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103.6 WPTZ.

All news, radio, traffic,
sports

and weather together
on the 8s.

In the district,
there's a pileup

on Constitution...

Yes, hi.
Dr. Landon's office, please.

This thing's cheap.

- This is terrible.
- Uh, hello?

Hi, it's Tara Huffman and I have
an 8:15 amnio scheduled

and we are totally stuck
on Constitution.

I'm so sorry.

Can you hang on a second?

Hello? Hi, Celia.
I'm on the other line.

- Wait. Celia?
- Okay, all right.

- Quickly, quickly.
- Thank you.

Hey, what's up?

What?

Why?

I'm gonna call you back.
Just meet me downstairs, okay?

Peter just fucking quit.

You owe me a quarter.

- What happened? Why?
- I... I don't know.

I don't know what happened.

Okay, there's a metro station
two blocks away.

Why don't you take it?

You sure?

- Yeah, yeah.
- I'm sorry.

- It's okay.
- Thank you.

All right, buddy.

Take care of your mom, okay?

All right, good luck.
I'll call you later.

Okay. It's gonna be okay.

- All right.
- Bye.

I called as soon as I heard.

It's your job
to keep my pale ass

out of the stink, O'Neal.
You're my Kevlar.

How was I supposed to know

the secretary was gonna call
a press conference,

let alone resign today?

- Did he have a reason?
- The secretary?

Oh, yes.
He wants to spend

- more time...
- More time with the family?

- Jesus. Was Stanton there?
- He brought the donuts.

Of course he did.
What's my day like?

Well,
your eleven o'clock is early

and your lunch scrubbed.

- What eleven o'clock?
- Master Sergeant Thomas Tulley.

Never heard of him. Reschedule.

Missed you at the brief.

Glad I had my ear
to the rail, Carl,

or that train
might have run me over.

Well, if you'd been on time,

you would have heard it
like the rest of us.

You must've known something.

Hey, I was here. You weren't.

It's on you.
I... I... I got you a donut.

It's got sprinkles.

- My wife had an amnio.
- Oh. Oh, right, priorities.

I don't know how you do it.
Wife, kids, hamster...

It was a gerbil. Mercifully,
it finally went tits-up.

Life refines itself
if you're patient.

It was a shock,
but I'm finally over it.

You okay? What's...
What's... What's bothering you?

I'm a government lawyer

about to be unemployed.

Oh, come on. You're a superstar
on the verge of free agency.

You'll find something.

In the middle
of an election year?

Not even Tiger could sink
that putt.

What makes you think I can?

'Cause your political Darwinism
is absolutely instinctual.

Thanks.

Oh, you're welcome.

You remember
that decorations review

I gave you in July?

It's a vague potential memory.

Uh, Medal of Honor upgrade?
You have a status briefing.

- When?
- Now.

- With who?
- Master Sergeant Thomas Tulley.

Air Force Pararescue, retired.

- Flew in from Dayton.
- Your eleven o'clock.

He's the guy's buddy.

- Whose guy? What guy?
- The Medal of Honor candidate.

Why didn't he just come himself?

Because it's posthumous.

You'd better read that.
Here you go.

Christ...

I have been reminding you
since July.

We're talking about one

of the bloodiest days
of the war.

Pits saved lives.

And he was awarded
the Air Force Cross.

- What's wrong with that?
- It was downgraded to the Cross.

We put him up
for the Medal of Honor.

- That's different.
- Sergeant, I'm gonna tell you

something
you probably already know.

Decoration upgrades are rare.

The criteria for review
is new information.

Figured the new information part
was your job.

This was 30 years ago.

I mean, is there an agenda
you have I should know about?

Justice delayed
is justice denied.

That's my damn agenda.

Sergeant Tulley, the secretary
of the Air Force resigned today.

In three months,

everyone in this office
is gonna be gone, including me.

This will take years.

We'll follow up
on this next week.

Secretary Peters?

Yes.

Thomas Tulley,
Air Force Pararescue,

retired.

Defense Contract Audit Agency

is looking
for a regional director.

That wouldn't be
a step backwards.

Okay, well,
you are now officially

- on your own.
- Don't be like that.

Call sheet is on your computer.

The secretary's looking for you.
And your wife called.

Wait. Why?

- Well, she didn't say.
- No, Peters.

He wants to see you
in his office in five minutes.

Congratulations on the job,
Carl.

No moss grows under your feet.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

Sit. Sit down.

A Master Sergeant Thomas Tulley

doesn't think we're giving
this MOH matter a fair shake.

- It's a misunderstanding.
- That's what I said.

Sir?

Operation Abilene

was one of the bloodiest battles
of the entire war.

- The Vietnam War.
- Thanks.

An entire company
nearly wiped out

but for this PJ's efforts.

Pararescue Jumper.

Pitsenbarger is a legend
in the PJ community.

I understand that.

Well, Carl's putting together
your itinerary.

You'll collect
combat testimonies, personally,

and prepare a package
for a full decorations review.

But we're about to present
the budget to committee.

Yeah, well, Carl has it covered.

I've been working
on it all year.

And now you're working on this.

The Medal of Honor

is the highest recognition
of military valor there is.

Patton said he'd have traded
his command for that ribbon,

Eisenhower, the White House.

Now, why do you think

four-star generals
and presidents

would say something like that?

Honestly, I have no idea.

Well, that's a very good place
to start.

I'm off the budget
'cause some grunt

chased Peters into the shitter.

Are you kidding me?

He's not a grunt.
He's Air Force.

And you're off the budget
'cause you embarrassed him.

- Tulley?
- No, Peters.

Look...
...I've never done

a medal review.
I... I don't have time for this.

What job did you get anyway?

I am legislative director
for Madison Holt,

if it's any of your business.

- Chairman of Armed Services?
- Is there another?

Look, what, do I have
to spell this out for you?

- This is just crazy.
- Take a few days.

Go collect some war stories.

Have Celia write up
a summary statement

requesting more time.

We look like we give a shit,
this furball rolls over

to the next poor slob
that takes your job,

you're out of it...

...before Appropriations
even sniffs the budget.

- That's it?
- Yeah, that's it.

It's only gonna be a day, honey.

We're taking fire

from all corners, over.

Charlie Six

gun three is ready.

Say what rounds...

246, uh, times 7246...

- Everybody down!
- Take cover!

Contact,
Victor Charlie.

We have wounded
and we are taking fire.

Pedro inbound,
say, two mikes out.

Copy that,
Charlie Six

We are inbound now.

Charlie Six.

They have mortars
and automatic weapons now.

It's an ambush.

Hey, Tulley, doesn't look
too good down there.

They don't know
how to load the litters.

Holy shit.
It's their medic.

Okay. Somebody needs
to go down there

and get 'em straightened out.

No way. It's hotter than hell
down there, Pits.

Those people can't wait.
They've lost their medic.

Let me go down,
speed up the whole deal.

As soon
as we have their wounded,

- you're back on this bird.
- Roger that.

