A Walk in the Sun Page #7

to Italy. Like to see the country.

That's the kind of job to have.

No walking. Solid comforts.

Between you and me, Jake,

motorcycles scare the life

out of me.

I didn't think you were scared of anything.

- Women and motorcycles, Jake.

A butt.

- When I run out of butts,

you'll be in a rotten mess.

I'll find a new friend.

I feel better. If the road's clear,

it might be all right, after all.

How long do you think it

will take him to get back?

About ten or 15 minutes.

What's the idea of leaving the ditch?

We got no orders.

The road's easier on the feet.

Simple.

It's time that rider

was coming back.

He's only been gone ten minutes.

Everything in the Army is simple.

You live or you die.

I'd still

like to be sitting in his boots.

Whose boots?

- The guy on the motorcycle.

That's a life.

- Why? Are you feeling

a lousy hero?

I like my comfort.

- The guy's a dead pigeon.

High mortality rates.

- So what?!

So what? That's the first sergeant

I ever saw on a motorcycle.

Most of them are lucky

to make corporal.

Do you think you'll make corporal?

- I just want to make civilian.

You've got no imagination, Rivera.

You're a lump.

- That's what I am, all right.

Suppose you still

think they'll be back?

May have gone further than we thought.

Might have got a flat.

He didn't go too far

and he didn't get a flat.

He ran into trouble.

Did you hear any firing?

- Didn't hear a thing.

- He ran into trouble.

Eddie, I don't know what's

the matter with you,

but you need to snap out of it.

What's eating you?

- I don't know.

Still wanna be on a motorcycle, ugly?

Sure. It's a life.

- In that guy's case,

the question is, is it a life?

He's probably sitting under a

tree somewhere, reading a book.

It's optimists like you that cause

all the trouble in the world.

Where would he get a book?

How do I know where he'd get a book?

Last pack.

I'll let you watch me.

You've got another loving pack.

- All I got, baby.

A drag.

- I'll consider it.

Well?

It's a funny thing, how many

people you meet in the Army who

cross your path for a few seconds

and you never see them again.

- Who do you mean?

You've never seen the face before, you

never see it again. Can't forget it.

Guy on the motorcycle?

Bill, I'm scared of the tanks.

If they catch us on this road

they've got us cold, like mackerel.

Tell them to take a break.

Jack, Phelps, Dubrusky, Long,

Tranella, Tinker,

Archimbeau and all bazooka men,

front and centre.

The rest of you,

take a break, into the woods.

Sergeant Porter wants you

bazooka men up ahead.

I'm giving you ample protection.

When you get a mile ahead of us,

we'll follow.

Good hunting.

Archimbeau, you stay here.

Watch the road. If you see that

rider coming back, wave to me.

- I'll never stand it till then.

Till when?

- Till the Battle of Tibet.

Every dead-head job in the Army

is my personal property.

Something's up with the Sergeant.

Which Sergeant?

- Porter.

Nobody tells me nothing.

- Keep your eyes open.

If you weren't smoking your last

butts and getting smoke

in your eyes,

you might know more about what's

going on. Butt.

What's up with Porter?

- How do I know? I ain't a doctor.

Thanks, Bill.

It's nothing. You

just didn't think of it, that's all.

Yeah. I didn't think of it.

Apples.

What did you say, Sergeant?

Oh, guess I said apples.

Why?

I'm just thinking of them.

Oh.

- What kind of apples, Sergeant?

All kinds. Bald ones. Mclntosh.

Reds. Pippins. Russets.

I was thinking I would like to

be cutting one open, right now.

And licking that

juice off a knife.

Cut it out, will you, Sarge?

Now you got me thinking

about something juicy.

You like apples, Sergeant?

Not especially. Apple's just

happened to pop into my head.

I like pears better.

- Maybe we'll come across some

growing around here.

We won't.

- How do you know, Sergeant?

I'm a farmer. A good one.

The soil's no good around here.

It's no good, at all.

It's old and tired and worn out. See?

They say up north it's different.

They say up north they grow

grapes as big as a man's head.

You can't convince me.

My mind's made up.

You know, once I make up my

mind about something, nothing

changes it except an act of God.

Or my wife.

Yes. Soil's no good.

It's no good, at all.

Maybe too many soldiers

have been walking on it.

They've been walking

on it for a long time.

That's what always happens to a

country when soldiers walk on it.

I wrote a letter to my wife.

All right.

I wrote it in the landing barge.

It's hard to write something

when you can't see it.

Why didn't you wait 'till daylight?

You never can tell.

A man don't want to take no chances.

I even wrote

the envelope in the dark.

It looked good.

- How do you know it looked good?

I saw it in the daylight.

Then I give it to Sergeant Hoskins.

What for?

- To mail for me.

The guy'll probably

tear it open and read it.

He'll be reading it right now.

He wouldn't do that.

- You never know with sergeants,

they do some funny things.

He wouldn't.

- How do you know?

Maybe he thinks there's money in it.

Maybe he's using it for a bandage.

He's got a bullet hole and he may

have stuffed it in the bullet hole.

You're crazy. You can't

stuff paper in a bullet hole.

How do you know you can't?

- It crinkles.

Boy, what a dope. Next time

you get a bullet hole in you,

stuff some paper in and see

how it feels, then you'll know.

Cut that out, Riddle. He'll mail the

letter. Now, leave him alone.

I were just kidding, Sarge.

You've got a mean streak, Riddle.

Someone'll paste you

one of these days.

I'll wait.

OK, Johnson. You mailed your letter.

But you never know

what Sergeants will do.

They won't do anything.

It's time we got moving, Eddie.

Call Ward, will you?

Hey, Ward!

He don't feel so good.

A guy can pick up anything

in this kind of country.

Ward... I can't go on.

Tyne is taking over.

Well, it's OK with me.

Tyne's a good man.

I know he is.

You can work with him, Ward.

I know I can.

- You can go on, Eddie.

- I don't know.

Do you ever feel like you

want to lie down and never get up?

Sure I have.

- It's the way I feel.

I want to lie down.

I've got to get up.

A guy gets tired after a while.

You've been at it a long time.

- We've all have.

Why don't you lie down, Eddie?

You might feel better.

- Need...

a drink of water.

Maybe if I rest...?

I've got to lie down.

Poor dirt.

Poor country.

Armoured car coming!

Enemy armoured car! Take cover!

Eddie. Eddie.

That was close, Sergeant.

That was close.

- Leave him alone.

What's the matter with him?

- He's sick.

How did they get by our bazookas?

I almost threw a grenade at it.

- It's a good thing you didn't.

What do you think, Ward?

- I don't like it, none.

- Go on back, Arch,

and keep your eyes open.

- Why do I have to pull this stuff?

How about someone else?

- OK, get someone else.

- I'll do it.

Here, Arch, watch this rifle,

it gets in my way.

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