Original subtitles

(speaks Navajo)

(baby crying)

(speak Navajo)

- Charlie! - (speaks Navajo)

I wasn't so sure you'd be on the bus.

Didn't want your white brothers thinking you were the best we had.

(distant rumble of gunfire)

(artillery fire)

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Behind you!

Watch out!

Argh! My hand!

You all right? I got you.

Get down.

Aaargh!

Goddamn!

We're running out of ammo. We gotta get outta here!

Move!

Aargh!

Watch out!

Come on!

Come on!

Come on, you can do it! Come on!

We got nothin', Enders! We're out of ammo!

Joe... Nobody else needs to die. We can go! We can get outta here!

We got orders!

They told us to hold the position! And that's what we're gonna do!

Get up, marine! Hold the goddamn position!

Come on!

Get down!

Tommy.

Goddamn you!

Oh, no! No!

- Bill! - I'm out.

Come on! Come on!

Goddamn you, Joe Enders.

No... No!

No!

CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA

From what I understand, you went above and beyond, Corporal.

Gunny.

I want to put you up for the Silver Star as well.

God bless you, son.

Raise your right hand.

- I... State your full name... - I, Ben Yahzee...

...do solemnly swear to support and defend the constitution of the US...

...do solemnly swear to support and defend the constitution of the US...

...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...

...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...

...that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...

...that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...

...and I will obey the orders of the President of the United States...

...and I will obey the orders of the President of the United States...

...and the orders of the officers appointed over me...

...and the orders of the officers...

Jap Ha-Go. Who can give me the code word for "tank"?

Come on. You boys wanna be codetalkers.

Show me some brains. Think!

What do we call a tank?

Chay-da-gahi.

Tortoise. Good.

"Artillery". Code word?

In code. Private Whitehorse.

Be-al-doh-tso-lani?

Very good.

"Japanese Zero". Code word?

KANEOHE BAY US NAVAL HOSPITAL

- (soldier) We can get outta here! - (Enders) They said to hold the position!

Nice day, huh?

Joe?

Joe.

Didn't hear a word, did you?

That's what happens to a man when he's talking to a beautiful woman.

It happens when you're not watching my lips, Joe.

Watch this.

Hey!

You're a mess, Joe. You're not fooling anybody.

No, Rita. He's a mess.

I'm getting better every day.

You got a perforated eardrum, Enders. Your equilibrium's all screwy.

You can't go back to war if you can't stand up.

Let's go, marines. This war ain't gonna wait for ever. Let's go.

Joe...

Let's go. Let's move it.

Why don't you just stay here, Joe?

Somebody's gotta keep the WAVES company.

Are you gonna help me or not?

(machine emits flat tone)

(high-pitched tone)

Marked improvement. And his left ear is the worse of the two?

Mm-hm.

It's... amazing.

TBY hasn't got the range of the TBX.

So you may need a relay to get your transmission to command post.

But what it really comes down to is speed and accuracy under pressure.

Transcribe now.

(man on tape) Victor, Victor. This is X-ray. Over.

(speaks in code)

Damn it! We got a unit under fire!

We're losing men. I need this message decrypted.

"Request fire support. We have target at one-one-niner, Baker one-five."

"Pillbox with heavy machine gun. Fire at will."

Beginner's luck.

You're up, mac.

- Corporal Enders reporting, sir. - At ease.

You've done well as a marine, Corporal.

Better than you did as a civilian.

Stole a motorbike, crashed it. Got kicked out of high school.

Assault and battery... on one Father Crispin O'Donnell?

A priest?

Assistant principal at Archbishop Keenan High School, sir, and head disciplinarian.

Public-school boy myself.

Some minor problems in boot.

A commendation for valor in Shanghai.

And you made a hell of a stand on the Solomons.

Tough bit of business there, huh?

Pretty tough, sir.

But you're prepared to jump right back into it?

Yes, sir. Very much so.

Very much so.

Well...

The Japs have pretty much busted every code we've thrown at 'em, Corporal.

You men on the Solomons were lost to a broken code.

Tell me something. You ever run into any Indians on the Solomons?

- Indians, sir? - Navajo, to be exact.

The corps has developed a new code based on their language.

It's had quite an impact.

So much so, the navy have decided to go to great lengths to protect it.

That's why you're here.

You're to pair with one of them, keep his ass safe.

Your job is to keep him alive so he can do his job.

Begging the major's pardon, but I believe I'd best serve the corps killing Japs,

not baby-sitting some Indian.

Enders, we didn't pick your name out of a hat.

