All language subtitles for Beyond.Glory.2015.srt

I NEVER DID GET
THE OPPORTUNITY

TO MEET VERNON BAKER.

OUR GEOGRAPHY
JUST NEVER ALIGNED,

BUT I ALWAYS HAD
KIND OF A DAYDREAM.

VERNON BAKER LIVED
IN THE NORTHWEST WOODS

UP IN IDAHO.

AND I'D GO
UP TO HIS HOUSE

AND I'D KNOCK
ON THE DOOR

AND HE'D COME
TO THE DOOR,

AND HE'D ALWAYS HAVE
HIS M1 IN HIS HAND.

AND I'D SAY,
"HELLO, MR. BAKER, SIR.

MY NAME IS STEPHEN LANG,

AND I'M GOING
TO BE PORTRAYING YOU

IN 'BEYOND GLORY.'"

AND VERNON BAKER
WOULD LOOK AT ME

AND SAY,

"WELL...

I ALWAYS FIGURED
IT WOULD BE MORGAN."

"OR MAYBE DENZEL.

BUT YOU WOULD CERTAINLY
BE MY THIRD CHOICE."

A WELL-KNOWN ACTOR.

A LOT OF PRODUCTIONS
ON BROADWAY.

A MOVIE CALLED, "AVATAR."

AND HE'S HERE
TO PRESENT A PORTION

OF WHAT'S CALLED,
"BEYOND GLORY."

AND IT RECOGNIZES
THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS

OF MEDAL OF HONOR
RECIPIENTS.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO,
I'D LIKE TO TURN
THE MICROPHONE

OVER TO MR. STEPHEN LANG.

BASTARDS!

BASTARDS! BASTARDS!

BASTARDS!
BASTARDS!

BASTARDS! BASTARDS!

BASTARDS!
BASTARDS!

BASTARDS!

SCREWED UP MY NOOKY
ON A SUNDAY MORNING.

I WAS AFTER SOME LOVE
WITH MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE.

WELL, THAT'S HONEST TO GOD

WHAT I WAS DOING
WHEN THEY CALLED.

WELL, EVERYBODY
SAID LATER THAT SO-AND-SO
COME AND AWAKEN ME.

HELL, THE ONLY PEOPLE
ASLEEP ARE THE MORONS

IN WASHINGTON,
WHO DIDN'T ADVISE THE ADMIRAL

AS TO WHAT WAS COMING UP.

IT WAS MY LITTLE PAL, WOODROW,
AWAKENED ME THAT MORNING.

"CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY
HEROISM

AND DEVOTION
ABOVE AND BEYOND..."

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
HOLD ON THERE, "SUNSHINE."

THERE'S NO RUSH
THROUGH THE DAMN THING.

LIKE I SAID, ABOUT THE TIME
I SAW THE PLANE

FLASH BY THE WINDOW,
I'M LAYIN' IN BED

WITH A "PUP TENT" SITUATION.
YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

AND MY WIFE, ALICE, OH!
SHE JUMPS OUT OF BED

AND SHE'S LOOKING
OUT THE WINDOW

AT HAWAIIALOH HILL
AND SHE SAYS,

"OOH, JOHN,
IT'S BEAUTIFUL."

AND I'M LOOKING AT
HER BEAUTIFUL LITTLE ASS

AND I SAID,
"IT SURE IS."

"ABOVE AND BEYOND
THE CALL OF DUTY."

BELAY THAT, SAILOR.
BY GOD, MY NAME IS JOHN FINN.

I'M 97 YEARS OLD

AND IT'S MY TURN
TO TALK FOR A WHILE

THEN YOU MAKE
THE GODDAMN FUSS OVER ME.

- THAT WORK FOR YOU?
- SIR.

ALL RIGHT, THEN.

GODDAMN, HE LOOK
LIKE HE ABOUT...

I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE
THAT I WOULD CALL IT A PLAY.

I MEAN, IT'S DEFINITELY
THEATER.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU
DONE THE SHOW?

I'VE PERFORMED IT,
OH, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN

400 AND 500 TIMES.

TELL US ONE THING
ABOUT THE TOUR.

THE TOUR IS A CHANCE
TO TAKE IT

TO THE HEARTLAND
OF AMERICA

AND TO BRING IT BACK
TO THE TROOPS.

HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT IT?

WELL, A JOURNALIST
BUDDY OF MINE,

LARRY SMITH, GAVE ME
AN UNCORRECTED COPY

OF A BOOK
ABOUT TO BE PUBLISHED

BASED ON FIRSTHAND
ACCOUNTS

FROM MEDAL OF HONOR
RECIPIENTS.

I JUST STARTED
NOODLING AROUND WITH IT,

AND THIS IS WHAT CAME OUT.

I'VE PERFORMED IT
ALL OVER THE WORLD...

FROM PEARL HARBOR
TO THE PERSIAN GULF,

FROM GUANTANAMO.
FROM AFGHANISTAN...

WHEN I WENT DOWN TO THEIR
RECRUITING STATION,

I THOUGHT, "AW, SHIT,
A FEW WEEKS DON'T MAKE
ANY DIFFERENCE."

SO THEY GIVE ME AN EXAM,
GIMME THE PHYSICAL.

RECRUITER SAYS,
"HOW ARE YOUR TEETH?"

I SAID, "I GOT
PRETTY GOOD TEETH."
I HAD BEAUTIFUL TEETH.

YEAH, I STILL DO, YEAH.
OKAY...

"ALL RIGHT, SONNY.
YOU COME ON BACK IN TWO WEEKS,

AND YOU BRING YOUR MOTHER
AND YOUR FATHER WITH YOU."

WELL, I COME BACK,
I COME BACK ON THE 29th
OF JULY, 1926.

I WAS JUST 17
AND I BROUGHT MY MOTHER
WITH ME

AND OH, MY GOD,
THEY TREATED HER LIKE
SHE WAS A QUEEN.

YEAH, THEY GOT HER
A CUP OF COFFEE

AND SIT HER
DOWN IN A CHAIR.
IT WAS WONDERFUL.

NOW COME THIS
TOUGH-LOOKIN' SAILOR.

"SON," HE SAYS,
"YOU SURE YOU WANNA
JOIN THE NAVY?

YOU KNOW YOU GOT TO SCRUB
YOUR OWN CLOTHES.

YOU REALIZE IN THE NAVY
YOU GOT TO STAND

A LOT OF WATCHES?
YOU DON'T GET TO SLEEP

ALL NIGHT, ALL THE TIME.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
NONE OF THAT BOTHERED ME.

ONLY ONE THING WORRIED ME.

THEY'D GIVE YOU A LEAFLET,
AND IT SAYS,

"THE NAVY FOOD
IS WHOLESOME, BUT PLAIN."

YEAH, THAT WORRIED ME.

I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE
EATIN' RICE AND BOILED
POTATOES

WITH NO SALT
FOR THREE YEARS.

BUT, WELL, I WANTED
TO JOIN THE NAVY.
AND THEN,

WHEN I GOT TO
BOOT CAMP, OH, MY GOD,
I LOVED THE NAVY.

SLICED ROAST BEEF.
YEAH, AND GRAVY, LETTUCE
AND TOMATO SALAD,

WATERMELON
AND CORN ON THE COB.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE
THE FOOD. OH, SURE.

SURE, I REMEMBER SOME
NUMBNUTS COMPLAINING ABOUT

THE GODDAMN NAVY SLOP,
BUT, SHIT, I NEVER GOT

SUCH GOOD FOOD IN MY LIFE
AS I GOT IN THE NAVY.

I THOUGHT I'D DIED
AND WENT TO HEAVEN.

GODDAMN RICE
AND BOILED POTATOES.

YEAH.

'32, GOT BACK FROM CHINA.

SAW A BEAUTIFUL BLONDE
IN SAN DIEGO.

AFTER ALL THEM LITTLE
CHINEE GALS,

I SAW A BEAUTIFUL BLONDE,
AND I SAID,

"GOTTA DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THAT. ALICE,"

I SAID...
HER NAME WAS ALICE.

"ALICE...

I'LL TAKE YOU ANYWHERE
YOU WANT TO GO,

BUT I GOT TO TELL YOU,
I HAVEN'T RIDDEN THIS BIKE
MUCH HERE..."

I BOUGHT A BMW.
IN CHINA.

"MAYBE YOU BETTER GO
WITH BOBBY OR WITH SLIM."

AND SHE SAYS,
"I WANT TO GO WITH YOU."

SO OFF WE GO AND WE JUST...
WELL, WE JUST RODE AROUND

BUT THEN...
THEN I FEEL A TREMOR

ON THE BACK OF THE BIKE.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

WELL, DO YOU KNOW
THIS GIRL WAS NOW
STANDING UP

ON THE PACK RACK
ON THE BIKE?

GOT THE TIPS OF HER FINGERS
ON MY SHOULDERS

AND SHE WAS STANDIN' UP.
I'M THINKIN', "JESUS CHRIST,

SHE GOT SOME GUTS!"

THIS BEAUTIFUL BLONDE
IS THE LAST GIRL

IN THE WORLD TO BE PLAYING
TRICKS ON A MOTORCYCLE.

WELL, WE JUST, WE RODE
ALONG LIKE THAT.

NOT GOIN' FAST.
MAYBE 20,

OH, 25 MILES AN HOUR,
AND OH, MY.

SHE WAS...

MUSCULAR.

AND STRONG AND GRACEFUL...

AND EVERYTHING.

WE GOT MARRIED IN '33.

SO, YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND,
ON THAT MORNING...

DECEMBER 7, 1941...

I'D BEEN IN THE NAVY
15 YEAR

AND I PARTICIPATED
IN ALL KINDA WAR GAMES.

I MEAN, YOU LIVE
AT A NAVAL STATION,

YOU HEAR PLANES FLYIN'.
BUT THEN...

THEN I HEAR
THEM MACHINE GUNS.

"WHO THE HELL
IS FIRING MACHINE GUNS?

I'M CHIEF ORDINANCE MAN
AROUND HERE.

IF ANYBODY GONNA BE
FIRIN' MACHINE GUNS

I WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT."
AND THEN I THOUGHT,

"HEY, HEY, HEY,
WHAT THE HELL IS
HAPPENING HERE?

IT'S SUNDAY."

OOH.
"OKAY, "SUNSHINE,"

YOU CAN FILL IN
A FEW DETAILS NOW."

SIR, LIEUTENANT FINN
PROMPTLY SECURED

AND MANNED A 50-CALLIBER
MACHINE GUN

-IN A COMPLETELY EXPOSED AREA
-NO, NO...

WHICH WAS UNDER HEAVY
MACHINE GUN STRAFING FIRE.

- ALTHOUGH PAINFULLY...
- ALL RIGHT, THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S RIGHT.
IT WAS PRETTY MUCH RIGHT.
BUT YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND,

BY THE TIME I GOT
TO THE HANGARS,

THE ENEMY WERE REDUCING
EVERY PLANE ON THE FIELD

TO A RUBBLE OF SMOKE
AND MELTED ALUMINUM.

AND THEN, THEN TO HEAR
A PLANE ROARING IN

ASTERN OF ME
AND I LOOK UP

AND I SEE THE
BIG OLD "RED MEATBALL"...

THE RISING SUN INSIGNIA
ON THE UNDERSIDE
OF THE WINGS.

SO, WHAT I DID WAS,
I GRABBED A 30.

IT WAS A 30-CALLIBER
MACHINE GUN, AND
OH, MY GOD,

DID THEY FIRE FAST.
AND I DRUG THAT SON OF A GUN

OUT MAYBE 20 YARDS
UNDER THE TARMAC

SO'S I COULD SEE OVER
THE HANGARS.

AND I STARTED FIRING,
AND FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS
AND A HALF

I FIRED THAT GUN.
I FIRED THAT GUN.

TILL THE LAST
OF 'EM LEFT.

AND NOT EVERYONE
OF THEM DID LEAVE.

AND THAT'S A FACT.

NOW, THERE WAS SOME LULLS,
AT WHICH TIMES I WOULD

HASTEN BACK TO MY ARMORY
AND ASSESS THE DAMAGE

AND KICK SOMEBODY
IN THE ASSHOLE.

NOW, NOW I'M SLAPPING
A FRESH BELT ON THAT 30

AND I LOOK UP, AND I SEE
THESE LITTLE BLACK MICE TURDS

COMIN' TOWARDS ME.
AND I SAID, "FUCK!"

AND I OUTRUN THOSE BUMS.
I JUMPED IN A STAIRWELL.

I DIDN'T EVEN HIT THE DECK
'FORE I HEARD

THESE THREE BIG CRASH
AND ROLLIN'

HORRENDOUS EXPLOSIONS...
BA-BA-BA-BA-VOOM!

BA-BA-BA-BA-VOOM.

GLASS WAS COMING DOWN.
A TON OF GLASS FELL ON ME!

ALTHOUGH PAINFULLY
WOUNDED MANY TIMES...

