
But no, hell no.
You've got your goddamn
head up your ass all the time.
You're playing your own
silly ass goddamn game.
But I tell you one thing, hippie,
you're gonna start playing my game...
or you're gonna find yourself
in combat in Vietnam...
and you're gonna have Charlie
shooting at you from the front...
and the four Stooges are gonna be
shooting at you from the rear.
Sir, are you talking to me
man to man?
Yeah, I'm talking to you,
man to man.
Then will you remove your hat, sir
so I could face you eye to eye.
I don't mind at all, Washington,
if it's gonna help you out.
Okay, sir, what do you want me
to do, huh?
I mean, what the fuck
do you want me to do, man?
You want me to...
You want me to be a good nigger...
so you can march those boys
out of the brig, is that it?
No, Washington, I don't want...
Goddamn, I don't want a good nigger!
I want a goddamn man
that's out there pushing these people.
Somebody they can trust, somebody
that they know is trying to help them.
I want somebody
that they can count on in Vietnam.
I don't want them to be afraid
to fall down...
because they know somebody's
behind them to pick them up
and stand them back up
on their goddamn feet.
I got eight fucking weeks
to teach these goddamn people...
what it took you to 20 years
to learn on the streets.
Now, you show me
that kind of a goddamn nigger...
and I'll give you a platoon
that will stand by you.
A platoon that will save your ass
in combat, Washington.
And they will
save their own asses, too.
Teamwork, goddamn it.
Teamwork.
Yes, sir.
Sir...
Can you get them back?
Yeah, I can get them back. But I'll you
one fucking thing right now, hippie.
You start this lone wolf shit
again on me...
and I'll stick you with a maggoty ass
bunch of goddamn shit...
you've ever seen in your life.
You are bound to get fucking killed...
in the first week in Vietnam.
Get them back.
- I got your goddamn word?
- You got my goddamn word.
All right.
Go out there and get rid of that...
Those four fucking scumbags.
Send them beck where the fuck they came from...
and I'll go down to the brig
and I'll pull some strings...
- and I'll get our people back.
- Thank you. Sir.
You don't have to thank me.
Oh, shit.
Hey, boys, here comes our
pickaninny friend again.
What's the matter boy, they quit
giving away fried chicken in there?
Excuse me sir, but do you mind moving
your asshole downwind of me?
- You said what?
- Oh, I'm sorry, that's your mouth.
I didn't see the teeth. Hey man,
anybody could have made a mistake.
October 7, 1967.
Now we can't seem
to do anything wrong.
We're good and we know it.
We're the biggest, baddest,
meanest mothers in the valley.
I still don't know
if we can win the war single-handed.
But I feel sorry for anyone
who gets in our way.
Harch!
Rifle salute.
Harch!
Arms at ease!
Perfect. Perfect.
Outstanding, girls.
Haarch!
Hold on in front,
you're running away.
Settle down.
Washington, you're letting me down.
What we talked about the other day?
You are now a marine.
I am proud to be the first
to call you marines.
At 1400 hours you will
receive your orders...
assigning you to advance training.
Due to an urgent demand
for additional Marine manpower...
by the Navy's Mediterranean fleet...
only half this series will be
assigned to combat duty in Vietnam.
The other half will receive orders
for sea duty.
Drill instructors take charge
and dismiss your platoon.
Attention.
Platoon 163 dismissed.
Platoon 163 dismissed!
Aye, aye, sir!
- What's the matter?
- Oh, nothing.
Come on. You got a 50-50 chance
to go on a sea duty.
What are you talking about? Buford's
been looking at me the same way...
he looked when he found out
I was trying to hump his daughters.
I wound up in the brig, right?
I'll only wind up in Vietnam.
No, no, no, listen. He can't change
orders, they're already written.
Honest, listen.
In two weeks, you'll be in a beach
somewhere in Italy, take my word.
God, sea duty.
I got to get it.
All right, man. Well, just think
good thoughts. Think good karma...
and you will get it man, sea duty.
Sea duty, think sea duty, you know.
- Sea duty, sea duty, sea duty.
- Spaulding, man, he could swing it.
Yeah, you say things
are dry on the street.
Hey, man, well, before you know,
traffics gonna start to flow.
It will be coming in on a C-130
and Uncle Sam is paying the postage.
Is it safe?!
Spoon, it's air-tight and waterproof.
With Marine guards
and a band to boot.
I love it.
All right.
You too, brother, easy.
All right, last two people
for sea duty.
Daugherty M.
Fazio V.
You did it! That's it!
What's the matter, garlic breath,
you don't like boat?
- You get seasick?
- Oh no, I love boats. I love boats!
Boats, the Mediterranean Alvin!
Sorry, Sir, but we got
a change of orders.
- Private Vincent Fazio...
- Fazio, that's me.
I'm out of here man.
Signed by Colonel Buford...
- a new friend of yours.
- Buford?
Don't be getting your nut off yet,
private. Get back in formation.
You are now an O-300.
Col. Buford doesn't like people...
to come around and get
a little pussy off of his daughters.
- What's O-300?
- He just changed your orders.
- O-300, basic infantryman.
- Does that mean Vietnam?
Yeah.
Goddamn right, it means Vietnam,
numb nuts.
Goddamn it,
O-300 is basic infantryman.
O-3 fucking hundred
is the United States Marine corp.
Goddamn, bag of shit.
Now, I want you people over here
to get in this truck over here.
We're going to Pendleton. And you,
people, from here on over...
jump in the 6 by 8 it's by right here.
Quickly, let's get it done.
Come on girls.
Washington, come here.
I just want you to know,
Washington, I'm watching you.
You're under surveillance all
the time. You fuck up in Vietnam...
somebody's gonna tell me.
I swear to god...
I'll jump up on a goddamn
troop transport...
and come over and straighten your
ass out. Now, get in the fucking truck.
- Bye, girls.
- Bye, Sergeant.
January 4, 1968.
Vinnie finally got his boat ride.
And I finally have some time
to catch up with my journal...
after three tough months of advanced
training. The Marine Corp...
prepared us for everything except
our new company commander.
It's easy to see what's in your minds
as we steam for far-off angry shores.
So I'd like to share with you some
figures that have come my way. Gunny?
From 1961 until this past summer 1967,
only 13,000 Americans...
have died in combat in Vietnam.
You, you step forward.
That means...
of the 110 men in C company,
the chances are only two...
will die. I find that pretty
reassuring. Thank you, men.
I have a theory as to why we aren't
doing as well as we might in Vietnam.
Our thinking is shaped
by the games we grow up with.
The VC don't play by our rules. They
grew up with a game that demands...
constant movement
and fluid shifting strategy.
Now while you're on the ship,
you will all learn to play their game.
And, gentlemen,
their game is soccer.
Soccer?
Kiss my ass.
All right, you catch up with the ball
and kick it into the goal...
before it hits the white line.
You ready? You got to run. Go!
Come on, Fazio. Go.
Lt. Archer, sir?
Sir, some of the men were talking
about Captain Collins' theory.
And I was curious about
what you think of it.
Well, Foster...
I... I think it's bullshit.
January 9, 1968.
Maybe Lt. Archer is right
about the Captain's theory...
on how soccer can help us beat the
enemy. But at least, playing soccer...
keeps us from thinking about
the Captain's other theory...
and wondering if he's right that only
two guys in the company will die.
Anyways, he's get me
keeping stats on the team...
but I'm using the time to write
in this journal. Vinnie says...
if I play my cards right, this journal
could prove my writing ability...
and get me a desk job, behind
the lines, writing propaganda.
But what I wanna do, is get in to
combat and write about the real thing.
I guess I won't have to wait
much longer.
We're docking at Cam Ranh Bay,
Republic of Vietnam.
Hello, you darlings.
Dave, how do you say
"how much"?
- She says 300 Piestas.
- 300 Piestas? What am I, the bank?
- How much is 300 Piestas?
- That's about three bucks.
Three bucks... to get laid?!
Hey!
That's what I'm talking about!
Come on, man.
Keep your hands off my girl.
Hey, watch it.
You big asshole.
General quarters.
All hands man your battle stations.
Come on, come on, up.
Look out, we're the bad ass boys of
Company C are coming to save you ass.
Go, go, go.
Move, move, move.
Come on, come on, come on.
Al! Al!
I got the price down to two bucks.
What's the fuck is wrong with you?
Get out of here now! Let's move!
- Wait.
- Move!
Okay, I'm going. I'm going.
Goddamn it, come on!
Leave it, damn it!
Hurry! It's coming in here.
Captain, in here!