We need good marines.

That's why you're standing here.

Take a look.

It's a Navajo. Or it was.

Tortured to death by Japanese Intelligence trying to bust our code.

Fortunately, he couldn't help them even if he wanted to.

- Sir? - The man's a Navajo, not a codetalker.

The code's based on their language, but it is still a code.

Tojo would like nothing more than to catch a live one.

What I'm about to tell you, Corporal, cannot leave this room.

Under no circumstances can you allow your codetalker to fall into enemy hands.

Your mission is to protect the code...

at all costs.

You understand me?

Yes, sir, I do.

Good.

Congratulations. You just made sergeant.

(men chant military song)

Keep those hands vertical. Way to go, marine.

Fortino, take over.

Hey... That was you, right, sitting in front of the major's office?

Yeah. Listen, I'm Pete Henderson.

They call me Ox. Not cos of my big muscles or anything.

I'm from Oxnard, California. Just north of Hollywood a ways.

So you're with JASCO too, huh?

Hey, know where we might find 2nd Joint Assault Signal?

No fuckin' idea, mac.

Thanks. Thanks a bunch.

I've never seen so many white men.

They've never seen so many Navajo.

Hey, looks to me like you got to see a little action there.

Me too.

Jap sons of bitches shot me right in the ass.

You believe that shit? I wasn't running or nothin'.

So, your duty with JASCO have anything to do with these Navajo radiomen?

I'm not at liberty to say.

I see you got a new stripe there. Me too.

So I'm guessing the orders you can't tell me are the same orders I can't tell you.

Hell of a thing, huh?

Ain't a democracy, Sergeant. It's the marines.

Yeah.

- They look pretty normal, I guess. - Expecting them to wear war paint?

Maybe we ought to go introduce ourselves. They look a little lost to me.

Henderson.

I wouldn't get too friendly.

How!

Just kiddin'. I'm Ox.

Whitehorse.

This is Yahzee. Ben.

- Next. - Beautiful. Beautiful.

Close your eyes. It'll taste better. Who's next?

Mind if I join you?

I'm Ben Yahzee. Guess, uh, the corps paired us up.

How you doin'?

You're blocking my view.

Oh, sorry.

What do they call this crap anyway?

Marines call it chow.

Well, there's a propaganda effort.

Heard you were from Philly.

Birthplace of a nation.

City of brotherly love and all that.

Sorry. You can have mine.

Shit.

What'd you say your name was again, Private?

It's Yahzee. Ben Yahzee.

- See any combat, Yahzee? - No, sir.

But I gotta say I'm looking forward to getting into some.

Are you, now?

Hold this.

Shit.

How's your white man?

Hungry.

(soldier) I'm in for a couple more.

You writing to your son?

Tell him I say hello, huh?

- Pair of cowboys for Big E. - Shit.

- Possible straight for the Greek. - Possible thumb up the Greek's ass.

Oh, a pair of twos for the kid. Lookin' good.

- Oh, come on! - Now, there's a bold move.

(Ox) All right.

Oh, another mess for the Sunshine State.

- What, are you mad at me? - Just want your money.

Hey! Look at that. A trio of nines. Pretty.

- You shuffle that deck? - (Ox) I certainly did.

Nines bets. Uh... I'll raise it two bits.

- Call. - We all got thumbs up our asses.

You won't for much longer. I got a buddy in Intel that says we ship out in a week.

I been hearing "next week" for a month.

I didn't know you knew anybody in Intelligence, Harri.

Next year'd be all right with me.

Gentlemen, read 'em and weep. Look at that. Nines and fours.

(Ox) Full boat, baby.

Cowboys over queens. Read 'em and die.

Oh, Jesus!

(soldier) Ouch. Ouch.

- Fuck it. I'm out. - Yeah. I'm gonna go write the misses.

God knows what a girl will do without reassurance.

Hey, looks like we got a coupla seats opening up. You wanna come join us?

Are you serious?

What, Injun poker? Hey, how you boys do that again?

Card on the head, only fool can't see it is you.

You want to come on over, or what?

Cut me in.

I'm thinkin' Fiery Cross, high-low, hoggers OK, ace plays both ways...

Don't let him scare you.

If you've ever played a high-low game, it's like any other. Waste of time and money.

Well, ante up... Chief.

How'd you know I was a chief?

You must've seen me showering with my war bonnet.

(laughter)

(# Native American flute)

- Deal 'em up, deal 'em up. - You know, we don't take wampum here.

Beautiful.

All right, then. Orders finally came through.

