A Walk in the Sun

This book tells a story that happened long ago, way back in 1943,

when the Lee Platoon of the Texas Division hit the beach at Salerno, sunny Italy.

It tells of Sergeant Tyne,

never had much urge to travel.

Providence Rhode Island may not be much as cities go, but it was all he wanted...

a one-town man.

Rivera, Italian American.

Likes opera and would like a wife and kids, plenty of kids.

Friedman, lathe operator and amateur boxing champion...

New York City.

Windy, minister's son. Canton, Ohio.

Used to take long walks alone and just think.

Sergeant Ward, farmer.

Knows his soil.

Good farmer.

MacWilliams, first aid man.

Slow, Southern, dependable.

Archimbeau, platoon scout and prophet.

Talks a lot, but he's all right.

Porter, Sergeant Porter,

well, he has a lot on his mind.

A lot on his mind.

Tranella speaks two languages.

Italian and Brooklyn.

And a lot of other men.

Here's a song about them. Listen.

# And poets are writing

# The tale of that fight

# And songs for children to sing

# Let them sing of the men of the fighting platoon

# Let them sing of the job they done

# How they came across the sea

# To sunny Italy

# And took a little walk in the sun

# They took a little walk in the sun. #

Douse that light. Douse that light.

GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS

Dear Frances,

I'm writing you this letter relaxing on the deck of a luxury liner

and sure, the natives have just spotted us and they're getting up a little reception...

fireworks, music and that sort of stuff.

The musicians in our own band have also struck up a little tune.

Ha-ha.

The gentle waters of Mare Nostrum.

That's really good.

Mare Nostrum.

Hey, Tinker, hey, Tinker.

Hey do you spell Mari Nostrum?

-What's that?

-Mediterranean. That's what the eye-ties call it.

It means our sea.

-I want to know how to spell it.

-Why?

I'm writing to my sister.

What do you mean, you're writing to your sister?

You're packed on a landing barge, bouncing on your Mare Nostrum,

waiting to hit the beach like the rest of us slobs.

I'm writing the letter in my head.

When I get a minute I put down what I remember in my head and the letter's written.

It's the best way.

-What a system. Does it work?

-Sure.

You just make up the letter in your head, then write it down later.

That's pretty good.

Maybe I'll try it.

-Works, huh?

-Every time.

Suppose you've got a bad memory.

-Have you got a bad memory?

-I've got a good one.

Then why are you worrying?

I'm not. I just wondered.

What was that word you wanted to spell?

Mare Nostrum.

I never learned what isn't the city of Saint Paul.

Still up there.

You're going to get killed.

EXPLOSION!

All one, too high.

-Those shells ain't interested in us.

-And vice versa.

When a shell's looking for a guy, it don't whine, it snarls.

You kill me. You guys kill me.

At Messina they missed a few strikes.

Here, no control.

What's so funny about Messina?

Lost a lot of good Joes there.

What do you want us to do? Cry about it?

That's a lot of cocky chatter.

Better than having the jitters.

-Would it make you feel better if we told you we had the jitters?

-Yeah.

It would.

Well...we got them.

Bet that new lieutenant's got them bad.

Don't hold your pack on the other guy's shoulders.

I'm not.

His first time out leading a platoon he's never worked with before.

Boy, I wouldn't want his job for anything.

Nobody's giving it to you.

Porter.

It's a fine time you picked to go to sleep, soldier.

HE GROANS

Anything the matter, sir?

Mary and Joseph, oh, God...

Pete. Hey, Pete.

-What?

-The shells got the lieutenant.

Smashed his face.

-I can't see anything.

-I can feel it. It's messy.

I think it took his whole face away.

-Where's your flashlight?

-You can't shine a light here.

I can shine a light if I have to shine a light. Where is it?

Take a quick look.

Told you.

Left cheek and his eye, covered with blood.

Can't even tell whether the eye's there or not.

Douse that light.

Go and get the first aid man, what's his name?

-Williams.

-Yeah. He might as well start earning his money.

-Where is he?

-Down in the stern.

I saw him down in the stern.

Where's MacWilliams?

Where's MacWilliams, the first aid man?

-Who's that?

-Sergeant Porter.

Oh, here I am, Sergeant.

-You want me, Sergeant?

-Lieutenant's hurt.

-Sergeant Halverson said for you to go up.

-What's wrong with him?

Get up there and see.

Just asking.

What is it, Mac? What's up?

Lieutenant.

BLAST!

That last shell, uh?

Don't know. Going up to see.

I told him.

What's the matter with the lieutenant, Sarge?

He had his head over the side. Looking through binoculars.

What was he looking at?

Is he dead?

Not yet.

What do you know.

It's a purple heart, sure as little apples.

How would you like to have a purple heart, Jake?

Depends on where I got the purple heart. In the legs, OK.

In the guts, no.

Purple heart means a nice quiet trip to Jersey City.

I would like a nice trip to Jersey City.

I'd like a nice quiet trip anywhere.

Haven't had a nice quiet trip since this war started.

Jersey City would do fine.

-I should go back and see if I can do anything.

-Why don't you?

Lieutenant's going to die, he's going to die.

Nothing I can do about it. Nothing in the world.

There's a hole in the side of his head.

In the head, no. I don't want a purple heart in the head.

Joey Sims got one in the head.

I'll bet he'll look better when they're through with him than you do now.

I don't want a purple heart in the head.

Is Sergeant Halverson in command now, Sergeant?

He knows what to do.

-He always knows what to do.

-Shut up.

What did the lieutenant do before the Army?

He was a businessman. He worked in an office.

Well, I worked in an office, but I was no businessman.

The whole Army's made up of businessmen.

He'll kill me.

He'll be a businessman in 1956 while we're fighting the battle today.

I've got the facts down cold.

Put him on a nice hospital ship and take him to a nice hospital

and give him a couple of nice medals and take him home and give him his walking papers

and he'll go back to business while we're fighting.

I've got the facts.

Maybe he'll die.

Nobody dies.

Nobody dies.