We've got to check
on transportation.
Lieutenant, get them all there.
I gotta check on the transportation.
Go on! In here, in here!
Move, move, move!
Come, you guys, let's go.
Move it, line up. Come on, move.
Move, line up!
Let's go, let's go.
Let's go, on the double!
Get your ass inside there!
Move!
- OK, go back.
- Fazio, what the hell are doing?!
- I got it down to one buck.
- Get the hell inside!
Move people move.
Pull in the rear. Attention!
Now, drop your duffle bags.
Drop your pants,
this won't last a second.
I am going to have to insert this,
take a little sample.
- It won't hurt.
- OK, I speak English.
You've got cold hands, little lady.
- It's Lieutenant.
- Sorry, Sir... Miss. Whatever.
What's the fuck's going on here?
With all due respect, sir,
this is an army matter.
These people are under quarantine
and will not be returned to the States...
until they've been checked
and treated for VD.
We must consider the loved ones
and wives back home.
That's absolute bullshit.
- People, please put on your trousers.
- Sir, I said the right...
Sergeant! These people just got
in the country five minutes ago!
They're United States Marines,
not the goddamn army.
Men, the airbase is shut down
by incoming rockets.
Looks like we're gonna be
stranded here for a couple of days.
Now, there is a vital army convoy
leaving for Long Khe in the morning.
General Dearborne up there is goddamn
anxious to get it through safely...
and I volunteered Company C
to ride shotgun.
We're gonna show that Army General
what a few good Marines can do.
Get in bed early.
We leave first thing in the morning.
What the hell
are these nurses doing in here?
- You won't believe me if I told you sir.
- Well get them out of here before...
somebody jumps them,
for Chrissakes.
January 10, 1968.
The convoy staffed at dawn.
Before we left, this army major
gave us a big speech...
on how vital and urgent it was
to get the convoy through safely...
to General Dearborne
up at Long Khe.
The country is beautiful,
it's so quiet.
It's herd to believe
there's a war going on.
- Do you play guitar?
- Oh yeah, you kidding me?
- Here.
- You do?
- Hold on, Fazio.
- Hold my rifle for me.
I got it.
Come on, Tom, you and do me do
some blues. Give me some of that...
West side Chicago stuff.
Well, you play like
you've got some black in you.
- He does.
- Come on, baby.
The pause that refreshes.
While we were stopped,
the Captain spotted some...
Vietnamese kicking a ball around
here. That was all he needed.
Billy is really a hotshot.
The Captain calls him twinkle toes...
and says with e star like Billy
we could put together e greet team.
What good that would do us,
nobody seems to know.
The Captain keeps getting lost.
But we 're not complaining.
And every time we stopped,
someone tries to sell us something.
We're having a great time.
But I just keep wondering about those
poor army guys sweating it out...
waiting for us up at Long Khe.
Get on that radio
and get a recovery vehicle down.
And get this road clear
on the double. Do it now.
I've got a working party. Get this
thing cleared in a minute, skipper.
Don't touch anything at all. This whole
goddamn place could be boobied.
We've got to get out of here.
Hey, Alvin, goddamn it! Put
the camera away. Are you crazy?
I don't like it.
I don't like it at all,
we're sitting ducks.
All right get back in here.
We're moving out, back it up!
No, Captain, you're gonna
bunch us up!
We can turn around in that clearing
and let's get the fuck out of here.
- Go, go!
- Keep your interval.
Do not bunch up.
Keep your distance.
Back, back, back.
All right, people, get down
and men the flanks.
Keep your distance,
keep your distance.
Don't bunch up.
Do not bunch up.
Keep your interval.
You must keep your interval.
Dismount, people, get out of here.
Get the hell out of the way, damn it!
Dismount, people.
Keep your distance, people.
Get on my shoulder man
and you be cool here.
I'm gonna make a tourniquet for your
leg. And you hold on to it...
you hold it tight, or you're gonna die!
I see him. You wanna fight?
Come on, Lieutenant,
let's stay on this motherfucker.
Hold your fire!
Hold your fire!
Delta 1, this is Bravo Alpha 5.
Come in, please. Over.
Delta 1, this is Bravo Alpha 5.
Come in, please. Over.
The boys have been hit hard.
Better call the MEDEVAC in.
No time for a goddamn MEDEVAC.
We're getting the shit blown out of us.
If I don't get some air cover,
we will be blasted.
You son of a bitch!
Asshole!
You... you motherfucking goop!
Delta 5, this Bravo Alpha 5.
Come in, over.
- Where's my RTO?
- He got hit, skipper.
I don't believe this.
Delta 1, this is Bravo Alpha 5.
Come in, over!
He's gone.
Must have had a tunnel.
Lieutenant, you're sure
he's not still there?
What the hell do you mean,
are you sure he's not still there, man?
You come bursting across the damn
field with that big ass gun.
We had him trapped,
we had him cornered.
We were gonna maim
that motherfucker.
One MEDEVAC is not is
not enough, goddamn it!
We're bleeding, we need more! Why
can't I get what I want around here?!
Jesus christ!
Captain!
- You got your two dead men.
- Easy, private.
Private, I don't have to take that shit
from you. Now listen to me!
It could not be helped. This is a war and
people die! Now we got a job to do.
We are taking a convoy to Long Khe
and it's vital and it's urgent.
This convoy will save hundreds of men
and two lives are a small price to pay!
- Easy, baby.
- Bullshit!
- Bullshit?!
- Bullshit, Captain!
At ease!
Is that your fucking vital supply, sir?
How many lives is this gonna save?
You son a bitch!
We're dying out here...
so that some shit bird general
can have his fucking pork steak!
Come on. Take it easy.
We must be having
a vital and urgent sale...
a vital and urgent sale
at the PX, huh, Captain?!
Out, out! Get it all out.
Happy birthday, Gen. Dearborne.
Here is your new
mobile whorehouse.
Compliments of Charlie Company!
Was it worth all this, Captain?
Was it worth it?
I didn't know.
Is it the Captain's job
to kill his own men?!
- Son of a bitch!
- The Major told me it was urgent.
- I didn't know! Son of a bitch!
- Come on. We gotta call in...
I didn't know! God damn it.
What the fuck? I did not know!
I never saw a dead body before.
They look real small.
You've never seen a stiff, huh?
- Did you?
- Yeah.
Well, not in real life, you know.
Just... on TV.
It's not the same.
January 11, 1968.
Our vital Army convoy finally got
through to the U.S. Army Base...
at Long Khe.
General Dearborne commanding.
The Captain says that since
we've shown the general...
what e few good marines can do,
he's given us 24 hours liberty.
T24 hours to eat,
drink, smoke and screw.
After what we've been through,
I don't know if we've got the energy.
But I know we left two guys back there
who'd have wished they had a chance.
Hey, do you want to buy
some ears, man?
I'm just glad I'll never be able to see
the sorry looking bunch...
of Army fuck-ups
that they died for.
Look at this!
Esther Williams Swimming Pool...
Beauty Parlor and Bowling.
That figures.
Hey, Albert. Albert!
The Nikon's here.
Trade in that toy now
and get a real camera.
I think I'm gonna.
Madame Cocos Steam Bath,
Massage and Health Club!
- Where?
- Follow the arrows.
- That's nothing. Look at here.
- Prime Cut Steak House...
home of Armed Force Television,
Channel 4, movie theater, snack bar.
Hey, man, now that ain't gonna be se
bad. Everything you ever wanted...
in a whole fucking world
is right here, on this base.
Hey man, I wonder where
the Base Hospital is?
Let's get out of here.
- Yo, Vinnie!
- What?
- Where is the Base Hospital?
- Hospital?
- Hospital?
- You take care of my shit.
I'm gonna go out here
and check out this new turf.
Oh, look at this, more stuff.
Now what am I, a closet?
Oh, don't do anything.
Just stand there, Alvin.
That's right.
Okay, you're ready to go out there
and show them what's what?
- Alight!
- I thought you're gonna sleep though.
I can't sleep, you know. I've been
sitting so long I get all cramped up.
- You know what I'm talking about?
- Yeah, I know what you're talking about.
All right, let's go. Let's have action.
You should have joined the Army,
Bisbee.
I didn't join, sir.
I told you already, I can't refill
that prescription. It's a narcotic.
Come on, it's just some little pills
they gave me back in boot camp.
Look, Private, I'm off duty.
Sick call's in the morning.
Hey, you got to give me something.
Wait a minute, goddamn it.
Come here, man. I'm not gonna talk to
you out on the street. Come on.
I want you to do
some of this stuff, man.