We ship out tomorrow morning for paradises unknown.

(cheering)

But wherever we wind up, it doesn't matter,

because we're gonna be right at the teat's nipple.

We're gonna be in front of the whole damned division.

I'm gonna be with the second squad and Sergeant Fortino will be with the first.

We're gonna be sniffin' out enemy positions, radioing back positions,

coordinating the naval gunfire.

Exactly what we've been training to do for the last four months.

- All right? - Yeah.

(affirmative shouts)

(ripple of applause)

Now, we got some new radiomen from headquarters.

- There's a Private Whitehorse... - (whinnies)

(laughter)

and, uh... Yahzee...

and a couple of sergeants, Enders and Henderson,

who, if I'm understanding these orders correctly,

will be covering our Navajos' asses.

Welcome.

(recalls gunfire and screaming)

(recalls) Goddamn you, Joe Enders!

...but I'm tellin' you, we'll be steppin' into our share of the shit nonetheless.

Any questions?

(Enders vomiting)

Sounds like you're dying.

These might help get rid of the taste.

Charlie and I, we both lost it on the boat ride from San Diego.

Not many bodies of water in Arizona.

Life Savers really helped.

You want a Life Saver?

What are you doin' here?

Just trying to help.

Not what I meant.

You mean what am I doing in this uniform?

It's my war too, Sergeant.

I'm fighting for my country, for my land, for my people.

Not your people I'm worried about.

Listen, Enders, I'm a codetalker.

It takes me two-and-a-half minutes to do what used to take an hour.

Now, somebody wearing a lot more stripes than you

thinks that's worth something.

Remind me to time you when you got bullets flying over your head.

What the hell's wrong with you?

# Shave his belly with a rusty razor

# Shave his belly with a rusty razor Early in the morning!

# From the halls of Montezuma

(all) # To the shores of Tripoli

# We will fight our country's battles

# On the land and on the sea

# First to fight for right and freedom

# And to keep our honor clean

# We are proud to claim the title

# Of United States Marines

Hi.

How's that ear?

Not that you'd admit it, but if it starts aching, take a couple of those

and call me in the morning.

You're not gonna be here in the morning, are you?

Shipping out... without even buying me a drink.

Ought to be ashamed of yourself, hustling a... hustling marines.

- What's your poison? - Jeez, might as well go all out.

I'll get a shot of something. Rum.

Eddie, give me a shot of Bacardi.

Make that two.

May as well join me, huh?

- Why not? - OK.

Thank you.

Well, uh... to war.

I'm gonna write to you, Enders. I want you to write back.

- I've got nothing to write about, Rita. - Come on. You gotta have somethin'.

I don't know if you ever knew it or you just forgot, but...

- the world's a beautiful place. - No, it's not.

- Maybe we should just go. - Oh, God.

Why? Cos you're here, cos you made it back and those other guys didn't?

I feel sorry for those guys, Enders. I really do, but I...

I feel worse for you.

It's OK.

Why don't you get down the front, in front of all of them?

You too, Nellie.

Hey, Joe, why don't you get in there next to Whitehorse?

Charlie, hey.

I don't like pictures either.

Unlike my friend there.

Thinks he's Gary Cooper or somethin'.

He's a funny kid.

A good kid.

I taught him how to ride horses.

We've known each other a long time.

Take care of him.

Come on, Whitehorse.

Hey, Joe. Come on in, Joe. Get a shot.

Group shot before we take off.

THE JAPANESE ISLAND OF SAIPAN JUNE 16, 1944

Let's go, let's go, let's go!

(fighter plane zooms past)

Get those men spread out!

Charlie, come on, come on, come on!

Come on, keep up!

Let's go, let's go, let's go! Come on!

- How am I doin'? - You're good.

(shouts in Japanese)

Let's go!

Stay on my ass.

I told you to stay on my ass!

- Stay low! - Get out of there!

(artillery fire)

Get him outta there!

Get me outta here!

- Hold still, damn it! - Get him outta there!

You sons of bitches!

Fortino! Cover me!

Whitehorse, get down!

Get down!

Pappas!

Corpsman!

Helmet goes on your head! Corpsman!

Take care of him.

Put a hand on this.

Tank! Tank! Tank!

You ready? Go! Go!

Harrigan, light it up!

Let's go, boys! Keep up the fight!

Are you hit? Are you hit?

You're OK. You're good, you're good.

- Are you OK, Chick? - Still in the hunt, Gunny.

- Harri? - You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy.

- (soldier) Stay low! - Nellie? Pappas?