# These are the men of the Texas division

# United States infantry They are moving into hell

# And high water

# Here for three months and a quarter

# A Texan from Jersey And one from Dakota

# A Texan from out near Duluth, Minnesota

# Kansas, Maine and Tennessee, Lord God

# They're all in the Texas Infantry

# They're all in the Texas infantry. #

I've got to get word to the captain.

-As soon as we land, I've got to get word to him.

-Do you know what to do?

Course. We've been briefed.

-The farmhouse may be pretty hard to find.

-It's on the map.

There's a road from the beach that leads right past.

Six miles is a long way.

What do they expect? A reception committee with a dozen taxis?

That's the story.

How's it coming, Mac?

All right, I guess.

We'd better get him to a doctor, though.

He ain't going to be pretty any more.

Might not be alive any more, either.

-Bad, huh?

-I guess so.

Trying to talk all the time.

Can't you hear him?

-I didn't hear anything.

-Not words.

-Just talk.

-Is he comfortable, Mac?

He wouldn't know if he was comfortable or not.

-Tough ticket.

-He don't mind.

Nearly time.

Mac, you can pick us up later.

When it gets lighter, you'll see a road running from the beach.

We'll be on that road.

Hoist tail! Hoist tail!

Hoist tail!

There'll be a honey of a shore on that beach.

A honey of a shore.

Take them up 100 yards from the beach and hit them direct.

I've got to get word to the captain, then I'll pick you up.

Let me get word to the captain.

Remember, 100 yards from the beach and hit the dirt.

Doesn't matter where you are. Don't care if it's a pig pen.

OK, Hal.

I was wrong, Eddie, they did give you the job.

You know the lieutenant got wounded.

As platoon sergeant, I'm in command.

Each one of you knows what to do.

Porter will take you up on the beach.

Go with him and do as he tells you.

Understand?

Cold water. Every time, it's cold water.

I'll take you in a wheelchair. You and your purple heart.

Get them up there, won't you?

Sure thing, Hal.

101, 102.

Hope this beach isn't mined.

-109.

-Hey, where's the fire?

113. You think I want to get caught out on the beach.

Anything could happen there. 118, 119.

120. We'll hold here!

Spread out. Hit the dirt.

-Why here?

-100 yards.

100 yards is 120 paces, I figured out back there.

EXPLOSIONS

-All here.

-Good.

-Dig in.

-What for? We'll be out of here in a couple of minutes.

Taking no chances. Dig!

Well, I just can't get Italy.

You can have it. I don't want any part of it.

I ain't going to give you any part of it. I found it and it's mine.

-It's yours, cold.

-It can't be cold.

-It's sunny Italy.

-You read the wrong book.

I read the soldiers' handbook that said this was sunny Italy.

-You calling the soldiers' handbook a liar?

-What page?

-I forget.

-You always do. I wouldn't trust you with a popgun.

-You've got to trust me with a popgun.

And a machine gun, with a machine gun.

'Things on that beach suddenly went dead quiet.

'The silence was bad.

'Very bad.

'Was the enemy 50 miles away?

'Was he just behind the beach head...

'waiting?

'If a machine gun would only start up,

'a man would know what to do.

'But a man can't fight a vacuum.'

-How long will Halverson will take?

-Shouldn't be much longer.

-How do you know?

I know everything. What do you think they gave me a medal for?

For pulling a nurse out of a swimming pool.

I didn't think you knew.

I know everything. Who held up the platoon in Sicily while he stuck his snout in a barrel of wine?

I'd do it again if I knew where there was a barrel.

Do you know where there's a barrel?

-GUNFIRE

-There it comes.

Well, we know where we are now, all right.

Bet they get her in ten minutes.

When they do, the war will be over.

We just have to sit here and watch the rest of it being fought out.

What are you betting your guns about?

It's cold.

A profound comment.

It's always cold at dark.

Even if I'm up all night with a girl, or playing cards, or getting blasted, dawn comes around, I begin to shiver.

My feet grow icy, my teeth chatter.

Me, I'm hot. You kill me.

Nothing can warm me.

-Fire wouldn't be bad.

-No.

Not even a fire would do any good.

Profound comment.

Nine and one half minutes to get the gun?

-Why should it take Halverson so long?

-He'll show.

There was no need for the lieutenant to get hurt. No need at all.

He got it, anyway.

What are you going to do if Halverson doesn't come back, Porter?

How do I know? They'll be sending the planes over soon.

The planes come over, we'll take a powder.

Halverson can take a powder where?

Try and find that farmhouse.

ARTILLERY FIRE CONTINUES

The sun will be up soon.

Even at nine o'clock in the morning and the sun, I'd still be.

-Why?

-Don't ask me why.

-That's the way it is.

-You guys kill me. You kill me.

Sergeant, I want a discharge.

I'm all fought out. In the last war, they sent a guy to France.

It's all there was to it. They sent him to France, then he went home.

Simple. Real simple.

But what do they do this time? Do they send you to France?

No, they do not send you to France, they send you to Tunisia,

then Sicily, then Italy.

Who knows where they'll send you after that.

Maybe we'll be in France next year, around Christmas time, maybe.

Then we'll work our way east.

Yugoslavia. Greece. Turkey.

No, not Turkey.

All I know is in 1958, we're gonna fight the battle of Tibet. I got the facts.

-Kill that!

-So I want a discharge.

An honourable discharge.

I've done my share. The next guy can pick up where I left off.

-You tell 'em, Jack.

-I think I hear planes.

I guess I was wrong. I thought I heard them.

They'd probably be ours, anyway.

They'd better be. We've got enough guys in the airforce.

THUNDERING EXPLOSIONS

There goes Gerry's gun.

Told you. Eight minutes.

It should have been you, Rivera.

Always, it should have been you.

It always is me.

Archimbeau, go take a look down there.

Every dirty job in the army is my personal property.

-Nobody's going to shoot you. Go on your gut.

-Why the gut then?

Because I said the gut.

You kill me.

Butt me.

Last pack. Get your filthy hands off it.

Ask and I'll give.

You call that claw clean?

My own dirt I can eat.

Match.

They are kind of dirty.

A man's hands never seem to get clean, even if you don't touch nothing.

Just stay dirty.