I mean, this is gonna
set you right partner, no lie.
Oh, man, are you crazy? I ain't gonna
shoot none of that shit in my veins.
Oh, I don't blame you, man.
I mean, I hate needles myself.
You just...
Now, I don't do drugs.
I don't want to get hooked on dope.
I just... I've been taking
some little pills that's all.
They gave them to me in boot camp
for pain. Demerol.
Demerol?
And what you think Demerol is?
Some guy in a lab...
he cooks this stuff up into little pills,
he sticks it in a bottle...
- it's the same as this.
- Yeah, like hell it is.
Well, there's just one way
to find out, huh, sport?
I need enough to circulate
in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles.
Everybody's out, everything is dry.
I'm here to represent
all the dryness there.
I need to meet the big man, here.
Beaucoup.
I'm taking about the big money,
dollars...
Motherfucker, do you
understand English?
Don't poke sticks!
OK, huh?!
Guns are different.
I am Col. Long Dong...
district chief and commandant
of the National Police Field Force.
- I suspect you know why you're here.
- Look, man.
I only went into that dump
to have myself a drink.
I took the wrong turn
when I was looking for...
Corporal, you're conspiring
to traffic heroin, don't deny it.
I wonder of you were aware
of the Vietcong bringing heroin...
down the Ho Chi Minh Trail and
that the profits support guerilla forces!
- I had no idea...
- Doesn't it bother you...
to harm your own troops?
Does it bother you...
to put money in the pockets
of your enemies?
No?
Good.
Doesn't bother me either.
Men of conscience have
no place in our business.
I understand you'll be stationed
in I Corps.
My brother-in-law, Col. Trang,
is District Chief there.
If we are to do business,
he will visit you.
What's the big "if"?
You understand that everything
you ship back to your country...
- is searched thoroughly?
- There's one thing that isn't.
What is that?
The body bags.
Oh...
Oh, Alvin...
Look at the tits on number 40.
Give her a 10.
All right, a 10?
- Nine and three quarters.
- Nine and three quarters.
While you're at it, write something down
and we'll get you the hell out of here.
I don't want to get out of here, Dave.
Al, it's true.
Half of your fucking problem
is no fucking!
Come on!
Hey, listen now, once you find
out that your pecker is good...
for more than goosing with, you won't
be so quick to want to get it shot off.
Yeah, yeah, all right, all right.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Okay, okay, okay, okay!
I got some money for everybody.
Hang on, baby.
There you go.
Sound off!
1-2...
Al, look at this!
Hey! It's Mickey Mouse Mantle
over here.
Doesn't look like
he can handle his stuff, huh?
- What he needs is a little more of this.
- You get that bottle out of his face!
Oh, my god, this boy is OD-ing
on some heavy shit.
If we don't get him up right now,
he'll be cold in half an hour.
All right, everybody up.
Hold on to this, Alvin.
Hold on. Here we go.
Everybody up!
What's this guy bringing,
potatoes in a bag?
Stop fucking up. If you're not
gonna help, get out of the way!
This guy's dying, goddamn it.
It's over. You get down.
Sandbag!
The enemy blew up the General's trailer!
We'll go through over the wire!
- There's VC all over the place!
- Pike!
Wake up!
What?!
The enemy blew up
the General's trailer.
All the world is exploding.
Jesus Christ!
Jesus h. christ!
Hey, Al!
Pike is sleeping like a log.
Bisbee, get down,
you stupid motherfucker.
Get over here and sit down.
Sit down!
Pike!
Oh, god...
Damn it! The VC are fucking having an
attack on us, and you're out there...
- playing your music.
- They're not VC.
I put a Claymore
under the General's trailer.
You put one more round
into the god damn mortar...
I'm gonna blow up
whatever brains you got left!
- There's 10,000...
- Asshole!
You and your freaks are the only ones
shooting anything around here.
Come here. Come here.
Come here!
Oh, man... I can't keep you
alive by myself.
Do you understand me?
Do you understand me?
I cannot keep you alive by myself!
You're gotta wanna live.
Come on, man.
I can't feel my legs.
What do you mean you can't feel
your legs? You're dying, man.
You're fucking dead meat, man.
You're fucking dying!
You understand me?
Look at your eyes.
Your eyes are like
two fucking pin holes in the snow.
Come on, Pike. Come on.
Come on, Pike. Come on.
Come out of it.
Come on, Pike.
You gotta help me, man.
You gotta want to live.
You son of a bitch,
you ain't gonna die on me!
You gotta wanna live,
goddamn it!
January 12, 1968.
We're on our way to the Division
Headquarters at Da Nang.
The Captain can't prove that Dave
blew up the General's trailer.
I just hope he hasn't noticed that
one of our Claymore mines is missing.
Billy seems to be fine now.
But Tyrone is still really pissed off
at him. I can't see why.
I mean, it wasn't Billy's fault
he got all messed up.
I sort of wonder what's really bugging
Tyrone. I know whet's bugging Vinnie.
He picked up a dose of clap
from those hookers.
And now he thinks I must have
it even worse than he does...
because I had three of those girls
come up to my room.
The only thing I did
was talk to them.
And I got some great stories
for my journal.
Of course,
how could I tell Vinnie that?
Look! Al!
Al, that's triage.
That's a hospital, Al.
- So what?
- So what?
So we gotta go see a doctor, Al, before
our peckers run off and crawl way.
Look, I'm dripping like a Good Humor
in July, you know what I mean?
What are you talking about?
I feel fine.
You feel fine? Hey, if I got the clap
from one of them...
you got it at least three times
as bad, right?
Now, listen, Archie went that way.
We go this way.
Keep your mouth shut. Come on.
Pike, look at that. That's The Dragons.
They're the soccer champs of I Corps.
Flashy devils, ain't they?
How'd you like
to beat the shit out of them?
You think what that would do
for morale.
All right, people set it down in here.
Take five.
Okay, Jarines listen up here.
It is your job to make sure...
that when a coffin contains
a body bag...
marked "remains non-viewable"...
that no one...
especially the next of kin...
will open that body bag
under any circumstances.
Okay, load them up.
But make sure that the coffins
are loaded with the head down...
otherwise embalming fluid
will collect in the feet...
and the body will begin
to decompose.
I'm not sure I'm ready for this.
January 14, 1968.
We've been assigned to the combat
base at Con Thien...
up near the DMZ.
We 're what they call
a Replacement Company.
All the guys are trying
not to think about...
what happened to the company
we 're replacing.
I'm not worried about that.
I just hope we get there
in one piece.
This is supposed to be
a pacified area...
but after what happened in the last
convoy, the guys are all pretty jumpy.
They see Vietcong
behind every rice pile.
And Vinnie almost shot
a water buffalo.
Captain Collins has been so busy
looking out for another ambush...
he's gotten us lost
three times already.
Bisbee, get on the horn and find out
what the hell he's stopping for!
- Yeah, I think you're right there.
- There! Over there!
Wait a minute!
Goddamit!
Who gave the order to shoot?
Get a hold of Archer. Get Archer.
- What's everybody shooting at?
- What the hell are you pointing at?
I was pointing at the road
to Con Diem!
Oh, shit.
Gentleman, welcome to Con Diem.
Your company commander tells me...
you've already had some
seasoning under fire.
Here, at the first battalion will take
a lot of pride in a high body count.
Now the company you're replacing
had the highest kill ratio...
in the whole damn division.
And I'd be mighty proud of any unit that
fought and died half as courageously...
as they did.
Now to back you up...
we got fire support on hill 609,
614, and right here.
And we can hit any damn spot
in the valley.
Charlie can, too!
Captain, get your people
on the Northeast perimeter.
I wanna see all officers, staff, NCOS
in the command bunker now. Move it!
Let's go! Let's move!
Go! Go! Go!
Move! Let's go!
Move! Move!
Let's go! Go! Go! Go!
Squad leader! First squad to the tree
at the first bunker!
Second squad to the first part
of the second bunker!
- Fire power!
- Lieutenant!
God damn it! The Colonel wants
your ass in the CT now!
On the double!
- Get somebody to watch that position.
- Yes, sir.
Hold your fire! Stop shooting!
Those are our own troops!
Shit, the VC's got them
pinned down!
Get the lieutenant. Tell him they got
pinned down by enemy sniper!
Oh my god! They're being shelled
by our own artillery!
Tell them, man, they're being shot at
by our own artillery!
- Our own artillery is...
- What the hell he's saying?
Says it's out of his hands.
The Colonel's in charged of this.
What do you mean,
it's out of his hands?
