Original subtitles

This is Stuart Dunstan reporting from Camp Stronghold Freedom in

Uzbekistan, where a contingent of Navy Seabees is hard at work on an essential

but little seen part of the war effort, creating a path for the American ground

force.

I hope you got that. Oh, yeah.

Come

on,

come on.

You saved my life, Petty Officer.

I mean, you saved all of our lives. You're a hero. What's your name? Where

you from?

We're from CNN.

I've come to a difficult decision.

I've decided to act on Commander Lindsey's recommendations concerning

office and its operations.

Sorry to hear that, sir. I don't like it, A .J., but when you see it here in

black and white, it's just indefensible.

You can't blame the messenger, A .J.

No, sir. There's nepotism in the office, conflicts of interest, budget overruns.

Then there's the bad press, the unpopular verdicts in court, not to

lawyers flying jets.

Chief of Information wants to detail a new public affairs officer just to look

into the fallout from JAG Corp.

Obviously, Mr. Secretary, you've lost confidence in my ability to command. I

haven't finalized my decision yet.

I want you to take this and review it.

Rebut it, if you can. Then come back to me with something that'll get Chinfo

back in the box, and maybe I'll reconsider.

Yes, sir. And don't take too long, A .J.

Appropriations hearings start next week. I won't be able to get the budget we

need with this hanging over my head.

Understood.

That'll be all.

Commander, I may need to meet with you in regards to this matter.

I'll be at your service, sir.

I'm sure you will.

As our brave men and women carry out their mission to liberate the people of

Iraq, there are heroes behind the scenes as well.

What we're about to show you is actual raw footage taken two days ago in

Asia. Get down!

Shocking as this footage is, We wouldn't be here to show it if it wasn't for the

courage and bravery of one of those fighting Seabees, Petty Officer Third

Stephen Wilson, who single -handedly saved the lives of dozens of men,

my own.

Petty Officer Wilson declined to speak with us at the time, but in just a few

hours, his unit will be landing here at the Norfolk Naval Air Station, home from

deployment in the Middle East.

That's why I'm here, to greet a hero. And you can see it live on CNN.

Stay with us.

How'd your meeting go, sir?

Well, Commander Lindsay has dredged up every irrelevant smear he could put his

hands on.

Never mind. The Navy JAG Corps handles more cases, less personnel than the Army

of the Air Force.

We get too much bad press. We're a problem for the chief of information.

Don't read the damn thing yourself.

Excuse me, sir. Could this have anything to do with the decision in the friendly

fire case? Obviously, SEC now...

I wanted a conviction and didn't get one. Oh, Lieutenant, this is about

everything.

Unpopular verdicts, for God's sake. Never mind justice was served.

What's the second I'm going to do, sir?

What, are you thinking about firing me?

No. I mean, it's happened on my watch. I've got to take responsibility for it,

so... Best course of action is for me to retire.

You can't be serious, sir. Why not?

Well, Admiral...

What?

It appears to me, sir, you're making a decision in the heat of the moment. No,

not at all. I've been thinking about it for weeks.

I haven't seen my daughter in Italy for I don't know how long, and Meredith and

I are, well, planning to get married.

Oh, that's great, sir.

I mean, congratulations.

That's great.

Thank you. What the hell are you all doing in my office?

Dismissed.

Hi, sir.

Got any plans for Liberty, Wilson? Nope.

No family around here?

No family.

Period. Just me.

Come on, get me out of here.

Don't jostle the man, all right? He's a finely tuned fighting machine.

Well, one thing you can say about Commander Lindsey, he's thorough.

Obsessive -compulsive is more like it. You're a security risk.

Hey, you're a loose cannon.

Yeah, don't I know it. I show consistent and reckless disregard for

responsibility. And I love this one.

Unsupervised T .A .D. with members of the opposite sex.

You and me.

This is all ridiculous.

I can't believe the Admiral would just roll over. There's got to be a reason

it. He wants to get married.

No, that's not the reason. There's something else.

I don't know, Max.

Whatever it is.

Lindsay's upset because he believes the Admiral scuttled his career, so he's out

for revenge.

But he's acting too hastily. That's tough.

Revenge is the dish best served cold.

Somehow I don't feel better.

Hey, Wilson.