You be goddamn careful.

Going down.

Sounds like a suicide mission.

Suicide is hopeless.

What Pitsenbarger did was...

Was valor.

It was a hell of a thing to see
from where I was sitting.

Then why didn't he get the medal
in '66?

- You must have some opinion.
- If my opinion mattered,

this would have been done
long ago.

Do you do something, Sergeant?

Do you have a job or a hobby,
or is this...

your full-time thing?

I'm a palliative nurse.

I work with terminal patients
and their families

to clarify end-of-life goals
and...

symptom management,
psycho-social...

spiritual support.

Do you make your own bed?

What?

Simple question.

My wife does it.

Must suck to be her.

Is there a point here somewhere?

We've been down
this road before.

You're just the FNG.

Sergeant...

this little pet project of yours

has been in a coma
for three decades.

There's nothing in this for me,
but I'm here anyway.

So what do you want?

Sorry to keep you.

I nap more than I used to.

Mr. Pitsenbarger, sir.

Ah, it isn't getting old
that's hard,

it's keeping awake
long enough to enjoy it.

- Oh, thank you.
- Well...

Thank you.

- So, you're the new one.
- The new one?

If you want the real story
about Abilene,

you'll need to talk
to the mud soldiers.

And they are?

You do work in the
Department of Defense, right?

They're the army guys
on the ground.

Charlie Company, 16th Infantry,
the Big Red One.

Well, as far
as they're concerned, you see,

it wasn't Bill's fight.

Bill was Air Force.

Charlie Company took
80 percent casualties.

That's 34 KIAs in the same day.

Bill was a part of it,
of course,

but he wasn't one of them.

We have to respect that.

- All right.
- Now, Billy Takoda

lives, uh,
over in Sterling County.

That's about an hour's drive
from here.

Over the years the wives

have tracked down most
of the guys.

You might want to start
with them.

And this Billy guy, is he, uh...

Will he talk to me?
Is he all right?

The two of you
should get along fine.

Hello!

What the hell
are you yelling for?

Jesus.

Billy Takoda.
Not an easy guy to find.

Y'all be careful
down there, you hear?

Jeremy, stay out that water.

So what's your story?

Why are you here?

Well, I appreciate
what you've been through.

Uh, I'm here to help.

If you wanted to help,
you'd pick up a weapon

and get some skin
in the game, friend.

You'd acknowledge
you own a piece

of every bomb dropped

and every bullet fired
in every skirmish

since you been born,

that you have blood
on your hands, you understand?

Second chance.

Why are you here?

It's my job.

- I don't have a choice.
- See? That's progress.

Vulnerability and communication.
Honesty builds trust.

That's the only real currency
we got left in this world.

Now you can trust me?

No.

You mind if I, um...

I'm here so I can...

hear your side of the story.

I talk, you listen.

Vietnam
wasn't my first square dance.

I was a dog-faced lifer,
a natural war fighter.

I loved it.

Nothing made me feel more alive.

But I'd never seen nothing
like Abilene.

Lost men like that.

Medic!

Medic! Medic!

Goddammit Kepper, you all right?

Contact, Victor Charlie.

I'm hit.

We have wounded
and we are taking fire.

Oh, fuck!

They have mortars
and automatic weapons now.

It's an ambush.

Pitsenbarger,
where did he fit in all this?

Well, I lost my medic.

We had no LZ, so...

they called
in the Air Force helos.

Pedros, Pedros, Charlie Six.

Be advised,
we're in a tight one down here.

Multiple casualties.
We need you soonest.

Contact, one o'clock.

Advise when you've
got us in sight. Over.

Copy, Charlie Six.
Pedros has your smoke.

Pits came down,
saved lives, evac'ed wounded,

died fighting alongside men
he never even knew.

Get down, airman!
Get down!

Okay. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Slow it down.

Nothing but your man
into the basket.

Okay, now, you.

Okay? Hold these.

- Nice and easy, now.
- One, two, three.

All right, hang tight,
buddy.

I'm gonna need you
to do something

for me, all right?

I need you to keep the pressure
on it, all right?

All the way up you keep
that pressure on it.

All right, you're going home.
All right.

Okay. Take her up.

All right, hang tight, bud.

Hold the line.
Hold the line.

- Come on.
- What's the story, Lieutenant?

We've got a 100-meter perimeter.

We're taking fire
from everywhere.

We've got two KIAs and at least
eight wounded that I know of.

All right, I'm gonna need two
of your guys.

It's your show, airman.

Mott!

Tulley says this whole
medal thing was your idea.

Is that true?

I made out the paperwork,

sent it up the Air Force chain,
that's all.

- But he never got the medal.
- Mm.

Not the big daddy, no.

Why not?

It was war.

Pits wasn't the onlys one,
you know.

I must have wrote
over a dozen letters

to parents and girlfriends.

After that, all you can do
is make amends...

and try to forget.

How do you do that?

Like I said,
get some bark in the game.

You went...
You went back to Vietnam?

I didn't understand
the world anymore

and the world sure as hell
didn't understand me,

so where the hell else
was I gonna go?

Well, after I got healed up,

this old high-school buddy
of mine called

and invited me for beers.

So, I met him
at this social club

over in Eddystone.

There was a sign outside
this shithole that said,

"No dogs or baby killers."

I let it slide.

We sitting at the bar

and he's shooting the shit
about girls

and how we used to raise hell
back in the day.

The more he talked,
the more I realized...

there wasn't nothing hitting,
you know?

Then he blurts out, "I hear
you got the Purple Heart.

What happened? You get shot?"

It gets real quiet.

All these drunk assholes
just staring at me.

Alls I can hear is...

screams from the jungle
that day and...

artillery whistle in the air.

And I started to get pissed.

So I pull my shirt up...

...just to shut him up.

He looks kind of awkward

and then he starts chuckling
and says,

"What was you doing,
running away?"

You know what? Maybe I was.

Maybe that's what I've
been doing all this time.

Tell you what, though.

I tore that place down, brother.

I mean, to the splinters.

That floor was blood, teeth,
and peanut shells,

wasn't none of it mine.

Cops came.

They seen the sign outside.

They called me a livery.

They got it.

Sent me on my way.

I knocked around for a couple
of months,

but nothing seemed to click.

You know, nothing stuck,
you know.

I was a refugee
in my own country,

and that hurt way more
than those bullets.

How could I stay?

Does it still hurt, Grandpa?

Only on the inside, baby boy.

Come on, kids, time to eat.

Honey, think this gumbo's
about ready.

I'm gonna need you to get
on the record.

That's about as on the record
as you're gonna get.

Hey.

Donna Burr? Hi.

Hey, man, he doesn't even get up
till eight o'clock.

Oh, uh, I'm sorry.

Scott Huffman, DOD.

- He... He works nights?
- Jimmy's PTS.

He's OCD.

He suffers hallucinations

and about
50 other war-related effects.