(Nellie) Yeah, we're good.

- Greek's predisposed to hyperventilate. - What?

I can't breathe when I get excited.

Goddamn! Must be hell on your gal!

Enders, get the navy on the horn and tell 'em to dig out those guns.

Target reference... dog one...

right 700.

Elevation zero-five-zero.

Relay the damn coordinates!

Arizona! Arizona!

(speaks in code)

(Yahzee over radio)

(speaks in code)

USS CALIFORNIA

(speaks Japanese)

(Yahzee and Whitehorse speaking in code)

It sounds like they're underwater. Is it English?

(speaks in code)

(speaks in code)

(speaks in code)

Target reference, dog one,

south 700, elevation zero-five-zero.

Right 200!

Up 50. Fire for effect.

(speaks in code)

(speaks in code)

Let's go!

Move!

Harrigan!

Torch the box!

Kill him!

Goddammit!

Shit.

Nellie. Take the satchel charge.

You hear me? Move!

(Pappas) Let's go, Nellie.

- You're gonna cover me, right? - I'll go with you. We break left.

I'll cover you. Smoke and cover.

I can do this.

I can do this.

Smoke 'em up!

Cover up.

(machine-gun fire)

Shit!

Shit. Goddamn Nipponese touchdown!

SAIPAN 2ND RECON

(Chick) Biscuits? How can you ruin biscuits?

You are a whiny son of a bitch right now, aren't you?

2200 hours in jungle hell - what does that make it on the East Coast?

How the fucking hell should I know?

Just seven...

It's 8am, Sunday morning.

I hope my side of the bed didn't get taken up last night.

Nell, you'll give yourself an ulcer, you keep worrying about her.

Might get my ass sent back to Rhody, though.

There's plenty of dollies outside of Rhode Island, Nell. Many plenty.

- There sure as shit ain't any here. - Ain't that the truth.

That's cos they're all in Daytona Beach. The most beautiful women in the world.

This one time, before the war,

I'm lyin' on the beach, and this sweet little thing named Molly comes out the water.

She walks straight up to me and asks me if I'm hungry...

cos she's havin' a weenie roast.

Shit! Damn.

Yeah, me and Molly, oh boy. Phew!

Now I'm on Saipan with this giant Zippo strapped to my back

and I'm roastin' human beings.

Why I volunteered... Beyond me.

Damn, I'm proud to be here.

My whole family's been in the corps.

My old man, he's a lifer.

An ass-kicker on the land and on the sea.

Around the house, too.

Maybe now he'll back off.

Pappas, I...

I want you to do me a favor.

If anything should happen to me, you make sure that my wife gets this.

I mean, she picked them out and all.

Don't talk like that, Nell.

You don't even joke about shit like that.

Now, you put that ring back on. You're goin' home.

(speaks Navajo)

Hey.

Don't thank me till you've tried it.

You, uh... missed mail call.

(speaks Navajo)

What the hell are they doin'?

I don't know. They've been doin' it since sundown.

Sounds like some kind of prayer.

Maybe they know our orders.

(Whitehorse speaks Navajo)

- Think you could do it, Joe? - Give it a rest, Henderson.

Give it a rest? I keep tryin', but, uh...

I'm here to kill Japs, not marines.

I saw you a warrior, Yahzee...

You will make your family proud.

What the hell you think you're doin', boy?

Getting on my uniform.

You know the difference between you and a Jap, Yahzee?

Huh?

It's that uniform.

That's it.

See, I know you people.

I know what kind of slanty-eyed savage you are, boy.

You oughta be careful out here all alone.

No baby-sitter.

I might just take you for a Jap.

You gonna let me get dressed, Chick?

Or keep demonstrating what an ignorant fool you are?

How's that for an ignorant fool, huh?

Go ahead, try again.

You gonna do somethin'? Huh?

- Chick! Come on! - Get off me!

- You OK, Ben? - Yeah.

Ben? Shit.

I thought he was a Jap. You know, killed some marine for that uniform.

Sure you did, Chick.

Damn Injun looks just like a Jap, don't he?

Look, I'm no damn Injun.

I'm Navajo, of the Bitter Water People, born for the Towering House clan.

But you do look like a Nip.

Next time you decide to take a bath, Private, let me know, or I'll kick your ass.

Fuckin' shitbird.

(Nellie) Supposed to be with a baby-sitter all the time.

Out here huntin' salmon and shit.

(Yahzee) That ceremony you saw last night? It's called a protection ceremony.

Navajo believe, until a body's given a proper burial, the spirits stay near it.

