Original subtitles

(light music)

(birds chirping) (suspenseful music)

Now, we're here.

Charlie patrol's been spotted here, here, and here.

Now if this report is true,

then that means that the enemy's trying to work his way

down through this area to gain a foothold.

We have to be doubly vigilant.

We don't want to walk right into a VC trap.

So Lee, you're with me.

That noise up ahead has got me a little spooked.

So we'll go check it out.

We'll be low.

You cover us.

I got your back, Sarge.

(guns banging faintly)

(gun banging)

Sniper, get down!

(dramatic music)

Lennox, make your way over here!

Me and Lee will cover you!

Let's go, soldier!

(gun bangs)

Sarge!

Die, Charlie!

(guns banging)

No, no, no, no, no.

No, no, no.

Sarge.

No, Sarge.

Come on, Sarge!

(Lee yells)

No!

(panting)

(crying)

Okay.

(somber music)

(light music)

(soft music)

Morning, Mr. Vince.

How are you today?

If you don't mind,

you can go ahead and have a seat.

I'll be right with ya.

Beautiful day, isn't it?

What can I get ya?

Do you have a menu?

No, I'm sorry.

We don't have a breakfast menu

but our chef is amazing.

He will fix you anything you want.

Just some coffee.

Certainly.

Are you sure I can't entice you

to have something to eat

like a bowl of cereal, maybe some toast,

bacon and eggs?

Maybe just some toast.

Would you need some jam with that?

Would you need some butter or some cream cheese?

[Vince] Just some butter, thanks.

Absolutely, I'll be right back.

Toast with butter.

Just the way you ordered it.

Is there anything else I can get you?

No, the toast will be just fine.

Absolutely.

Just holler at me if you need anything else.

Thanks.

I will.

Is anyone sittin' here?

I know there are plenty of tables open

but I could do with some company this morning

and it looks like you could too.

Sure.

I'm Josh.

Josh.

Yeah, I was named after my granddad.

Nice to meet you, Josh.

Excuse me for staring at you

but you look like someone that I used to know.

Yeah, I get that a lot.

Must have one of those faces, right?

(laughs)

So, do you have a name?

Vince.

My name is Vince.

Nice to meet you Vince.

Not hungry this morning?

Just this.

Coffee.

Oh boy.

I could really use some coffee this morning.

Is it good though?

Can't stand substandard coffee.

It's hot.

Not too bad.

Well, I see you've made a friend.

Coffee?

Yes, please.

My friend here tells me it's quite good.

We do our best.

Can we get you anything?

You gonna eat that?

Be my guest.

I think the toast will be just fine, thanks.

I'll be back.

Oh, I hope you don't mind.

I just hate seeing things go to waste.

Mm, butter.

I love toast with lots of butter.

So, why are you here?

Staying at the motel just like you.

Yeah, but why?

I mean, this place isn't a destination, right?

It's more of a convenient place

to rest one's head as they journey

from one place to the next.

I come here every year to visit an old friend.

How 'bout you?

Oh, I'm passing through

on my way to the city.

Start a new job on Monday.

A new job.

Well that's exciting.

Yeah.

It's not that exciting.

I mean, I think it is

but most people don't.

What do you do?

I'm a historian.

Yeah, I specialize in war.

More specifically, the Vietnam War.

Vietnam?

Yeah.

I've always been interested in that war.

My granddaddy actually died in Nam.

Sniper got him.

Took out his whole patrol actually.

Derick Wilcon,

my granddaddy Joshua Lennox,

and some kid named Vince Lee.

Lee?

He survived.

Vince Lee?

Not this Vince Lee.

He was killed by sniper fire

as he tried to run for cover.

But how could that be?

I'm still alive.

That you are, my friend.

Oh, shoot.

I'm running late.

I actually gotta go.

Well, it was nice meeting you this morning

and thanks for the toast.

Oh, and if you're ever in the city,

come by the History Institute

and I'll be sure to give a personal tour.

Will do.

I died?

How is everything?

I can't complain.

Good.

If there's anything I could get you,

like, say, a lift,

'cause I noticed you came in on a bus yesterday,

I'd be glad to take you.

I'm good.

I can walk to where I need to get to today.

Good.

Vince, if there's anything,

anything at all that you need,

please don't hesitate to ask.

(soft music)

I died?

But how?

(birds chirping)

You know, a place like this,

it sure make you think.

Jesse, what are you doing here?

I come here often.

I come to pay my respects.

How 'bout you?

I come here every year about this time

to visit an old friend

to let him know that I still remember him,

that he's not forgotten.

[Jesse] You served, didn't you Vince?

Yes.

I was in Nam.

I never understood why men fight

when they lose so much

and life is so precious.