He sleeps during the day

because the night
just plain terrifies him.

Do you even know
any Vietnam vets?

No.
It's a new experience for me.

How did you two meet?

You mean, what do I see
in a Section 8 like Jimmy?

No, not at all, ma'am.
I'm... I'm just...

I was his nurse...

at the VA.

You can learn a lot
about these guys

hanging with them.

What they did, what it cost.

And every day he finds
the courage

not to stick a gun in his mouth.

So I think he deserves
a little compassion,

and, believe me,
I get a lot more than I give.

So if he wants to sleep
during the day...

that's okay with me.

So I saw Frank Pitsenbarger,

and, uh, he told me
you have a contact list

for all the Charlie Company guys
that you've put together.

So that's what you want?

Well... no, I...

I'd love to talk
to your husband, too.

I hope you're sincere
about this,

'cause Jimmy is tougher
than a two-dollar steak

and he can smell a rat
a mile upwind.

Well, I don't have
a position here

or an opinion. I'm...

Here's your list.

Thank you.

You wanna talk to Jimmy,
you're gonna have to wait.

I'm not making any promises.

Thank you.

Hey.

Sleeping on post

would get you fragged
in my unit.

Know what I'm saying, sir?

People round here think
I'm a goddamn vampire.

Maybe they're right too,

'cause I ain't slept in the dark
for 32 years.

You know what I'm saying, sir?

You know what that is?

Yes.

- No. No, I... I don't.
- Yeah.

Big Red One.
First Infantry Division.

Baddest goddamn GIs ever laced
a boot.

Is that loaded?

You know what you call
a gun that ain't loaded?

A fucking stick, sir.

You know what, Jimmy?
Uh, ca... Can I...

Can I call you Jimmy?

I'm a civilian, so...

- you don't have to call me sir.
- The only reason I'm talking

and not shooting
is 'cause of Tulley.

He said this is all about Pits
getting the medal.

- Ain't that right?
- Right. Absolutely.

'Cause I don't give a shit
about you.

I don't give a shit
about anything.

I just wanna be
left goddamn alone.

You understand what I'm saying?

I mean, I've been fucked over
and fucked around.

Nobody knows what went down
with me over there.

Nobody knows.

You understand
what I'm saying, sir?

Listen, man, I...

I didn't come here
to get shot at,

or to rattle your cage.
I'm just...

I'm just here
because Tulley said

your statement was important,
as did Mr. Pitsenbarger.

I was the oldest FNG
they'd ever seen.

Germany, Guam...

goddamn Okinawa.

Ten years and I never
squeezed off one round.

Understand what I'm saying, sir?

FNG? What is... What is that?

Fucking New Guy.

Lower than tits on a snake.

FNGs got people killed.

All them years waiting.

Come Easter of '66,
I'm in goddamn Vietnam.

I mean, I signed up
for this shit.

Thirty-three years old
and I was gung-ho

and ready to kill something.

Hey, Ray, you're short, right?

Thirty-two days
and I'll be swimming in Schlitz

unless you get me killed.

How long did it take you
to grease your first dink?

- Understand what I'm saying?
- Get off my back.

What's your problem, man?

You trying
to get each other killed? Hmm?

Man, get the hell away from him.

Now, you know better, Ray.

Keep your eyes open, man.

- Go, go, go!
- Charlie! Get down!

Get down, get down!

What we got?

- There was three of them.
- I... I got one.

I got one.

Holy shit.

Nice shot.

Charlie Six, Charlie Three.

Jesus Christ.

Charlie Six.

Lieutenant, what
the hell is going on up there?

FNG bust his cherry is all.

Copy that.
Anything else?

- Negative.
- Roger that.

Charlie Three out.

Kep, check him for intel.

Then shove a couple
of grenades up under him.

Anybody comes for him,
we'll know.

FNG.

Welcome to 'Nam, Jimmy.

Come on, I got you.

I ain't never seen
nobody die before.

That little matter sucked

all the whoop-ass right out
of me.

Understand what I'm saying, sir?

I felt real bad about that
for exactly 12 hours.

And then I didn't feel bad
about nothing.

Thought this was going
to the bottom of the pile.

We are the bottom of the pile.

Some guy named Ray Mott called,
said he was confirming.

Today's adventures
in post-traumatic exorcism.

Hopefully he won't have a gun.

Sit down and walk me
through the requirements

for a congressional
decorations package.

- New eyewitness statements.
- Okay, we're doing that.

DOD report of casualty.

Well, he's definitely dead.
So that's two.

And chain
of command endorsements.

Bingo. Where are they?

Because some guy named Kepper

wrote the after-action report
and passed it up.

It would have
to have been approved

from Bien Hoa, Saigon,
to here at the Pentagon.

- That would have been protocol.
- Right, so where is it?

Well, a lot can get lost
in 32 years.

This is the government
we're talking about.

Well, if I can't find the chain
of command endorsements,

this thing's DOA. I'm out of it.

Why not ask Kepper?

Because he's living
in Nha Trang,

which is in Vietnam,
and that's 11 time zones away.

There is this new invention
called the telephone.

Look, apparently this guy
is some Kurtzian burnout

smoking ganja
under the Bodhi tree.

I'm not going there.

- Is that the budget top sheet?
- Yeah.

All right.
I'll call you from the road.

I come out here,
knock out a box or two,

check my targets,
pick up my brass.

Keeps me civil with the kids.

Hear you went

- to see Jimmy Burr.
- Yeah.

He kills things
to relieve stress.

Flower box, 75 meters.

You know, he's got a bullet
in his head still.

It didn't kill him,
so they slammed him into VA,

doped him up for about 20 years.

Can't imagine why.

It's a hell of a thing,
you know,

to have somebody die
so you can pop melons and...

shoot rabbits by the light
of the moon.

Weapon's clear, Gene.

Weapon's clear.

Your reputation precedes you.

- Jimmy isn't a fan.
- Yeah, Tulley either.

Well, if you guys want this guy
to get the medal,

I gotta get statements,
testimony.

It was one day, decades ago.

Pitsenbarger came
into that shitstorm on purpose.

I mean, how do you account
for that?

Duty, commitment, mission.
Pick one.

I kept telling him to get out...

but he wouldn't go.

Even his CO ordered him back up.

Their bird
was getting ripped up.

But he waved them off.

Probably saved them too.

Hell, he was Air Force.

He shouldn't even
have been there.

- None of us should have.
- How so?

We'd already been out
two weeks on patrol,

but once we tangled

with those NVA forces,
naturally,

we got the duty.

- Duty?
- Bait, brother.

Live bait.

Everybody down!

They put us there
to make contact.

Alpha and Bravo would flank
and we'd grind 'em into pulp,

take 'em out at whatever cost.

Search and destroy.
Notches on your pistol, baby.

Kill ratios, body counts.

It was total bullshit.

Westmoreland, McNamara, Johnson.

That's how they kept
the money flowing.

Kick an anthill.
Grease a mess of gooks.