"Chindis" - that's what we call evil spirits. Demons.

I haven't thought much about it since I was a kid.

Till I saw those dead bodies.

You telling me you saw ghosts, Private?

No, Sergeant. I'm telling you I won't freeze up again.

Because your buddy smeared ash on your forehead?

That's right. Cos my buddy smeared ash on my forehead.

You ever see ghosts?

No more stupid questions today, Private. That's an order.

(# Native American flute)

Sounds beautiful.

You, uh... you self-taught?

My dad was always playing.

You know what they say: if you can't beat 'em...

No shit. My dad, he... he gave me this thing.

Used to call me the Pied Piper of the Pigs.

Used to bring 'em in for feeding with this little tune I played.

I know I ain't gonna get you to quit playin' that thing, so...

like you just said, if you can't beat 'em...

I don't think it's gonna work.

Well, we ain't got much else to do out here. What the hell?

OK.

All right, you lead off. I'll follow you.

(Rita) Dear Joe, how the hell are you?

Or, given that you're not much of a writer, should I not expect an answer?

The newspapers say our boys are doing great.

But I don't think the reporters have been to Kaneohe Bay Hospital.

I found a stray dog the other day on Waikiki.

I gave him a bath and took him in.

He reminded me of you - but cuter.

At least he keeps me warm at night.

I try not to think about you, about what might be happening over there.

But sometimes, when I'm lying in bed,

I can't keep myself from wondering where you are,

how you're doing.

What the hell you doin'?

Writing a letter to my son.

Forget your orders? No letters out.

Command don't want postmarks going to the reservation.

Hey! You hear me?

I thought that he might read 'em when I get home.

What's his name?

Your son.

It's George. George Washington.

- (laughter) - George Washington Yahzee.

It's got a bit of a ring to it.

My wife wasn't so sure.

She's a little more traditional.

Nice-looking family.

Yeah, that George, he's quite a character. He's got a mind of his own.

Can I try one of those?

- You smoke? - Not really.

Stop the truck.

- Dismount! - Where's my helmet?

Let's go! Let's go!

- Keep your heads down. - Let's go.

- I'm hit! - Yahzee!

Yahzee!

I'm hit!

Just take it off! It burns!

You're not hit. Just shut up. You're not hit.

Son of a bitch!

Move.

- Where the hell are they comin' from? - From us.

- What? - They're not Jap guns.

We're getting shot at by our own guys?

That's impossible. We're meant to be on road 04.

Get the regiment on the horn and tell 'em they're...

I can't! The radio's out. It's been hit.

- (Chick) They're firing too short! - The Japs gotta be way ahead of us.

Shit... Follow me!

- We're on the wrong fuckin' road! - Goddammit!

- Pick him up. - Sniper.

- Get down. - Everybody take cover.

Watch your rear.

Enders, where are you?

Cover up.

Tuck in, now.

- Can you see him? - There.

I got him.

You OK now?

Oh, God.

- All right, let's move. - Let's go.

Son of a bitch.

(screaming)

I got you, mac!

I got you!

Corpsman!

Corpsman!

Corpsman!

Nellie!

Corpsman!

Corpsman!

(wailing)

You were right, Joe.

- I do look like a Nip. - What the hell are you talking about?

Putting on that Jap uniform. Trying to get one of their radios, call off our guns.

- That's stupid. - Shut up. Let him talk.

- He's not goin' out there. - You're not in charge here, Enders.

I got orders, Gunny. He's my responsibility!

He's just a kid! You killed your own!

What's wrong with you? You killed your own! Sons of bitches!

You killed your own!

(speaking Japanese)

- Sure you're up to this? - Find out soon enough, sir.

- What the hell are you doin' there? - I'm goin' with him.

If that's OK with you.

Give me the rifle.

Horyo-da.

It's Jap for "prisoner".

Horyo-da.

Horyo-da.

All right, everybody be ready.

(speaking Japanese)

Horyo-da!

Now!

Hit me. Hit me.

(speaks Japanese)

Please don't hit me!

Die!

Yahzee!

Kill him!

Goddammit, kill him!

Get on the radio!

Bowie White, Bowie White, this is Carson Red!

Bowie White, Bowie White, this is Carson Red! Cease fire!

Cease fire! You're shelling marines!

Sergeant!

Cease fire! Cease fire!

Add 325, fire for effect!

Redirect fire. Add 325, fire for effect.

Let's go!

Crank it up! Let's go!

Commence fire!

Fire!

- Yeah! - Well, I'll be.