Tell me about your friend.

Well his name was Josh

and we were, well we grew up together,

not too far from here actually,

over in Riverton.

Now Josh was a little bit older than me

but by the time he was 12

he was a whole lot bigger.

I was sort of this little tadpole of a kid.

And, well, Josh watched out for me.

He protected me from the older boys

much like an older brother would do.

And you know, we played out all the time

and we did get into some mischief and some trouble.

Now, mind you now, we didn't break the law.

His daddy was a preacher man.

So we always knew the difference between right and wrong.

His daddy did use the belt a couple times.

But, you know, Josh wasn't like the other teenagers.

He really wasn't into dating or drinking

or carrying on or any of that.

Josh loved to read.

In fact, that's the thing

I remember most about him

is that he loved to read.

And write.

Yes, and he loved to write too

and he was really good at it.

When we were in Nam,

he actually had several articles

published back in the US and he,

well, he won a couple of awards posthumously.

Yeah, Josh would've made something of his life.

Me, not so much.

The worst war that a man will ever fight

is with his own regret.

What?

Well that was in one of the articles

that Joshua wrote about.

He said he never wanted to regret

not serving his country

or fighting for freedom.

You know about regret, don't you?

Who are you?

Why are you really here?

Well, I'm here for you today.

For me?

Why?

Well I'm here to offer you my support

and my help if you'll let me.

Help me?

You don't even know me.

So, how could you help me?

Vince, I know that for the last 50 years

you've lived with a regret

of not doing a better job

of trying to save your friend's life, Joshua,

over in Vietnam.

And I know that that regret

has been eating at you day after day.

So much so that it's difficult

for you to get out of bed every morning.

If only I hadn't freaked out.

I'm such a coward.

Vince, you were 19 years old.

You were barely out of high school.

Of course you were scared.

Who are you really?

I speak for someone

who cares for you a great deal

and it breaks his heart

to see you suffer the way you do.

When I came back from the war,

I had a really hard time.

I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around what happened.

I mean, no matter how hard I tried,

I just couldn't shake it.

I just would keep...

(crying)

I would see Josh, my best friend,

shot right in front of me

(crying)

as he protected me like he always did.

You know that young man that sat with me at breakfast?

Yes.

Well I think he's Josh's grandson.

Your friend Josh?

Yeah.

His grandson?

Yeah.

Isn't that something?

But, you know, he said something

that I just don't understand.

He said that I died in Nam.

Well, Vince, in one sense of the word, you did die.

Oh sure, you went on and existed.

You've breathed.

But you haven't really taken in the aroma of life.

How many times have you thought

that you wish you could've died

over in the jungle with him?

And how many of those times

have you also wished

that you could've done something

and protected Josh

and sacrificed yourself for him?

I meant what I said, Vince, back at the motel.

If you want anything, if you need anything,

all you have to do is ask.

(Vince crying)

You're right, Jesse.

I would do anything if I could change what happened.

There's no great love on this planet

than a man lay down his life for his friend.

Vince, would you be willing

to go back and sacrifice yourself

as Josh sacrificed himself for you?

Without giving it a second thought.

[Jesse] Then so be it.

(dramatic music)

Where am I?

Well Dorothy, I can tell you one thing.

We're not in Kansas anymore.

I'm back in Nam.

Wow.

Josh!

You're alive.

I was the last time I checked.

I can't believe you're alive.

Where's Sarge?

Shh, gotta keep it down.

Charlie's been spotted in this area.

How can this be?

One minute I'm an old man in 2019

and then back here in 19--

70?

It's 1970, Vince.

And what are you on about 2019?

Is the heat finally getting to you, Vinny?

I don't know.

It's hard to explain.

You wouldn't believe me if I tried.

It's just really good to be back.

Thanks, Jesse.

Should I be concerned about you, buddy?

I mean, I know you're a little out there sometimes but--

No, no.

I'm good.

(Vince yelps)

Yeah, this is real.

I'm good, man.

Now you're really worrying me.

What in the world is going on here?

I leave you two ladies alone for a few minutes

and I hear all this noise coming from this area.

Sarge!

It's good to see you again.

You'll be lucky if VC hadn't heard you

from all your caterwauling.

What's with him?

I don't know.

One minute he's just laying there,

the next he's acting all goofy like.

You okay, soldier?

Not going all poco loco on us, are you?

No, sir, I'm good.

It's really good to see you guys.

Good?

What's so good about being

in this mosquito infested, Godforsaken country?

Wipe that smile off your face, soldier.

We're at war not on Broadway.

Now I scouted ahead about one click into the jungle.

It gets pretty dense further up ahead.

VC could be in there

and we wouldn't even know until it was too late.