Next day the NVA'd be
right back again.

- What's happening?
- More gooks, sir!

- Where?
- Over there, sir!

This place is crawling
with them!

They're in the trees.

They're in the trees.

Cover me!

We didn't have a fucking chance.

Ah. You're dogging it.

Just so you know,

I can't find the chain
of command endorsements

in the Pitsenbarger file.

- So put it in your report.
- I'm missing something.

- What are you doing?
- What?

This thing was ancient history
before you were born.

Let me let you in on something.

It is an undisputed fact
at the Pentagon

that all the real hardware goes
to the officers.

There's been one enlisted
Medal of Honor

in the history of the Air Force.

So somebody
makes endorsements disappear

because the guy's enlisted?

It's not a can of worms
you wanna open.

- Why not?
- Because confronting

the Air Force decorations board
is not in your best interest.

Oh, shoot.

I'm getting a shower.

- Yeah.
- It doesn't count.

Hey there, hotshot.

Thought you fell off
the planet.

I'm pacing myself.
It's a long way down.

What can I do for you?

You ever hear
of a General John A. Hackmeyer?

He was one
of the army silverbacks

down in Saigon during the war.

He was also
the service secretary

that approved the Medal of Honor
of your division.

Think you could track him down?

He's probably fertilizer by now.

Besides, you're the one
with the DOD security clearance.

Maybe we don't want the DOD
to know.

Can you hold on a second?

We don't?

Chain of command endorsements

are an essential element
for congressional review,

and they're not in the file.

What are you asking me?

I'm asking you if it's possible

that what we're looking
for isn't really lost.

What are you doing?

I'm doing my job. What do you...

What do you mean,
what am I doing?

It's a rare quality these days.

What, did you grow a conscience?

Not at all.
It's a waste of energy.

Well, I'll sniff around.

Okay.

- Daddy?
- How you doing,

mister?

We have company.

Hi.

Long drive from Wilmington
in that school bus.

I don't have a car.

They let me
take her home nights.

- Who wants to build a fort?
- Me.

- Okay.
- Thanks for the coffee.

Pleasure.

You messed with my head, man...

when you came to see me.

Started having dreams again.

Can't sleep.

Probably normal, considering.

Sit down.

I, um...

When I got out of the, uh,
army hospital in Saigon,

I wanted to wear
my dress uniform

for my mother,
even though I knew...

even though they carried me off
the plane. She was...

She was crying when she saw me,

my ribbons and my Purple Heart.

They took me straight to the VA

and I was in there for months
before I got home,

I never saw that uniform again.

She packed everything up
from the war in my duffle,

like it never happened,
you know,

and I guess I didn't care,

'cause it's been sitting
in her attic ever since.

My daughter's a shrink.

She thought maybe...

it'd be good...

uh, for me to unpack it.

Everything was still there.

The smell of war still
on my clothes.

And, um...

Pits gave that to me.

He asked me to take care of it.

He asked me to bring it to her.

The guy saved my life

and there was one small thing
that he asked of me

and I wouldn't do it.

I couldn't do it.

You know what that makes me?

1954.

It snowed all night. Ah,
that was a beautiful Christmas.

I got Bill his Flexible Flyer.

It's... It's still out there
in the garage.

- You were close?
- Sure.

But, uh, I wa... I was
on the road in... In those days.

I missed so much.

Yeah.

You close to your dad?

Actually, I never met him.

Why...
Why did you let him go?

Why didn't you just stop him?

You can't teach
your children values...

and then just withdraw 'em
because you're afraid

of what you might lose.

It just seemed
like such a high price to pay.

If not my son...

then whose?

My neighbor's?

My sister's?

Yours?

Bill...

he honored all of us by serving,

and that's no small thing.

No disrespect.

None taken.

In 1965,

the first ground troops landed
at Da Nang.

I had the thing on TV
all the time.

A couple of weeks later,
the US embassy was bombed.

Americans his age started dying.

Boys from our own town.

I... I think it moved him.

He came to me one night,
I knew what he was thinking.

God, it sent
a jolt right through me.

But he went easy on me.

He never asked for permission.

I think he knew
what it would mean later...

if something happened to him.

By the time I woke up,
he'd already gone.

Next time I saw him...

he had a haircut and orders.

I was never so frightened
and I was never so proud.

I can't help it,
but I... I still miss...

watching him mow
the lawn out there,

the smell of fresh cut grass
on his sneakers.

And how he folded his clothes,
even when they were dirty,

'cause he knew
it pleased his mom.

I miss the way
he tapped his cleats for luck

when he went up to bat...

and the way
he always found me...

when he crossed home plate.

There's a thousand things
like that.

But mostly, I miss
what I didn't get to see him do.

What do you mean?

Well, I never got
to see him marry,

or fall in love with a child
of his own.

Because only then...

could he understand
how much his father loved him.

I... I have a son.

Then you know
what we're talking about.

Who is, uh, Jenny?

Oh, Jenny Raynor.

So beautiful.

She came to live with us
while Bill was overseas.

You see, Mr. Huffman...

we actually lost...

- two children that day.
- Here are her letters.

She gave them to us
when she got married,

but we could never
bring ourselves to read 'em.

Mr. Pitsenbarger...

I just... I just wanna be clear.

This process
doesn't take months.

It takes years.

Scott, I have cancer.

I should have been gone already
if you'd believe the doctors.

But, he's a fighter, my man.

I'm sorry.

Dying isn't harder
than losing a child,

I promise you.

- Do what you can, son.
- Thank you.

He sleeps so soundly.

He has no worries.

Pitsenbarger...

he had everything.

People really cared
about the guy.

And really loved him.

How could he give all that up?

He knew
what he was leaving behind,

and still he...

had such certainty.

Of what?

That...

no bullet was gonna...

stop him from being who he was.

I've never felt that certain

about anything
in my entire life.

I have.

Look, we're gonna play possum,
all right?

No matter what,
don't move, don't breathe.

Come on, get on top.
Come on. Hurry up.

We have contact all around us.

VC got
their whole goddamn battalion

- out of bed for this one.
- We're gonna tighten up

- this circle right now.
- Takoda's still out there, sir,

Willy, and Burr, too.

Nobody gets left outside
the perimeter.

Hello?

Whatever it is you want...

it's okay.

Psst.

Anybody alive?

Yeah.

- I can't breathe.
- Whoa.

Well, they messed you up good,
Lieutenant.

Get me out of here,
will you?

Hey. All right.

I need you to help me
with the lieutenant, okay?

- Are you with me? Ssh, ssh.
- You gotta help Willy.

- We can't leave Willy.
- Shh, shh.

Willy's gone, friend, all right?

Now, are you with me?
Look at me. Are you with me?

All right. Come on.
All right, up you get.

Come on, grab a shoulder.

One, two...

Grab his belt. Let's go.

This way.

Come on, man, let's go!
Get up!

It's Takoda.
For Christ's sake, don't shoot.