Colonel. Can I help you, sir?

I'm looking for Sergeant... Enders. Joseph F Enders.

Enders.

Yes, sir.

Report I read claims you went above and beyond.

Sir?

You've been recommended for commendation.

And I concur. But I don't see any point in you having to wait around

for all those formalities to work themselves out.

Not when I got one of these handy.

Congratulations, Enders.

You saved a lot of marines.

I wasn't alone in that, sir. I couldn't have done it without Private Ben Yahzee.

Oh... Right.

The, uh, Indian.

Begging the colonel's pardon, he's a Navajo, of the Bitter Water People,

born for the Towering House clan.

Of course. Navajo. Towering House clan.

You keep up the good work, Enders.

Send that to Nellie's wife.

You ever not miss mail call, Enders?

My mom says somebody takes the time to write a letter, you should read the letter.

Does she let you drink, your mother?

No. But she's not here.

- What is it? - Well, it ain't Chianti, I'll tell you that.

It's rice wine. It's Jap sake. But it does the trick.

How much of this crap do you have anyway?

You have a little trouble with that ear, don't you, Joe?

Real problem's the inner ear. Anvils and stirrups and shit.

I'm a little out of balance.

You done good on that hill today, Yahzee.

Yeah, I did, didn't I?

I bet I surprised the shit out of you.

It was a noble thing that you did, Joe.

To give your Silver Star to Nellie's wife.

I don't give a shit about medals.

The first one they gave me...

I threw it into the ocean.

What'd you get that one for?

For not dyin'.

The 15 men who fought with me got decorated, too. For dying.

So...

Lieutenant was killed the night before, and...

none of the sergeants even made it out of the landing craft, so...

that left me in charge. It was my first command.

Orders were to hold some shitty swamp marsh on the ass-end of nowhere.

And I did.

All of the men under my command...

men who trusted me...

who begged me to pull back...

not one of them made it.

Just one stupid asshole.

And for that, they gave me the Silver Star.

What were their names?

It might be good to tell a story about 'em.

You know, who they were, and what they were like.

What a magical pile of Navajo horseshit. What the hell for?

To honor them.

Their memory.

You know, it wasn't your fault, Joe. You were just followin' orders.

Yeah.

I'm a good fuckin' marine.

That's why they gave me this detail.

Yeah.

I'm a good fuckin' marine.

(soldiers' screams echo)

(shouting)

- Joe! - What?

Goddamn you, Joe Enders!

In Hawaii we had a luau.

Cracked some jokes.

Come on. Get up and dance.

We'll have a party for everybody.

For all.

It's all right.

Come on, Joe. I got you.

(speaks Navajo)

What the fuck?

I ain't that drunk, Yahzee. You cut that horseshit out.

(speaks Navajo)

I'm gonna mix my daddy's strawberries in this Swedish concoction called yoghurt.

God willin', America'll develop the taste.

What about you, Charlie? What's life got in store for you after this mess?

- Sheep. - Sheep? As in Chick's girlfriend sheep?

(bleats)

Charlie's family owns the biggest flock in the Four Corners area.

No shit?

- You a rich man, Whitehorse? - We do OK.

Taxis. A whole stinkin' fleet of 'em. That's how I'm making my millions.

And then I'm goin' back to the motherland.

I'm gonna build myself a villa on the cliffs of Santorini.

Ah, Santorini, my friends - that's living.

Sounds nice. What about you, Zee?

Thinkin' about teaching.

Ah, teaching. Bring a little something back to the reservation?

Actually, more interested in bringing some of the reservation back to the world.

Hoping to teach college. American history.

Oh, that's just what we need.

Yahzee teachin' college boys about Custer's scalpin' at Little Bighorn.

And what about Kit Carson, and what they did to the Navajo in the Long Walk?

You ever read about that, Chick?

- Didn't think so. - Oh!

How about you, Joe?

- What? - What are you doin' after this mess?

It's gotta end sometime.

(Rita) Dear Joe, we got great news today.

President Roosevelt announced the end of blackouts on Hawaii.

We thought the day would never come.

There's still a ten o'clock curfew, but it doesn't matter to me.

After a 12-hour shift, I'm too tired to do anything but write letters.

There's a real sense that the war's going well, and could be over soon.

I think about you more and more, if you're alive or dead out there.

I check the mail every day, knowing there's going to be an answer.

Are you reading these, Joe?

Are you listening?

- We're secure on the left side. - Area's secured.

Set up defense positions.

Chick, bed 'em down for the night.