What I think we should do

is continue on through this field,

head for the trees over on the other side.

We'll figure out our next move once we get there.

Are we ready to go or would you ladies

like to rest some more?

And let's see if we can keep our mouths shut.

VC snipers just love loud Yankees.

(suspenseful music)

Now, we're here.

Charlie patrol's been spotted here, here, and here.

Now if this report is true

then that means that the enemy

is trying to work his way down through this area

to gain a foothold.

We have to be doubly vigilant.

We don't wanna walk right into a VC trap.

So Lee, you're with me.

That noise up ahead has got me a little spooked.

So we'll go check it out.

We'll be low.

You cover us.

I got your back, Sarge.

Hey Sarge, Sarge.

What is it?

Are you trying to get us killed?

We have a job to do.

Sarge, you don't understand.

Soldier, I'm trying my best

not to shoot you myself right now.

What is it?

Look, I know this is gonna sound crazy,

but I've been here before.

I know how all this goes down.

Oh, we got ourselves a palm reader.

Okay, humor me.

All right look, the noise up ahead was a diversion.

When have you ever heard

a Charlie sniper be that careless?

I think a VC sniper

must have snapped a twig on purpose

to make us think that's where he's holed up.

Okay, go on.

Look, he knows that we're gonna check out the north.

I'm sure he also knows we'll split up to do so

which gives him a chance to slip around

and pick us off one by one from behind, right here.

None of us would expect that, right?

Except you.

If you're wrong, I'll kick your butt myself.

If you're right, I'll pin a medal on you.

Now let's put our heads together,

figure out another plan.

Let's go.

(dramatic music)

Game over, Charlie.

On your knees.

Vince, you watch our friend here.

We should let Sarge know.

Hey Sarge, we got him!

I don't know how you did it

but good call today, bud.

(gun bangs)

[Sergeant Wilcon] Make my day, dirt bag.

You always were a good friend.

I always knew it should've been me and not you.

It's gonna be okay.

You're going to be okay.

Don't cry for me.

Where I'm going there are no more tears.

No, no, no, no.

No, not you!

Not like this!

Here's to your butt getting in the way of that bullet.

You know, I still can't believe

your butt saved my life.

I'm alive?

Yeah you're alive.

I still can't get over

the way you called that sniper's play, man.

That was brilliant.

You saved all our lives that day.

Man, I'm sure glad you did.

Here's to long life, family, and best friends,

and their butts.

Finish that drink

and let's go out and see some old friends.

Old friends?

Yeah.

Every year about this time

we go out and pay our respects.

Oh.

I get it.

Well, all right then.

What are we waitin' for?

I'm ready.

Hey, aren't you forgetting something over there, buddy?

Oh.

You know, you'd forget your head

if it wasn't screwed on.

[Vince] Oh, I'm afraid you're right.

Come on out here.

Yeah, I appreciate that big butt of yours.

Now, I remember my butt

wasn't quite so big when we were in Nam.

Yeah, but it was big enough.

Big enough to stop a bullet.

You go ahead to the parking lot.

I'll see you in five.

Okay, everything all right?

Yeah, yeah, everything's perfect.

I just need to ask the motel manager something.

And so you go ahead and get ready

and I'll see you in five.

All right, pal.

(soft music)

I don't know who you are

or how you did it,

but I wanna thank you.

From the bottom of my heart,

I thank you.

Think nothing of it, Vincent.

It's always a pleasure

to help out where I'm needed.

Well I do have a question.

You know that thing you said

about no greater love?

What'd you mean by that?

You know, in our world, Vincent,

it's so easy to use the words I love you.

It's so difficult to have actions to back it.

Yet when you were given the opportunity

to change your past,

you didn't hesitate to jump in front of that bullet

and save Josh's life.

But you know, well I just wish

I could figure this whole thing out, you know,

I mean so it would make sense.

You could spend an entire lifetime

trying to figure out the ways of God

and some have but they're none the wiser.

Just know that God truly loves you

and cares deeply for you.

And all those years you spent in regret,

crying and weeping over Josh's death,

God was right there weeping with you.

You've been given a wonderful gift today, Vincent.

Josh.

Well, yes.

And freedom.

For centuries, wars are fought

just to defeat the evil

so that a few may end up living in great freedom.

But just like in Josh's article,

he said "The worst war a man will ever fight

"is with his own regret."

So, no more regrets.

No more regrets.

Go and live a wonderful life, Vincent.

You have a lot more to give this world.

You coming, old timer?

Well, you know, I mean,

time waits for no man and all that.

Thank you.

Be blessed, Vincent.

("Taps")

To lay one's life down for a friend

there is no greater love than this.

John 15:13.

(soft music)

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