Put him down over there.
Over there. That's it.

Easy, easy, easy.

Wrap it and pack it, all right?

Right, not too tight.
Just venous pressure.

Okay, that's it. That's it.

Okay.

Just a few minutes, all right?

Hey, you're doing great.

You're doing just great.

All right, okay.

One, two, three.

I need you to hold that,

all right? Don't let that move.

- Okay?
- Why are you here?

Because you're here.

Did he...

say anything?

He never says anything.

Hey.
Somebody somewhere likes you.

- Hey, Carl.
- The FBI is doing due diligence.

You're on the shortlist

for Assistant Secretary
for Legislative Affairs.

What'd you tell 'em?

That you're a lying,
womanizing pimp

and you cheat at hoops.

They assured me those were
all occupational requirements.

What about the MOH?

MOH? I'll reassign it.

I mean, I probably should
have done it in the first place.

Somebody was bound
to pick you up.

I see Senator Holt's peddling
an election-year memoir.

Yeah, you should read it.

You might learn something.

- You write any of it?
- Every other word.

That's good, Carl.

First time you've told the truth
in four years.

What's the matter with you?
You...

You don't want the best civilian
job in the Pentagon?

I mean, this... This makes you.

It's 3-D moves from here on out,

not to mention getting you back
to Appropriations.

I need to finish this report.

Are you kidding me? Look at me.

You're a predator, man.
You're a goddamn meat eater.

That single instinct

has taken you very far
in a very short time,

so don't get sentimental
on me now.

So you're gonna finish
the review?

Yeah, absolutely.

I'll send an intern down
to pick it all up.

An intern.

- Well, congratulations, man.
- Yeah.

You'd think I'd be better
at this second time around.

Well, you could read
the instructions.

That would be cheating.

- Stanton was looking for you.
- Well, he found me.

I'm on the shortlist

for Assistant Secretary
for Legislative Affairs.

What about Dave Croft?

Croft's out.

- Well, that's great, then.
- It's a career maker.

E-ring, a view of the river.

Well, since they threw
in the view...

Yeah. I mean,
what's wrong with that?

What about the MOH?

The Pitsenbargers are in town.

Frank's having some tests done
at the VA.

What's wrong with him?

Ewing's sarcoma.

God.

They're gonna be here
for Thanksgiving.

Maybe they'll see our situation
and meet Luke and you and...

You are not using us
as your excuse.

Our life is not an excuse,
Tara, it's a fact.

Besides, Stanton said
he's gonna

have someone pick it up
right where I leave off.

Okay.

We were Michigan fans

long before we moved
to Buckeye country.

It's more than a football game

when the Wolverines come
to Columbus.

- Do you still go to the games?
- Oh, God, no.

- Not since...
- 1965.

I'm sorry.

Talking about Bill

is one of the greatest joys
of our life.

Keeping him alive
keeps us strong.

It's how we balance our grief

and how we live a happy life
without him.

Oh. Huh.

Is that a game?

This is a machine
that gives me my medicine.

Whoa.

- We are minutes away.
- Yeah, we're ready.

- May I help?
- Oh, uh, Luke, honey,

why don't you show Alice
and Frank your room?

- Thank you, Luke.
- Okay. Okay.

How do you think
I should do this?

Be honest.

I meant the turkey.

Scott, may I, uh...
give the blessing?

Yeah, of course.

Okay.

Heavenly Father...

please bless this food

that it may nourish
this growing family

and the friendship between us.

And give praise
to this young man

as he honors us
with his commitment to ensure

that the sacrifices
of the fallen...

were neither in vain...

nor will they ever be forgotten.

Amen.

What you say, mister?

- What are you doing here?
- Tulley had your number.

So I called, talked
to your wife. Nice woman.

She told me where you was at.

Sit down.

- Coffee?
- No.

You tracked me down
to give me this?

You... never appreciate

what American artillery
can do...

till you see
it waste your own people.

What are you talking about?

The first round killed three
for sure.

Ain't no telling how many
of the wounded

would have died later if the VC
hadn't got to 'em first.

If you give your shooters
a good plot,

them Red Legs could put
a .105 round

inside a pickle barrel.

I got
the distance correction wrong...

and we got thumped
by our own shit.

- What are you saying?
- It was blue on blue, brother.

Friendly fire.
Ain't no getting around that.

Damage! Damage!

Charlie Three
has a fire mission.

Shift from Queensland,
direction 3-1-0,

distance 300 meters.

We will adjust.

Shit. Splash. Adjust left 100.

What the hell was that?

Can I get some ammo, please?

I need some fucking ammo.

Man down!

Charlie Three
has a fire mission. Drop 100.

Fire for effect.

Make it danger close.
Make it danger close.

Move up! Move up!

Medic!

Medic!

So when Tulley says
I'm the one what started it,

that's what he really means.

The truth is...

I killed my own men.

If I get those numbers right...

Pitsenbarger probably never
even gets that call,

never comes down that wire,
never...

saves my life.

Maybe he's the one sitting
on a riverbank somewhere

with his grandkids around him,
and that'd been fine by me.

Instead he's dead...

and they gave me
the goddamn Silver Star.

For what? Surviving?

I sit around year in
and year out thinking

about 20 seconds

32 years ago I wish to God
I could have back.

Surviving isn't a crime.

No, it ain't...
but it's a life sentence.

Getting that medal for Pits,

for his family,
for the men I lost,

might be the only decent thing
I get to pull out of that war.

So, why don't you go on back up
to Washington

and make that happen, all right?

Daddy.

Hey.

I'm thirsty.

Okay, buddy,
let's get you a drink.

Daddy, are those the army men
you're helping?

Yeah, they are.

Do you want me to be a army man?

- Hey. What's going on?
- Hey.

He just needs a drink.

Oh, I see. Let's go get you
some water, huh?

- Everything okay?
- Yeah. See you in a bit.

Okay. All right.
Let's get you some water.

Well, Jim, I was deployed
to Vietnam

at a very interesting point
during the war,

and that's really
what prompted me

to write the book.

I was initially serving
as the G3,

or operations officer,

for the 1st Infantry Division,
the Big Red One,

now, we were deployed, uh,

northwest of Saigon...

...in a very crucial area

next to the capital...

...Saigon then,

- now Ho Chi Minh City.
- Hello?

Now, what I meant
by a very interesting period...

Hey.

- Where is he? Can I see him?
- Slow down.

Okay.

Hey, Frank.

Got someone here to see you.
It's the FNG.

- Mr. Huffman.
- How you doing, Frank?

All the better
for seeing you.

Thank you for coming.

Of course.

He gave me a call and, uh...

- here I am.
- Right.

Is he dying?

We're all dying, son.

I think he's holding on...

for you to get this done.

Why are you in the middle
of everything?

I mean, what's in it for you?
He didn't save your life.

Didn't he?

So you feel like you owe?

Absolutely.

You asked me if I had an agenda.

It's those people upstairs.

Now, what about you?