I don't know why I let you talk me back into doin' this.

It ain't working. I don't think it was meant to be.

Tell you the truth, I used to play for the sheep.

What?

Brought 'em in from the pasture like I was a mama sheep.

- Like you was the mama sheep? - Like a mama sheep.

I always knew there was something a little funny about you, Charlie.

You play for the sheep, I'll play for the pigs, we'll see what happens.

We'll start off at the same time, though.

(# harmonica)

What's wrong?

I'm hurting.

Here's some pain reliever.

Don't worry, you'll be fine.

Thank you, Uncle.

That's startin' to sound like something.

I didn't know you were an artist.

It's stupid.

It's just something I would do as a kid on my grandmother's kitchen table.

It's nice.

You Catholic?

Used to be.

I was thinkin' about when they confirmed me.

I was eight, and they anointed me with the holy water.

And I remember...

they told me I was a soldier of Christ.

I guess somewhere along the way I must have switched units.

It's oil.

Huh?

They don't use holy water to confirm. They use oil.

I was raised Catholic, too.

Mission school on the reservation.

It's funny. Fathers didn't like us talking Navajo at Mass.

Of course, one Sunday I forgot.

They punished me by tying me to the radiator in the basement.

For two days.

I think I was eight too.

Well, they're sure lettin' you talk Navajo now.

Yeah.

You know, when this is over, maybe you should come out to Navajo country.

Monument Valley is a beautiful place. It's peaceful.

You know, we could do some things that you don't do in the corps.

Like ride horses, eat fry bread, do some hunting...

Horses.

I don't know. It's a pretty long drive to Arizona.

But it might be worth it. You know, you could meet my son.

And he could meet Joe Enders,

the guy who watched over Daddy's scrawny ass.

You must be a very good father, Ben.

Ben. You know, you've never called me that before.

Enders. What kind of name is that anyway?

It's Italian. Used to be Endrolfini before some asshole at Ellis Island got hold of it.

Captain needs to code a message back to command post.

- You the Indian? - Yeah, I'm the Indian.

It's just a few minutes' drive. We'll get you back in no time.

- I need to speak with you, Gunny. - Yeah. Give me a second.

Got this with the mail today. You ever had pickled herring?

I need out.

What the hell are you talkin' about?

This detail.

My duty.

I can't do it.

Well, I need you, Enders.

Yeah. You've been saving a lot of marines.

I'm requesting mast with battalion commander. I want out.

Oh, yeah? You and me and every other mother's son. We all want out.

Well, as long as there's a Tojo and a Hitler out there,

we have to keep on fighting. Is that understood?

- You're not hearing me. - I'm hearing you just fine.

Now, there's a war goin' on worldwide,

and it ain't bein' waged on your wants and wishes.

Now, you get some sack time. That's an order.

Goddammit! I can't do it!

I can't perform my duty!

Hey there, sweetheart.

Hi. It's OK.

You don't have to cry. You're gonna be all right.

Got a present for you.

This is chocolate.

You see, you eat it... and it's good.

Mm. It's good.

You want some?

You'll have to chew it next time. Here.

Harrigan, go!

Incoming!

Run!

Go! Run!

- Go! Run! - Make her run!

Yeah? Yeah?

Pappas!

Come on!

Come on!

Go!

Harrigan!

- Are you all right? - Yeah.

Get down.

Put it on.

Go.

Get down.

Fall back.

Keep moving.

Fall back.

Fall back!

Help! Help!

I can't let 'em take us.

What are you talking about?

Don't kill him.

He is important.

We need to interrogate him.

Enders!

I can't find Ox or Whitehorse.

Have you seen them?

He's over there.

Oh, shit...

This was supposed to be a secured area! What happened?

I killed him.

You... you what?

I took my grenade, and... and I threw it and I blew him up.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Yahzee!

Yahzee! Yahzee, no!

(Yahzee) Get up!

Come on. You can do it.

- Yahzee. - Let him go.

Yahzee, no.

Why can't? Come on. Do it.

- Do it! - No.

You know, Whitehorse... he saved my bacon.

Wonder what George Armstrong Custer would make of that.

I remember my granddaddy sittin' on the porch talkin' about huntin' Indians,

like he was talkin' about gophers or somethin'.

About gettin' paid three dollars per Comanche ear.

I know. Gets you thinkin'.

Another 50 years, who knows, we could be sittin' down with the Nipponese.

Drinkin' their sake, shootin' the shit...

lookin' for somebody else's ass to kick.

You think too much.

First time I ever been accused of that.