It's sort of a special kind of dirt.

GI dirt.

Bet one of them criminologists could take a sample out of a guy's fingernail,

put it under his microscope and say, "That's GI dirt."

The dirt's always the same colour,

no matter what country you're fighting in.

Funny thing. I wonder why.

Say! Never saw that fella 'till he moved!

Camouflage.

See, I bet that's what GI dirt is.

Camouflage.

Think I'll write Frances a letter about that.

-Dear Frances...

-I can't see the beach or the water.

It's all stopped. No shouting, no firing, no sound of mortars.

-The war is over.

-Smells like rain.

-See if you can smell me a plane.

A little while ago, the place was crawling with troops and now, for all we know, we might be here alone.

The planes will be coming soon.

They always come soon.

If we were in those woods...

-Halverson said he was...

-Yeah. I know. Halverson said.

I never saw anything like it, never in my life.

Everybody's gone away. They forgot us.

They don't want us in the war.

Halverson must be playing black jack down in the barges.

-A butt.

-What happened to the one I just gave you?

I sent it home. They're cutting down on the butts at home. A butt.

A match.

Thanks.

Pays to have friends.

-What's the dough?

-No dice. I didn't see Halverson anywhere.

-They're bringing down the wounded now.

-From where?

-I spoke a couple of guys there. They ran into some trouble with their machine gun.

-And Halverson?

I told you, I don't know anything about Halverson.

I saw Mac though. He said the lieutenant's dying.

Mac says if the lieutenant dies, he'll go and look for Halverson.

The ocean's full of stuff now. I guess they're bringing in the rolling stock, the heavy stuff.

-The place is crawling.

-How does the beach look?

-Empty.

Where was the machine gun?

-They didn't tell me. Over there, somewhere.

-Who didn't tell you?

-The two guys.

Hit the dirt!

Seems like this war is nothing but waiting.

Waiting for your chow,

waiting for your pay,

waiting for a letter from home.

# It's a long, long time a man spends a-waiting

# Waiting around in a war

# I think of a girl I've never seen

# Her hair is black and her eyes are green

# Her name is Helen or maybe Irene

# It's a long, long time a-waiting

# I think of all the things I haven't done

# All of the women I haven't won

# It seems like my life ain't really begun

# It's a long, long time a-waiting. #

If they think I'm going to spend the rest of my life here, they're crazy.

Take the subway home. Here's a nickel.

It's the only nickel I got.

My last tie with the States.

Take it, it's yours. It's worth it to get rid of you.

Take a tank. Or a franc.

Tank. Franc. A poet. A Shakespeare.

The Bard of Avenue 8. The card of Avenue 8.

You guys kill me.

He's worked to death.

He's got those open period blues.

He had to crawl down to Jones beach he's worked to death!

He wouldn't have kicked it if it hadn't been Coney Island.

When I'm out of the Army and you're sweating it out in Tibet, you'll be

laughing the other side of your face.

Hey, Sergeant. How long are we going to stay here? My tail's cold.

We'll stay here 'till it freezes to the ground. There's a lot to spare.

Any ideas where to go, Trasker?

Yeah. Pikes Peak. If I was there, I'd run up backwards.

I'd go on my hands, pushing a Pinot with my nose then I'd take a train.

Railroads are jammed these days.

Oh, for Pete's sake.

Come on over here with me, Bill.

You too, Hoskins.

Look, something's wrong. I know something's wrong.

-Halverson should have been back by this time. Am I right?

-Sounds right.

There's no sense in it. We hang around here any longer, we'll screw up the whole works.

-Planes'll be over soon.

-Sure as little apples, they will.

And they'll be sending a few tanks along here soon while we're still up in the air.

We ought to leave somebody here in case Halverson shows up and go ahead while he's waiting.

-Six miles is a long way.

-A long and weary way.

-What do you think?

-It's up to you, Eddie. You know what you're doing.

-I've got to know.

-Do it, then.

-I've got something up, too.

-Listen!

LOW HUM OF PLANES OVERHEAD

-Planes. Do you hear anything?

-Guns.

-Hey, Sergeant, it's guns.

-Where are they coming from?

-They're coming from out to sea, aren't they?

-I think so.

-You sure?

-Probable sure.

-That's it, then.

-Must be a ship shooting a plane.

That's the way it is.

Sure as little apples, the way it is.

-All right. Off and on.

-Here we go, Tink.

Going over in the woods. Squadrons!

Up to it. Hoist tail!

How do we know those aren't our planes?

Cos the ships are ours, dope.

We've got the only ships in the water.

Boy, I wouldn't be a sailor for nothing.

-We're going to stay here, Eddie.

-For what?

-Halverson.

-I don't know.

-I'll stay.

-OK, Bill. You stay here.

Hoist tail! Get moving! We haven't got all day!

Get those squads moving. Spread them out.

-We'll be over in the woods, Bill.

-Leave me your glasses, will you?

OK.

Come on! Shake it, shake it!

The way you come walking over that ridge, like you were back in Missouri looking for daisies.

Nothing to worry about.

I looked the situation over very carefully.

Made up my mind there was no danger, so I walked instead of crawled.

Picked this up for self protection.

-Where is everybody?

-Gone into the woods.

Afraid planes were headed this way.

Yeah. I heard them.

Lieutenant's dead.

-It's too bad.

-Yeah.

Halverson's dead, too.

Deader than a doornail.

Are you sure?

A guy in A Company told me.

Machine gun got him coming out of the water.

Stitched him right across the middle.

That leaves it up to Porter.

-Four ways from the jack.

-What?

Nothing. What's going on down there?

Well, do you mind if I smoke? Is it OK?

Well, they're bringing in the big stuff now.

And coastguards, everywhere you look, coastguards.

Gee, I'm glad I'm not down on that beach any more.

The place is sure going to get strafed.

-It sure is.

-We'd better be getting over to the woods.

The planes will be here in a minute.

-Noisy.

-Put out that butt.

Do you know, the lieutenant never moved his hands?

Good devil never even moved.

EXPLOSIONS AND ARTILLERY FIRE

Dropping sticks on our transport.

