Air Force Page #6

... remember the character

of the onslaught against us.

I hope he tells us something

about the Philippines.

My boy's at Clark Field.

No matter how long it may take us...

... to overcome

this premeditated invasion...

... the American people,

in their righteous might...

... will win through to absolute victory.

We will not only defend ourselves

to the uttermost...

...but will make it very certain...

... that this form of treachery

shall never again endanger us.

With confidence in our armed forces...

... with the unbounding determination

of our people...

... we will gain the inevitable triumph...

... so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare...

... a state of war.

Pick up anything from Wake Island?

- Pilot to navigator.

- Go ahead.

- What do you think, Monk?

- I don't know, Irish.

We ought to be there now.

Go another 10 minutes, then turn east.

Okay.

- There she is, Irish, dead ahead.

- Good guessing, Monk.

- Oh, shut up, will you?

- Magellan!

Pilot to crew. Wake Island, dead ahead.

- Hey, Wake Island in sight.

- Boy, what a navigator.

- There's nothing here but Marines.

- What'd you expect to see?

- Where'd you guys come from?

- Hickam Field.

- Any more coming?

- I don't know.

- Where are you going?

- Manila.

Gangway, men. Coming in.

Good work, captain.

Major Daniels, commanding.

Quincannon. Thank you, sir.

These are Lieutenants Williams,

McMartin and Rader.

And this is Lieutenant Hauser,

our navigator.

We're gonna put him

in a glass case in a museum.

- Did a good job, Hauser.

- The island looked pretty good to me, sir.

- Me too.

- Yes, I guess it did at that.

- Looks better than anytime since Monday.

- You mean Sunday, don't you?

Monday here was Sunday in Honolulu.

You've crossed the date line.

He's a pursuit pilot, major.

They don't get around very much.

Could we bunk down

for five or six hours, sir?

We haven't had much sleep.

In six hours, you better be

five and a half hours out.

With the beacons, Japs don't have

to wait till daylight to call.

- My orders are to get you out in 20 minutes.

- Twenty minutes?

That's right.

- What do you say, sergeant?

- Well, we're halfway to Manila now, sir.

Don't see any reason

we can't make it the rest of the way.

- Could use some help.

- Take all the men you need, sergeant.

All right.

You first five men come with me.

Get the cowling off number 3 engine.

Quincannon, our commander,

Major Bagley, wants to talk to you.

Yes, sir.

- So they really got the Arizona?

- Yes, sir.

Hickam Field was hit

just as bad as Pearl Harbor.

A lot of fifth column work.

We got practically nothing

off the ground, sir.

I've studied all the wars of history,

gentlemen.

I've never come across

any dirty treachery like that.

How many airplanes have you got, sir?

A week ago, we didn't have any.

A few days ago, they flew in 12 fighters

from one of the carriers.

Eight were destroyed

after they came in from patrol.

Only four left, sir?

Only two. And one of those can't fly.

But those four Grummans

took on 60 Nips this afternoon.

Shot down plenty of them too.

Hogan and Ingersol got theirs.

I think you knew them.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, I did.

I suppose the Japs will be back, major.

What are you gonna do then?

We got a lad catching a few winks of sleep

that will take them all on single-handed.

- Lieutenant Rose.

- Bertie Rose?

- That's him.

- You guys remember Rose, don't you?

- Sure.

- Everybody kidded him about his size.

- Little bitty squirt about that high.

- Sure, we knew him.

I'd like to stand up and salute him.

Could we talk to him before we take off?

I'll tell him you wanted to see him.

He needs rest.

We have to roust him out any minute...

...and he hasn't had

much of a chance to sleep lately.

- Ship's ready, sir.

- All right, sergeant.

And good luck to you.

It's been nice seeing you boys.

Go out and blast the Japs.

Teach them that treachery can't win

no matter how much of a head start it has.

You young fellows will have to do that.

We're only fighting a delaying action here.

You can't hold out, sir?

I've got 400 Marines

and they're fighting mad.

There's gonna be some Jap tail feathers

flying around this island or I'm crazy.

Major Bagley, can't we fly you out, sir?

You and the rest of the wounded?

No, thanks, I'm fine here.

I'm not worth my weight in gasoline.

Me or anybody else.

They need that ship of yours in Manila.

Get it there.

- Yes, sir.

- Oh, by the way...

...if you see my old boss,

General MacArthur...

...tell him, no matter what the news is...

...we'll be in here pitching

till they strike us out.

All right, sir, we will.

- I'll see you all somewhere.

- So long.

- Best of luck to you.

- Thanks.

- You think we ought to take him with us?

- He wouldn't leave this island...

...if you got him a lower berth

in a Pullman.

- There you go.

- One for the wife, one for the kid.

He'll be old enough to read

by the time I get back.

- Don't lose them, soldier.

- Don't worry.

I was gonna leave a letter here

for the Clipper.

She got away yesterday.

Twenty-six bullet holes in her.

- Crew so mad they wanted to stay and fight.

- The old man got tough with them.

- Take care of this one.

- This one too.

Come on.

We don't want Tripoli to get hurt.

- Gave him the rank of top sergeant.

- No pedigree, but he sure can fight.

- He'd tackle a Jap three times his size.

- Anything.

No, I wish I could,

but I'd get in an awful jam.

Give him to the Marines in Manila.

We gotta get him out of here.

- Come on, soldier.

- It's against regulations, pal.

- I can't take that dog onboard with me.

- You can.

- Wanna get me busted?

- You're not...

He's trained too. Look.

Tripoli, do you like Mr. Moto?

- See?

- Ain't that cute, Winocki?

- He's smart.

- What do you say, Brooklyn?

- Come on, soldier.

- Give him a kiss.

Gee, I'd like to, honest, but...

Gee, here goes my promotion.

- That's a good fellow.

- Duck. Here they come.

- Well, goodbye, sir. And luck.

- Same to you, boys.

- Anything we can do for you in Manila?

- You might send us more Japs.

- We'll try to.

- So long.

- Good luck, men.

- Good luck, sir.

Bye, sir.

What's the matter, Bill, can't you sleep?

No, I keep thinking of those marines

back there on Wake.

- They haven't got a prayer, Irish.

- No, I know they haven't.

But they're gonna have some fun

before anybody gets on that island.

Yeah.

How are things, sergeant?

Oh, I'm kind of...

What the...?

Why, it's a dog.

Who belongs to this?

Look at that. Is that your dog, chief?

It ain't my dog. What kind

of a crew chief do you think I am?

- I was just asking.

- Who brought him onboard?

- Well, maybe he just walked on.

- And tied himself in a sack?

- Come on, who did it?

- I didn't.

You, Weinberg?

- Maybe the Marines done it.

- Sure.

- If I'm not mistaken, they had a dog.

- His name was Rover.

- No, his name was Tripoli.

- Talk fast.

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