Yo. Front and center.

What's the deal?

We got a visitor.

Says her name is Jennifer Bruder.

You're going to need that charm, hero.

Hello, Johnny.

I thought you were on television.

Figured.

Look, what's going on?

I thought you were dead.

I thought you died in the tower with Tom.

I'm sorry.

You're sorry?

Okay, so you're alive.

Does that mean that Tom is?

Didn't make it, Jenny.

He didn't make it, but you did?

Told you I was sorry.

What are you sorry for?

For what? For surviving?

For not calling me and telling me that you were alive?

For not telling me my husband was dead? For all of that.

I put your name on the list of the people that died in 9 -11.

Were you even in the World Trade Center?

Yes. I was there.

You know for sure that he's dead.

Why are you pretending to be someone you're not?

I don't get it.

What happened to the money?

Money's gone, Jenny.

Millions of dollars are just gone.

I don't believe you. It's true.

Look, I don't know how I got out of that building alive.

I don't remember most of it.

I had what... They call it survivor's guilt, I think. Tommy was my best

and why he had to die and not me, there's no answer for that question,

There just isn't.

No. I want to know what happened.

I can't tell you. I don't remember.

I don't care what you call yourself now.

You were the last person to see my husband alive, and I want to know

I want to know what his last words were.

Look, all I can tell you is the man that I used to be died in the World Trade

Center along with your husband.

Started a new life.

That's all there is to it.

It's not good enough.

That's all I can give you.

Then I'll find out from my...

Petty Officer Third Class Stephen Wilson.

You may have seen him on television.

He single -handedly stopped a suicide attack on Marine Camp Stronghold Freedom

in his Beckett Pass.

Incidentally, he saved the life of ZNN reporter Stuart Dunstan, who has kept

Petty Officer Wilson in the news ever since.

And as a result of that, a woman by the name of Jennifer...

Bruder has come forward to inform the command at Norfolk that the Navy's

hero is, in fact, not Petty Officer Wilson, but a man by the name of Matthew

Devine, who's supposed to have been killed in the World Trade Center attacks

9 -11.

Is it a case of fraudulent enlistment, sir? Evidently. The Navy's chief of

engineers likes his heroes controversy -free, so he's asked for a discreet

Jagman investigation.

Understood, sir. Commander Turner.

You proceed to Norfolk and interview Petty Officer Wilson or Devine or

the hell his name is. Yes, sir. And Commander Rabb, you'll interview Mrs.

at her home in New Jersey.

Yes, sir. I need both of you to report back to me ASAP. That'll be all.

Aye, aye, sir. Aye, aye, sir.

Tyner, are you sure Commander Lindsey didn't have access to our personnel

Yes, ma 'am. They're under lock and key.

What about after hours?

Never happened, Colonel. I checked.

He had to clear security and sign the logbook every time he went in or out. I

just don't understand how he could have found out all this nasty personal stuff

about everybody.

All in a single week.

Yeah, well, he's probably been keeping a list for years, and this was his big

chance to get even with us and show off his lawyering skills.

I mean, the sick thing is, this is what we do every day as lawyers. He's turning

our techniques against us.

Which means he's a clever lawyer, but a lousy human being.

Calling for you.

Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't hear you.

Aren't you going into the office at all today?

No. No, I'm just going to, you know, work from home.

Is everything okay, honey?

I mean, you seem kind of, I don't know, distracted lately.

No, sweetheart.

Everything's fine. Couldn't be better.

Okay. I'll see you.

Love you.

Yeah, love you too.

Kids and I almost lost the house after Tom died.

If we hadn't been one of the victims,

the bank probably would have foreclosed.

I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Bruder.

Thank you.

We're all right right now, financially.

The 9 -11 Victim Compensation Fund has been a godsend.

Matt Devine.

The man that's calling himself Stephen Wilson.

He was my husband's business partner.

Yeah, what business were they in?

Investment banking.

They were venture capitalists.

They ran what was known as an angel fund.

They got new ventures off the ground with high risk, only investment.

Their office was in the World Trade Center.

Were they both in the building when the planes hit?

Yeah, they were always there early, and they weren't late.

For Matt, it was no problem, because he was single, no family.

He was a workaholic.