From the sound of the explosions, they missed.

THUNDERING EXPLOSION

That was no miss.

No miss, at all.

We'd better sit tight here.

There may be a few fighters around somewhere.

-Don't want any fighters to catch me in an open field.

-I don't want that either.

Wonder what's happening now.

Plenty. Plenty of plenty.

Must be a honey of a shore on that beach.

Wonder what it will be like when we hit France, Mac.

I don't know. I've never seen France.

Bet it's just a long concrete wall with a gun every yard.

What's happening down there's worth seeing, too.

Bet they'll set the water on fire with oil, too.

Boy, when that day comes, I want to be somewhere else, far far away.

This is bad enough.

This isn't so bad. At least you know where everything is.

You're here and the bombs are out there.

Simple.

You're where you are and guys being killed,

or where they are.

-It's simple.

-Yeah, I guess you're right. We've got a grandstand seat.

Yeah. Only trouble is you can't see nothing.

That's the whole trouble with the war, you never get to see nothing.

You fight them by ear.

Got to guess what's going on.

Got to guess unless you see.

Sarge, can I go take a look?

You stay where you are. I want you here.

EXPLOSIONS

Good thing, dirt.

I see the planes, Mac.

-Six of them.

-Is that all?

It's not many, is it?

Gee, you'd think they'd have a couple of hundred around, up there.

-Just goes to show you...

-Just goes to show you what?

-Just goes to show you.

-Funny.

Maybe there's more coming.

No.

Just six of them.

I tell you what, Sarge, what say I take the glasses and go over the ridge and take a look at the water?

We ought to know what's going on.

We know what's going on, Mac. There's no point in it.

No point in guessing.

We got to be getting along to the plateau.

Sarge, you wouldn't go through an open field with them planes up there, would you?

I wouldn't do that.

No. I wouldn't, either.

They're out of range, now.

Probably gone after bigger game.

Suppose I took the glasses and went over the ridge? Maybe there's a new landing coming off.

We'd want to know if there was. It stands to reason.

Go and take a look, Mac. Go and take a look.

It's just for the record.

Get it off your mind.

-I think it's a good ida.

-Don't hang around, though. Those bombers may be back.

Here, take a good look.

EXPLOSIONS

What is it? What is it? What do you mean?

HE MOUTHS

Come back, McWilliams!

In a minute, Sarge!

Hurry back! Hurry!

Come back!

ARTILLERY FIRE

ARTILLERY FIRE

The leg. The right leg.

It's Trask.

In the middle of a word.

He was just speaking when it got him right in the mouth.

In the middle of a word.

Gee, I'm scared.

# This is the story of one little job

# One day from dawn until noon

# Just one battle more in a long, long war

# And the men of a single platoon

# It was 53 men started out that day

# Along the Italian shore

# And some of those were mighty good joes

# Who'll never see the sun rise any more, poor boys

# They'll never see the sun rise any more. #

-Don't you want to live here?

-I didn't say I wanted to live here.

It's a nice country, full of opportunity. Just look around you.

Opportunity, that's the big thing.

-This country is full of opportunity.

-You can have it.

Is that a way to talk about a country where you're a guest?

-They'll kick you out.

-No, they won't.

Do you know who you're fighting?

They never told me.

-Germans.

-That's all I want to know.

-You're screwy.

-That's life.

We were the same draft boy. Same day.

Forget it.

-He was a good guy.

-OK.

Too bad.

OK.

Go away. A butt.

-Arch is taking it hard.

-Nobody dies.

Saturday Evening Post has the best covers. That guy,

what's his name?

Norman Rockwell. He can draw covers to beat all.

He had some covers about the army.

I'll take a camera picture any day. Drawing's OK but it ain't real. I like things to be real.

This guy Rockwell made it look just like a picture.

I used to look at them. Looks just like a picture, I used to say. You'd never have known it was painted.

Should have taken a picture and saved time.

-You can't get the touch in a picture.

-Drawings was all right when we didn't have cameras.

-Now they've got cameras, you don't have to draw.

-That's screwy.

-Why?

You might as well say now they got moving pictures, there's no sense in taking pictures.

-You might just as well have a movie on the cover of magazines.

-Some day they'll have it. Maybe.

No, they won't.

Maybe, some day, they'll have movies that'll smell, though.

Maybe the scene will be in a garden, or something and you can smell the flowers.

I'd like to see one in set in a brewery so I could smell the beer.

If a guy asked me, "What'd you give for this beer?",

I'd give him my GI rifle and my GI pants.

It's time.

Hey, Sarge, it's time.

Well, come on. Come on, for Pete's sake, what happened?

Halverson's dead. McWilliams is dead, too.

Plane got him. The lieutenant died.

-That does it. Trasker's dead here. Hoskins and are Giorgio got wounded.

-I got the lieutenant's map case.

-Did you get it from Halverson?

-A barge. I had it all the time.

-I was going to give it to you.

-What's in it?

-I don't know. Look in it and see.

There's the sea coast. There's the beach.

Here's the wood where we are.

There's the road. About 100 yards to the south.

-Halverson was a little off.

-Where's the farmhouse?

-Here. This must be it. The only house.

-See, where's the scale?

-There is it.

It's about six miles, all right.

-It's nearer to seven.

-What's that?

Rocks. High ground.

Marked from a machine gun.

-Farm buildings marked from a machine gun, too.

-That's me. I like to work indoors.

Bring it over here. Let me see it.

Giving you trouble?

Well...

-That bridge.

-What about it?

-You have to blow it.

-Yeah.

Blow it. Gerry will bring stuff over that bridge.

Pain getting bad?

-Tiny buzzards.

-Do you want somebody to help you down to the beach?

Not me. They'll be strafing that place for weeks.

Going to stay right here.

-What about Giorgio?

-What about Giorgio?

Look, man, you're in command. Don't ask so many dopey questions.

Leave me alone.

Cousins, go and ask Giorgio if he can get back to the beach by himself.

ARTILLERY FIRE IN THE DISTANCE

Light stuff coming from inland.

Battle's beginning.

Better get moving. Get your squads together. Get them on the road.

