A Soldier's Story Page #4

I hope it's an American Eagle.

No, sir.

Crow.

See, a man told my daddy

the day I was born:

He said, "The boy got the shadow

of crow wings in his chest..."

That's fine, Memphis.

Men, you played a great game today.

- Sergeant?

- Ten-hut!

Carry on.

How long a story were you gonna tell

the man there, CJ?

Peterson!

I ain't forgot you, boy.

It's time to teach you a lesson.

- Wilkie.

- Sir.

Go outside and make sure

everything is set up.

You want all the NCOs?

I'm going outside to wait for you, Geechee.

And when you come out...

...I'm gonna whup your black Southern ass.

Let the whole company watch, too.

You need to learn respect for these stripes.

The rest of you...

...get those goddamn uniforms off

like I said.

You ain't gonna fight him, are you?

Don't do it. He'll fight dirty.

You can't whup the Sarge.

You wanna fight in my place, Cobb?

Pete, I got some Farmer's Dust.

A pinch of this

will make you strong as a bull.

Would you get out of here

with that backwater crap?

You can't speak up for yourself.

You let him treat you like a dog.

Calling names ain't nothin'.

I know who I is.

Sarge ain't so bad. He's been good to me.

The man despises you.

You're wrong, Pete.

Plus, I feel sorry for him myself.

Any man ain't sure where he belong

gotta be in a whole lot of pain.

Look, don't you all even care

about nothing?

Don't none of us like it, Pete...

...but this is the Army

and Sarge got all the stripes.

I'll go get the captain.

You ain't got to go out there

and get your head beaten in.

Somebody's got to fight him.

Waters, what's going on?

I had a problem with one of the guys.

Yeah?

Don't worry about it.

Come on now, boy.

Let's take your whuppin' like a man.

Kick his ass, Pete.

Watch him, Pete.

Come on out here and kick old Sarge's ass.

Come on, Geechee.

You don't want the Sarge to grow old

waitin' for you, now.

Fight him!

Watch him, Pete!

He got him!

That got him!

Get up, Sarge!

You throw a pretty mean punch, boy.

But old Sarge is here to kick your ass.

- There you go.

- Get up, Peterson.

- Get up, Pete.

- Get him, Sarge.

Vernon!

That's enough.

Yeah, he beat me pretty bad that day, sir.

Did anybody report the fight to an officer?

No, sir, I never reported it.

I know I should have, but...

...he left me alone after that

so I just played ball.

I appreciate your honesty, Peterson.

Thank you, sir.

Did you see Sergeant Waters

the night he was killed?

No, sir. Smalls and I had guard duty.

- Thank you. That'll be all for now.

- Yes, sir.

Did the team ever get to play the Yankees?

No, sir. We lost the last game

to a sanitation company.

What brings you out to my neighborhood?

Slumming?

I wanted you to see the request...

...I've sent to Colonel Nivens

to have your investigation terminated.

Now, my reasons have nothing

to do with you personally.

My request won't hurt

your Army career in any way.

It's just that there are

other considerations in this case.

Only the color of my skin.

Now, hold it, Davenport!

I want the people

that killed Waters prosecuted.

So do I.

Then give this up.

White people down here,

they won't see their duty or justice.

They'll see you.

And you can't possibly get at the truth.

Why? Because two white officers

are involved in this?

You can't get them charged,

court-marshaled or anything else.

Why wasn't there any mention of them

in my report?

You think I'm gonna let you

get away with this?

I was ordered not to include it.

- By who?

- Colonel Nivens.

Now, look.

They took two.45 caliber slugs

out of Waters, Army issue.

Now, if my men thought

a white officer had killed him...

...there would have been a slaughter.

Who are the officers?

Lieutenant Byrd in Ordinance

and Captain Wilcox, 12th Hospital Group.

Private Seymour saw them on the road.

When I checked the officers' billet,

I found them both asleep.

They admitted they'd had an argument

with the sergeant...

...but said they'd left him on the road.

So, you never believed

the Klan was involved.

No.

No. Now can you see

why this thing needs somebody else?

Tell me what they told you.

Look, hotshot.

They're not going to let you charge

those two men.

Tell me what they told you.

Left, two, three, four...

Left, two, three, four.

You wanna move your ass

off the goddamn road, Sergeant?

Well, I'll be damned.

If it ain't the white boys!

- Did you hear what he said? Sh*t!

- Let it go!

"Let it go," my ass!

Come here, Sergeant.

White boys, all starched and stiff.

Want everybody to learn

that symphony sh*t.

That's what you said in France...

...and you know, I listened to it.

Am I all right now? Am I?

You'd better straighten up

and salute an officer...

...or I'll take your f***in' stripes, boy!

That's better.

Well, look at the n*gger.

You come to attention right now,

and that is an order.

I ain't doin' nothin' white folks say do.

No more.

- I'll teach you...

- Leave him alone. He's drunk.

I want the n*gger to do like I tell him.

Do it!

No!

- I'll teach him to do it.

- Easy.

Look what it's done to me.

I hate myself.

Don't blame me. God's the one

who made you black, not me, boy.

My daddy said, "Don't talk like dis...

"...talk like that!

"Don't say heah...

"...say...

"...here."

I even killed for you.

You wanna kill him? The man is sick!

- Let me go!

- You're gonna kill him.

Come on.

Come on.

White men are killing for you, n*gger.

Good men dyin' for you.

So, anyway,

they said they left Waters about 23:10.

Everyone in the barracks confirms

that they were in by 23:30...

...and that neither man left

till the following morning.

That's nothing but white officers lying

to protect their own...

...and you know that.

I'm arresting both of them, Captain.

Consider yourself under arrest

pending my charges against you.

What charges?

It was your duty to go over Nivens' head

if you had to.

You're going to arrest the colonel, too?

He's part of their alibi.

He was there in the officers' billet

when they came in.

Played poker till 3:30 in the morning.

Yeah, the colonel, Major Hines

and four other white officers.

They're all lying.

You just go out and prove it.

Sir, I intend to arrest

Lieutenant Byrd and Captain Wilcox.

You will do nothing of the kind.

Colonel.

Sir, I believe these two men had something

to do with Sergeant Waters' death.

No, I can't allow that.

You have no authority

to arrest white officers.

Then give me the authority, sir.

Colonel.

Your breakfast is ready.

Thank you, honey.

Can I have someone fetch you coffee,

Captain?

No, thank you, ma'am.

I hope they're making your stay here

at Fort Neal real comfortable, Captain.

They're taking good care of me, ma'am.

It's very thoughtful of you to ask.

Good morning.

No, I can't give you that authority.

I told you. They were in by 11:30.

I was there.

Now, you've read our affidavits

on this thing.

Colonel, what will the Army say

when they find out two white officers...

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