But for Tom, it was different,

because he missed us, and we missed him.

Ready officer Stephen Wilson?

Sir. Commander Turner from the JAG Corps.

Good to meet you, sir.

Is Stephen Wilson your real name, Petty Officer?

No, sir.

Is Matthew Devine your real name?

Yes, sir.

That presents us with a problem, doesn't it? How am I to address you?

Clearly, Petty Officer Wilson doesn't work anymore.

And Matthew Devine is listed as dead in the World Trade Center on 9 -11.

With the commander's permission, sir.

I'd like to be referred to as Petty Officer Matthew Devine.

Now, for that to happen, you have a lot of explaining to do, Taylor.

Did Matthew Devine tell you why he decided to adopt a new identity?

He really didn't tell me anything.

You put his name on the 9 -11 victims list.

Can I get in trouble for that?

No, no, no. I mean, you did what you thought was right.

I had to pick up my kids in a few minutes.

Well... We'll wrap it up then.

Thank you for your time, Mrs. Bruder.

Commander, I don't know if this is going to make any sense to you.

Matt Devine, he was the last person that saw my husband alive.

And I have so many unanswered questions.

I mean, supposedly they had to set up their business.

But there was no money at all in our bank account after Tom died.

And it's not that we need the money. I just want to know why.

I understand.

Really? Do you?

Am I just being morbid?

When my dad was shot down over Vietnam, I felt the same way.

And I'm going to do everything I can to help you.

Thank you.

Okay. My dad was a CB2.

Vietnam. I guess I always wanted to join the Navy.

Why not join up as Matthew Devine?

Because Matthew Devine had a story going, and after September 11th, I

like that story anymore. What story was that?

Make money.

Get other people's money, use it to make more money.

Lose money. Use other people's money to cover the losses.

That's all there was.

You ever read any F. Scott Fitzgerald?

Some.

He wrote, there are no second acts in American lives.

Now, after September 11th, I realized that I had a chance at a second act.

Well, I could remake myself into a better person.

All I had to do was go on the street and buy myself a new identity and start

over. And you had to go and be a hero, huh?

The best thing I ever did in my life.

What'd I get?

A tough time of being a hero.

Man, any chance I can stay in the Navy?

You might be. Might be petty, officer.

I'm just going to have to answer the charges and face an administrative

discharge board.

You up for that?

Yes, sir.

Hi. Is the Admiral in his office?

Yes. Oh, and by the way, congratulations.

Thank you.

We are just thrilled for the both of you.

Well, as far as I know, I think I'm the only one getting this award.

Oh. I didn't know anything about an award. I was talking about your

I mean, that's great.

Good news all the way around.

Enter.

Hi. Hey.

So is this Scholar University's Professor of the Year I'm looking at?

I'm confused.

About what?

Did you propose to me when I wasn't present?

I'm sorry. I said that for the benefit of the staff.

I was trying to come up with a reason for my retirement.

You're retiring?

Well, I was going to talk about all this over dinner.

Lip it in between courses?

I have all these ideas in my head. I'm trying to sort them out.

pressures at work, visiting Francesca, marriage, things like that.

Who is Francesca?

My daughter in Italy.

Oh.

You know, you never told me her name.

Well, now I have. I know I've mentioned my retirement.

I believe you said, one of these days I'm going to retire.

Well, it seems one of these days is imminent.

Not to mention all those wedding arrangements.

Sweetheart, I know that we've danced around the subject.

Well, maybe it's time we stopped dancing and started talking.

You're right.

Is there something you want to say to me?

Interested?

Not under these circumstances.

Where are you going?

Why don't we get back to this when you're more prepared and I know more

what's going on?

What about dinner?

Enjoy it.

Excuse me, Admiral.

Can we talk for a minute?

Why not? Come on in.

I've made up dossiers rebutting the allegations of Commander Lindsay's

biased report, sir.

Nice work.

I'll pass them on to the SECNAV.

You're still thinking about resigning, sir?

Yes. The dossiers make it abundantly clear why you shouldn't resign and why

SECNAV shouldn't fire you.

Well, I appreciate that.

Excuse me, sir, but I believe you should let me know what I have to say.

Have a seat.

You told the office this morning that you were retiring because you and

were getting married.