UNDERSTAND I'M NOT THE ONLY
SAILOR CATCHING THIS SHIT.

NO, NO, NO.
BY NO MEANS.

CHRISTIAN GUINESS
AND BUCKY WALTERS

WERE BOTH BADLY INJURED.
OH, YES, CHRISTIAN...

WAS TRYIN' TO JERK
THE HANGAR DOORS OPEN
WHEN THE BOMBS HIT

AND THE CONCUSSION
FROM THE BLAST BLEW THE DOORS

ALL TO HELL AND SMASHED
EVERY DAMN BONE IN...

ALTHOUGH PAINFULLY
WOUNDED MANY TIMES,

HE CONTINUED
TO MAN HIS GUN

AND RETURN THE ENEMY'S
FIRE VIGOROUSLY

AND WITH COMPLETE DISREGARD
FOR HIS OWN SAFETY.

WELL, I WAS MADDER
THAN HELL.

I WASN'T BEING COURAGEOUS.
ALL I WAS DOING WHAT I...

I'M PISSED OFF.

I WAS DOING EXACTLY
WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD DO

IF THERE EVER
COME A WAR.

NOW MAYBE I DIDN'T HAVE
SENSE ENOUGH TO COME IN

OUT OF THE RAIN,
BUT I CAN TRUTHFULLY SAY

I DON'T REMEMBER
BEING SCARED TO DEATH.

BUT I WAS GODDAMN MAD.

NO SEX, NO BREAKFAST.

ANGER, HUNGER, SEX.

GREATEST INSTINCTS WE GOT.

THINGS WE'RE BORN WITH.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE, HUH?

IT WAS NIMITZ.

ADMIRAL NIMITZ HUNG
THE MEDAL AROUND MY NECK.

HE SAYS, "FINN, IT GIVES ME
GREAT PLEASURE TO HANG

THIS MEDAL
AROUND YOUR NECK."

SEPTEMBER 15, '42
ABOARD THE S.S. ENTERPRISE.

IN PEARL.

A LOT OF FELLERS
GOT DECORATED THAT AFTERNOON

AND RIGHTFULLY SO,

BUT, MINE WAS THE ONLY
MEDAL OF HONOR PRESENTED

TO AN INDIVIDUAL
WHO FIRED BACK

AT THE ENEMY THAT DAY.

I AM PROUD OF THAT.

LET'S SEE.
THAT'S ABOUT IT.

- SIR?
- YEAH?

OH! TIME TO MOVE ON,
IS IT?

FINN, JOHN WILLIAM,
LIEUTENANT, U.S. NAVY.

HIS EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM
AND CONDUCT IN THIS ACTION

AT NAVAL AIR STATION
KANEOHE BAY,

TERRITORY OF HAWAII,
7 DECEMBER 1941,

WERE IN KEEPING
WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS

OF THE U.S.
NAVAL SERVICE.

THAT'S MY STORY.
GOOD ONE, AIN'T IT?

IT'S NOT VERY GLAMOROUS.

NO, SIR, IT ISN'T.
IT IS NOT A GOOD STORY,

BUT THEN...

I GUESS IT'S CONSISTENT
WITH WAR.

LAYING IN THE RICE PADDY
THAT NIGHT,

THE LITTLE GROUP
I WAS IN...

MAYBE SIX
OR SEVEN GUYS...

THEY TOLD ME
I DID A GOOD JOB.

THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE GOING
TO SEE THAT I GET A MEDAL.

YEAH, WELL, YOU TAKE THAT
WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.

I DID WHAT I DID
BECAUSE IT WAS MY JOB.

AND IF I DIDN'T DO IT...

NONE OF US WERE GOING
TO GET OUT.

AT LEAST THAT'S
WHAT I FELT.

I STILL STAND WITH THAT.

I HAVE NO IDEA
AT WHAT POINT

THE OTHER MEDICS
WERE KILLED.

CLARENCE SASSER,
HE'S A REMARKABLE GUY.

HE'S INSIGHTFUL,
HE'S REFLECTIVE.

LIKE SO MANY SOLDIERS FROM
SO MANY DIFFERENT WARS,

VIETNAM LEFT CLARENCE WOUNDED,
SCARED PSYCHOLOGICALLY,

EMOTIONALLY,
AND PHYSICALLY.

BUT HE'S PERSEVERED
AND HE'S HEALED HIMSELF
OVER THE YEARS.

IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY SINCE
THAT DAY IN THE RICE PADDY

WHEN HE WAS
WITH ALPHA COMPANY.

THAT'S 106 MEN
IN A RICE PADDY

- IN VIETNAM...
- JANUARY 10, 1968.

WE PART OF A BATTALION SIZE
SEARCH-AND-DESTROY MISSION.

THIRD BATTALION, 60th INFANTRY.

MY COMPANY,
ALPHA COMPANY, 106 MEN.

YEAH, WE'RE SET
TO BE BACKUP.

WE WERE GONNA HAVE
AN EASY TIME OF IT THAT DAY.

BUT IT GOT BAD
PRETTY QUICK.

THEY HAD US SURROUNDED
ON THREE SIDES

AND ALL THEM MORTARS,

THAT'S PRIMARILY
WHAT THEY HAD... MORTARS

WAS ZEROED IN
ON THE RICE PADDY

ALONG WITH THE .30-CALIBER
MACHINE GUNS

AND OF...
OF COURSE, THE AK-47s.
AND, MAN, WHOO!

THEY STARTED
CHOPPING US UP IMMEDIATELY.

GUYS ARE DROPPIN'
LIKE FLIES,

HOLLERIN', "MEDIC! MEDIC!"
"DOC! DOC!"

FIRST GUY I GOT TO
WAS BADLY HURT.

SHOT THROUGH THE CHEST.
SUCKIN' CHEST WOUND.

AFTER I BANDAGED HIM,
I TOLD HIM TO TRY TO KEEP
HIS HEAD ABOVE WATER,

EXCEPT THIS GUY'S
HALF IN AND HALF OUT
OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

YEAH, BUT THAT'S ALL
YOU CAN DO... STABILIZE

A TRAUMA SITUATION
AND MOVE ON.

I WENT FROM ONE GUY
AND ON TO THE NEXT

AND ON TO THE NEXT
AND ALL SO ON

AND THEN I WOULD GO BACK
TO CHECK ON THEM.

NOW, THE WATER
IN THE RICE PADDY
IS KNEE DEEP

AND THE MUCK
IS SUCKIN' THE BOOTS
OFF YOUR FEET

SO YOU CAN'T MOVE
WITH ANY DISPATCH, UH-UH.

HAD TO BELLY CRAWL
LIKE I'M A REPTILE.

GRAB HANDFULS OF RICE PADDY,
DRAG MYSELF ALONG.

AND THE WHOLE TIME
THE BULLETS ARE FLYIN',

MORTARS ARE COMIN' IN,
SNIPERS ALL 'ROUND ME.

AND IT'S NOT LIKE
YOU CAN RETURN FIRE,

'CAUSE YOU CAN'T SET YOUR
MORTAR OR YOUR MACHINE GUN

IN THAT MUCK.
UH-UH.

ONLY THING YOU CAN DO
IS KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN...

WAIT FOR NIGHT TO FALL.

HOPE THAT THE MOON
AIN'T FULL.

WE OUT THERE
MORE THAN 12 HOURS.

AND ONLY 12...

THAT'S WRONG.

14.14 MEN.

14 MEN OUT OF 106

COME IN WITHOUT BEIN'
KILLED OR WOUNDED.

I WAS THE ONLIEST MEDIC
THAT LIVED, YEAH.

I GOT A BULLET
IN THE BACK OF THE LEG

AT THE OUTSET.
NOT TOO BAD.

COUPLE HOURS INTO IT
I GOT SPRAYED WITH SHRAPNEL

FROM A MORTAR HIT...
MY SHOULDER,

MY BACK, MY HIP AND MY LEG.
THAT HURTING WAS SOMETHIN'

FOR YOU KNOW
WHEN A MORTAR SHELL
EXPLODES, THAT SHIT'S HOT.

IT'S REAL HOT AND RAGGED.

THOSE FRAGMENTS TEARIN',
BURNIN'.

BUT, UNLESS A SHELL FRAGMENT
HITS A ARTERY OR A NERVE,

IT'S MORE AGGRAVATION
AND PAIN,

THAN LIFE THREATENIN'.

AFTER A WHILE
IT GOT SO QUIET.

THE FIGHTING WOULD
WAX AND WANE,

SO I RAISED UP TO LOOK.

THIS WHEN A SNIPER
GOT ME RIGHT HERE,

ON THE TOP OF THE SKULL,
AND THE BULLET BOUNCED OFF.

I WAS NOT WEARING
A HELMET.

BUT I WAS HIT
AND THE BULLET BOUNCED
JUST THE WAY

THE ANGLE IT...
IT GLANCED OFF.

IT BLED LIKE CRAZY, MAN,

AND LEFT ME WITH ONE HELL
OF A HEADACHE, YEAH.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT
THE HARDEST THING WAS?

THE HARDEST THING
WAS LAYING THERE ALL NIGHT

LISTENING TO THEM
BEG FOR THEIR MAMAS.

ALL THESE...
YOUNG MEN

CRYING OUT
FOR THEIR MOMMIES.

THAT'S THE PERVERSITY OF IT,
YOU SEE.

THEM TELLING ME
I DID A GOOD JOB...

WHEN ALL THESE
YOUNG MEN ARE DYING.

IT'S NOT VERY GLAMOROUS.
NO, SIR,

IT IS NOT A GOOD STORY,

BUT, THEN...

I GUESS IT'S CONSISTENT
WITH WAR. MM-HMM.

I THINK THE BIGGEST
THING YOU FIND

IF YOU READ
THE CITATIONS

IS THERE WAS A FEELING
THAT SOMEBODY HAD
TO DO SOMETHING.

I DID WHAT I DID
BECAUSE IT WAS MY JOB.

AND IF I DIDN'T DO IT,

NONE OF US
WERE GOING TO GET OUT.

I DESERTED THE U.S. ARMY

IN OCTOBER 1941.

I DESERTED RIGHT AFTER
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

MADE A SPEECH SAYING
THAT NO AMERICANS

WOULD BE FIGHTING
ON FOREIGN SOIL,

I DESERTED. HITCHHIKED
ACROSS THE BORDER.

ENLISTED
IN THE CANADIAN ARMY.

THEY SENT ME TO ENGLAND
TO BE A RADAR SPECIALIST,

BUT BY THE TIME I GOT THERE,
WOULDN'T YOU KNOW

THE U.S. HAD ENTERED
THE WAR.

I WENT TO THE EMBASSY
IN LONDON.

I SAID...

"EXCUSE ME..."

"HOW DO I GET BACK
IN THE AMERICAN ARMY?"

SEE, THEY DIDN'T KNOW
THEY HAD A DESERTER
ON THEIR HANDS.

AND OF COURSE, IT TOOK A WHILE
FOR MY RECORDS TO PROCESS.

THERE'S A LOT OF RED TAPE
IN THE ARMY.

IN THE MEANTIME, THEY
SENT ME TO NORTH AFRICA.

FIRST CONTACT
WITH THE ENEMY IN
MEDJEZ EL-BAB, TUNISIA.

WE WERE TRYING
TO TAKE TUNIS,

BUT THEY WERE SENDING US
IN PIECEMEAL

AND ROMMEL
CREAMED OUR ASS.

NOW, DURING THE FRACAS,
A HALF-TRACK,

WHICH IS A VERY
LARGE TANK-LIKE VEHICLE,
FULL OF AMMO

GOT CAUGHT IN THE SHELLING
AND IT WAS ON FIRE.

WELL, I GOT INTO IT,
DROVE IT AWAY FROM
OUR TROOPS.

SOON AS I GOT IT CLEAR
OF OUR PEOPLE

I ROLLED OUT,
AND IT BLEW UP.

THEY GAVE ME
A SILVER STAR FOR THAT.

SOME MONTHS LATER
AT THE KASSERINE PASS

I SHOT DOWN A MESSERSCHMITT
WITH A .50-CALIBER
MACHINE GUN

JURY-RIGGED
ON THE BACK OF A HALF-TRACK.

WHICH IS A VERY LARGE
TANK-LIKE VEHICLE.

THEY MADE ME CORPORAL
AFTER THAT.

EVENTUALLY I RECEIVED
THE EUROPEAN AFRICAN
CAMPAIGN RIBBON

WITH SEVEN CAMPAIGNS
AND THREE AMPHIBIOUS
ASSAULT LANDINGS...

NORTH AFRICA, SALERNO,
AND ANZIO, ITALY.

I... OH, OH, OH,
YOU KNOW,

YOU KNOW... I RECENTLY
WATCHED THE MOVIE

"ANZIO,"
WITH THAT ACTOR...

ROBERT MITCHUM.

IT'S A PRETTY GOOD MOVIE.