We'd already been out
two weeks on patrol,

but once we tangled
with those NVA forces,

naturally we got the duty.

- Duty?
- Bait, brother.

Live bait.

They put us there
to make contact.

Alpha and Bravo would flank
and we'd grind 'em into pulp.

Why don't you
just ask Chauncey Kepper?

He wrote
the after-action report.

He's the sage of
Southeast Asia.

We've all been there
to see him.

If there's anyone who knows
where the bodies are buried,

it's Kepper.

I found this.
May the second, 1966.

Interview with Mr. Kurtz.

Ex-pat,
Sergeant Chauncey Kepper.

He wrote
the after-action report.

Apparently.

What I can't understand is
why nobody from the DOD

ever talked to him.

Southeast Asia
is supposed to be beautiful.

Down that way.

- Over there.
- Okay.

Ahoy there.

You pray, Mr. Huffman?

Not really.

I didn't either.
I prayed that day.

Prayed for a miracle...

and one came. His name is Pits.

We're gonna

get you home, huh?
You're gonna go back home?

Man, you're gonna have
one hell of a scar

by the end of summer.

She's gonna be impressed
with this one.

All right, I got
some pain relief coming up.

All right, hold tight, bud.
Hold tight.

There you go, buddy.
There you go.

One, two, three.

Pits, come on!

- Come on!
- All right, buddy. Here we go.

Okay. Let's go!

Come on!

Pits, let's go!

That after-action report
that you wrote on the battle.

A lot of it is missing.

Everything that I wrote

went up the Saigon chimney
32 years ago, brother.

Look, I... I talked to a lot
of the guys

in Charlie Company and...

no one seems to know.
I mean, who even thought up

Operation Abilene
in the first place?

Company CO, Mad Matty Holt.

- Madison Holt?
- Colonel.

He's a big shot
in Washington now, I think.

Yeah, Senator Holt.

Maybe gonna be
Secretary of Defense one day.

He was a good CO.

It was a very bad day.

So why do these vets
come here to see you?

Why they come here
is none of my business.

Well, what do you do here?

I live, I love, and listen.

- So you listen to them?
- Yeah.

- To the vets.
- Uh-huh.

Try to rewrite their story,
help 'em.

You can't change their past.

But you can change
your perspective.

You can create new memories,

happy memories,
even in a sad place.

It's choices.

Our guys come through here,

people think the war
is who those men are.

It's not.
It's what happened to 'em.

And it's just wonderful to,

kind of, go through stuff
with 'em.

Hey, I wanna show you something.

Shh.

This is incredible.

I never brought anyone
who didn't feel happy here.

You did all this?

Yep.

You know where we are?

Uh...

No.

This is where he came down.

Pits.

I thought I saw an angel.

And there he was right in front
of me, all clean and pressed.

Air Force.

This is Abilene.

- Here?
- Right here...

under your feet.

But now it's Avalon.

Avalon.

Avalon.

Now, how can that be possible...

to have those two things
in the same place?

Just stay here
for a while...

and breathe.

Let it go.

The veterans hold
something for all of us.

They take the shame of war,
denial...

anger.

They just come here
so somebody'll listen to them.

That's why medals
are so important.

It helps...
It helps bring us together,

tell stories.

I'm... I'm just a witness.

You're a witness, too.

The Vietnamese love
their khom loi.

It's symbolic for letting go...

and if you have something
that you...

You wanna leave here...

something you brought
with you...

you don't want to take back...

well, just let go.

They're coming!

Let's go!

I'm on the hook with Red Leg.

Tell them to drop it on top
of us.

Charlie Six,
emergency fire mission.

- Call them in now!
- Damage. Damage.

Charlie Six,
emergency fire mission.

Quebec Tango 633.

Damage, damage.
Charlie Six.

Emergency fire mission.
Quebec Tango 633.

This is Broken Arrow.
We are being overrun.

Hold this.
Keep pressure on it.

Somebody's still out there!

I need a tourniquet,
I'm bleeding out.

I need you to do me a favor.

I need to get this to someone.

- No.
- Please?

- No.
- It's a stamp.

I'll hold onto it
till you get back.

Okay.

What are you doing, man?

You've done enough,
brother. You be still.

Pits came down,
saved lives, evac'ed wounded,

fought, died alongside men
he never even knew.

You pray, Mr. Huffman?

I prayed that day.
Prayed for a miracle.

I ain't never seen
nobody die before.

Coming out!

That little matter sucked

all the whoop-ass right out
of me.

Understand
what I'm saying, sir?

All this hellfire coming in.

To him it was like...

nothing could hurt him.

He was there to save lives
and that's what he was doing.

Who knows how many guys
are walking

around alive today
because of him,

what he done.

When he didn't come back...

I felt like the best part of me
went down with him.

I still think about it,
'cause...

...if anybody deserved
to get out of that hell alive,

it was him.

Make yourself at home.

You know,
I could have you arrested.

Senator Madison Holt,
formerly Colonel Madison Holt.

First Infantry Division,
the Big Red One.

The senator's distinguished
military career

is a matter of public record.
It's undisputed.

- I bought the book, Carl.
- Yeah? Did you read it,

or did you just look
at the pictures?

Holt was part of the brass

that cooked up
Operation Abilene.

You're not really suggesting
that Holt ordered an NVA ambush?

I'm suggesting that it'd be
pretty convenient for you

to keep that off the record...

...which is why
you put me on it,

because you knew I'd dump it.

You know, Holt's gonna be
Secretary of Defense someday,

maybe even president.

You had the comm...

Command endorsements
all this time.

I'm taking them.

Have you ever been the subject
of opposition research?

'Cause if you even twitch
on this,

I will have them on you
like spray paint.

You'll never get
another mortgage, passport,

or Sam's Club membership card

let alone
a political appointment.

But I'm not worried
about all that.

- Why not?
- Because it's not in your nature

to spit in the face of a man

who could just
as easily make you.

What's my nature?

Climb, prosper,
expand the gene pool,

just like the rest of us.

I'd appreciate it

if you'd leave the place
the way you found it, and...

don't forget,
we got squash, Wednesday.

Jenny,

sometimes it's difficult
to understand

why we've been sent here,

or to explain what happens.

I only have a minute,

since we got a call
to make pick-ups

near Xa Cam My,
about 30 klicks from here.

You know, Jenny,

the only thing I fear of dying

is that dreams
of you won't come,

that death is dark and still

and endless
like these jungle nights.

But sometimes I think, Jen,

maybe it is this place
I'll wake up from,

safe and warm in your bed,

the morning light streaming in.

But if it is the thunder here
that's real,

and if this letter
should reach you instead of me,

then know that I am never far.

Take care of Mom
and especially Dad,

because he'll take this
worst of all.

Tell them I'm sorry
for what I've put them through,

but that I am sure
of my purpose

and in the words
we all believe,

these things we do
that others may live.

Bill.

You have an impeccable record.