-Giogio says you can have the beach. He wants to go alone.

-He can't.

There'll be a hospital here soon. Tell him to stay here.

Tell him yourself. You're wearing the stripes.

Squad three. Fall in. On the road.

Second squad, fall in.

-You'd better go down to the beach, Giorgio.

-Wait, Sarge. I'm wounded.

I've got privileges. I don't want to go down to the beach.

-I want to go alone.

-You can't go alone.

You won't do any good. You can't do anything.

-Now, go on down to the beach.

-I'll stay here with the Sarge.

Suit yourself.

-Let's go. We've got to move.

-Where are the binoculars, Bill?

Holy mackerel. I forgot them. McWilliams has them. The only pair we had. Not doing him any good.

-I'll go back and get them.

-Oh, never mind.

Sunny Italy.

Another little hike.

You should have to carry this.

I am happy with you, dear. You make me very happy.

Now, listen, men.

When we hit the road, we'll go from three squads.

We'll bust Hoskins' squad up. Kramer, you take the first squad.

Archimbeau, Cousins, scouts.

Franklin, connecting file.

Ward, you take the second squad.

Tyne, you take the third.

You bring up the rear. Get it?

Now, for Pete's sake, keep your eyes open.

Anything may be coming down that road. If they bring...

If they bring up tanks, they'll probably bring them along the road.

Be ready to pan out at any time and keep the bazookas ready.

When I blow my whistle, head for cover.

And I mean cover.

Keep your eyes open for planes.

They may try to shell the road, too.

I don't think they're wide awake yet, but they're going to be.

-It's a stinking situation, right?

-ALL: Right.

-OK. Let's go.

Mail this for me, will, you, Sarge?

It's a letter to my wife.

Yeah.

-Sure.

-Thanks, Sarge.

-How is it, Hosk?

-It'll keep.

-Got it on ice.

-Take it easy.

Tyne, you're a smart apple.

-Keep your head.

-I'm the boy.

-I mean it. Keep your head, you may need it.

-Always have.

I ran into an Australian.

He slugged one into his leg.

He's always going to walk with a limp.

That's a tough ticket.

-Ruins you with the Army.

-You'll be all right, Hosk.

You're a smart apple.

-Keep your head.

-Better hang on to this. You may need more than you have.

Thanks.

Keep your eye on Porter. I think he's going to crack.

-What makes you think that?

-I've seen him crack.

He screams just like anyone else.

Once in a while, a guy steps past the scream. It's hard to tell.

He's a good man but I think he's going to crack.

That's the way it goes. He's got a lot on his mind.

-Keep your head on.

-OK, Hosk.

So long, Giorgio.

That's a funny thing.

-What?

-Giorgio. He's an Italian. His old man came from this country.

All he'll ever see of it is a beach and a piece of wood.

-Funny thing.

-Yeah.

-Funny thing.

-Well, see you around, Hosk.

Yep.

Around.

Hey, Sergeant...

EXPLOSIONS

-Supposing this road is mined?

-Don't worry about it.

HE WHISTLES

That's one thing I want to do when I get back.

I want a nice collection of records.

I know a guy who must have had millions of records, millions that guy had.

He worked in the MBC Studios. He had all kinds of autographs.

You couldn't name anybody he didn't have an autograph of.

He even used to sign his records. He had a record of the Andrew Sisters, all three of their autographs.

-That's the kind of life.

-Just the music is all I want.

I got one collection but I want a big one.

I got all the Bing Crosby records except the last one.

You know Russ Columbo? My sister used to be nuts about Russ Columbo.

She stayed in her room all the time the day he died.

-When did he die, anyway?

-I don't know.

Must have been about ten years ago. She was a kid. She's married now.

-Her husband in the Army?

-Beats me. I never heard from him.

-Maybe he's in a war plant.

-That's the life, the war plant.

I read some place, those guys make 400 or 500 bucks a week.

I don't care about the dough, I'd just like to be able to go home at night.

-If I didn't go in the Army, I was going to California.

-Got a job there?

No. I just always wanted to go to California. Out with the movie stars.

Could have been something else. Could have been the engineers or the tanks.

Could even have been the Navy.

They looked at me and said here's a guy that can walk.

-They finished me, all right.

-Everybody walks. Even monkeys.

There are limits, plenty of limits.

I've been thinking, how long have we been in the Army?

Rivera, look at Hoskins.

Gets a lousy little dig in the leg and he's out of the Army, but he doesn't want to be out of the Army.

Justice.

-Where are we going, Rivera?

-I'm going someplace where I can set off this weapon.

Then I'm going to shoot this weapon. I'm not going to walk any more.

There are limits.

Archimbeau's sure angry at this country. Look at them beating it to death.

You're an insensitive lump.

He's still got Trasker on his mind.

I've got lots of dead guys on my mind.

EXPLOSION

Plane!

Hit the deck, hit the deck.

HE BLOWS ON WHISTLE

PLANE APPROACHES

GUNFIRE

Anybody hurt?

- Anybody hurt? Anybody hurt? - All right here.

Did you see that? Did you see that?

Right out of the blasted sun, the dirty kraut.

There's some wounded across the road. My squad, I think. I'd better go over.

- Wait a minute. He may be back. - I'll take my chances.

Want a hand, Sergeant?

Won't help him.

EXPLOSION Get over to that ditch.

-Did he get one?

-Yeah.

Get in the ditch. Where did he get it?

-Arm and shoulder.

-Give me a hand.

-Get in the ditch.

-Who's that?

Never mind.

-Dugan's dead.

-I know.

Look at that Jerry.

Shoot him. Shoot him. Beautiful!

No more waving to that baby.

Hey, somebody, you guys want me to die of gangrene?

They've looked you over, Smithy. What you've got is no worse than a scratch.

It hurts, burns like fire.

Doesn't yet. But it will. Take over, Joe.

What'll we do with him?

-Will we leave him here?

-We'll have to. We can't take him with us.

-Think we'd better get on with it then.

-I'd wait a while if I were you.

There might be more planes where that last one came from.

-Better take ten, anyway.

-Tell them, will you?

Take ten. Take ten.