I saw Meredith on her way out a few minutes ago, and she told me that you

that story up on the spot.

Guilty as charged.

You don't want to retire, sir.

And the only reason you're even considering it is to protect us, myself,

Commander Rabb, Lieutenant Roberts, Lieutenant Sims, because we're the ones

intentionally smeared by Commander Lindsay.

You think Commander Lindsay is out to get you personally, that he's dragging

through the mud to do it.

Yes. Well, it's his motive I'm questioning, sir. He told Commander Rabb

wanted this office broken apart and us scattered to the four winds.

Well, if that's the case, then your resignation is of no benefit.

To us or the Navy.

Or to me.

It's absolutely not in your character to cave in.

And I refuse to accept that from you for any reason.

Are you done?

No, sir.

You are offering to sacrifice your career.

And with all due respect, sir, that offer is not accepted.

I hope that'll be all.

Yes, sir.

Mack.

Thanks.

Brother. Good to see you.

And here she is, my fiancée, Galina.

Very nice to meet you.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

Come, sit, sit.

Isn't she beautiful?

Yes. On the Aeroflot flight, all the businessmen are flirting with her. She's

far the prettiest of the flight attendants.

I can see that.

So, Harm, you are going to be my best man.

Are you sure about this? I mean, we didn't exactly part in the best of ways.

I told you I would get over it.

Then I was lonely.

Now? I'm not.

So, will you come to Russia and stand beside me?

I'd be honored.

So, we need drinks for the toast.

I'm buying.

Hang on just a sec.

So,

have you heard from Lieutenant Singer? Did she call you back in January?

No. Why?

Is something bothering you? What is it?

I forced her to make the call.

Made it outside here, in fact, on my cell phone.

Sergey, I don't think she was telling you the truth about you not being the

baby's father.

Why would she lie?

I just can never tell what Lieutenant's here.

It was what you call a one -stop shop.

It's a one -night stand.

Whatever. It wasn't even a whole night. It was nothing. It was...

I'll wait to say goodbye.

I don't know, sir, the timing.

Coincidence. I mean, trust me, brother.

Lieutenant Singer is a woman who would have no trouble with more than one man

her life.

All right?

All right.

So, have you heard the scuttlebutt around town?

You're going to retire, so I don't have to fire you.

Well, sir, this town is a gossip factory.

Washington runs on gossip.

So is it true?

Mr. Secretary, I serve at your pleasure.

Now, don't be coy with me, A .J.

We've got a problem.

All I want is what's best for the Navy.

And so do I, sir.

And that's why I've come to realize that my resignation wouldn't solve anything.

I think you'll find that Commander Lindsey's report is very biased.

Here's the point -by -point rebuttal of every one of his allegations put

together by my staff.

Good.

You and Commander Lindsey go back a long way, don't you?

We have a history.

I probably picked the wrong person to handle this matter. I should have

that Lindsey had an axe to grind.

But now the issue's on the table. I can't just take it off.

Now, this may help.

But what's it going to change? Certainly not the facts.

No, sir, but it may change your opinion of the facts.

A .J., I need more.

Scotch, I mean.

Want a refill?

I'll do the honors this time.

Give me one good reason why Matthew Devine shouldn't stay in the Navy.

Fraudulent enlistment? Using fake ID, allowing his name to remain on the 9 -11

victims list?

And did he benefit from it? Did anyone make a claim against him? No.

Matthew Devine is a hero, Harm. He saved a lot of lives. His service record is

spotless. It's what he did before he got into the service, Sturgis.

And what was that? Did he commit a crime?

Defraud anyone?

Is the law after him? Not that I've found yet.

He failed in his business, Harm. He wants to get on with his life. Look.

So does Mrs. Bruder. At the very least, he needs to sit down with her, answer

her questions, and tell her what he knows. We can't force him to do that.

He's in the Navy.

Can't someone just order him to talk to me?

It doesn't work that way, Mrs. Bruder.

I've asked him again, and he's refused.

Now, according to Navy rules, Petty Officer Devine has a right to privacy.

So that's it, then?

He gets to have a new life and I'm supposed to, I'm supposed to what?

Spend the rest of mine wondering?

I wish I could just accept the fact that he's gone.

And that I'll never know anything more than that.