AND THAT BOBBY MITCHUM,

HE REMINDS ME OF ME.

NOW, THIS WHOLE TIME
I'M RECEIVING PARTIAL PAY

BECAUSE THEY DON'T
HAVE MY RECORDS.
MIND YOU,

I'D ALREADY FOUGHT
SIX MONTHS IN AFRICA,

SIX MONTHS IN ITALY,
I HAD THE SILVER STAR.

I WAS A BUCK SERGEANT.
FINALLY, MY RECORDS COME IN,

I GET $2000 IN BACK PAY
AND THEY COURT-MARTIAL ME.

I WAS IN NAPLES,
AND THE LIEUTENANT,
GEORGE CRICK,

SAID, "SERGEANT MILLETT,
YOU WERE COURT-MARTIALED
YESTERDAY.

FOUND GUILTY OF DESERTION,

FINED $52."

A WEEK LATER, THEY MADE ME
SECOND LIEUTENANT.

THAT'S THE ARMY.

THE WAR IN ITALY
ENDED APRIL 29, 1945.

AND I WAS HOME
BY THE FIRST OF JUNE.

IN '49, THE ARMY CALLED
FOR VOLUNTEERS.

I VOLUNTEERED.

INCHON, OSAN, PUSAN,

KAESONG, UNGOK...

THE KOREAN CONFLICT.

"THE FORGOTTEN WAR."

NOW, THIS IS DECEMBER 1950.
IN THIS PERIOD OF TIME,

THE ENEMY SAID
THAT AMERICANS WERE AFRAID
OF THE BAYONET.

SO I SAID, "WELL, LET'S JUST
TEACH THOSE BASTARDS
SOMETHING."

'CAUSE BOTH
MY GREAT-GRANDFATHERS

FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR
AND YOU KNOW DAMN WELL

THEY USED THE BAYONET
ALL THE TIME. SO I SAID,

"NEXT ATTACK WE MAKE,
IT'S BAYONETS."

THEY WERE DUG IN
HIGH ATOP A RIDGE.

THEY OPENED FIRE.
I DIRECTED THE GUNNER

TO LAY DOWN COVERING FIRE,
AND I ALERTED THE MEN,

"FIX BAYONETS
AND FOLLOW ME!"
WE CHARGED

ACROSS A HUNDRED YARDS
OF ICY RICE PADDY,

YELLING AND SCREAMING,
"I TAUGHT MY PEOPLE.
'SHE LIE SANI!'"

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I GOT IT OUT OF A PAMPHLET.

IT MEANS,

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU
WITH MY BAYONET!"

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANYWAY, WE MADE THE CHARGE...
UPHILL.

RIGHT AT THE CREST,
I GOT THREE OF 'EM...

THE FIRST TWO
THROUGH THE THROAT.

THE THIRD I LUNGED,

AND THE BAYONET
WENT INTO HIS FOREHEAD

LIKE IT WAS A WATERMELON.

WE LEFT A BAYONET
UP THE ASS OF THE
ENEMY COMMANDER,

WITH A SIGN THAT SAID,

"COMPLIMENTS
OF EASY COMPANY."

IT IS WAR, YOU KNOW.

I'VE HAD A CRIPPLED LEG

EVER SINCE I GOT SHOT DOWN
AND MAULED

BY A MOB IN THE STREET
IN NORTH VIETNAM.

I DON'T USE CANES.
I JUST...

WHEW...
I JUST LIMP ALONG.

I CAN'T RAISE MY LEFT ARM
ABOVE THE SHOULDER.

MY NAME...

MY NAME'S JIM STOCKDALE

AND...

IF YOU RECOGNIZE ME,
IT IS PERHAPS

BECAUSE I RAN
FOR VICE PRESIDENT

IN '92.

I WAS ON THE TICKET
WITH ROSS PEROT.

POLITICS...

NOT MY LINE.

VIETNAM WAR STARTED
AUGUST 4, 1964.
I KNOW.

I LED THE STRIKE
THAT STARTED IT.
WING COMMANDER.

FLEW ALMOST
200 MISSIONS IN VIETNAM.
I WAS DROPPING BOMBS.

GOT SHOT DOWN
SEPTEMBER 9, 1965.

I EJECTED SHORTLY
AFTER MY AIRCRAFT,
A CRUSADER...

A CROWN JEWEL...
A CROWN JEWEL OF THE TIME,

I BAILED SHORTLY AFTER
I WAS HEADING OUT.

I HAD BEEN FLYING LOW,
100 FEET, SO...

THAT'S LOW. SO WHEN I HIT...

I HIT HARD.
MAIN STREET OF THIS TOWN.

LOCALS, ESTIMATE 25
OR 30 OF 'EM, THEY JUST
HAMMERED ME.

JUST TWISTED, BENT,
BUSTED ME UP.

FINALLY SOME GUY
WITH A PITH HELMET
BLOWS A WHISTLE.

SIGNALS,
"GET UP, GET UP."
I CAN'T GET UP.

MY LEG'S TOO BADLY DAMAGED.
IT WAS BROKE AT THE KNEE.

WIND UP ON A PING-PONG TABLE.
LITTLE SHORT FELLA
COMES IN,

THE DOCTOR.
REACHES INTO HIS BAG,
TAKES OUT A HAMMER.

THEN HE TAKES OUT A SAW.
THEN I SAID, "NO, SIR.

NO, NO, NO!

NO CUT THE LEG."

SEE, THERE WAS THIS MYTH
OUT THERE AT THE TIME,

OR MAYBE IT WASN'T,
BUT SUPPOSEDLY

THEY NEVER
RELEASED EX-PRISONERS
WITH AMPUTATIONS.

NOW, I DON'T HAVE
ANY KNEE,

BUT, WELL,
THAT LITTLE FELLA

FOUND A WAY TO FUSE
THE BONES, SO...

I SPENT THE NEXT SEVEN
AND A HALF YEARS

AS A PRISONER OF WAR.

I THINK WE SHOULD
TREAD LIGHTLY HERE.

THE PURPOSE OF TORTURE...

INTIMIDATE AND HUMILIATE,
INTIMIDATE AND HUMILIATE,

INTIMIDATE AND HUMILIATE
INTO RECITING ANTI-AMERICAN

PROPAGANDA ON A STAGE
IN DOWNTOWN HANOI.

UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE THE U.S.
NEVER DECLARED WAR

ON NORTH VIETNAM,
THE COMMUNISTS REFUSED

TO HONOR THE GENEVA
GUIDELINES REGARDING POWs.

INSTEAD THEY ROUTINELY
TORTURED PRISONERS

TO THE BRINK OF DEATH
AND CONSTANTLY TRIED

TO GET YOU TO CONFESS
TO BEING WAR CRIMINALS

AGAINST THE PEOPLE
OF VIETNAM.

THE WAY IT WORKED...
BY WAY OF EXAMPLE...

WAS TWO PEOPLE,
THEY MARCH INTO YOUR CELL

CARRYING
HEAVY IRON POLE

WHICH THEY DROP
WITH A DRAMATIC CLANG.

THEN YOU GET "TATCHED"
AT THE ANKLES TO THAT POLE.

THEY PUT LUGS
ON YOUR ANKLES.

RUN THAT POLE
RIGHT THROUGH THE LUGS

AND THEN THEY WEAVE ROPES
'ROUND YOUR SHOULDERS

AND UNDER YOUR ARMS
AND RIGHT DOWN UNDER
THAT POLE.

AND THEN THEY BEGIN
PULL ON THOSE ROPES

FROM SEVERAL DIRECTIONS.

THEY'RE PULLING YOU OVER,
AT THE SAME TIME

YOUR ARMS GETTING
SPLAYED BACK

SO YOUR BREASTBONE'S
ON THE VERGE OF CRACKING.

YOU'RE ACTUALLY...
YOU'RE DISAPPEARING...

YOU'RE DISAPPEARING
INTO A V-SHAPE.

AND THEN ONE OF THEM
MOUNTS ON YOU,

PUTS HIS HEEL
IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD.

AND MASHES YOUR FACE
RIGHT DOWN INTO THIS

CEMEN... CEMEN...
YEAH. YOU FOLLOW?

I WAS...

I WAS RANKING
NAVAL OFFICER.

HOA LO, PRISON.
THAT'S THE "HANOI HILTON."

I WAS MY FELLOW PRISONERS'
CHOICE FOR LEADERSHIP.

I... I SET THE RULES,
BUT MY RULES WOULD NOT

ALLOW A PRISONER TO FAKE
SUBMISSION TO THE ROPES.

YOU HAD TO ENDURE
CONSIDERABLE PAIN

BEFORE YOU COULD SUBMIT.
NOW, EVENTUALLY,
YOU DO SUBMIT.

YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM.

YOU CAN'T BEAT THE ROPES.
YOU SUBMIT.

OR YOU DIE.

I WENT THROUGH
THE ROPES 15 TIMES.

BUT I NEVER MADE
THAT TRIP DOWNTOWN.

I'D FIND SOMETHING...
MAYBE A STOOL

OR MAYBE JUST MY OWN FISTS...
AND BEAT MYSELF.

COULDN'T EVEN
OPEN MY EYES

SO THEY COULDN'T
DISPLAY ME,

NOW, COULD THEY?

I GOT TO BE QUITE
A THORN IN THEIR SIDE

AND AS A CONSEQUENCE
I GOT HANDLED ROUGHLY.

ON ONE OCCASION
THEY SHACKLED ME

TO A RUSTY PUMP
IN THE COURTYARD

FOR A PERIOD
OF SEVERAL WEEKS.

AND THIS ONE...

PARTICULARLY IRATE
INDIVIDUAL

PERIODICALLY BEAT
THE LIVIN' HELL OUT OF ME

WHENEVER THE SPIRIT
SO MOVED HIM.

YOU KNOW
WHAT KEPT ME GOIN'?

AT SOME POINT,
I HEARD...

I HEARD
THE UNMISTAKABLE SOUND

OF... SNAPPING TOWELS.

YEAH.

IT'S LIKE I'M BACK
IN THE LOCKER ROOM

AT ANNAPOLIS.

IT WAS MY MATES

SNAPPING OUT LETTERS,
"G-B-U-J-S."

THAT'S "GOD BLESS YOU,
JIM STOCKDALE," SO...

GOOD BOYS.

BUT THE INCIDENT
I MEAN TO TELL YOU ABOUT

IS THE DAY THEY TAKE ME
TO THE MAIN TORTURE ROOM

AT HOA LO PRISON
AND THE CHIEF INTERROGATOR,

THIS LITTLE SHIT

OF AN OFFICER SAYS,
"TODAY IS THE DAY

WE BRING YOU DOWN."

AND THEY PUT ME
IN A HARDBACK CHAIR...

OOH.

YOU KNOW...

IT DOESN'T SOUND REASONABLE
WHEN I DESCRIBE IT,

BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND,
I'M THE LEADER.

GOT TO SHOW RESOLVE.

THE ROOM HAD
PLATE GLASS WINDOWS

AND IT... AT SOME POINT
THE GUARD, HE STEPPED OUTSIDE

AND I HOBBLED OVER
TO THOSE WINDOWS

AND I MANAGED
TO BREAK THE GLASS

WITH THE HEEL OF MY HAND
AND I TOOK THE LONGEST SHARDS

AND I BEGAN STABBING
MY WRISTS

AND MY BLOOD RAN...
BLUE.

THEN IT RAN RED.
THEN IT RAN HARD

AND THEN,
THEN I BLACKED OUT.

AND WHEN I CAME TO,

THE ROOM WAS FILLED
WITH SOLDIERS

AND THEY ALL LOOKED
SO DEEPLY ASHAMED

THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN,
EVEN TO AN AMERICAN.

AND THEN THEY
BANDAGED UP MY WRISTS

AND THEY SCRUBBED
THAT ROOM DOWN

WITH A DISINFECTANT.

AND THEN THEY LEFT.

AND THEN I GOT PUT
BACK INTO SOLITARY.

PARENTHETICALLY, I SPENT
FOUR YEARS IN SOLITARY.

THIS TIME, I WAS IN
FOR THREE MONTHS

WHILE MY ARMS HEALED UP,
YOU SEE.

AND THE POINT IS THAT...
THE POINT IS...

THE POINT IS...
THE POINT IS

THAT WHEN
I GOT BACK OUT,
WHEN I GOT BACK OUT

INTO THE REGULAR
PRISON SYSTEM

I LEARNED THAT SINCE
I HAD DONE THIS... THING,

NO PRISONERS HAD BEEN PUT
THROUGH THE ROPES

OR ANY TORTURE OF ANY
SIGNIFICANT VARIETY,

SO...

GOOD.

I REMAINED A PRISONER
FOR ANOTHER THREE
AND A HALF YEARS,

AND IT WASN'T
UNTIL I WAS RELEASED

IN THE SPRING OF '73
THAT I LEARNED THAT MY WIFE,

MY SYBIL, HAD LED A GROUP
TO PARIS IN '69

AND URGED
THE NORTH VIETNAMESE

TO GRANT BETTER
TREATMENT TO THE POWs

AND I THINK THAT SHE
MUST HAVE MADE QUITE
A LOT OF NOISE.