Take ten.

-Say Sarge, can I smoke?

-Burn. Take ten. Take ten.

Butt me, Friedman.

7.35.

-Match.

-Take ten.

It is 7.35, Friedman. And in 30 minutes, we've covered a mile.

On a dry track, too. A whole mile.

Stop driving. At least you're a mile away from the beach and the shells.

What was that plane shooting at us, jellybeans?

Oh, by the way, have you dined yet, Sergeant?

Yeah. And you have, too.

How can he turn down a tasty dish like this?

-You know where they get this stuff?

-Sure.

I know where they get everything.

Where'd they get this stuff?

-You know the sewers?

-What sewers?

-Any sewers. The Hoboken sewers.

-How do you know?

-You got a brother works in the sewers?

-Never mind my relations.

You want me to tell you how they get it out of the sewers?

No. I'm eating it.

We should be in the Heine Army.

They wouldn't take me.

Why should we be in the Heine Army?

The food. Good food.

How do you know? Are you a spy or something?

How about that HQ we walked into in Sicily?

Wine on the tables. Steak.

-A picture.

-That was Officers' Mess.

So what? Do our Officers' Mess get wine on the table? Do they get steak?

The Heines are really eating.

They won't be.

Listen, chum. In three years, the whole world will be eating C-rations.

-I got it from a friend.

-Give it back to him. I ain't interested.

What do you get out of it, Friedman?

-Out of what?

-The business.

-What business?

-This business.

I ain't a member of the firm.

You saw that Messerschmitt. Yeah.

-It was after you.

-I wasn't in when he called.

Be another one along any minute now.

-I won't be in that, either.

-Friedman, you're a draft dodger.

-You're yellow, Friedman.

-That's what I am, all right.

I catch you kidding me again, I'll catch you in the gut.

-What's eating him?

-Don't YOU know?

-I've got a headache. A rotten headache.

-Tough.

-Do you trust this operation?

-How do you mean?

-You know.

I don't like the ring of it. It doesn't ring true.

Something funny about it.

GROANING

I wish he'd cut out that groaning.

He ain't too bad. He's just working for his Purple Heart.

-I don't like the responsibility.

-You're stuck with it.

We'd better get moving, hadn't we?

I think we had. If I were you, I'd keep off the road.

-Why?

-Tanks.

Let's take it along the ditch.

OK.

-What about Smith?

-I'll talk to him.

How you feeling, Smithy?

In the pink, Sarge. In the pink.

Do you think you can stay here by yourself for a while?

-Leave me some butts.

-Sure you'll be all right?

Sure, Sarge. Just leave me some butts.

Somebody'll be along to pick you up.

He'll stay.

We'd better get started then.

HE BLOWS WHISTLE

All right. Hoist sail.

We'll stick close to the ditch this time.

Keep the same formation, but stick close to the ditch.

EXPLOSIONS

GUNFIRE

Hey, Smithy. Could I bum one of those butts back?

Sure, Sarge. Help yourself.

How long do you think I'll be here?

Beats me. Shouldn't be long, though.

-There'll be plenty of company coming up this way soon.

-What company?

Any kind you want. Just take it easy, Smith.

If I want anything, I'll ring.

Hey, Smithy...you forgot to groan.

Hey, Cousins.

-What comes after Tibet?

-What comes where after Tibet?

In the war. Where are we going to fight the war after Tibet?

-How do I know? In bed.

-There's a country... Can't think of its name.

-There's a million countries.

-I can't think of their names.

-All right. I just asked. Forget it.

Ask Victor McLaglen. In the movies, he's always fighting that country around Tibet.

You kill me, just kill me.

Hey, Arch, look.

HE BLOWS WHISTLE

-Two guys, 500 yards to the left, I seen them.

-What are they?

Search me. Too far away.

Ward.

Two guys, 500 yards off to the left. Take a couple of men. Get down and see.

-Johnson. Riddle.

-Take it easy.

Fan out.

DISTANT GUNFIRE

Hit the dirt.

HE SHOUTS IN ITALIAN

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. You speak English?

-HE SPEAKS ITALIAN AGAIN

-Oh, shut up. Come on.

A couple of Eye-ties.

-Can they speak English?

-Not my kind.

-Hey, Giorgio.

-Giorgio got wounded.

Yeah. What's the matter with me?

Tranella.

You want me, Sarge?

-Can you talk Italian?

-Sure. I can talk Italian.

Talk to these guys.

-What do I say?

-Ask them where they come from, for Pete's sake.

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

Hey, Tranella.

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

He says he's from Turin.

-Where's that?

-It's north. Way up north.

-I don't mean that. Find out where they're coming from now?

-Oh.

Where are you coming from now? Oh, I mean...

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

He says there's a battle up there, they were running away from the battle.

-They're no longer fighting.

-Ask them what's going on up there.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

HE RESPONDS IN ITALIAN

He says they were lying along the road

-and they saw the Germans bringing up some tanks.

-When was this?

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

Says he's got no watch. He's not sure. Maybe a couple of hours. Maybe less.

-See what you can find out. Ask him some questions.

-I am, Sergeant!

-Find out something.

-Ask if he knows this country.

-SPEAKS ITALIAN

HE RESPONDS IN ITALIAN

He's from the north but he knows this country.

-He was once stationed here.

-Good. Where's the map, Eddie?

-What map? Oh, it's here.

We have here a map of the area. Tell him that, Tranella.

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

Says he knows all about maps, he's a corporal.

We're about here, I think.

Ask him if I'm right.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

HE RESPONDS IN ITALIAN

He says that over there's where the battle is and over here's where he saw the tanks.

-Is it a bad country?

-THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

He says that...

he says that it's a good country for defence, rough with a lot of ravines.

The young punk says it's dusty.

-How many Germans?

-THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

-Says he doesn't know how many Germans are around.

-He must have said more than that.

Well, he says that they're beaten, that they're no longer soldiers.

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

-What did he say?

-The young punk says he knocked off a Kraut.

-Ask him where.

-THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

Hey, Tranella...

THEY CONTINUE IN ITALIAN

Tranella, what are you talking about now?