The colonel can't fucking see
what's happening man!
What the he'll are they doing
in that god damn hole!
God damn it!
You can't stop this!
Lieutenant...
Get the hell out of here! Not a goddamn
thing you can do in here right now!
Lieutenant, but you don't know
they're blowing away our own men.
The Colonel knows what he's doing,
goddamit!
They're walking the artillery back to
the tree line so that they can...
- zap the snipers and free our patrol.
- But he's walking it right over our men!
And you know that, man, you could
see that if you weren't hiding...
down in this god damn hole!
Man, you gave us all the jive
about playing Charlie's games...
by Charlie's rules, and you're
fucking down here...
staying in this place
from the god damn bench...
...like Charlie's standing still
waiting for the ball to be snapped.
- Back it up, man!
- Go ahead, kill me, man!
Harry!
Keep your goddamned mouth shut,
Washington, just for a goddamn minute?
Captain... Captain...
Call off the artillery.
Give me a few men...
I'll go up and get those gooks
out of that tree line.
Lieutenant, the colonel has decided he'd
rather commit firepower than risk manpower.
Just shut up!
And you get your black ass beck on that
line before I court martial you both.
Jesus Christ!
These assholes are not gonna help us.
Now go ahead now. Go ahead!
Hey, Red, I need this man.
I owe you a favor.
Later.
I need this shit, man.
I will give it back to you later.
Come on, Pike!
Here, Fazio.
Bisbee! Get you're ass over here
and follow me, on the double!
Keep low!
OK. Everybody stay down
and stay quiet.
Don't you fire
until I give you the signal.
Pike? Don't fuck this one up.
Now!
Yeah! I did it!
And I hope I got your mama!
Hey...
I wonder if any of our guys
are still alive.
OK, Washington, I just got my ass
chewed up by the old man.
We're going out on patrol tomorrow.
Your ass is going to be on the point...
right in front, And I'm going to
guarantee you some action.
Because thanks to you, I had to promise
the Colonel a bigger body count...
- than the company we replaced.
- Yeah? I got you a head start already.
And that is the only thing
keeping your big mouth out of the brig.
Do you mind if I get this men some help
before he bleeds to death... Sir?
Corpsman,
Can we get some help please?
Watch his face.
- You people okay?
- Yeah.
You got that patrol on time.
Next time don't waste time
going to captain first, right?
Next time I'll make sure
I'll get the captain out of my way first.
Well, you did good.
Pike! Are you fucking
with pills again?!
Hey... hey... hold up!
Lieutenant, it's okay.
Fucking told your ass I don't want
no junkie on my back. Didn't I?
Yeah, well the captain gave me these.
Goddamit, 'cause my fucking foot hurts.
And he also said I don't have to be
in your shitty squad anymore.
- It's okay.
- I know it's okay.
I'm cool.
Stay away from me!
You stay the fuck away from me, man.
If I ever catch you near me again...
I'm going to put my foot
upside your ass... sideways.
Line of departure,
lock em' and load em'.
Now keep those canteens full.
I don't want half empty sloshing around.
VC will hear, there'll be an ambush.
Yeah, you can see this line
a mile away.
Get to the point Washington,
right at the point.
I'm sorry, Sergeant.
What am I, Charles Atlas?
- Stop it, Fazio.
- Get up front, move.
Lieutenant, keep them off the roads,
they're fully mined.
Captain, I'm gonna take it a little easier
today. Half my people still have the shits.
All right.
- Pike.
- Yes, Sir?
Get the hell with that...
- How's that kicking foot?
- Better. Thanks for set-up.
All right, you step right next to me.
Well, today is the start
of a new body count month.
I don't have to remind you...
that the company, that leads...
the highest body count...
will get three days of R&R
at China Beach.
- Hey, Vin, you know I'm just thinking?
- Yeah.
How tough it is to hump this stuff
in this muddy swamp here.
No, this isn't a swamp,
These are rice fields.
This is an engineering marvel,
thousands of years old.
They terrace the land,
so that the water flows evenly...
from one paddy, to the next,
to the next, to the next.
Like this whole valley
was one giant fountain.
Hell, I hate rice.
I don't even eat Rice Krispies.
You've got a heavy load right there,
take it easy.
I wish I didn't have this M-16
to tow around.
The gun doesn't weigh anything, Bisbee.
The radio weighs about 40 pounds.
- You won't kill anybody with a radio.
- Say what?
Can't kill anybody with a radio, sir.
Damn it, Pike, put that letter away.
It's ankle breaking territory.
Yes, sir. See, I read the damn thing
20 times anyway.
Don't worry, she'll wait for you.
It ain't that.
She says some damn freshman broke
one of my high school track records.
I ain't afraid of getting killed today
so much as what's going
to happen after, I mean.
Ain't nothing except a couple
of damn trophies at school...
and then next year, somebody hit more
homeruns than you did and then they...
change the damn names on the trophy.
There ain't nothing left at all.
Don't you worry, we'll get you into
a soccer game with the Dragons...
and get a whole shitload of new
records. Yep.
Did anybody hear a click?
No, no. That's just me.
I'm just taking some pictures.
Oh. You idiot. Will you put that camera
away and watch out for trip wire?
Sorry.
Al, I'm dying of thirst over here,
I'm parched. I can't believe...
we can't take a drink because of this
no sloshing canteens ruling.
No sloshing... we sound like
a bunch of plumbers out here.
Foster...
- Did you just take a picture?
- No.
Everybody stop!
Be still.
Everybody just be cool.
What're you doing?
I'm taking a bath really.
Oh, come on, I'm serious!
What're you doing?!
- I'm on a mine.
- What?
What do I do?
The fuck you mean, what?
Get the hell out of the way!
All right, it's a mine!
Everybody retrace your steps!
Retrace you steps!
Back! Back!
Damn it, don't go near that man.
Leave him alone, he is a dead man!
Back it up! Back it up!
Damn it! That's an order!
Do not move, Washington.
It's a pressure release device.
It will not detonate
unless you take your weight off it.
Like I'm going somewhere.
- Do not move! Do not breathe!
- Move, Lieutenant. That is an order!
Get those ammo cases.
Get those ammo boxes.
Right now!
Goddamit, Pike!
I will not lose another life!
Now, come on back here!
Pressure release device. Gotta
replace Washington's weight...
with the weight of ammo boxes.
Find the plate, seek out the plate.
Find it first.
Very carefully.
Do not move Washington.
Do not move at all.
Very carefully Pike, That's it!
Very carefully.
Will you get the fuck away from me,
Pike? I'll kick you in your ass.
Shut up, you big lummox.
If you do any kicking...
you'd better do it with your
god damn right foot.
Let him work, Washington!
You find it?
You find it, Pike?
All right. Take that first box, and
you put it on the edge of the panel.
Very carefully, very softly.
As he does so, Washington...
you move your foot, slowly removing
the amount of weight he's replacing.
All right, here comes the first one.
Easy.
Ease off.
- Man, will you just get out of my life!
- Just shut up, you make me nervous.
You both better shut up
if you wanna live!
Put that second box down there,
Pike.
I may not get a chance
to tell you this...
but you're the biggest goddamn bastard
I have known in my life.
Yeah? But your mama like it,
you motherfucker!
All right, now, very slowly,
on the count of three...
remove your foot and run like hell.
Do you understand me, Washington?
OK, let's go.
One, two, three...
Let's go!
We are going on the road. This whole
area and all these paddies are mined!
Dipshit!
Well, I ain't gonna kiss
your skinny lips, quaker.
Yeah, we're even.
So fuck off.
Can you imagine being
on one of those mines?
- Go nuts in five seconds.
- What are sweating about, Al?
Fazio would have you
off there like that.
- Hey, you'd risk your life for me?
- Of course, I would.
- Would you do the same for me?
- Yeah.
Well, we're buddies.
Washington?
Slow down, Washington, we're not
running any race around here.
Lieutenant, did you see
the Captain's face?
- See his face when?
- When I was standing on that mine.
What are you talking about,
Washington?
Was the son of a bitch smiling?
Son of a bitch is running.
You want these back, stay out of trouble
and start taking care of yourself.
- Sir, it's the Colonel again.
- You're worth shit to me!
It's Collins here, sir.
Lieutenant!
All right, I want two scouting details.
Check out the left hand side...
and the right hand side
of the river next to the bridge.
Lieutenant, what the hell
is going on now?
I'm sending some people to checkout
the river, find us a place to cross.
We haven't got any time.
That minefield caused a delay
in our operations timetable...
now the Colonel is on my ass to
hump into ambush position by sunset...