The secretary has given you
his highest recommendation.

Thank you, sir.

So why do you think you'd be
effective in this position?

Well, I'm connected,

ambitious, persuasive...

not afraid to make enemies,

and I want this job more
than anybody.

At least that's what I would
have said a month ago.

Okay.

And today?

Today I'm...

just unavailable.

Air Force?

Yeah.

I'm sorry about your buddy, man.

I'm so sorry.

The whole time
I'm washing him...

his feet and his hands...

I didn't feel anything.

Nothing.

That's when I knew
I'd been there...

too long.

I shipped him back...

and I finished my tour
and I got on with my life.

Did you?

Did I what?

Get on with your life?

I'm standing here.

You know...

when I was five years old...

I watched my father
pack up his things in his car

and leave my mother and me.

I was so afraid.

It hurt so much.

I ran out to the driveway,
and I...

shoved my hand in the car door
as he slammed it shut.

I thought that if he saw
I was injured

and really hurt,
then he would...

have to take me to the hospital

and the doctor would tell him
to stay and take care of me.

But he just drove away.

I chased his car down
the street,

my hand all mangled, and...

till my mother scooped me up.

Ah. You were marked.

Just like you.

What happened to you
on April 11th, 1966?

My friend died.

What happened to you?

- I told you.
- It's okay.

It's not okay.

- Just...
- Nothing about it is okay.

Just tell me.

What is it? What...
What was it? What happened?

He died. He got killed.
He got shot in the head.

- And the... Well, that's war.
- Right, right, it was war.

So how long are you going
to punish yourself?

- Punish myself?
- What was the thing you did?

- What'd I do?
- Yeah.

Just tell me,
what was the thing you did?

- No, you stop it.
- It's okay to talk about it.

- You better stop it, man.
- Just say it.

Say what?

He knew it was dangerous.
I told him...

to be goddamn careful...

And? What?

No, no, no, no, no.
I'm not doing this.

- Doing what?
- Doing this.

I told him to come back up,

get back on the wire,
get back in the ship.

He didn't do that.
Why didn't he do that,

get back in the ship?

Because he couldn't.
Because people needed him.

Yeah? Yeah? Yeah?

Well, fuck you and...

Oh, God.

It's gotta hurt to be mad
at him.

Yeah.

What else happened to you, Tom?

I...
I stayed in the bird

and I... I...
I didn't go down. I...

I was relieved. I...

I stayed, you know,
where it was safe.

God, when I found him...

I was...

...I was glad...

that it wasn't me,
that I didn't wanna be dead,

I... I was alive and it...

- ...it felt good.
- You did feel something.

Yeah, I felt ashamed!

You're not a coward, Tom.

You're a hero.

Deal with that.

Just let me...

Let me have it for a while.
Come on.

Do you know
what I want?

I do.

I want some grace.
I want some serenity.

I want my country
to honor my brother

before his parents.

I want my friend,
your friend...

I want his father to leave
this place in peace.

Can I get you
anything else, Senator?

- No, thanks, hon.
- You can put it on my number.

- Okay.
- Gentlemen.

Hey, Carl.

Colonel.

- Do I know you?
- I should hope so.

Master Sergeant Thomas Tulley.

38th Rescue Squadron,
Operation Abilene.

Uh, you want to speak
to the senator,

- you go through channels.
- It's all right, Carl.

I'll talk to these men.

Sir, this is a 1966 routing memo

between you
and General Hackmeyer

downgrading
the William H. Pitsenbarger

Medal of Honor request

to an Air Force Cross,
dated on October 7th, 1966.

Guys, you wanna give us
a second?

Go ahead.

Have a seat.

We have an opportunity

to upgrade the Cross
to the Medal of Honor.

To cut through the bullshit,
we need a congressional sponsor.

Mr. Stanton doesn't
think you'd favor

the publicity
of being associated

with Operation Abilene
during an election year.

You have no idea
what you're starting.

I think I do, Carl.

Have you ever been

the subject
of opposition research?

'Cause if you even twitch
on this,

I will have them on you
like spray paint.

Information was removed
from the original package

to disqualify the decorations
board's review

for congressional reapplication.

We have since recovered
those documents.

This... This, Senator, this...

This communiqué
is simply a response

to the colonel's MOH request

saying that the Air Force Cross
was awarded instead.

It's pretty open
to interpretation.

You are under no obligation
to respond to any of this.

If you sent it
up the chain,

why didn't he get it then?

Honestly, I don't know.

Maybe it fell
through the cracks somewhere.

Maybe MACV didn't wanna call
too much attention

to one of the bloodiest days
of the war.

Or maybe
I just didn't fight hard enough

to get this man
what he deserves.

Senator, your political enemies
will take full advantage

of any admission of wrongdoing.

Your military judgement
will be called into question.

They'll try and hold you
to the Medina standard.

He's right, sir. They might.

What happened on...

Operation Abilene,

one of the darkest days
of my life.

You're hurt, Lieutenant.

Why are you still here?

I won't leave
till you have all my wounded.

What happened here?

You marched us right
into a kill sack

with no idea
how we was gonna get out.

That's what happened here.

Can somebody explain
this to me?

Can somebody explain this to me?

You tell me.

Hell, I think we all died
a little bit that day.

You tell me!

Mistakes were made.
This is probably one of 'em.

We went to see
General Hackmeyer at the VA.

He verifies your story, sir.

Senator, please,
it's my job to protect you.

- Protect me from what, Carl?
- From everything.

Usually we're judged
by what we do.

But I find
that what we don't do...

is what haunts us.

Here's the plan.

We're gonna roll the dice.
We're gonna go with the truth.

No matter how uncommon
or uncomfortable that may be.

Mr. Chairman,
I refer you to S2549,

Page 44, Title 5,
Military Personnel Policy,

- Subtitle E, Other Matters.
- Yes?

This amendment authorizes
a posthumous Medal of Honor

for Air Force Staff Sergeant
William H. Pitsenbarger...

for conspicuous gallantry
in action in Vietnam,

11 April 1966,
during Operation Abilene.

Mr. Chairman, point of order.

The chair recognizes

the distinguished gentleman
from North Carolina.

The rules of this committee
prohibit authorization language

to be included
in this Appropriations Bill.

Will the chair yield?

Chair apologizes
to the gentleman from Ohio,

but this committee
has much business

before it today
and so we must move on.

Mr. Chairman,

- I sincerely appreciate that...
- Mr. Chairman.

...but it should be obvious

that there is absolutely nothing
in this amendment...

Uh, the Vietnam War was over
long ago.

- I know that, Bob. I was there.
- Maybe you should take a rest.

Stop kicking that dead horse.

Gentlemen,
this is a point of order.

I'm sorry. We must move on.

The Chair recognizes
the lady from Florida.

Oh, yes,
thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator, what the hell happened
in there?

The distinguished gentleman

from North Carolina
shut us down.

- That's what the hell happened.
- Just like that?

Look, it's payback.