About Italy. He's from near where my old man came from.

He says he didn't want the Germans, but there was no choice.

These guys are looking for a way out.

What do you know? My old man told me that they've been fighting

-the Germans since they came in and they're still fighting

-OK. OK. OK.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

-What's he saying?

-He says now they can't go home, that the Germans cover the north, like beetles.

He says there's a lot the matter with Italy.

-You're letting him tell us what's the matter with Italy.

-My old man would like to know.

Let him read it in the papers. I know what's the matter with Italy.

Find out about that hill with the farmhouse on it.

-This farmhouse here. Ask him if he knows anything about it.

-THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

He says yeah.

Ask him what kind of bridge this is.

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

He says he don't remember. Could be wood. It could be steel.

-It could be concrete.

-A great help he is(!)

-Ask him, does he know where I can get our pizza.

-Shut up!

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

-He says there's lots of Krauts a few miles along.

-How many?

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

He says he hasn't got any idea.

-We might as well go on.

-Might as well.

All right, men, get going.

-Thanks, Tranella.

-Any time, Sarge.

Tell them they can go.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN Hey, Sergeant, now they both want butts.

-Give them a couple.

-Out of my own pack, for the love...!

-Give him a couple.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN Hey, Sarge,

-he says they're our prisoners and they'll come along.

-Over my dead body.

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

Hey, Sarge, they don't want to go.

-That's too bad.

-HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

Now the punks say they're hungry.

-Give them some K-ration.

-They can take this.

When they eat that, they'll wish Italy never went out of the war.

-They'll think twice about the Americans next time.

-Hup!

That's a tough ticket, but I've got to leave you.

-How did it go?

-They don't know anything.

-We don't know any more than we did before.

-You expect to?

-They might have known something.

HE SPEAKS ITALIAN

Slap-happiest people I ever saw.

"Dear Frances,

"just left a couple of Italian soldiers standing in the road."

No, cross that out.

"Just left a couple of Italian ex-soldiers standing in the road.

"Poor suckers. They still don't know what hit them.

"And in a way, it's their own fault.

"They let themselves be sold a story that they were going to boss the world.

"And now the guys that sold to them have gone and they're left holding the bag.

"Poor suckers. Right now, they don't even own their own country."

-Bill? You ever had a feeling that something was going to happen to you?

-I have it all the time.

-I've got it now.

-Don't worry about it.

I've never had it before. I don't like it.

-Something's happened to me.

-What?

I don't know. Can't figure it out.

It's not that I'm scared, I know I'm not.

It's just that I can't figure things out.

Look, if you have to, will you take over?

I don't feel good. Got a headache.

-What are you going to do after the war?

-Join a mob, become a mobster.

-What did you do before the war?

-Three million and sixty times you asked me that. I was an undertaker.

I undertook stiffs. Made my hands smell.

-Why don't you join the registration squad at the QMC? That's right up your alley.

-I can't spell.

Hey, Johnson...

..you look like a bright boy.

Why don't you join the registration squad of QMC?

-How's the pay?

-Stinks.

-Any future in it?

What do you care? You ain't even living in the present.

That's right, Jake, give a smart apple, Jake, a reader of character.

What do you mean, I ain't living in the present?

-I'll ask him. Where are you now?

-Italy.

How do you know you're in Italy? Have you seen any signposts in Italian?

-We just landed in Italy.

-How do you know you landed in Italy?

-Just because somebody told you?

-I've just seen a couple of Italians.

You see a million Italians. Is that Italy? No.

You're ignorant, Johnson.

All right. If we're not in Italy, where are we?

Sunny France. Where do you think we was?

-Italy.

-I give up.

-So do I. I want to get out of this damned Army.

-Me, too. Move over.

ENGINE BEHIND

BLOWS WHISTLE

Hit the decks.

Hey, look, it's a jeep.

MEN SHOUT

Where you from?

-We're reconnaissance. Seen anything around here?

-Not so far.

-What's your mission?

-Objective is some high ground with a farmhouse on it, three miles up the road.

-Anything up there?

-Wish I knew.

-Want me to run up and see?

-Be nice if you'd scout a couple of miles.

Take a lot off my mind, anyway.

OK. It's the first time I've been to Italy. Like to see the country.

That's the kind of job to have. No walking. Solid comfort.

Between you and me, Jake, motorcycles scare the life out of me.

-I didn't think you were scared of anything.

-Women and motorcycles, Jake.

-A butt.

-When I run out of butts, you'll be in a right mess.

-I'll find a new friend.

I feel better. If the road's clear, it might be all right, after all.

How long do you think it will take him to get back?

About ten or 15 minutes.

BLOWS WHISTLE

What's the idea of leaving the ditch? We got no orders.

The road's easier on the feet. Simple.

It's time that rider was coming back.

He's only been gone ten minutes.

-Everything in the Army is simple.

-You live or you die.

I'd still like to be sitting in his boots.

-Whose boots?

-The guy in the motorcycle.

-That's a life.

-Why? Are you feeling a lousy hero?

-I like my comfort.

-The guys are dead pigeons.

-High mortality rates.

-So what?!

So what? That's the first sergeant I ever saw on a motorcycle.

Most of them are lucky to make corporal.

-Do you think you'll make corporal?

-I just want to make civilian.

-You've got no imagination, Riviera. You're a lump.

-That's what I am, all right.

Suppose you still think they'll be back?

May have gone further than we thought. Might have got a flat.

He didn't go too far and he didn't get a flat.

He ran into trouble.

-Did you hear any firing?

-Didn't hear a thing.

-He ran into trouble.

Eddie, I don't know what's the matter with you,

-but you need to snap out of it. What's eating you?

-I don't know.

Still wanna be on a motorcycle, ugly?

-Sure. It's a life.

-In that guy's case, the question is, is it a life?

He's probably sitting under a tree somewhere, reading a book.

People like you that cause all the trouble in the world. Where would he get a book?

How do I know where he'd get a book?

-CLICKS FINGERS

-Last pack. I'll let you watch me.

-You've got another loving pack.

-All I got, baby.

-A drag.

-I'll consider it.