- so we can get some body counts.
- I understand that, sir.
There's a risk factor involving
crossing the goddamn bridge.
Don't you see it's a toss up anyway
we play it. Intelligence tells us...
the road is mined, to stick with
the paddies.
The paddies are mined, we're back
on the road. And you want me...
- to send men back into the bush again.
- Yes, I do, sir. It's my opinion...
Well, you forget your opinion,
because I'm in charge here...
and it is my opinion that
the risk factor is minimal.
I'll stake my bars on it.
I'll cross that goddamn bridge myself.
Freeze!
You stay where you are.
At least let me get the people
to clear the bridge for you!
Goddamn that son of a...
Give me two 60s on either flank
right now and four riflemen with them.
Foster, Washington...
C'mon, move out!
Harry, get up here.
Go!
Let's go, Lieutenant!
Bring them over.
Bring them over.
Two at a time. Keep your interval,
do not bunch up on that bridge.
Jesus, don't take all night.
Get them moving!
- Let's go.
- Two at a time.
Let's go!
Let's go!
Goddamit, it's taking all night.
Move them over.
All of them at a time.
Let's go!
- Everybody, move it. Move it out.
- Hey, we gotta send them two at a time!
You heard him!
That son of a goddamn bitch.
- The M79!
- Yes, Sir! It's right here.
Give it to me right now!
- Over there!
- Yes, yes.
Pike!
Move your ass out of there.
Go on!
Move your ass out of there!
- You all right?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Get that.
- Niner.
Let's see what we got, Washington.
Let's move!
Hold fire! Hold fire!
Hold fire!
Lieutenant!
I want you to give me a body count
on the double! Let's go, go, go!
All right. My IDO has been hit.
Get battalion on the line.
Pike, how are you doing?
Are you all right?
Hurry it up, Lieutenant!
Goddamit. I could
kick the shit out of him.
All right, here you are.
All right, Colonel, we've engaged
the enemy on the bridge and we're...
expecting a big body count.
If you just hold it a minute, Sir.
What's going on? Come on!
- I need that body count, goddamit!
- It's a tunnel!
Colonel, we'll delay on that body count,
we've got a tunnel.
We're gonna have to track it down
and I'll be right back to you...
as soon as we find the source.
I got a good idea where they're going.
Yes, sir.
Yes.
Shit!
- Where do you think they're going?
- I've got a goddamn...
good idea where.
Right over there...
we got us a VC village and we're gonna
light it up like the fourth of July.
You get me artillery,
I'll feed you some coordinates.
Sir, there are probably
a couple hundred people in there...
Jesus Christ! That is an enemy village.
Will you get me artillery?!
Where the hell am I?
3... 3-3-6.
- Sorry, sir, I can't do that.
- 4-7-2. What can't you do?
- 3-3-5.
- I'm not gonna do it with a rifle...
and I'm not gonna do it
with the radio, sir.
- What wouldn't you do?
- Murder another human being, sir.
Bisbee, you get me that artillery...
or your ass is in the brig
in Da Nang and that is a direct order.
Sir, I must respectfully
refuse to obey that order.
Goddamit, you're in big trouble!
War Eagle,
this is Charlie One, over.
War Eagle,
this is Charlie One, over.
War Eagle, I got
a firing mission for you.
Request 105 assistance.
Coordinates are 3-3-5, 4-7-2.
The target is an enemy village.
I want this man placed
under field arrest.
What happened now?
He refused to obey my direct order
to call artillery on an enemy position.
I had to do it myself,
the son of a bitch.
What enemy position, Captain?
Goddamit, that village,
that is a VC village!
- What in the fuck are you talking about?
- That is where the tunnels come out.
It's right where
the tunnels come out.
Bisbee, get on the horn, call artillery
and tell them to disregard that order.
Now, just wait a fucking minute.
You're in trouble!
Goddamit, you're going
out of your mind, man!
- You're going out of your mind!
- I don't need to take that shit from you!
- We don't need to take that village!
- We got to take that reaper out?
I want a body count, goddamit!
Holy shit...
Washington, would you mind
getting your ass on the point?
Lieutenant, I want you to keep
a running body count.
All right, keep alert, I want you to
all be watching for a tunnel opening.
Keep watching all over!
That tunnel's around here somewhere.
The man who finds it...
gets an in-country R&R,
three days at China Beach.
Goddamit, will you put that down?
Everything could be boobied.
Put it down!
Come on, back in the line.
Lieutenant, you get a count yet?
Yes, sir, two chickens and a duck.
All right, Gunny, let's break
the men into details.
We'll search and clear all the hooches,
the rice piles, everything.
Let's see what we can uncover.
- You got anything, Lieutenant?
- The village is deserted, sir.
The hell it is. You just
don't know where to look yet.
- What do you got up there?
- It's snakes, sir.
Shit.
- Captain?
- Yeah.
We got some bodies here, sir.
He's got his goddamn bodies.
Here's your body count, Captain.
But I guess it doesn't really count.
All these people are alive.
Hey, Skipper,
look what I found out here.
All right, you little gook.
I wanna know where that tunnel is and
wanna know where your friends are...
'cause you did not blow
the shit out of us by yourself.
- He can't understand a goddamn thing.
- He can talk English...
as good as you or me.
Let me work on him.
Harry, get on the radio
and get someone from S2.
I wanna interrogate a prisoner on the
double. Get out there, go on.
Jesus Christ.
All right, did he have a weapon?
It's just this club.
Captain.
Forget it. If this man had been digging
a tunnel before coming here...
...his hands wouldn't be as clean as
they are, but dirtier than mine.
Shit, we took so long to get here
and he could have a shower.
Captain, this ain't a weapon,
it looks like a baseball bat.
They know from baseball like
I know from polo.
Who do you think won
the Little League World series?
Damn chinks from Taiwan.
Hey buddy, do you play baseball?
- Grenade!
- Grenade!
Hey, let me see this.
Hey, you play baseball!
Come on, buddy.
Come on, little buddy, let's go.
Here's the bat.
All right, buddy.
All right. Let's go.
Come on! You're pitching
like your granny, Fazio.
Hit that ball!
Colonel Trang.
He's out!
He's out!
He's out! Out! Out!
Out! Out! Out!
It's over!
All right, men, this is Colonel Trang
from the National Police Field Force.
And this is Major Royal, Special
Forces adviser. They are here...
- to take care of the interrogation.
- What interrogation?
Hell, he ain't no VC!
He's just a kid who plays baseball
better than most.
Don't worry!
Don't worry!
Shut it up!
Don't worry.
Nothing will happen to him.
If he is no VC, no worry.
I'm telling you he's not the enemy. .
- That's right, I'm with him.
Relax!
Look, these are
Colonel Trang's people.
He understands how to deal with them.
We just take the kid, check his story out.
That's strictly routine.
That good enough for you, Pike?
You got the Major's word as an officer.
- Absolutely.
- Thank you, gentlemen.
All right, we're gonna move it out.
Gunny, get them going.
Washington, you're on the point.
Let's get moving! Out! Let's go!
Goddamn body count. We'll have
to be out here again tomorrow.
Let's fill those ranks in.
Hey, wait a minute.
What was that?
Let's move.
I heard something, dammit.
Hootie, shut that radio off.
Pike...
Would you get your ass back
into the column. Come on.
- I'm going back.
- You just wait a minute!
Now, wait a minute.
Listen to me.
I want you to take these back
and we'll forget about this morning.
Come on, take them,
because I've got big plans for you.
Now, don't you blow it.
Come on!
- I ain't playing soccer for you.
- Yeah?
Well, you do that and you're gonna
let down the whole goddamn team!
You think what that could do for morale
if we beat the dragons. Don't blow it!
Take these.
I wouldn't play for you
if my life depended on it.
Well, it does.
You need me, Pike.
A junkie needs all the help he can get.
Now, you do exactly what I tell you...
or else you're a dead man. Now stuff
some of these down your throat. Go on!
You're the one who's dead,
goddamit!
You wouldn't have done that
if that was a white boy back there.
Yeah, but to you he's just nothing but
a gook. He's just a yellow nigger.
- He is the enemy.
- No, you're the enemy!
Well, he finally did it, didn't he, Al?
That son of a bitch
finally got a body count.
And you're an asshole.
If you're gonna be dumb enough
to pull a gun on a man...
you better be smart enough
to pull the trigger.
It is the patriotic duty
of every man in this battalion...
to participate
in a saving's bonds program.
It cost only six dollars...
Both of you are goddamn lucky your
asses aren't gonna be sent to the brig.