I harpooned a tobacco subsidy
at his last session.

Unfortunately,
he's ranking member,

so there's not a lot I can do
about it.

But I promise you,

I will get this
in next year's bill.

Hopefully by that time,

the distinguished gentleman
will be dead.

So will Pitsenbarger's father.

- What?
- He's dying, sir.

Ah, Jesus. I didn't know
about that. I'm sorry.

I'm truly sorry.

So that's it?

Unless you got a
tobacco subsidy

to horse-trade with the senator
from North Carolina.

What about those men?

What about Pits?

Holt says he'll get it
on the bill next year.

And Frank?

I can't cure cancer, Tara.

If I push this any harder,
I really will end my career.

- It's interesting.
- What?

In 12 years,

I have never seen you
back off of anything.

I'm scared.

Fear is good.

Fear is a survival instinct.

You're supposed to be afraid.

Use it.

You turned down
a significant

career opportunity
to finish this.

You figure out
why four-star generals

and presidents
would trade legacies

for a medal?

Because they know
that guys like Pitsenbarger

don't do what they do for them.

They do it for each other.

A life for a life.

That's big stuff.

There are worse things
that can happen to a man

than getting killed in a war.

Like?

Like losing men,

losing a child,

a father...

having to live with that.

You think a piece of ribbon
is gonna change that?

I'm gonna go public
with the story.

I'm gonna name names.

Shaming Appropriations

in front
of the Washington press corps

on the eve
of a national election

sounds a little dangerous.

Yeah.

But it'll be great television.

Well done.

Thank you

Mr. Huffman,

I'm Mary,
the supervising producer.

We're gonna put a wire on you.

- Okay.
- We have you on split screens,

so the anchors are gonna be able
to hear you,

but they're not gonna be able
to see you.

- Okay.
- All right, come with me.

Dad, are you nervous?

I am. But I'm not afraid.

All set.

In an unusual move today,

a member of the Department
of the Air Force,

a gentleman named
Scott Huffman,

went before cameras

to accuse high-ranking senators
and their staffs

of playing political football
with military valor.

...long-awaited HR Defense

Appropriations Bill,
it stalled in the Senate

when a Pentagon staffer
accused lawmakers...

...the bill,
including a recommendation

for a posthumous Medal of Honor
for William H. Pitsenbarger

is now heading
to the Oval Office,

and President Clinton...

...is expected to sign
that bill.

An airman
named Bill Pitsenbarger

will be awarded
the Medal of Honor today

for his service in Vietnam.

He gave his country

what Abraham Lincoln
once called,

"The last full measure."

I'll be right back.

Hey.

It's good to see you, man.

It's good to be here.

So... ...the, uh...

lady in red, behind me...

she's, um...

the address on this letter.

Bill gave me this.
He asked me to give it to you.

I'm sorry it took so long.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Amid the gloom
and waste of war,

we occasionally witness
a brief but...

brilliant flash
of personal valor

so radiant it becomes impossible
to ignore.

Such is the heroism
of William Hart Pitsenbarger,

who was moved
by higher angels of duty,

courage and sacrifice

to make, on behalf of men
he did not know

and a nation that until now
did not know his story,

the most supreme sacrifice.

Frank, Alice...

on behalf of the President
of the United States of America,

in the name of Congress,
for conspicuous gallantry,

extreme valor and intrepidity,

at the risk of his own life,

above and beyond
the call of duty,

I award the Medal of Honor

to Airman First Class
William Hart Pitsenbarger.

Uh, now, this...
This isn't in your program,

but if you could give me
just a moment more of your time.

I'd like to recognize some guys

who are gonna hate me
for doing it.

Now, we have with us today

some of the veterans
of Operation Abilene,

Charlie Company,
second of the 16th Infantry.

Now, these men
were the witnesses

to Bill Pitsenbarger's heroism

and they've worked
and worked for 32 years...

to see this day come.

Would you honor us, please,

by standing
and being recognized?

And would the airmen
of Pits's unit,

the Aerospace Rescue
and Recovery Service,

also please stand?

And any other PJs
from Vietnam, would you rise?

If there are any other
US veterans here today,

will you please stand?

If there are wives
or parents here,

would you stand?

And any children
or grandchildren,

would you join us?

And any other friends or family,

anyone who has been touched
or moved in any way

by the actions of this Medal
of Honor recipient,

would you also stand?

Look around.

This is the power
of what one person can do.

Thank you, son.

So you don't forget us.

Thank you.

Daddy!

Hey, little man.

- I'm glad we got to come.
- Ah, me too.

Where's your mom?

Looking good
in that uniform, Jimmy.

This is my son, Luke.

Nice to meet you, soldier.

I wanted to say...

I wanted to say thank you.

Understand what I'm saying, sir?

You're welcome, Jimmy.

But you really don't have
to call me sir.

Sure I do.

Why's that?

You earned it, sir.

Ah, you take care, now,
'cause it's a jungle out there.

What's your name?

- Luke.
- I'm Tommy.

Early on, you said...

there was nothing in this
for you.

On April 11, 1966,

when we took off
on that mission...

Pits made a statement.

He got on the hot mic
and he said,

"Boy, Captain," he said,

"I don't feel good
about this mission."

They were prepared for us,
they knew we were coming.

They were in, uh, ground holes,
in trees and on the ground,

and, uh, as we walked,

they just simply closed
the back door.

So they started calling us

to help them get out
the wounded.

And Pits said, "Let me...
Put me on the ground,

I can organize
this much better."

I said,
"I don't wanna lose you, Pits.

And it's hotter than hell
down there because the war

and the firefights going on
all the time.

You can hear the stuff."

So down he went.

My initial thought on seeing him
rappelling out of, uh,

uh, coming out
of the helicopter, I'm thinking,

"What in the hell
is this guy thinking

coming down here?"

There's not a one of us

that wouldn't have left there
if we could.

And the only guy
that could leave

was Pitsenbarger, and he didn't.

Marty Kroah was on the ground
and he sent for me,

because, um...

he said, "I want somebody
to know what Pits did,

so that it gets reported back,
in case I die."

At that time
Marty had been shot five times.

When we found out
the next morning...

that he had been killed,
it was just...

It was a sad time for everybody.

To me, uh, this is one
of the most,

uh, important things I did
as Secretary of the Air Force.

Well, it should have been
handled by itself.

It was just a fundamental wrong.

It was wrong
to Bill Pitsenbarger,

it was wrong to his family.

Wrong to the airmen
who supported him.

When you think about it,

uh, it is extraordinary
to have people

who worked for 30 years
to get this done.

I mean, these are people
who had their own lives,

wives, children, grandchildren,

and this was a passion for them,

and I just thought
that was extraordinary.

And I just... I felt...
And... And I owed it to Pits,

and I wouldn't...
And not just myself,

there's other people
who feel the same way,

basically, our whole crew.
We owe it to him.

Bill's blood is mixed
with ours forever.

He... He is our brother.

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