Well, it's a funny thing, how many people you meet in the Army who cross your path for a few seconds

-and you never see them again.

-Who do you mean?

You've never seen them before, you never see it again. Can't forget it.

Guy on the motorcycle? Phil, I'm scared of the tanks.

If they catch us on this road they've got us cold, like mackerel.

BLOWS WHISTLE

Tell them to take a break.

Jack, Phelps, Dubrusky, Long, Tranella, Tinker,

Archimbeau and all bazooka men, front and centre.

The rest of you, take a break, into the woods.

Sergeant Porter wants you bazooka men up ahead.

< I'm giving you ample protection.

< When you get a mile ahead of us, we'll follow.

Good hunting.

Archimbeau, you stay here.

-Watch the road. If you see that rider coming back, wave to me.

-I'll never stand it till then.

-Till when?

-Till the Battle of Tibet.

Every dead-end job in the Army is my personal property.

Something's up with the Sergeant.

-Which Sergeant?

-Porter.

-Nobody tells me nothing.

-Keep your eyes open.

If you weren't smoking your last butts and getting smoke in your eyes,

you might know more about what's going on. Butt.

-What's up with Porter?

-How do I know? I ain't a doctor.

Thanks, Bill.

It's nothing. You just didn't think of it, that's all.

Yeah. I didn't think of it.

Apples.

What did you say, Sergeant?

Oh, guess I said apples.

Why?

I'm just thinking of them.

-Oh.

-What kind of apples, Sergeant?

All kinds. Bald ones. McIntosh. Reds. Pippins. Russets.

I was thinking I would like to be cutting one open, right now.

And licking that juice off a knife.

Cut it out, will you, Sarge?

Now you got me thinking about something juicy.

CHUCKLING

You like apples, Sergeant?

Not especially. Apple juice just happened to pop into my head.

-I like beer better.

-Maybe we'll come across some growing around here.

-We won't.

-How do you know, Sergeant?

I'm a farmer. A good one.

The soil's no good around here.

It's no good, at all.

It's old and tired and worn out. See?

They say up north it's different.

They say up north they grow grapes as big as a man's head.

You can't convince me. My mind's made up.

You know, once I make up my mind about something, nothing changes it except an act of God.

Or my wife.

Yes. Soil's no good. It's no good, at all.

Maybe too many soldiers have been walking on it.

They've been walking on it for a long time.

That's what always happens to a country when soldiers walk on it.

I wrote a letter to my wife.

All right.

I wrote it in the landing barge.

It's hard to write something when you can't see it.

Why didn't you wait 'till daylight?

You never can tell.

A man don't want to take no chances.

I even wrote the envelope in the dark.

-It looked good.

-How do you know it looked good?

I saw it in the daylight.

Then I give it to Sergeant Hoskins.

-What for?

-To mail for me.

The guy'll probably tear it open and read it.

He'll be reading it right now.

-He wouldn't do that.

-You never know - they do some funny things.

-He wouldn't.

-How do you know?

Maybe he thinks there's money in it. Maybe he's using it for a bandage.

He's got a bullet hole and he may have stuffed it in the bullet hole.

You're crazy. You can't stuff paper in a bullet hole.

-How do you know you can't?

-It crinkles.

Boy, what a dope. Next time you get a bullet hole in you,

stuff some paper in and see how it feels, then you'll know.

Cut that out, Riddle. He'll mail the letter. Now, leave him alone.

I were just kidding, all right.

You've got a mean streak, Riddle.

Someone'll paste you one of these days.

I'll wait.

OK, Johnson. You mailed your letter.

But you never know what Sergeants will do.

They won't do anything.

It's time we got moving, Eddie.

Call Ward, will you?

Ward.

He don't feel so good.

A guy can pick up anything in this kind of country.

Ward...I can't go on. Tyne is taking over.

Well, it's OK with me.

Tyne's a good man.

I know he is.

You can work with him, Ward.

-I know I can.

-You can go on, Eddie.

-I don't know.

Do you ever feel like you want to lie down and never get up?

-Sure I have.

-It's the way I feel.

I want to lie down. I've got to get up.

A guy gets tired after a while.

-You've been at it a long time.

-We've all have.

-Why don't you lie down, Eddie? You might feel better.

-Need...

water.

Maybe if I rest...?

I've got to lie down.

HE SOBS

Poor dirt.

Poor country.

Armoured car coming! Enemy armoured car! Take cover!

Eddie. Eddie.

-That was close, Sergeant. That was close.

-Leave him alone.

-What's the matter?

-He's sick. How did they get by our bazookas?

-I almost threw a grenade at it.

-It's a good thing you didn't.

-What do you think, Ward?

-I don't like it, none.

-Go on back, Archim.

-Keep your eyes open.

-Why do I have to pull this stuff?

-How about someone else?

-OK.

-I'll do it.

Here, Arch, watch this rifle - it gets in my way. You...

< CRACK OF GUNFIRE

< EXPLOSION IN DISTANCE

-Hank.

-Yeah.

Our bazookas are letting the armoured car go by

to get at the tanks. It'll be coming back. We've got to get it.

After the bazookas we'll have a sweet job.

Might go off with a grenade under the belly -

knock it off the road and take off the driver.

-Machine guns?

-Use everything we've got. Eddie?

-Leave him alone. Nothing you can do.

-No, guess you're right.

Send your squad as close as you can get. Throw grenades on the whistle.

Just this side or they'll throw grenades in each other's laps.

Rivera?

-Got a butt, Sarge?

-How's your gun?

-OK.

Set up by the road. When the car comes, we'll get it with grenades.

When the grenades go off, let the car have everything you've got.

-Wreck it, compris?

-Yes. Sure.

-Set up in a hurry.

-Right.

-I got a job. They hired me. 100 bucks a minute. Coming?

-I'm invited?

I got a silver-plated bullet with your name on it.

-Yeah. That's me, all right.

-Then you're invited.

-I'll come.

Good, since you've got the ammo.

Line up your squad, Ward.

When the armoured car gets abreast of that boulder, see.

Yeah.

-I'll count ten, then blow the whistle. OK.

-OK.