Gonna be joining the combined
action platoon, Tam Bak Hamlet.
You're gonna be guarding the rice.
Get your stuff, get on the jeep,
you move it out right now.
Thank you, Captain.
They're taking them away.
You got anymore of this pound cake
in your C rations there? I'm almost out.
Didn't you hear me? They're taking
Pike and Bisbee away in a jeep.
Yeah, I heard you, Alvin.
Now, did you hear me?
I want more pound cake
in your C rations there.
Hey, you think they'll drive them
all the way to Da Nang in a jeep?
I don't know.
I'll tell you one thing I do know though.
Old Fazio over here is gonna...
get himself a jug and drink his money
down before gun gets his mitts into it.
That's what I'm talking about.
You coming?
No.
I wanna write down everything
that happened today.
But who the fuck would believe it?
Well...
I told the Colonel not
to send them to the brig.
Wouldn't mind if we got
a discipline problem around here.
The old Captain jumps in
and sends them to guard the rice...
in Tam Bak Hamlet.
Well...
At least that's better
than going to the brig.
Do you happen to notice those guys in
the bags over there they were placing?
Charlie mines the paddy every night.
And every morning someone else
gets blown to shit.
They're lucky if they last a week.
Hey, buddy.
Moon juice. Check it out.
- They've got a still over there.
- I see you found your jug.
That ain't all I found.
You know those guys in Delta company
got down in their hooch?
- A hooker.
- You're kidding!
I swear to god. She's 15 and she's
a knockout and I may be in love.
Hey, Superman,
let's you and me get laid, huh?
Why don't you go?
I'm sort of busy.
You can't let a chance like this pass you
by. You owe it to Pike and Bisbee.
- What do you mean?
- What do you mean, "What do I mean?"
Remember what I told you.
It ain't like you got forever.
- You grab it as it goes by, Al.
- Nah, nah, nah.
I don't feel like
grabbing anything today.
- What is that shit you got on?
- Oh, thinking about recipes for C rations.
You know, like cooking.
Stuff like that.
- Cooking?
- Yeah.
Hey...
- You got checked up by the doc yet?
- No, I told you I feel fine.
Hey, I'm pissing razor blades over here
and I just biffed one of them.
You fucked three of them,
you feel fine?
Boy... you must be the wonder
of the medical world, Al.
Either that or maybe you
didn't even touch them, huh?
- Swapping recipes with them in there?
- No!
- Hey, Vinnie, I never said anything...
- I don't think you fucked any of them.
I don't think girls turn you on.
Hey!
I think you might be a little
hotel-motel, right?
What are you talking about?
I thought you were my friend.
I don't care what you thought.
I ain't that kind of friend, you know?
Just stay the fuck away from me,
Foster. And I mean it.
Yes, sir, Captain.
I think I see the enemy out there.
Yes, sir. OP4.
Be right down?
Thank you, sir.
VC! Down right there!
Here comes the enemy.
Come on.
Come on, Captain,
you motherfucker.
Clear the boxes. Come on.
A little bit more. Yeah!
You think that's gonna get
Pike and Bisbee back?
I'm gonna get that motherfucker. I'm
gonna kill that sadistic son of a bitch.
You probably would.
But I'm not gonna watch it.
Because it's bullshit.
Bullshit! Like everything else that's
going on around this goddamn place.
Radio Hanoi.
And just a reminder that the weather
is sweet at this time of year.
It's really cool, boy.
Your two minions say you
wanna see me.
Well, you see me.
I'm sorry I did not see you
at the village.
When your company was there today.
But you see...
I was indisposed.
I'm Colonel Trang, district chief.
My brother-in-law has told me
of your proposition.
Fascinating...
this little tag mark...
"remains non-viewable".
It will help us to keep prying eyes
from intervening with our business.
So as soon as your contact deposits
the capital, we can begin.
Unless, of course, we run out
of non-viewable remains.
You jive ass motherfucker.
What kind of games
you trying to run on me?
I don't understand.
- Is your name not Washington?
- Yeah, man, my name is Washington.
Half the niggers in the Marine Corps
name is Washington.
You got the wrong man.
The son of a bitch
is stuck in the goddamn sand!
Everybody out right now, people.
On the beach. Spread out.
January 23, 1968.
For once we know where we're going.
Intelligence located
a Vietcong tactical operation center...
and we're supposed to knock it out.
The Captain thinks we 're
gonna ring up a big body count.
But he's not going with us. I guess
after what happened the other day...
he wants to be sure that when we start
counting bodies, his isn't one of them.
Vinnie isn't still talking to me,
but I can understand that.
I think he was really upset about Pike
and Bisbee going down to that village.
And he was drunk and all. So I guess
he had to take it out on somebody.
- He wants to go on foot, Harry?
- Yeah.
That's a goddamn minesweeper
without a three quarter-inch armour...
through a goddamned coconut grove!
- I don't like the way it smells, it stink's!
- You keep these people here and down.
I'm gonna take Washington in there
and sniff around there. You got that?
- You be careful.
- All right.
Washington, let's move out!
Get your asses down there.
Down! Down!
All right, Washington.
You keep your eyes on the tree tops,
I'm gonna watch the ground.
This is nice, sir.
I'm gonna take a picture.
Down! Get your ass down!
Hey, Vinnie, isn't that beautiful?
Oh! God Oh!
Al! Al! Shit, Al!
Corpsman! Corpsman!
Get your fucking cover here,
right now!
- Get him a medic.
- How is he?
Goddamn it!
- Don't you fucking die on me, Al.
- Get us a Cobra in here.
- Fuck. There's one over there.
- Take it easy.
Fuck that, you're wasting it.
Get out! Go!
Colonel, you let my buddy die,
I'll out your fucking heart out!
Goddamn bomb, I cant believe...
Harry, shut up. Dammit!
That's it, Washington.
All right, squad leaders.
Detail your people to envelope
and contain that position...
according to bravo plan,
you got that?
Washington, let's reconnoiter.
- Are you okay?
- I'm gonna be fine.
Goddamit, I need a...
I need a corpsman up here.
Goddamit I... I need
a corpsman...
All right.
Third squad's in position,
fourth squad's got the back door.
People?
We'll flush them out now.
I want you to keep
your goddamn eyes wide open...
'cause Charlie may have
a network of tunnels up here...
and he could come out anywhere.
I want you to be ready for anything.
All right, Washington,
light that son of a bitch up.
All right, people, talk to me now.
Talk to me!
God...!
That looks like nobody's home.
May not be anybody home,
Washington.
Some schmuck's gonna have
to walk over there and prove it.
Let's go.
You're listening
to the cool sound of radio Hanoi.
Radio Hanoi?
God fuck it!
All the people we lost today, for what,
for a goddamn relay booster...
for motherfucking Radio Hanoi?
Intelligence swore it was a goddamn
enemy communications center!
Hire ups and goofballs tell them
any goddamn thing they want to hear...
and they listen to him because they're
fuck heads. Goddamn fuck-heads!
Washington, do you know why
we're on this goddamn mission?
You have a battalion sitting on top
of that hill watching down at us...
...because we're gonna draw fire,
Washington. We're bait.
We're goddamn
motherfucking live bait!
It's all we are.
We draw them out of the bush
and those bastards on that hill...
...are gonna let loose with that big
fancy ass million dollar hardware.
They can get a nice, big,
juicy body count.
Washington...
if that's what those
motherfuckers want...
that is precisely what those
motherfuckers are going to get!
Come on, Washington.
Come on out here, Washington.
Give me the coordinates
of that hill over there.
Ain't nothing on that hill.
You have been out in the bush
too long, 'cause I can clearly see...
a whole tactical operation centre
up there.
An enemy communication centre too
and it's all being defended...
by an entire battalion
of MVA regulars...
- You can see that now, can't you?
- That's right!
- Thought you would.
- I see it.
You ever think what it would be like
to spend a million goddamn dollars?
You know something?
I think about it all the time.
You'll find out what it's like right now
Washington, today.
Washington, what in the fuck does it
smells so bad around here?
Sir, you and me.
We ain't taken a bath
since Da Nang!
That's it!
I want more of that goddamn stuff.
More of it. Beautiful!
Oh, I love that, goddamn!
It's a shame the Captain
isn't here to see all those fireworks.
And it's also a shame that he wasn't
here to catch one of those bullets...
- fragged up his ass in this fireworks...
- You know something, Washington?
It's about time we stopped talking about
blowing out someone's nuts off...
and start listening
to what he's saying.
- Listen to the Captain?
- The Captain.