OH, YES, I BELIEVE
THAT SHE SAVED MY LIFE,

BECAUSE I BELIEVE
THAT THE LAST THING

THAT THEY WANTED
ON THEIR HANDS

WAS SYBIL STOCKDALE'S
DEAD HUSBAND!

HA!

WE'D BEEN MARRIED
18 YEARS

TIME I GOT SHOT DOWN,
SEE?

WHEN I WENT AWAY, MY BOYS,
THEY WERE 14 AND 10,

AND FIVE, AND...
THREE.

SO, OF COURSE,
WHEN I GOT BACK,

OF COURSE, THEY DIDN'T...
THEY DIDN'T KNOW ME...

AS FATHER,
BUT, YOU KNOW,

OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS,
EACH ONE OF 'EM CAME TO ME,

EACH IN HIS OWN TIME,
AND EACH IN HIS OWN WAY.

AND HE TOLD ME,

"I'M GLAD
YOU'RE MY FATHER."

GOOD BOYS.

OUR FIRST SUPPER TOGETHER,

FIRST TIME WE SAT DOWN
AS A FAMILY

IN EIGHT YEARS.

AND SYBIL SAID,
"JIM, DO YOU WANT
TO SAY GRACE?"

AND I BOWED MY HEAD,
BUT I JUST... I JUST...

I STARTED TO SHAKE,
AND I SAID, "SYB, I CAN'T."

AND SHE SAID,
"WELL, LET'S JUST SAY
OUR FAMILY GRACE."

AND DO YOU KNOW,
THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

WE ALL HELD HANDS,
AND...

AND WE SAID,

"GOD IS GREAT.

GOD IS GOOD.

LET US THANK HIM
FOR OUR FOOD."

I DON'T DO IMPRESSIONS
VERY WELL.

BUT ED WYNN, I CAN DO.

MY ED WYNN IS
"HOO-HOO!

I'M YOUR
FAIRY GODFATHER, OH!"

THAT'S THE ONLY ONE
I CAN DO.

I DON'T... I CAN'T...

YEAH.

LET'S GO... LET'S GO
SEE WHAT WE GOT HERE.

BY MYSELF, OKAY,

WITHOUT COMING IN.
ALL RIGHT?

MY MOTHER'S BROTHER
WAS WOUNDED IN EUROPE

IN WORLD WAR II.

HE WAS ALWAYS A HERO
TO ME. ALWAYS...

RED, WHITE AND BLUE, YEAH.

HIS NAME
WAS HERSCHEL MEADOWS,

BUT WE CALLED HIM
"UNCLE PEEWEE."

HE WAS TINY,

BUT HE WAS TOUGH
AS A RAILROAD SPIKE.

HE WOULDN'T TELL YOU
TOO MUCH ABOUT WHAT HE DID.

WE'D SAY,
"SO HOW'D YOU GET SHOT?"
UNCLE PEEWEE'D SAY,

"WELL...

I WAS IN
THE WRONG PLACE...

AT THE WRONG TIME."

I'M NICK BACON.

I WAS BORN NOVEMBER 24th, 1945

IN CARAWAY,
ARKANSAS, YEAH.

WHEN I WAS SIX,
WE LOST THE FARM.

COTTON PRICES FELL
AND WE MOVED ON, UH-HUH,

IT'S PRETTY
"GRAPES OF WRATH" STUFF.

UH, FIVE SISTERS,
TWO BROTHERS, AND MY MOTHER.

SHE TOOK CARE
OF ALL THE KIDS,
THE WASHIN',

IRONIN', WORKIN'
THE FIELDS, ANYTHING.

SUPPORT,
MAINTAIN THE FAMILY.

SEE, MY FATHER
WAS VERY SICK WITH
POLIO, YEAH.

HE SPENT 18 MONTHS
IN A HOSPITAL IRON LUNG.

MAN, I DON'T KNOW
HOW THEY PAID FOR THAT.

THERE WAS NO HELP WITH MONEY,
NO HELP WITH THE RENT
OR ANYTHING.

SO, I DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL
AFTER NINTH GRADE.

I WENT TO WORK
BUCKIN' BALES, DRIVIN'
TRACTORS, IRRIGATIN'...

EVERYTHING YOU GOT
TO DO ON A FARM.

75 CENTS AN HOUR.

HEY, HEY, HEY.

I'LL TELL YOU
ONE THING I HATE.

I HATED PICKING COTTON.
AND I GUARANTEE YOU
ONE THING,

I NEVER WENT BACK TO IT
ONCE I WAS OLD ENOUGH
TO HOLD A MAN'S JOB.

I'LL DO SHEET ROCK,
I'LL DO CONCRETE WORK.

I'LL DO ANY KIND
OF HEAVY WORK,

I'M NOT PICKIN'
NO DAMN COTTON.

SO...

I WENT IN THE ARMY
WHEN I WAS 17,

JUST TO GET
THE HELL OUTTA DODGE, YEAH.

I WENT INTO HEAVY WEAPONS
'CAUSE, WELL, I FIGURED

I WOULDN'T HAVE
TO WALK SO MUCH.
HA-HA-HA.

I SPENT A BUNCH OF TIME
ON FREEZING COLD EXERCISES

IN THE MOUNTAINS
OF GERMANY.

YOU KNOW, GERMANY,
IN THE WRONG PLACES,

IS A VERY COLD COUNTRY.

THE WIND BLOWS,
THE SNOW...

MAN, IT'S COLD.

I WAS MAKIN' $84 A MONTH.
I SENT HALF OF IT HOME.

SO, BY EARLY JANUARY '66
I WAS IN COUNTRY...

VIETNAM!

ASSIGNED SECOND
16th RANGER RECON PLATOON.

OH, I NEVER GOT TO USE
ALL MY GREAT TALENTS

AND SKILLS
IN HEAVY WEAPONS.
I WAS A GRUNT.

WE RANGED ALL OVER
THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS,
THE OLD PLANTATIONS.

WE VENTURED
INTO CAMBODIA

WHEN WE WERE NOT
SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.

WE WENT DOWN
THE MEKONG DELTA
ANY NUMBER OF TIMES,

AND, MAN,
I HATED IT DOWN THERE.
I REMEMBER THE MUD.

I REMEMBER CRAWLING
IN THE MUD WAITING FOR
THE MOBILE RIVERINE FORCE

TO GET US OUT OF THERE
AFTER THE ENEMY HAD
ATTACKED US

WITH GRENADES.
YOU KNOW, MUD AIN'T
GONNA STOP A GRENADE.

OH, MAN, THAT WAS SOME
CRAZY SHI... SITUATIONS.

LOOK, I BEEN
IN A TON OF AMBUSHES,

I SEEN A LOT OF GUYS
GET BLOWED UP BY BOOBY TRAPS.

BUT I NEVER WAS IN ANYTHING
I HATED MORE,

OR FELT MORE HELPLESS
THAN I DID IN THAT MUD.

YOU CAN'T DO A DAMN THING
IN THE MUD.

LOTTA MEN DIED
IN THE MUD.

I NEVER, EVER FELT ANYTHING
ABOUT KILLING THE ENEMY.

NO, NO, I LOOKED AT THEM
AS THEY WERE THE ENEMY.

WHY, I HAVE COMPASSION
FOR THE PEOPLE,

THE WOMEN AND THE CHILDREN.
I LIKE THE VIETNAMESE
PEOPLE.

I'VE BEEN
OVER THERE SINCE.

I GOT NO HATRED.

WAR,
NEVER PERSONAL.

WITH ME, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY
A GAME OF SURVIVAL.

I MEAN, I GUESS I THOUGHT
ABOUT GETTING KILLED MYSELF,
AT FIRST.

BUT A PERSON GETS CALLOUSED
TO THAT AFTER A WHILE.

YOU GET, UM...
YOU GET, UH, WELL,
YOU KNOW, CALLOUSED.

YOU KIND OF ACCEPT THE FACT
THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE

YOU NOT GONNA
MAKE IT OUT OF THERE.

I MEAN,
YOU ARE INFANTRY.

WELL, THERE'S AN EQUALLY
GOOD CHANCE

YOU WILL MAKE IT
OUT OF THERE WOUNDED.

WE CALL THAT
"EARLY OUT." YEAH.

SEE, I THINK, MAYBE YOU WORRY
THAT FIRST TWO MONTHS

AND THAT LAST TWO MONTHS.
AND THAT BIG IN-BETWEEN,

WELL, YOU REALLY DON'T GIVE
A SHIT. EXCUSE ME, MA'AM.

- WEST OF TAM KY, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM...
- WHOA!

- 26 AUGUST, 1968...
- THAT'S RIGHT.

STAFF SERGEANT BACON
DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF

WHILE SERVING
AS A SQUAD LEADER.

STAFF SERGEANT BACON
QUICKLY ORGANIZED.

HE LED HIS MEN FORWARD.
HE ADVANCED.

HE DESTROYED.
HE ASSUMED COMMAND.

HE ASSAULTED.
WITHOUT HESITATION.

HE IGNORED HOSTILE FIRE.

HE EXPOSED HIMSELF
TO INTENSE FIRE.

HE DIRECTED FIRE.
HE ELIMINATED THE ENEMY.

HE EVACUATED THE MEN.
HE RESCUED THE MEN.

I READ SOMETHIN' ONE TIME
SAID SOMETHIN' LIKE,

"WAR IS
A YOUNG MAN'S GAME."

NOW, AS YOU GET OLDER...

YOU LIKE TO THINK
YOU STILL TOUGH,

YOU CAN STILL
STRAP IT ALL ON

AND HEAD FOR THE BOONIES,
BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT.

WARS ARE FOUGHT
BY YOUNG MEN.

STRONG,
BRAVE YOUNG MEN.

AND WOMEN.

I WAS A GREAT JUNGLE WARRIOR...
HEY, HEY, HEY.

I'M STILL A PRETTY ROUGH,
TOUGH OLD FART,

BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT,
I COULDN'T HUMP THE BOONIES
VERY LONG TODAY.

IT IS
A YOUNG MAN'S GAME.

AND YOU KNOW,

EVERY DAY,
I LOOK AT THEM

AND I ENVY THEM.

I WAS NEVER PROUDER.

I WAS NEVER MORE SURE
I STOOD FOR SOMETHIN'
IN MY LIFE

THAN I WAS WHEN I WORE
THE UNIFORM.

SIR, MAY I ASK YOU A QUESTION?

SURE.

DID YOU ENJOY COMBAT?

YOU DON'T...

I ENJOYED THE GAME.

I MEAN, NOT JUST SOMETHIN'
YOU GONNA DREAM UP
TO DO EVERY DAY.

HONESTLY,
I WAS GOOD AT IT.

IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS
MAKE YOU GOOD.

IT'S NOT THAT YOU CAN SHOOT
STRAIGHTER THAN ANYBODY

OR RUN FASTER,
NO, NO, NO, NO.

IT'S YOUR SENSES...
THEY GET VERY... VERY SHARP.

YOU LEARN TO COOK AND TO EAT
WHAT'S OUT THERE

YOU LEARN WHERE
TO FIND WATER.

YOU KNOW WHERE NOT TO WALK.
IT'S SIMPLE AS THAT.

IF IT'S TOO EASY,
DON'T DO IT.

THERE'S GONNA BE SOMETHIN'
YOU GONNA STEP ON

AND SOMEBODY'S GONNA GET
BLOWN TO HELL.

IF IT LOOKS TOO EASY,
IT IS.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR.

HEY, SON, DON'T YOU LET NOBODY
SMOKE AROUND YOU

WHEN YOU'RE IN
A DENSE AREA.

JUST...

JUST DON'T NEVER LIGHT UP
IN THE JUNGLE.

AND DON'T YOU LEAVE ANYTHING
BEHIND THAT THEY CAN USE.

AND YOU USE
EVERYTHING YOU CAN
THAT THEY LEAVE BEHIND.

AND DON'T LET
YOUR RADIO ANTENNA
STICK UP ABOVE YOUR HEAD.

TIE THAT SON
OF A BITCH DOWN.
THROW YOUR PONCHO OVER IT

SO IT DON'T LOOK
LIKE A RADIO, YEAH.

AND DON'T BE RUNNIN'
UP TO ME WITH A HANDSET
IN YOUR HAND.

JUST DON'T NEVER RUN
BEHIND MY ASS,

AND DON'T YOU NEVER HOLLER
"MEDIC" AND CALL HIM OUT
IN THE OPEN

OR I'LL SHOOT YOU MYSELF.
NOW,

YOU SURE DON'T WANNA
PUT A NEW MAN ON POINT

AND I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SEE
ON TV OR IN THE MOVIES.