But I can't.

Not while I know that Matt Devine is alive.

Have you ever considered that maybe you're better off not knowing?

You said that you had to find out what happened to your father.

No, no, just tell me this.

You were able to find out the truth.

Now, are you better off?

Or are you sorry?

I'm not sorry.

I think I have an idea.

The board will come to order.

In the matter of construction man Matthew Devine, a .k .a. Petty Officer

Class Stephen Wilson, the respondent is being processed for administrative

separation by reason of misconduct due to fraudulent enlistment in the Navy.

Commander Turner, what is the respondent's position on the misconduct?

The respondent is admitting the misconduct and will present a case for

retention, Lieutenant.

Very well.

Commander Rabb, does the government intend to put on any evidence on the

of separation and characterization?

We do.

You may call your first witness.

The government calls Jennifer Bruder.

Commander Turner.

With the senior member's permission, I've got a minute to confer with the

respondent. Very well. Thank you.

Do I have to be in the room for this?

Why? Is she going to say something to hurt your case?

No, of course not.

It's just that. Why does she have to even be here at all? The government

presents aggravation to support separating you from the Navy. We present

extenuation and mitigation to support keeping you in.

Just... Is there something between you two you haven't told me? No, it's...

Partner's wife? I don't even know her very well. I don't care how

this makes you feel. If you want a career in the Navy, then act like you

in this service. We are ready, Lieutenant.

Mrs. Bruder, how long have you known Matthew Devine?

About three years.

Three years before... Before 9 -11?

Yeah.

Which is when you lost your husband in the World Trade Center.

Yes. Matt was with my husband when he died.

They were best friends and business partners.

So did you spend a lot of time with Matthew Devine then?

No, not really.

He had his life and we had our time.

He had his family and Betty Officer Devine was single.

Yes. So we didn't socialize that much together.

Can you tell us, Mrs. Bruder, why your husband is not here today, but Matthew

Devine is?

I can't because Matt won't tell me what happened that day.

Do you feel that Matthew Devine is a person of good character, Mrs. Bruder?

I don't know anymore.

My husband liked him, and I think he trusted him, but after Tom died, there

was...

There's no more money left in our bank accounts.

And I don't know why.

How did you feel, Mrs. Bruder, when you saw Matthew Devine on television under

the name Stephen Wilson?

I felt like I was dreaming.

I was wondering if Matt was alive and maybe Tom was too.

I just couldn't understand why he didn't call us to tell us what happened.

For months after 9 -11, I...

I couldn't sleep for more than a few hours without waking up.

I kept imagining when it must have been like to be in that building when those

planes hit.

Was he one of the ones who jumped?

Did he try to call me on his cell phone?

But he just couldn't get through.

I just couldn't stand not knowing.

My life stopped on 9 -11.

I felt like I was sleepwalking.

And then I'd wake up and a month had gone by and

my son was an inch taller and my daughter lost a tooth and

I just couldn't remember anything in between.

But in time, you got over this, correct?

Until Matt and I came back from the dead.

And then it started all over again.

And now, I can't see the future, so I can't move forward.

And I can't have the past, so I can't make peace with it.

Thank you, Mrs. Bruder.

Has this helped at all?

I don't feel like any of this has to do with Matt Devine.

Oh, on the contrary, this has everything to do with Matthew Devine.

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning, Commander Minetti.

Nice to have you back, ma 'am. Thank you.

Lieutenant. Commander Minetti.

Is this still my office?

Yes, ma 'am. Just keeping it warm for you. Well, thank you.

Plenty. Commander's been gone for weeks, and now she comes back?

Right, if this office is about to be broken up, you've been wondering how

Commander Lindsay found so much dirt on everybody in such a short time.

You think Commander Menendez... I always wondered if she was a second -hand spy.

Welcome back, Commander.

Thank you, sir. It's good to be back.

Stick Pack Fleet sent me a P4 message yesterday saying we'll find you. I'll be

dead. That's good to hear, sir. Trust that you found your T .A .D. at Pearl

too difficult.

It was a pleasant assignment, Admiral.

Nice to have you back. Thank you, sir.

Don't you three have something to be doing?

Yes, sir.

This isn't a trial, so I'm not going to ask you a lot of questions.