And that bullshit he's been talking
about playing soccer to understand...
what the enemy thinks?
And all that bullshit about
beating that gook team, the Dragons...
- so we'd be the soccer champs?
- Right.
Be good for morale. Do you have any
idea how good for morale that'd be?
No.
Washington, if we're
the soccer champs...
we don't find our ass
in combat no more.
Right.
If we're the soccer champs, we don't
tour around the country fighting.
We tour around the country playing
and behind the lines.
Now you can call that son of a bitch
yellow bellied coward if you want.
But you don't call in MEDEVAC
for bruised shin or damaged knee.
And maybe that's the one thing
what we're out here for.
Maybe it's the only goddamn thing
we can accomplish out here.
Just get these little peckerwoods
out of here in one piece.
Yeah, but you see you're talking
about a soccer team now.
And we ain't got Pike.
And you got to face the fact.
Pike is the soccer team.
WOW!
Pike ain't gonna play
for the Captain.
You don't understand
what I'm talking about.
- You don't. We need Pike.
- We need Pike...
- and he's not gonna play for the Captain.
- Right.
But you're gonna talk
to him into playing for us.
- You.
- I'm gonna talk him into...
You, Tyrone Washington, is gonna talk
him into playing for us. That's your job.
- My job?
- Yeah, that's your job, Washington.
Now let's just watch the show
and stop talking now, man.
- What're you doing?
- I don't know. What are you doing?
- Jesus! Good to see you!
- You're making soap commercials, man.
- Welcome to my community.
- This is great.
- Beautiful. These people are so great.
- This isn't happening. I love it.
Lucy San. Lucy San.
Come here...
I'd like you to meet these people.
- Lucy San... this is Ty.
- Who?
- Lucy?
- Lucy San. This is Ty.
- And her brother Koi.
- Koi. What's happening, man?
This is a very good friend of mine.
Don't need to be shy, he's a great guy.
Where's a...
Where's Dipshit? Where's Pike?
He's out there in the fields.
The dumb farmer looks right at home.
How'd you like to take a trip
to the big city, old country ass boy?
Damn, what the cat dragged in..
The Captain's got a big soccer game
set up for us. For the championship.
Us against those bad ass Dragons.
And all we have to do is kick
the shit out of them...
and we'll be out of this shooting gallery
for the rest of our lives.
Well fuck him, man.
- I ain't playing for that son of a bitch.
- It's not for the Captain, Dipshit.
It's for us. It's for the guys.
It's for the Company.
The Lieutenant has fixed a way
so the whole fucking company...
Not just the soccer team, the whole
company can get out of combat.
If we win.
But how in the hell can we win
if you don't play in the game?
It don't matter.
We're all dead anyway.
That's bullshit.
We're gonna be sliding in and
out man. From one game to another.
Okinawa, Taiwan, Japan.
We got a chance to get out
of this goddamn Vietnam!
But what the hell do you know, huh?
You're smoking that shit.
You're so high on that shit
you don't understand nothing!
That's right.
And when I get hit man,
I ain't feeling nothing.
Yeah?
Let's see if you feel this.
You're pathetic.
Here's your mail.
You and Bisbee.
Get this stiff out of my jeep.
Move it. On the double.
I'm gonna be a father!
Hey, man, I'm gonna be a father!
Betsy, she's having my kid!
She's gonna have my kid!
- I thought you sent her to Tijuana?
- I did!
I mean, I did, but I didn't.
I mean, she didn't go!
- Congratulations!
- Don't you know?
No matter what happens, there's gonna
be something left of me in this world.
A little Billy Ray Junior!
- God bless you man.
- Don't stand there drooling...
like Pavlov's pups, come on,
let's get moving!
What?
Hell, we got a soccer game
with the Dragons, man.
If we win we're out of combat.
Can I take Missy and Koi?
- Get them.
- All right!
This is the luckiest day
of our lives, man.
Damn, that's something, ain't it?
Pike, if you can be a father...
...I guess there's hope for the world.
Let's move it!
Here you go, buddy.
Kick some ass!
Bring them little yellow
piss-ants on! Go!
Forward march!
Vinnie...
We need you out there
today, man.
You gotta understand that what
happened to Foster is not your fault.
Hell, it ain't.
- We're gotta win this goddamn game...
- Look, I'll play okay.
I'll play. Just get off me.
You think we got a hope in hell?
I don't know shit about this game,
Captain.
Goddamn, I ain't done
with you, man!
Hardcore championship soccer,
the Muthuhs and the Dragons.
And so far, the Muthuhs are off
to a slow start. Gunny?
I knew there was gonna be a slow
start, but they're strong on the finish.
Shit!
Pass the motherfucker here!
Fuck you!
OK, Fazio, that's good!
Hey, Vinnie! Vinnie Fazio!
Which one is the Dago Fazio?!
- Alvin!
- Smile!
Alvin, you're beautiful.
Look at you.
I can't believe it,
look at his face.
The ball is still in play.
We've got a game! We're playing
a game! Get the fuck out of here!
Hey, Alvin!
Al, this one's for you...
- my man!
- What?!
- Come on, do it!
- Goddamn, will you play the game?!
When I was in the hospital, I heard
about this game. I couldn't believe it!
How did the Captain get a game
with the Dragons?
- Remember that day you got hit?
- Yeah.
Well, we stormed up
that hill that day.
We wiped out an entire battalion
of MVA regulars.
We got the highest body count
in Division for the whole month.
The general was so pleased with us.
Well, he just pulled a few strings...
we got the match.
You wiped out a whole battalion?
You believe that Foster?
Yeah, yes, sir.
Then they probably
ought to make you a general too.
Hell, yeah, that's terrific!
- Hey, Metcalfe, that's more like it.
- These are my boys, sir.
- They worked very hard for this.
- Where's the goddamn photographer?
There he is, sir, right here.
That'll look good for you, sir.
Pike, I'm in the clear!
Come on!
We're in the lead!
We're in the lead!
That's it!
That's it! Go, Pike!
Goddamn it.
What a terrific play
by Pike out there on the field.
The score is now 3-1.
The whistle blows, it's half time.
Like I told you, the boy starts slow,
the other side doesn't win.
We have got them by the balls
and that is the name of the game.
Jesus, get them to the locker room
and I'm gonna go see Gen. Sloan.
Goddamn!
Let's check your package!
There seems to be some strange body
language going out there in the field.
What is that?
Well, it's probably the most intelligent
question that you've ever asked me.
Lieutenant, we got the point.
Check your package!
See, when Washington sees a good
looking woman point at his hot bottom...
he checks his package.
That shot was like
a good looking woman.
A thing of beauty,
so he checked his package.
Checked his package.
Washington checks his package.
The boys check their packages.
And I'm checking my package.
Now you little white face...
disloyal fuck,
are you checking your package?
Or do you have a package?
I want to talk to General Sloan.
Bring me to General Sloan!
Well, Colonel, I think we'll find him
right over here in the grand stand.
Dragons, 1.
Let's go, Muthuhs!
Let's hear it for the Muthuhs!
Hooray for the Muthuhs!
A little Buddha, huh?
You rub his belly, you say,
for good luck?
All right.
Everybody, listen up!
Gather around, listen up!
All right, now, Gen. Sloan...
is so proud the way the Muthuhs
played the first half...
that he's gone ahead and arranged
the exhibition tour and the first stop...
- is Saigon.
- All right!
After that it's Bangkok
and then Tokyo!
All right, that's what I'm
talking about, Tokyo.
Now, there's only one small change
in plans: We're not supposed to win.
- What are you talking about?
- What the hell does that mean?!
We throw the goddamn game?!
Now, you just wait a minute.
There's another way of looking at this.
Now, the Vietnamese go for winners.
And right now they happen to think...
that that's the Vietcong.
That's a crock of shit.
Now, it's our responsibility to build up
their confidence in their government...
and their army
and their athletic teams.
- So we go around losing.
- That is a wrong way to look at it!
They go around winning!
Now, what's good
for the Allies is good for us.
I know this is not easy
because we're Marines.
But this is a question of priorities.
Now if you're gonna disappoint
the General by beating them...
then we will rejoin the battalion.
And they're being called up
to an area called Khe Sanh.
- Khe Sanh? Where the fuck is it?
- I heard about it.
- What about it?
- It's a meat grinder.
A meat grinder?
All right.
Now we got a job to do.
We gotta be out of here by 4:00.
That's all the time the General has.
Let's go.
Go!
Who gives a shit who kicks
the little ball into the net more times?
Come on, are you playing?
Come on.