(speaks Navajo)

Thought I told you not to go traipsing around on your own.

You know, Charlie blessed my son in the Navajo way the day he was born.

He wondered about cowboys watching Indians' backs.

Something about it didn't seem right.

I thought it was Charlie just being Charlie.

He didn't even want to come to this damn war. I talked him into it.

Maybe you made a mistake.

Maybe we all did.

I was following orders, Ben.

My orders were to protect the code.

If one of you got caught, talked, the code would be useless.

I was following orders, Ben.

Course you were, Joe. You're a damn good fuckin' marine.

The Viking wants to see you.

He says right away.

(Gunny) I want you to brief everybody, make clear what's happenin'.

- Got no problem with point. - That's good.

- You wanted to see me? - Yeah.

The 8th is moving out already, and we need to be ahead of 'em.

The destination is that big piece of rock you see over there.

The last defensible ridge on this island.

Now, thinkin' is, we take the mount, Saipan is pretty much ours.

Yesterday, bombers beat the shit out of that rock.

The brass is nervous. They expected more resistance over there.

Now they want us to go over and check it out.

(Pappas) So where the hell they got us now?

Goin' up the mountain.

Have ourselves a little peek.

That codetalker is out front for a reason.

That's exactly where I need him to be.

If there's still a problem between the two of you,

I would like to straighten that out, right here, right now.

- No problem here, Gunny. - That's good.

But there's still one here.

You just do what you're supposed to do, Sergeant.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Enders.

You got another letter.

Freeze!

Jesus Christ! We're in the middle of a goddamn minefield!

Chick's gonna get us out. Right, Chick?

Sure I am.

One line after Chick.

Pappas.

(Gunny) Pappas.

Move, Greek.

I'm gonna get my fuckin' balls blown off out here!

Yahzee! Stop!

(Gunny) Move out!

Yahzee!

Hey!

Nice shootin', Pap.

The 8th's movin' in. We'd better check out the other side.

Got it. You all right?

Chick, take the left flank. Enders, go right. We'll cover you with a 30.

- (Chick) On it. - All right?

OK, let's go!

Move!

Hjelmstad!

- Help him up! - Gunny!

Come on. Come on.

- Christ. - Joe! Joe!

(Pappas) Tear him open.

You want morphine?

- You want morphine? - Yeah.

Goddammit, Yahzee, get over here!

Fuck!

Chick... Stay with him.

I got ya.

Control yourself.

I told you to stay with Gunny.

Gunny's gone.

You could have killed me, you son of a bitch.

I'd never kill one of our own.

We're not gonna make it outta here, are we, Joe?

I'm runnin' out of ammo here, Joe.

I don't wanna die in this shithole.

You're not gonna die.

Nobody else is gonna die.

We're gonna make it. We're gonna make it outta here.

(shouts in Japanese)

8th's caught out in the open. We gotta call in the flyboys.

I'm gonna get that radio. Cover me.

Cover me! I'm going!

Stay back!

Fuckers!

It won't bring your friends back.

What do you know about friends?

Get us some air support!

Bowie White, this is Carson Red, Arizona.

I say again, Carson Red, Arizona.

(gives Navajo code)

Coordinates!

Two-twenty, Mike, three-six.

(speaks Navajo)

Let's go.

We're gonna make it outta here.

How many still out there, Joe?

There's not many.

How about that Colt? How many in there?

I imagine one,

given your orders.

Shut up, Ben.

Do it, Joe.

Do it!

No one else is gonna die, Ben.

No one else is dying.

(cheering)

(laughs)

Joe, we did it.

God...

Oh, God... Oh, Joe...

We saved a lot of marines today.

Yeah, we did, Ben.

Charlie...

You know I didn't want to.

Right?

Hail... Hail Mary...

full of grace...

our...

our Lord is with thee...

Holy Mary, Mother of God...

pray for us...

I got the last of 'em, Joe.

Dear Rita,

To answer your question, I'm listening.

Your letters are the only thing that keep me going out here.

As far as writing back, sorry it's taken me this long.

All I can think about is what you said, on the beach,

about the world being a beautiful place.

I just need a little help seeing it that way again.

I want to come back, Rita. I want to see you again,

take a walk on that beach with you, learn to live again.

His name was Joe Enders...

from South Philadelphia.

He was a fierce warrior.

A good marine.

If you ever tell a story about him, George...

say he was my friend.

(speaks Navajo)

The Navajo Code was vital in the victory at Saipan

and every major battle in the Pacific.

It was never broken.

Subtitles : rex5485