Just tell us why you want to stay in the Navy.

To do that, sir, I have to explain why I joined the Navy in the first place.

Tommy Bruder and I were fraternity brothers in college.

After I went belly up in the dot -com bus, he suggested that I go out to New

York and...

going to business with him.

He was into making money, and I learned a lot during the Internet bubble, mostly

how gullible people were, how you could sell ideas and promises and then cook

the books to make it seem as though the company was profitable.

I guess you could say that I corrupted him.

If the markets had turned around, then we would have been all right, but that

didn't happen.

And every day we were sinking deeper and deeper until...

Finally, the morning of 9 -11, I didn't know what we were going to do.

File for bankruptcy, start another scam.

There was just no money left.

We were arguing when the plane hit.

I don't know what it was at first.

Billing just shook.

Like a giant earthquake.

So much smoke and dust.

And I saw Tommy.

Part of the floor had collapsed down on top of him and he was pinned.

I tried pulling him out, but I just... I couldn't budge him.

He was having trouble breathing, so I got down on my...

He needs to hear them. And he said,

he said, promise me that

Jenny never finds out what we've done.

And I made him that promise before he died.

I'm going to break it now because I know that he never won his wife, who he

loved more than anything.

To suffer because I stayed silent.

I joined the Navy because I didn't want to be Matthew Devine anymore.

Now I know you can't run away from who you are.

Navy's the best thing that ever happened to me.

And I'd like Matthew Devine to have a chance to become the man that Steve

was.

Thank you.

Lieutenant, constructionman Matthew Devine has previously accepted non

punishment of a reduction in rate, forfeiture of half a month's pay for two

months, and 60 days restriction.

We now offer letters from constructionman Devine's OIC and members

unit attesting to his bravery and courage under fire against stronghold

which we hope the board will take into consideration in making its

recommendations. Thank you.

Seaman Devine, by a vote of 3 -0, this board finds that there is a basis for

separation as a result of fraudulent enlistment.

However, also by a vote of 3 -0, this board finds that you should be retained

active duty in the Navy.

These proceedings are concluded.

Thank you very much. Congratulations.

We did it.

I am glad that he got what he wanted.

And I did too.

Thanks for believing in me.

Well, you took a chance.

Yeah. And I am not sorry.

I'm going to get better now.

Just like you.

It's not that you want to forget. It's that you don't want grief to control

I don't think it will.

Dad, did he get it? No, no, it's Harm.

Is that you, Galina?

Yes, I am Galina.

Is Sergei there?

No, I am waiting for him.

Many hours now.

Oh, well, I was hoping to see you both before you leave.

Leave? For Russia.

Ah, yes, we go tonight.

All right, tell Sergei that I called. Ask him to call me back, please.

Yes, you're welcome.

Thanks.

Sir, you wanted to see me?

Yes, come in.

I've put an end to the inquiry into the discrepancies at JAG headquarters, all

of which I now realize were blown completely out of proportion by you for

personal reasons.

Sir, please, let me... Do me a favor and don't say anything.

Yes, sir.

Admiral Chegwooden.

I have regained complete confidence in your command.

A formal letter of apology to you and your staff is forthcoming.

Commander Lindsay, I have started another inquiry into you.

As of this moment, you're relieved of your duties in this office, and I want

out of the building ASAP.

Yes, sir.

Dismissed. Aye, aye, sir.

Goodbye.

Surprised? Yes, sir.

You want to know what made up my mind for me?

I assumed it was the defense put up by my staff.

Yes, it was that, but more.

A secret weapon came to your defense.

Lieutenant Commander Tracy Minetti.

When I first asked you to bring her on board, you assumed that what I really

wanted was a spy in your midst.

Well, no, sir.

Well, you were right.

She was my eyes and ears in your office, and therefore she was able to give me

an objective evaluation of Lindsay's report.

She was scathing. She called it a hatchet job.

I hope you're not too disappointed in me.

No, sir.

Will Commander Minetti be staying with us at Jack?

For another week or two.

I have another assignment in mind for her shortly.

Well, I'll make sure that I thank her for her work. Oh, please do. I'd

appreciate that.

Well, keep up the good work, Admiral.

Aye, sir. And next time, drinks are on you.