AND NEVER, NEVER, NEVER
PUT A DUMBASS ON YOUR
BEST WEAPON,

YOUR M-60 MACHINE GUN.

YOU WANT SOMEBODY'S THAT'S
STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE
THAT GUN.

SOMEBODY THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH
AND BRAVE ENOUGH

TO STAY WITH THAT GUN
'CAUSE IT WILL DRAW FIRE.

YOU SURE GONNA WANNA HAVE
TWO GOOD AMMO CARRIERS
WITH HIM

'CAUSE A RAPID RATE OF FIRE
CAN BE A LIFESAVER.

YOU GONNA WANT A BLOOPER
GUNNER AND AN M-79
GRENADE LAUNCHER.

MAN, YOU GOT TO KNOW,
WHO YOUR SKILLED PEOPLE ARE.

YOU GOT TO KNOW
HOW TO USE THEM.
YOU GOT TO PROTECT THEM,

YOU GOTTA...

COUNT PACES SO YOU KNOW
HOW FAR YOU'VE COME.

EVEN IF YOU'RE CRAWLIN',
YOU'RE COUNTIN' PACES.

IF YOU'RE SMART YOU'RE GONNA
CARRY A LITTLE ROPE

SO YOU CAN TIE
KNOTS IN IT EVERY TIME
YOU GO A HUNDRED PACES,

A HUNDRED METERS,
YOU TIE A KNOT, THAT'S
HOW YOU DO IT,

WHEN YOU CAN'T
SEE NOTHIN'.

MAN, THERE'S
A HUNDRED THOUSAND WAYS
TO MAKE A BOOBY TRAP.

YOU BETTER LEARN
TO RECOGNIZE THEM,
'CAUSE IF YOU DON'T,

BOUNCIN' BETTY,
SHE GONNA TAKE YOU OFF
AT THE WAISTLINE

AND YOU GONNA BE
A DOUBLE AMPUTEE.

YEAH.

UH-HUH.

YES, I ENJOYED COMBAT.

I ENJOYED THE GAME.

YES, SIR.
THANK YOU, SIR.

THE ACTION STARTED THAT DAY
WHEN THEY SUCKERED US IN.

SEE, THEY WAS DUG IN.
WE WAS OUT IN THE OPEN

AND THEY INFLICTED, OH,
CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE.

AND I GUESS AT SOME POINT,
I JUST... "YEE-HOO!"

TOOK OFF, BABY!

BULLETS BLAZIN',
GRENADES FLYIN'.

YOU TELL ME
IT'S A DUMB WAY TO DO IT,

I'LL TELL YOU
IT'S THE ONLY WAY
TO DO IT.

SEE, THE PROBLEM WAS...

THE PROBLEM WAS
GETTIN' THE WOUNDED OUT,

'CAUSE WE COULDN'T
CALL ANY F-100s

TILL WE GOT THE WOUNDED OUT,
AND THAT TOOK ALL DAY.

AND THE WHOLE TIME WE'RE ALL
GETTING OUR ASSES WASTED

FROM THE FLAMES,
BUT WE GOT 'EM OUT.

AND THEN WE WASTED THEM...

WITH NAPALM.

THEY SAY WE KILLED 700,
SEE?

I CAN'T NEVER REMEMBER

IF WE KILLED 760...

OR 670.

I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYBODY
EVER COUNTED THEM.

I DO KNOW,

I RECEIVED
THE MEDAL OF HONOR,

NOVEMBER 25th, 1969,
IN THE WHITE HOUSE

FROM PRESIDENT NIXON
WITH MY FAMILY THERE.

YEAH, MY FATHER, HE COME
ALL THE WAY TO WASHINGTON.

HE WAS SO... SO SICK
BY THIS TIME.

HE'S JUST OVERWHELMED
BY EVERYTHING.

I MEAN, MY WHOLE... MY WHOLE
FAMILY WAS... BUT...

DAD WAS PROUD.

SO WAS MY MOTHER,
AND MY BROTHERS, AND MY SON.

COUNTRY PEOPLE.
THEY GIVE US THE FULL
VIP TREATMENT.

WINED AND DINED,

THE NICEST HOTELS,
CHAUFFEURED LIMOUSINE.

HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY.

WE WAS IN HIGH COTTON.

IT WAS BIG STUFF.

DECIDEDLY BIG STUFF.

AH, I WAS GONNA PREPARE
SOME REMARKS,

BUT UH, EH, BASICALLY,
I NEVER GOT AROUND TO IT,

AND QUITE FRANKLY,

PUBLIC SPEAKING,

MEMORIZATION, AH!

IT'S NOT MY FORTE.

SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW,
IT'D BE ALL RIGHT,

MAYBE I WOULD JUST,
IF IT'S OKAY,

READ A FEW EXCERPTS
FROM THE CITATION.

I MEAN, IF THAT
WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.
THAT BE ALL RIGHT?

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU PREFER,
MR. CAFFERATA.

OH, YEAH.
YEAH, I THINK THAT IS
WHAT I PREFER,

WHOEVER THE HELL
YOU ARE.

ALL RIGHT,
WITH NO FURTHER ADO, HUH?
CITATION.

AW, SH...

"CITATION.
CAFFERATA, HECTOR, A. JR.,

PRIVATE,
U.S. MARINE CORPS."

I DON'T KNOW,
MAYBE I SHOULD. YEAH.

YEAH, I THINK MAYBE
I SHOULD PREFACE THINGS
BY TELLING YOU

I WAS A
MARINE-HAPPY KID.

I WAS ALWAYS
GONNA BE A MARINE,
BUT WWII WAS OVER.

I DIDN'T THINK THERE'D
EVER BE ANOTHER ONE. SHIT.

I'LL NEVER FORGET HOW SAD I WAS
THE DAY THE WAR ENDED.

I MEAN, LOOK, MY OLD MAN
IS OVER THERE

AND I'M SAD
BECAUSE THE WAR ENDED?

WHAT A "IGNATZ," HUH?
BUT, YOU KNOW,

I COULDN'T SEE BEING
A PEACETIME MARINE.

"MARINE CORPS
RESERVE COMPANY "F."
THAT'S FOR "FOX" COMPANY.

ACTUALLY, THEY ENDED UP
CALLING THE HILL,

"FOX HILL"
AFTER FOX COMPANY.

ALTHOUGH, I BELIEVE
THE CORRECT NAME

IS TOKTONG PASS,
OH, YEAH.

IT'S AT THE SOUTH END
OF CHOSIN RESERVOIR.

YOU KNOW,
"FROZEN CHOSIN"?

IT'S ABOUT EIGHT MILES
FROM HAGARU-RI

JUST DOWN THE LINE
FROM YUDAM-NI?

ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT,
IT'S A LONG WAY
FROM JERSEY.

HA-HA. UH...

"WHEN ALL THE OTHER
MEMBERS OF HIS FIRE TEAM

BECAME CASUALTIES DURING
THE INITIAL PHASE

OF A VICIOUS ATTACK
BY A FANATICAL ENEMY

OF REGIMENTAL STRENGTH..."
OH, YEAH. OH, YEAH.

THESE WERE SOME
TOUGH FORTUNE COOKIES.

THEY WERE TOUGH
AND... AND TENACIOUS

AND COURAGEOUS,
BUT CONFIDENTIALLY SPEAKING,

I DON'T THINK
THAT THEY WERE ALL
THAT WELL ORGANIZED

OR ALL THAT HIGHLY TRAINED,

BUT THERE SURE WERE A LOT
OF THEM, AND I MEAN A LOT,

AS IN OVER A THOUSAND, HA!

"SO, PRIVATE CAFFERATA
WAGED A LONG BATTLE

WITH GRENADES
AND RIFLE FIRE."
THAT'S NOT STRICTLY TRUE.

SEE, BENSON WAS RIGHT THERE
BESIDE ME THE WHOLE TIME.

HE WAS LOWERING RIFLES.
HE COULDN'T SEE NOTHING

BECAUSE HE GOT
FLASH BLINDED
BY A GRENADE,

BUT HE COULD LOAD
RIFLES BY FEEL.

I MEAN, HELL, HE COULD
LOAD RIFLES IN HIS SLEEP.
WHO COULDN'T? HUH?

YEAH, KENNETH BENSON
WAS A PISSER.

WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL
RIGHT NEAR ME.

WE BOTH PLAYED SOME
SEMI-PRO FOOTBALL.
OH, YEAH.

HATED EACH OTHER'S GUTS.
USED TO BEAT THE SHIT
OUT OF EACH OTHER.

WE WIND UP
IN THE SAME FOXHOLE.
GO FIGURE.

SEE, THING IS,
THING IS, HE DIDN'T PANIC.

IF HE'D HAVE PANICKED,
I THINK I'D HAVE PANICKED

RIGHT ALONG WITH HIM,
BUT, NO, NO, NOT BENSON.

HE WAS AS COOL AS...

"THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE PILLOW."
HA-HA.

KENNETH BENSON,

HE WAS A GREAT GUY.

"MAKING A TARGET OF HIMSELF
UNDER DEVASTATING FIRE

FROM AUTOMATIC WEAPON,
RIFLE GRENADE, AND MORTAR,

HE MANEUVERED UP AND DOWN
THE LINE DELIVERING FIRE

AGAINST THE ONRUSHING ENEMY."
AH, WHAT I DID WAS

I PLUGGED THE LINE,
I PLUGGED THE LINE.

HEY, HEY, YOU KNOW THAT STORY
ABOUT THAT DUTCH KID

WHO SHOVED HIS FINGER
INTO A DIKE,

THEREBY SAVED HOLLAND?

I MEAN, THAT'S BASICALLY
WHAT I DID.

I MEAN, NOT HOLLAND, BUT...

"KILLING..."

WHATEVER.

"WOUNDING MANY MORE."
YEAH.

YEAH, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU
LOOK 'EM RIGHT IN THE PUSS

AND YOU SHOOT
THE POOR BASTARDS,

YOU FEEL LOUSY.

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

"A HOSTILE GRENADE LANDED
IN A SHALLOW ENTRENCHMENT

OCCUPIED BY WOUNDED
MARINES.

PRIVATE CAFFERATA..."
WAS SCARED SHITLESS.

THAT'S WHAT
PRIVATE CAFFERATA WAS.
HA, HA. AHEM.

THERE WAS A DEBATE
GOING ON

BETWEEN MY FEET
AND MY BRAIN.

MY FEET SAID,
"LET'S GET THE HELL
OUT OF HERE."

I GUESS MY BRAIN
MUST HAVE OUTRANKED
MY FEET.

YEAH.

"CAFFERATA SEIZED
THE DEADLY MISSILE

AND HURLED IT
FREE OF HIS COMRADES
AS IT DETONATED

SEVERING..."
SEE, THEY ALWAYS
MAKE MORE OF THIS

THAN THERE WAS.
IT DIDN'T BLOW NO
FINGERS OFF.

I MEAN, NOT THAT
I'D HAVE NOTICED MY HAND
BEING BASICALLY FROZEN.

I JUST KINDA BLEW
THE MEAT OFF THE BONE.

I MEAN, IT COULD HAVE
BEEN A LOT WORSE.

I MEAN,
OH, THESE BASTARDS.

THEY'RE CHUCKIN' GRENADES
THE WHOLE TIME.

YOU KNOW WHAT I DID?

I GRABBED
AN ENTRENCHING TOOL...

THAT'S A LITTLE SHOVEL,
DARLING. MM-HMM.

AND I STARTED
BATTIN' 'EM AWAY

AND I MEAN, I AM
JUST ABOUT THE WORST
BASEBALL PLAYER

THAT YOU EVER SAW.
FOOTBALL. FOOTBALL.
THAT'S MY GAME.

I PLAYED SOME
SOME SEMI-PRO,

WHICH I THINK
I MIGHT HAVE ALREADY
MENTIONED. ANYWAY...

I JUST START
WHACKIN' 'EM AWAY
LIKE I AM DiMAGGIO

OR SOMETHING,
AND FOR SOME REASON,

PROBABLY BECAUSE
I AM SCARED SHITLESS,

I BATTED A THOUSAND.

"COURAGEOUSLY IGNORING
THE INTENSE PAIN,

HE STAUNCHLY FOUGHT ON..."

BY THE BY...
ALL I HAD ON
WAS MY SOCKS.

OH, STOP IT.
I HAD MY PANTS ON.

BUT NO BOOTS
AND NO PARKA, SEE?

I WAS A PRETTY BIG GUY
BACK IN THOSE... OH, YEAH.

I WAS 6'2", 220.
AND YOU KNOW,

YOU COULDN'T FIT
INTO THE MUMMY BAG

WITH YOUR BOOTS
OR YOUR PARKA ON.

HEY! GOOD PLANNIN',
FELLAS.

ANYWAY, WHEN
THE SHITSTORM STARTS,

I JUMP OUTTA
THE BAG FIRING,
AS DOES BENSON,

WHICH IS WHEN
HE GETS BLINDED.

AND BY THE BY...