If he's playing, I'm playing.
Let's go.
Weren't you the man that said...
...that getting your guys out
in one piece...
...that's all that counts?
Washington...
You gotta do what's right for you.
Me?
Man, do you really believe
that I'm doing this for me?
I never lost at anything
in my goddamn life.
Don't fall down!
You're making it look too obvious!
Oh, Jesus! You're making it
look too easy!
Come on. Make them work for it!
Make it look that way!
I tell you what, I'm gonna give them
one more, you hear me?
- Make it 4:3 and we hold it.
- That's good enough for me.
The Dragons have tied it up
at 3:3.
Send my compliments to Cpt. Collins
for doing a beautiful job.
All right, that's more like it.
That is more like it.
All right, listen, Pike!
It's gorgeous, fine. Everything
just fine, don't worry about it.
They're gonna make one more goal.
2 would be great...
- 3 would be the best we could get.
- Like hell I am.
Wait a minute, Pike. I don't want you
to make this into a personal problem.
You get that?
No personal problems.
Alvin, get me some water.
Shit, man, the Dragons is...
- his fucking team.
- Who?
That's the son of a bitch who killed
the kid I was playing ball with!
Doping kids.
- Look man, don't do nothing stupid.
- Stupid?
If winning this game is good for him,
how can it be good for us?
I know, I know, I know. Let's just
lose this game and go home.
Dammit, man, I'm a dumb ass, right?
I'm a dumb ass.
I've done some stupid things since I've
been here. I was scared shitless.
The pills and all that man, I know.
But I ain't never in my life done
something I'd be this ashamed of.
Every guy in Nam is listening
to us, man, on the radio.
- Gettin' out ass whupped every game?
- Hey, man...
I know how you feel. OK?
- I don't wanna lose.
- Damn, its hard man.
I know it's hard.
But what you gonna do?
You want us to die?
You want to lose people in the fucking
war, or do you wanna lose the game?
Just lose the game, OK?
It's OK.
- Goddamit, it's hard, man!
- I know.
We lose the game.
I heard about teamwork,
but his is ridiculous, right?
- Come on.
- OK.
- Think of your baby, OK?
- All right.
Think of your baby,
you're already a winner.
- Let's lose!
- All right!
All right. Let's lose this game then.
All right, now they got the lead,
let's give them some insurance.
Hey, look at that!
They're making fools of us.
You think you got us whipped?
Come on, you little yellow piss-ants!
Pike!
Jesus!
What is he doing?
Little bastard!
How many times I've gotta tell ya?!
Pike!
You see that?! You beat that!
You piss-ants!
All right, all right!
Coolidge, you get ready to play!
Pike, you've had it!
Major, get the General!
He seems to have
forgotten something!
Wait, Coach Collins,
is substituting for Pike.
The Muthuhs will have to go ahead,
without their star player...
You beautiful, disloyal fuck.
Just couldn't resist it,
could you, twinkle toes?
Well you just pulled a hamstring and
you're on your way to Khe Sanh.
- Just fine!
- How do you like that?!
And the rest of you, you wanna play like
Pike again, you can join him there too!
You know a tie was not in the deal.
The Dragon need another goal...
let's go and give it to them!
And, Washington...
I'm holding you
personally responsible.
Hey, Captain, how much
you got put in the game?
- We don't wanna blow the point spread.
- Are you taking him out?
Just 'cause he's the only guy
in this team with some principles?!
- Fuck him! That's why I hate that guy.
- You idiot!
Why don't we just make the goals
for them? It's easier.
You really liked it
when he made that score.
You're fucking right!
I felt really good. How about you?
You're gonna bullshit everybody here...
telling them you didn't dig it?
We can kick their ass like that!
Tell everybody here, you big fucking
tree trunk, how you feel?
You know, I had you guys
all pegged wrong.
You're not smart enough
to be fools and fuck-ups!
But you're just about dumb enough
to try and be fucking heroes.
Okay, we can look at it this way.
Uncle Sam is paying us a 137 bucks
a month, to kick some ass. Right?
- Huh?!
- Yeah.
OK.
- Let's kick some ass!
- Yeah!
It's coming down to the wire. The team
that scores next will be the champs!
Jesus, Bisbee, let it go in!
Goddamit!
Bisbee saves, the Muthuhs have
the ball, with only 20 seconds to play!
Wait a minute.
Oh, Christ, almighty!
- Come on, that's it!
- Do it, Washington, baby!
Come on, do it.
Yeah!
Washington!
Missy, Koi, did you see that?
I'll be right back! I'll be right back!
That's our man there!
Just listen to that fireworks.
Fireworks, hell! It's incoming!
Incoming!
Move, move, move!
All officer's into the air raid
shelter, now! Go, go!
Protect Colonel Trang!
Form a human shield!
Grab someone!
Protect Colonel Trang!
Don't let him die!
Form a human shield!
Squad leaders,
get your people weapons.
There's one on that roof top!
And another over there!
- Hey, you seen Missy and Koi?
- No, man.
Look, we can't find anybody
in this mess!
I ain't seen nobody.
- Hey there, man!
- I can't find them!
Get away from Col. Trang!
Get away, or I'll shoot!
Stop that girl! Stop her!
- Where the fuck are they?
- Up there, Lieutenant!
On the building.
- Lieutenant!
- Where?
Over there!
- Captain Collins!
- Pike, get back to your squad!
Collins, goddamit, stop running!
I gave you an order, goddamn it!
Now go and do it!
You're trying to save our own ass
by selling us out!
Now you're gonna go into
that goddamned hole?!
I gave all of you a chance to save
yourselves! What more can I do?!
You can fight.
Stay with your men!
Collins!
Oh, Jesus.
You son-of-a-bitches!
Oh, please, god, no!
Oh, god, Missy...
And that bastard did it!
That fat man!
- Who did it?!
- That man!
I'll kill you!
I'll kill you, you son-of-a-bitch!
Doctor said, before he died he wanted
somebody tell his Mama what happened.
And how he couldn't have
done all this in Canada.
I don't get it, what did he mean?
No matter what he meant,
the man's dead.
Come on, keep writing now.
Get everything down,
don't leave nothing out.
You're gonna get it published too, you
got Vinnie Fazio's personal guarantee.
What are you writing
in my book right now?
- See that ambulance over there?
- Yup.
You're getting on it, you get to a
hospital... and you just disappear.
I told you once and I meant it.
I ain't gonna do nothing
I'm gonna be ashamed of.
I'm gonna tell you
what you got to be ashamed of.
You're gonna have a little bastard
running around calling...
somebody else "daddy". Now that's
what you've got to be ashamed of.
- Gunny!
- Uh-uh.
- Gunny!
- Tyrone...
We got a man here with brain damage,
he's got a concussion.
- And he won't go to a hospital.
- That's cute, man, that's real cute.
You leave me no other choice.
I just gotta tell them there ain't
nothing wrong with me.
Nobody listens to a man
with brain damage.
I can't use no man
with a bruised brain.
Now get on the ambulance...
disloyal fuck.
- You got it?
- Yes, sir!
You big lummox.
Now you don't deserve this.
You son-of-a-bitch.
Now you take care of it.
You take care of it, too.
Old country ass boy.
- Hey, Vinnie, what's his name?
- You're not gonna believe this...
the guy's name is Hung.
What kind of a name is Hung?
We'll name him Tony, something
like that. You put that down there.
"Hung is now Tony."
You listen to this one, are you ready?
Hey, I think there's a grenade down!
Get those kids out of the way!
Al, are you all right?
Al?
Al?
Alvin!
What did you do to yourself, Alvin?
Oh, Alvin, no, no, no!
God...
Oh, no!
Oh, god...
Oh, no!
Please.
Vinnie, you're gonna go
with Washington now.
Wh're gonna round up our people,
and wh're moving out.
You're still alive, you hear me?
All right...
Bring him along, Tyrone.
- Gunny!
- Yes, Sir?
Get our goddamn people together,
we're moving out!
Yes, sir.
Oh, please, don't let them see me.
Please don't.
Boy, you're a man. You can cry
any goddamn time, you get ready.
January 30, 1968.
I don't know why I should even bother
to write in this journal anymore.
Because after what happened today,
who the hell is ever gonna believe it.
We actually had a chance
to get out of this goddamn war.
All we had to do is
throw the game and walk away.
But for some reason we just
couldn't. For some reason...
winning that stupid game was
more important than saving our ass.
So I guess we just keep on walking
into one bloody mess after another...
until somebody finally figures out
that living...
has got to be more
important than winning.
Left right, right and left.