WHEW.

I FIRED SO MANY ROUNDS,

THE TOP OF MY RIFLE BARREL
TURNED TO CHARCOAL.

WHOA.

THAT'S GOD TRUTH.
THAT'S GOD'S TRUTH.

ANYWAY,
THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T
HAVE MY BOOTS ON.

"STOUTHEARTED."
YEAH.

"AND INDOMITABLE IN THE FACE
OF ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH."

YEAH, I REMEMBER THINKING,
"BOY, IS MY MOTHER GONNA

BE PISSED OFF
IF I GET KILLED."

"CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY
AND INTREPIDITY... IN..."

ONE WOULD THINK I'D BE ABLE
TO PRONOUNCE IT BY NOW.

"INTREPIDITY.
INTREPIDITY."

WOULD YOU BELIEVE,
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW

I WAS PUT UP
FOR THE MEDAL OF HONOR?

YEAH. WHEN I GET OUTTA
THE HOSPITAL,

OH, AND BY THE BY...
BENSON'S SIGHT...

IT CAME BACK. YEAH.
HE HELPED ME DOWN
THE MOUNTAIN

WHEN WE FOUGHT
OUR WAY TO HAGARU.

THEN HE GETS WOUNDED AGAIN,
IN THE SHOULDER THIS TIME,

AND WE BOTH WIND UP
IN THE SAME HOSPITAL.

ANYWAY.
WHEN I GET OUTTA
THE HOSPITAL

AFTER A LOT,
A LOT OF OPERATIONS,

SEE THEY TRIED TO STRETCH
THE NERVE ENDS...

TO SUTURE THEM, BUT NO DICE.

I COULD STILL MOVE
MY TRIGGER FINGER.

YEAH, YEAH.

BUT I GOTTA USE MY LEFT HAND
FOR... OTHER THINGS.

ANYWAY, I'M BACK IN JERSEY.

I GET A TELEGRAM SAYING,
"YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED
THE MEDAL OF HONOR.

COME TO WASHINGTON
AND GET IT."

I CALLED 'EM.
I SAID, "SEND IT."

THEY SAID,
"GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!"
YEAH, I DID, YEAH.

TRUMAN, OOH, THAT LITTLE
SON OF A... GUN.

HE RUINED MY SHOES.
YOU KNOW HE WAS A RUNT
OF A GUY.

RUNT. AND I MEAN,
I'M 6'2", 220. I WAS.

AND I'M STANDING THERE
AT RIGID ATTENTION,

AND MR. SHORTY PANTS
WAS TRYING TO GET HIS
ARMS AROUND ME

TO SNAP THE RIBBON ON
AND IT AIN'T WORKIN',

SO I GOTTA KINDA SLINK DOWN.
AND WHILST I'M SLINKING DOWN,

HE IS STANDING ALL OVER
THE SPIT-SHINE SHOES,

SCUFFED THE HELL
OUT OF THEM.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

I NEVER
SHINED THEM AGAIN.

OH, YEAH.

"ABOVE AND BEYOND
THE CALL OF DUTY."

THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS.

YOU KNOW...

I'LL TELL YOU
SOMETHIN'.

WHAT I JUST READ,

I DID IT,
AND I KNOW I DID IT,

THOUGH I'LL BE DAMNED
IF I KNOW HOW I DID IT,

BUT I COULD TELL YOU
WHY I DID IT.

'CAUSE I'M A MARINE.

THAT'S JUST
WHAT MARINES DO.

I NEVER DID
GET THE OPPORTUNITY

TO MEET VERNON BAKER.

OUR GEOGRAPHY
JUST NEVER ALIGNED...

BUT, I'VE... I'VE OFTEN
HAD A DAYDREAM, THOUGH,
ABOUT BAKER WHERE...

I'D KNOCK ON HIS DOOR

AND BAKER WOULD
ANSWER THE DOOR

WITH HIS M1
IN HIS HAND.

AND VERNON
LOOKS ME UP AND DOWN,

AND FINALLY HE SAYS,

"WELL...

I ALWAYS FIGURED
IT WOULD BE MORGAN."

MY GRANDMOTHER,
DORA BAKER,

HAD THE WORST DISPOSITION
OF ANYBODY

I HAVE EVER SEEN
IN MY LIFE.

SHE WAS THE MEANEST WOMAN
I HAVE EVER RUN ACROSS.

SPITEFUL.

IT SEEMED LIKE
SHE HATED EVERYBODY.

IT SURPRISED ME THAT GRANDPA
WAS SO CALM AND COOL WITH HER.

I NEVER HEARD HIM RAISE
HIS VOICE TO HER AT ALL.

AFTER I GREW UP,
I REALIZED

SHE SUFFERED
FROM RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.

COULDN'T WALK.

CONFINED TO A WHEELCHAIR
FOR 22 YEARS.

SHE WAS IN PAIN
24 HOURS A DAY.

I GUESS THAT COULD RUIN
ANYBODY'S DISPOSITION,

BUT WHEN I WAS A KID,
I HATED HER.

MY NAME IS VERNON BAKER.

I WAS BORN IN 1919
IN CHEYENNE, WYOMIN'.

YEAH.

TO MANUEL CALDERA
AND BEULAH BAKER,

WHO WERE BOTH KILLED
IN AN AUTO WRECK

WHILE I WAS STILL
AN INFANT,

SO I WAS REARED
BY MY GRANDMOTHER, DORA,

AND BY MY GRANDFATHER,
JOSEPH BAKER.

HE WAS A RAILROAD MAN.

NOW, AS MUCH AS I HATED
MY GRANDMOTHER,

WELL, THAT'S HOW MUCH
I LOVED MY GRANDFATHER.

I IDOLIZED HIM, YEAH.

ONE TIME... ONE TIME,
I TOLD HIM, I SAID,

"GRANDPA, WHEN I GROW UP
I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU."

AND HE SAID,
"NO, BOY,

YOU DON'T GROW UP
TO BE ANYBODY ELSE.

YOU WANT TO BE YOURSELF."

I NEVER FORGOT THAT.
"YOU WANT TO BE YOURSELF."

HE WAS A QUIET MAN,
BUT HE WAS A TOUGH MAN.

HE CARRIED A .45
IN HIS OVERALLS

WHEN HE WENT TO WORK.
HE TOOK NO SHIT
FROM NOBODY.

IT WAS HIM TAUGHT ME
TO SHOOT A DOUBLE-BARREL
12-GAUGE SHOTGUN.

TWIN HAMMERS.
FIRST TIME I FIRED,
IT KNOCKED ME ON MY ASS,

AND GRANDPA LAUGHED.

LATER ON IN BASIC, I QUALIFIED
AS EXPERT MARKSMAN.

SERVED ME WELL IN ITALY,
YEAH. LET'S SEE...

WELL, I BELIEVE IT'S FAIR TO SAY
I WAS A PRETTY BRIGHT KID.

LEARNED TO READ EARLY,
BUT I WAS IN AND OUT
OF TROUBLE.

SPENT SOME TIME
AT FATHER FLANAGAN'S
BOYS HOME IN OMAHA.

DIDN'T CARE FOR THAT.

GOT CALLED HOME
AFTER GRANDMOTHER DIED

AND I WENT TO WORK
SHININ' SHOES.

I WAS MAKING
$25 OR $30 A WEEK
DURING THE DEPRESSION,

BUT I HATED IT.

IT ENTAILED TAKING
TOO MUCH GUFF FROM ASSHOLES.

DID A STINT AS A REDCAP,
YOU KNOW... PORTER,
UNION PACIFIC.

SAME DEAL,
TOO MUCH GUFF.
TOO MANY ASSHOLES.

GRANDPA DIED IN 1940.
COLON CANCER.

UH...

GENTLEMEN!

LISTEN TO YOUR CHILDREN.

LISTEN TO THE DOCTOR.

GET THE COLONOSCOPY.

IT'S NOT THAT BAD.

IT'S NOT THAT GOOD.

BUT IT'S NOT THAT BAD.

IT'S AN OUNCE OF PRE...
THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY.

THEN THE WAR ROLLED IN.
APRIL '41, I WENT DOWN

TO A RECRUITING STATION.
BIG OLD FAT GUY LOOKS UP
AT ME,

SAYS,
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

I TOLD HIM
I WANTED TO ENLIST.

HE SAID,
"WE AIN'T GOT
NO QUOTAS FOR YOU PEOPLE."

SO I WENT HOME
FEELING KINDA...

EH, YOU KNOW,
DESPAIRING.

BUT THAT DIDN'T
SIT RIGHT.

MONTH LATER,
I TRIED AGAIN...

DIFFERENT
RECRUITING OFFICER.

HE JUST STARTED IN
ASKIN' QUESTIONS AND
WRITING THINGS DOWN.

HE ASKED ME,
"WHAT BRANCH DO YOU WANT?"

I TOLD HIM.
QUARTERMASTER.

AND I WATCHED UPSIDE DOWN
AS HE WROTE...

"INFANTRY." HA!
BUT I DIDN'T ARGUE
WITH THE MAN,

'CAUSE I WAS IN.

I GOT TO SENT
TO CAMP WOLTERS, TEXAS,

WHERE RACISM HIT ME
SQUARE IN THE FACE.

A STUDY PRODUCED
BY FIELD GRADE STUDENTS

AT THE ARMY WAR COLLEGE
IN 1937, HAS CONCLUDED

THAT AS AN INDIVIDUAL,
THE NEGRO IS DOCILE,
TRACTABLE,

LIGHTHEARTED, CAREFREE,
AND GOOD NATURED.

IF UNJUSTLY TREATED,
HE IS LIKELY TO BECOME

SURLY AND STUBBORN,

THOUGH THIS IS USUALLY
A TEMPORARY PHASE.

HE IS CARELESS,
SHIFTLESS,

IRRESPONSIBLE,
AND SECRETIVE.

HE RESENTS CENSURE
AND IS BEST HANDLED

WITH PRAISE
AND WITH RIDICULE.

HE IS UNMORAL,
UNTRUTHFUL,

AND HIS
SENSE OF RIGHT-DOING
IS RELATIVELY INFERIOR.

ON THE OTHER HAND,
THE NEGRO IS CHEERFUL, LOYAL,

AND USUALLY UNCOMPLAINING
IF REASONABLY WELL FED.

HE HAS A MUSICAL NATURE
AND A MARKED SENSE
OF RHYTHM.

UH-HUH.
HOW 'BOUT THAT SHIT?

I MEAN,
YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN

'BOUT TAKIN' GUFF
FROM ASSHOLES?

I MEAN, I WAS ON A BUS
TO CAMP WOLTERS,

I PUT MY DUFFLE DOWN,
AND I WENT TO TAKE A SHIT

AND THE DRIVER SAID,
"GET OUT THAT SEAT, NIGGER.

GET IN BACK
WHERE YOU BELONG, NOW."

IF IT HAD GONE TO FISTICUFFS,
WHICH IT COULD HAVE,

I'D PROBABLY HAD GOT KILLED.
THEY'D HAVE HANGED ME.

I MEAN, TEXAS WAS BAD
BACK THEN.

BUT I KEPT MY TEMPER IN CHECK.
WASN'T EASY

AT THE TIME, BUT
I REMEMBERED SOMETHING ELSE
MY GRANDFATHER TOLD ME.

HE TOLD ME,
"DON'T HATE,

BECAUSE IF YOU HATE,

HATE WILL DESTROY YOU."

THEN SOMETIME IN '42,
A WHITE OFFICER...

I CANNOT RECALL HIS NAME...
WELL, HE TOLD ME,

"SIGN UP FOR THE OFFICER
CANDIDATE SCHOOL."
SO, I DID.

I WAS COMMISSIONED
SECOND LIEUTENANT,

JANUARY 11, 1943.

YOU SEE, WHAT WAS HAPPENIN'
WAS THEY WERE ORGANIZIN'

AN ALL-BLACK DIVISION.

THE 92nd,
IT WAS THE BUFFALO
DIVISION.

WE WERE BUFFALO SOLDIERS.

THAT'S THE NAME
THEY GIVE THE BLACK UNITS

WAY BACK IN
THE INDIAN WARS,

'CAUSE OUR BLACK SKIN
AND NAPPY HAIR

MADE THEM THINK
WE WERE LIKE BUFFALO, YEAH.

NOW AT THE TIME,
IF YOU WERE BLACK,

AND YOU WENT TO DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS,

EVEN IF
YOU ARE AN OFFICER,
MM-HMM...

YOU WENT IN THE BACK DOOR.
YOU DON'T WALK IN

THE FRONT DOOR OF DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS.

NOW, ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY,
THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LET US

IN THE BACK DOOR.
SO WE JUST SITTIN' THERE.

WE SITTIN' THERE,
UNDER A TREE,

AND THE CHIEF OF STAFF,

AND I DON'T WANT
TO RECALL HIS NAME.

HE GATHERED US ALL,
HE SAYS,

"WELL, YOU KNOW
WHY WE'RE HERE.

ALL THE WHITE FELLOWS
HAVE GONE OVER THERE.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU
BLACK BOYS TO GO GET KILLED."

AND THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.

"IT'S TIME FOR YOU BLACK BOYS
TO GO GET KILLED."

THE ENTIRE BUFFALO DIVISION
CROSSED THE ATLANTIC

WITHOUT AN ESCORT.
LANDED IN NAPLES.

AND FROM THERE,
UP THE WEST COAST OF ITALY

TO LUCCA, PISA
AND THE FRONT LINES.

OUR FIRST FOUR MONTHS
IN COMBAT

NOTHING BUT NIGHT PATROL
RECONNAISSANCE.

MIND YOU, THEY SAY "BLACKS
COULDN'T FIGHT AT NIGHT."

THAT'S ALL WE DID.

I LOST THREE MEN EARLY ON.
I MEAN, I LOST THEM.

I PUT THEM
IN A BAD SITUATION.

STUPIDITY ON MY PART.

I STILL FEEL IT.

COMBAT IS A LEARNIN' THING.

WHEN YOU GIVE AN ORDER,
SOMEBODY GETS HURT OR KILLED,

WELL, YOU BETTER
LEARN FROM THAT

AND KEEP THAT
IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND

AND WATCH OUT
FOR THAT KIND OF SITUATION

AND DON'T REPEAT
YOUR MISTAKE.

YOU REPEAT YOUR MISTAKE,
YOU SHOULDN'T BE
GIVIN' ORDERS,

BECAUSE SOMEBODY
IS GOING TO GET KILLED.

IT'S THAT SIMPLE
CASE CLOSED.

IT'S LIKE
MY WEAPON OF CHOICE...

HUH,
THE M-1 GARAND!

BUT, OF COURSE, IT TOOK
A WHILE TO SETTLE ON THAT,

'CAUSE IT'S
A LEARNIN' THING.

WHEN WE TRAINED,
OF COURSE WE TRAINED

WITH THE 1902
BOLT-ACTION SPRINGFIELD.

THEN, WHEN I GOT TO ITALY,
THEY GAVE ME A .30-CALIBER
CARBINE

I THOUGHT THAT WAS
A PRETTY SPIFFY LITTLE PIECE,

TILL I SAW AN ENEMY SOLDIER
TAKE SIX ROUNDS FROM ONE

AND KEEP ON COMIN'.
AND I SAID, "UH-UH,"

AND I TRADED THAT IN
FOR THE .45-CALIBER THOMPSON
SUBMACHINE GUN.

NEXT FIREFIGHT I WAS IN,
I THREW UP THAT THOMPSON...

[IMITATING GUNFIRE]

I COULDN'T HIT A THING.
AND I SAID, "UH-UH."

FINALLY, FINALLY!
I GOT THE M-1.

I GOT THE .30-06
WITH THE EIGHT-SHOT CLIP

THAT EJECTED AUTOMATICALLY
WHEN IT WAS EMPTY.

OH, YES, I LOVED IT.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL RIFLE.
IT REALLY IS.

I GOT ONE STILL.
I USUALLY KEEP THIS ONE

SITTING IN MY BEDROOM.

FOR CONSPICUOUS
GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY

AT THE RISK
OF HIS OWN LIFE,

ABOVE AND BEYOND
THE CALL OF DUTY

IN ACTION ON 5 AND 6,
APRIL 1945.

LIEUTENANT BAKER ADVANCED...

I HAD 26 GUYS.
THE OBJECTIVE,

THE CASTLE AGHINOLFI.

CAPTAIN WILLIAM B. BANYON
HAD JOINED THE COMPANY
ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE.

SEE, WHITE OFFICERS
WERE ALWAYS COMING THROUGH

TO GET THEIR TICKETS
PUNCHED,

GET SOME COMBAT
EXPERIENCE IN. MOVE ON.

WELL, CAPTAIN BANYON,
HE HAD BEEN LEADING US,

BUT SOMEHOW
HE JUST FADED AWAY, MAN.

I DON'T KNOW
WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.

MOVING MORE RAPIDLY
THAN THE REST OF THE COMPANY,

LIEUTENANT BAKER CAME WITHIN
250 YARDS OF THE CASTLE.

YEAH, WE GOT PRETTY CLOSE
TO THAT CASTLE.

BUT THERE WAS
A DEEP-ASS DRAW
BETWEEN US AND IT...

A COUPLE 100 FEET DOWN,
ACROSS, AND UP A HILL.

AND I'M STANDING THERE
ON THE EDGE OF THAT DRAW

WHEN, WELL, CAPTAIN
BANYON SHOWS UP.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE
HOW TO GET ACROSS
THAT DRAW

WHEN AN ENEMY SOLDIER
STEPS OUT THE BRUSH

AND LOBS
THIS DAMN GRENADE.

AND CAPTAIN BANYON,
HE GOES, "EEP!"

AND HE DISAPPEARS AGAIN.

AND THAT GRENADE
LANDS AT MY FEET.

BUT NOTHIN' HAPPENED.

AND THAT ENEMY SOLDIER,
HE DISAPPEARED, TOO.

LIEUTENANT BAKER
SHOT THE ENEMY TWICE

AS HE TRIED TO FLEE.

LIEUTENANT BAKER THEN WENT
DOWN INTO THE DRAW ALONE.

THERE HE BLASTED OPEN
THE CONCEALED ENTRANCE

TO ANOTHER DUGOUT
WITH A HAND GRENADE

AND ENTERED FIRING.

AS LIEUTENANT BAKER
CLIMBED OUT OF THE DRAW,

ENEMY MACHINE GUN
AND MORTAR FIRE

BEGAN TO INFLICT
HEAVY CASUALTIES

AMONG THE GROUP
OF 25 SOLDIERS,

KILLING OR WOUNDING
ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THEM.

SHIT, EVERY TIME A MAN DIED
I TOOK THE DOG TAGS
OFF OF HIM.

I HAD A POCKET FULL OF THEM
WHEN I GOT BACK.

NOW, AFTER A WHILE,
THE ENEMY SENDS SOME GUYS OUT

WITH STRETCHERS
AND BLANKETS

AND THE FLAG
WITH THE RED CROSS ON IT.

AND MY MEN, THEY WANTED
TO SHOOT, BUT I SAID,

"NO, NO, YOU HANG STEADY."
'CAUSE IF THEY WERE MEDICS,

WELL, YOU DON'T WANT ANYBODY
FIRIN' ON YOUR MEDICS.

AND WHEN THEY DROPPED
THOSE STRETCHERS

AND TOOK
THOSE BLANKETS AWAY,

THERE WERE MACHINE GUNS.

I SAW WHERE THERE WERE
SOME DIRTY THINGS DONE,

BUT THAT WAS
THE DIRTIEST THING
I EVER SAW.

I TOLD MY MEN,

"HIT THE BASTARDS!
HIT THE BASTARDS!

HIT THE BASTARDS!
HIT THE BASTARDS!

HIT THE BASTARDS!"

LIEUTENANT BAKER
SINGLEHANDEDLY KILLED

17 OF THE ENEMY, TAKING OUT
FOUR MACHINE GUN NESTS,

AN OBSERVATION POST,
TWO BUNKERS, AND...

AND THEN I WENT
AND I VOMITED
MY GUTS OUT.

SON, I DIDN'T COUNT
THE NUMBER I KILLED.

19 OF MY MEN DIED
ON THAT HILLSIDE.

I LOST TWO MORE
ON THE WAY IN.

SO WHEN WE GOT BACK...

WE WERE SIX.

AND WHEN WE GOT BACK,

CAPTAIN BANYON WAS THERE.

HE'D GIVE US UP FOR DEAD.

BANYON RECEIVED
A SILVER STAR.

HOW 'BOUT THAT?

I WENT BACK DOWN
THAT DRAW.

UP THAT HILL THE NEXT DAY.

ONLY PEOPLE LEFT
ON THAT HILLSIDE

WERE MY DEAD MEN.

AND THEY WERE ALL...

BAREFOOT.

THE ENEMY WERE GONE,
BUT THEY'D TAKEN THE BOOTS

AND THE SOCKS
OFF OF DEAD MEN.

LIEUTENANT BAKER'S
FIGHTING SPIRIT

AND DARING LEADERSHIP
WERE AN INSPIRATION
TO HIS MEN

AND EXEMPLIFIED
THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS

OF THE MILITARY SERVICE.

MY COMMISSION EXPIRED
IN '47, BUT I RE-UPPED.

IN ORDER TO STAY IN,

I HAD TO GO DOWN
TO MASTER SERGEANT.

BUT I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS.

LOOK...

THIS WAS THE ONLY
COUNTRY I HAD,

AND I FELT IN MY HEART

THAT THINGS
WOULD GET BETTER.

THAT AMERICA,
THE UNITED STATES,

WAS GROWING UP.

YEAH.

I RETIRED IN '68.
THEN...

THEN IN '96

I GET A CALL FROM
A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR

WHO ASKED ME,
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW
ABOUT THE MEDAL OF HONOR?"

AND I THOUGHT,
"WHO THE HELL
IS THIS NUT?"

BUT HE TOLD ME THE ARMY
WAS INVESTIGATING

WHY NO BLACK AMERICANS
RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF HONOR

DURING WORLD WAR II,

AND HE WOULD LIKE TO COME
AND TALK TO ME.

AND I RECEIVED
THE MEDAL OF HONOR

ON A COLD
JANUARY AFTERNOON

IN 1997

FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON.

SEVEN WERE AWARDED
THAT DAY,

BUT I WAS THE ONLY ONE
STILL WALKIN' AROUND.

WHEN THE PRESIDENT
PUT THAT BLUE RIBBON
'ROUND MY NECK...

I WAS THINKING
OF 19 BOOTLESS MEN

LEFT ON A HILLSIDE.

MR. BAKER,

ONE THING I WILL
NEVER FORGET.

WHEN I WAS WOUNDED,

THE HOSPITAL
WAS IN THE ALL-BLACK
92nd DIVISION SECTOR

AND I DON'T KNOW
WHETHER IT WAS CUSTOMARY
OR REGULATION,

BUT EVERY TIME THEY GAVE ME
A TRANSFUSION,

THEY SHOWED ME THE BOTTLE,
AND THE BOTTLE HAD THE NAME,

RANK, SERIAL NUMBER,
AND UNIT OF THE DONOR.

EVERY ONE WAS 92nd DIVISION.

I HAD 17 TRANSFUSIONS.

WELL, IT SOUND TO ME

LIKE YOU GOT
SOME BUFFALO SOLDIER
IN YOU THERE.

I'M SURPRISED YOUR HAIR
DIDN'T GET A LITTLE NAPPY.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.

I JUST THANK GOD
THAT BLOOD WAS AVAILABLE,

OTHERWISE,
I WOULD BE DEAD.

OH, YEAH, YEAH.
IT'S LIKE I TOLD

QUITE A FEW
OF THE WHITE FELLAS

AFTER THE ARMY
GOT INTEGRATED IN '48

AND THEY HAD
A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

I TOLD THEM,
"YOU LOOK AT ME

AND YOU SEE THE COLOR
OF MY SKIN.

BUT I TELL YOU
ONE DAMN THING.

WE GET OUT THERE,
SOMETHIN' HAPPENS,

YOUR BLOOD
IS JUST AS RED AS MINE,

AND MY BLOOD
IS JUST AS RED AS YOURS.

WE ALL BLEED
THE SAME COLOR."

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 442nd.

THAT IS THE MOST
DECORATED UNIT

IN THE HISTORY...
THE HISTORY...

OF THE AMERICAN ARMY.
ISN'T THAT A FACT?

I BELIEVE THAT IS
THE CASE, YES.

WELL, SENATOR INOUYE,
IT APPEARS TO ME

THAT QUITE A FEW
OF YOU FELLAS

MUST HAVE GOT TRANSFUSED
BY THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS.

THERE WERE QUITE
A FEW OF US.

THERE WERE SPACES
FOR 4,500 MEN
IN THE 442nd,

BUT OVER 12,000
JAPANESE-AMERICANS

PASSED THROUGH BECAUSE
OF THE HIGH TURNOVER

FROM DEATH AND INJURY
IN COMBAT.

KIND OF IRONIC
WHEN YOU CONSIDER

THE GOVERNMENT
DID NOT WELCOME
OUR SERVICE.

THE NISEI,
THAT IS SECOND-GENERATION
JAPANESE-AMERICAN

WERE ASSUMED TO BE SPIES
FOR JAPAN,

CLASSIFIED
"4C ENEMY ALIEN."

BUT SOMEBODY GOT UP
A PETITION AND IT SAID,

"WE WILL DO WHATEVER
YOU WANT US TO DO...

FIGHT, DITCH DIGGING
LABOR BATTALION.

WE'LL DO WHATEVER
YOU WANT."

IN THE EXECUTIVE ORDER
THAT ESTABLISHED

THE 442nd REGIMENTAL
COMBAT TEAM,

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SAID,
"AMERICANISM IS NOT

AND NEVER HAS BEEN
A MATTER OF RACE OR COLOR.

AMERICANISM IS A MATTER
OF MIND AND HEART."

THAT PHRASE MEANT
A LOT TO ME.

IT MEANT A LOT
TO MANY OTHERS.

IT MEANT BOOT CAMP,

INSTEAD
OF CONCENTRATION CAMP.

I DON'T THAT I COULD
HAVE STOOD BEING INTERNED

FOR THE DURATION
OF THE WAR,

AS WERE 120,000
OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

I DO KNOW, THAT AFTER
PEARL HARBOR,

SO VERY MANY NISEI
FELT AN OVERWHELMING

SENSE OF SHAME AND GUILT.

AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE SOME
OF THEM EVEN THOUGHT

THEY DESERVED TO BE
IN THOSE CAMPS.

MY FATHER AND I
STOOD OUTSIDE OUR HOME
IN HONOLULU

WATCHING THE DIVE BOMBERS
ZOOMING IN,

FLASHING THE RED BALL
OF THE EMPIRE,

THE RISING SUN INSIGNIA.

MY OWN PEOPLE WERE JUST
A GENERATION REMOVED

FROM THE LAND THAT SPAWNED
THESE BOMBERS

AND SENT THEM TO DROP
DEATH ON HAWAII,
ON MY HOME.

I SCREAMED AT THE SKY,
"YOU DIRTY JAPS!"

I WANTED TO KILL THEM!

I AM SO THANKFUL
THAT WHEN I WENT
INTO COMBAT,

WHEN THE 442nd
WENT INTO COMBAT
IN JUNE, 1943,

IT WAS AGAINST
THE ENEMY IN EUROPE,

AND NOT
THE PACIFIC, BUT...

BUT I DO RECALL AN INCIDENT
THAT MADE ME REALIZE

THAT MEN ARE MEN.

JAPANESE, AMERICAN,
GERMAN...

JUST MEN.

WE WERE APPROACHING
WHAT WE THOUGHT

WAS AN EMPTY FARMHOUSE,

WHEN A MACHINE GUN OPENED UP
FROM THE SECOND FLOOR.

IT KILLED MY LEAD SCOUT,
MY BEST FRIEND.

I FIRED A BAZOOKA THROUGH
THE OPEN WINDOW

AND SILENCED
THE MACHINE GUN.

I RUSHED
TO THE SECOND FLOOR
TO MAKE SURE

THE GUN WAS
OUT OF COMMISSION.

THERE WERE THREE SOLDIERS.
TWO DEAD, ONE BADLY INJURED.

HIS LEGS, HIS ARMS
WERE IN THE AIR.

AND HE SAID, "KAMERAD."
I HAD MY M-1 TRAINED ON HIM,

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN
HE REACHED INTO HIS
JACKET POCKET...

AN INNER POCKET...
AND I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING
FOR A PISTOL,

AND I BROUGHT THE BUTT
OF MY RIFLE AROUND

AND I HIT HIM,
AND... NO.

NO, NO.

I SMASHED HIS HEAD IN,
ACTUALLY.

AND THE HAND FLEW OUT
WITH A BATCH OF PHOTOGRAPHS.

A YOUNG WOMAN,
A LITTLE GIRL.

AND SO, YES,
THIS IS THE ENEMY.

THIS IS SOMEONE'S HUSBAND,
A FATHER.

SOMEBODY'S SON.

BUT I FELT
WE HAD A MISSION.
AN UGLY MISSION.

AND THE SOONER ACCOMPLISHED,
THE BETTER.

ON APRIL 20, 1945,
ON A HIGH RIDGE

CALLED COLLE MUSATELLO
NEAR SAN TERENZO, ITALY,

I PULLED
THE PIN ON A GRENADE,
STOOD UP TO THROW IT,

AND I GOT SHOT
IN THE ABDOMEN.

AND THE BULLET CAME OUT
THE MIDDLE OF MY BACK

AND I FELT LIKE SOMEONE
HAD SLUGGED ME

BUT THERE WAS NO PAIN,
TO SPEAK OF.

AND I TOSSED THE GRENADE
INTO A BUNKER,

AND THEN I TOSSED
ANOTHER GRENADE,

AND... I CARRIED A BAG
FULL OF GRENADES,

SORT OF LIKE A SCHOOLBAG,
AND AS I PULLED THE PIN,

ON YET ANOTHER GRENADE,
AN ENEMY SOLDIER STOOD UP

FROM 10 YARDS AWAY
AND FIRED A RIFLE GRENADE

AND THAT GRENADE
PRACTICALLY TORE
MY ARM OFF.

IT DANGLED BY...
I MEAN, I KNEW IT WAS GONE.

AND I THOUGHT... I THOUGHT,
"WHAT ABOUT THE GRENADE?"

MY GRENADE.
I HAD PULLED THE PIN.

I KNEW IT WAS ARMED, AND,
OH, MY LORD, IT WAS THERE.

IT WAS IN THE HAND,
IN MY HAND...

AND THE FINGERS...

MY OWN FINGERS
HAD FROZEN AROUND IT

AND I HAD TO PRY
THE GRENADE FREE

FROM MY OWN FINGERS.
AND AS I DID SO,

THE LEVER SNAPPED OPEN,
AND I FLIPPED THE GRENADE

INTO THE FACE
OF THE ENEMY SOLDIER

WHO WAS RELOADING
HIS WEAPON,

AND THE GRENADE
FOUND ITS TARGET
AND THEN...

I CAN'T... I CAN'T REMEMBER
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT.

I CAN'T REMEMBER.

THEY TELL ME,
AFTER I...

THREW THE GRENADE,
I PICKED UP MY TOMMY GUN

WITH MY LEFT HAND.
MIND YOU, MY RIGHT WAS GONE.

AND I CHARGED,
AND I GUESS

I TOOK OUT
SEVERAL GUN EMPLACEMENTS.

AND THEN I WAS WOUNDED AGAIN,
IN THE LEGS, THIS TIME.

AND THEY WANTED
TO EVACUATE ME,

AND I SAID,
"NO, NO. NO."

AND I CALLED
MY FIRST SERGEANT OVER

AND I TOLD HIM
I WANT SO-AND-SO
PLACED HERE

AND I WANT SO-AND-SO
PLACED HERE

"BECAUSE IT IS ELEMENTARY
AFTER A SUCCESSFUL ATTACK,

THE ODDS ARE
THERE WILL BE
A COUNTERATTACK

AND I WANT THESE MEN READY
TO DEFEND THIS RIDGE."

THEY TOOK MY ARM OFF
JUST ABOVE THE ELBOW.

THE DAY AFTER SURGERY
I'M STILL GROGGY

AND THE NURSE COMES BY
AND SHE SAYS,

"WELCOME BACK."

AND I SAID,
"CAN I GET A CIGARETTE?"

AND SHE LOOKED AT ME
AND SHE SAID,

"SMOKING IS NO GOOD,
YOU KNOW.

JUST A MINUTE."
THEN SHE WALKED AWAY.

CAME BACK WITH
A NEW PACK OF CAMELS.

TOSSED THEM ON MY CHEST
AND WALKED AWAY AGAIN.

AND I HAD NEVER OPENED
A PACK OF CIGARETTES
ONE-HANDED.

I USED MY TEETH.
WELL, I FINALLY...

I GOT ONE OUT
ALL MASHED UP.

AND WHEN THE NURSE RETURNED
SHE SAID, "GOOD SMOKE?"

AND I SAID,
"I NEED A LIGHT."

AND SHE SAID,
"OH, I'M SORRY."

WALKED AWAY, CAME BACK
WITH A BOOK OF MATCHES...

TOSSED THEM ON MY CHEST
AND WALKED AWAY AGAIN.

AND WHEN SHE FINALLY
CAME BACK,

SHE SAID,
"GIVE ME THE MATCHES."

AND SHE SHOWED ME
THE ONE-HAND LIGHT.

AND THEN SHE LOOKED AT ME,

AND SHE SAID,
"YOU KNOW,

I'M NOT GOING TO BE HERE
FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

I'M NOT GOING TO BE HERE
TO FEED YOU, OR BATHE YOU,

OR TIE YOUR SHOELACES,
OR...

OR LIGHT YOUR CIGARETTES."

"YOU BETTER GET STARTED."

I NEVER KNEW HER NAME.

IT WAS ALWAYS,
"NURSE."

SHE WAS FROM
EAGLE PASS, TEXAS.

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HER.

THE DAY I WENT
OFF TO WAR...

MY FATHER ACCOMPANIED ME
TO THE MILITARY
PICKUP POINT.

WE RODE THE STREETCAR
ALL THE WAY FROM HOME.

DURING THE RIDE MY FATHER
NEVER SAID A WORD.

HE WAS NOT
A TALKATIVE FELLA.

HE JUST LOOKED
STRAIGHT AHEAD.

AND I LOOKED
STRAIGHT AHEAD.

AND FINALLY MY FATHER
CLEARED HIS THROAT
AND HE SAID,

"AMERICA HAS BEEN
VERY GOOD TO US.

AMERICA HAS GIVEN ME
TWO JOBS.

GIVEN YOU, AND YOUR SISTERS,
AND BROTHERS EDUCATION.

WE ALL LOVE
THIS COUNTRY.

WHATEVER YOU DO,
DO NOT DISHONOR
YOUR COUNTRY.

REMEMBER,
NEVER DISHONOR
YOUR FAMILY.

AND IF YOU MUST
GIVE YOUR LIFE...

DO SO WITH HONOR.

I KNEW EXACTLY
WHAT HE MEANT.

I SAID...

"YES, SIR.

GOODBYE."

I'M ASKED QUITE OFTEN,

"WHY DO YOU DO
THIS SHOW?"

AND THERE ARE
A LOT OF REASONS,

BUT I THINK
THE MAIN REASON I DID IT

IS BECAUSE I LOVE
A GOOD STORY.

I THINK STORIES TELL US
WHERE WE CAME FROM.

THEY... THEY ILLUMINATE
THE PAST.

THEY LIGHT OUR ROAD
TO THE FUTURE

AND I THINK I THINK SOMETIMES
THEY MAKE THE PRESENT

JUST A LITTLE BIT
EASIER TO BEAR.

WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA
TELL STORIES,

WE ALWAYS HAVE
TOLD STORIES...

AROUND THE CAMPFIRE,

AT BEDTIME,

TO THE TRIBE,

TO THE FAMILY,

TO THE KIDS,

AND SOMETIMES
TO THE TROOPS.

SO THANK YOU...
FOR HOSTING "BEYOND GLORY."

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA,

AUTHORIZED
BY ACT OF CONGRESS,

MARCH 3, 1863,

HAS AWARDED IN THE NAME
OF THE CONGRESS,

THE MEDAL OF HONOR
TO SPECIALIST FIVE,

CLARENCE E. SASSER,
UNITED STATES ARMY,

"FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY
AND INTREPIDITY IN ACTION

AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE,

ABOVE AND BEYOND
THE CALL OF DUTY.

SPECIALIST FIVE,
CLARENCE E. SASSER

DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF
ON JANUARY 10, 1968

IN THE REPUBLIC
OF VIETNAM.

WITHOUT HESITATION,
SPECIALIST SASSER

RAN ACROSS
AN OPEN RICE PADDY,

THROUGH A HAIL OF FIRE
TO ASSIST THE WOUNDED.

AFTER HELPING
ONE MAN TO SAFETY,

HE, HIMSELF
WAS PAINFULLY WOUNDED

IN THE LEFT SHOULDER
BY FRAGMENTS

OF AN EXPLODING ROCKET.

ALTHOUGH IN AGONIZING PAIN
AND FAINT FROM LOSS OF BLOOD,

SPECIALIST SASSER
REACHED THE MAN,

TREATED HIM
AND PROCEEDED ON

TO ENCOURAGE ANOTHER
GROUP OF SOLDIERS

TO CRAWL 200 METERS
TO RELATIVE SAFETY.

SPECIALIST SASSER'S
CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY

AND EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM
ARE IN KEEPING

WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS
OF THE MILITARY SERVICE

AND REFLECT
GREAT CREDIT..."

THE THING ABOUT IT
THAT I'M MOST PROUD OF

WAS THAT MY MEDAL
WAS FOR SAVIN' LIVES

RATHER THAN
TAKIN' LIVES.

AND NOT THAT I...
NOT THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM

WITH TAKIN' LIVES
OR ANYTHING.

IF THAT HAD BEEN MY JOB
I WOULD HAVE TAKEN
THOSE LIVES.

I DON'T... I DON'T HAVE
A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

IT'S JUST THAT
I'M PROUD THAT THAT
WAS FOR SAVING LIVES.

IT'S MORE MY CHARACTER
THAN TAKING LIVES.

LET'S MOVE OUT.