Battle Cry Page #7

there could be a place like this.

Come with me. I've got something

I want to show you.

- Do you want to come along?

- I'll help Mama with dinner.

Come on, Hank.

What do you think of him, Mother?

Why, he's built like a bull.

- What kind of a soldier is he?

- He's not a soldier, he's a Marine.

A Marine?

Oh, yes, they call them roughnecks.

No, no, leathernecks.

You'd need a horse's collar to get around him.

Patty is touchy about

what I'm going to show you...

...but she loves this land

as all of us Rogers do. That I know.

Running off to Wellington

proved nothing to the contrary.

When the wire came about her husband,

she just left us...

...just couldn't get adjusted to herself.

Then when her brother Timmy was killed,

she didn't seem to want to ever return.

This land was bought for Timmy.

I suppose the land belongs to Patty now.

My son planted that ax before he went away.

He said he'd return one day and clear this land.

I'm afraid the ax is frozen, Andy.

You handle that ax just like my son Timmy.

As I was saying, Andy, life here is simple.

Not much like your America.

A good wife, a good pipe, a good dog...

...and a piece of land.

It's the only way to live.

I hope you don't mind

the whole clan busting in tonight...

...but we haven't seen Patty in a long time...

...and we need cause to gather now and then.

They were all wonderful.

I hope they liked me.

Yank, they loved you.

It's not a happy lot for us, Andy.

So many of our boys gone.

Come along, old girl.

Let's turn in and give the young folks

a chance before the log dies out.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Pat, we're leaving New Zealand soon,

and I want you to know one thing.

I'm glad I came here,

and I'm glad I found you.

You don't know how fouled up I am inside me.

It's the kind of a thing

a guy can't shake overnight.

The only women I ever knew

were in the halls of the lumber towns.

Maybe it's a good thing about us leaving.

Maybe I can get myself squared away.

I know how scared you are over losing

your husband and your brother.

Do you suppose you'll

ever come back to New Zealand?

You can never tell about the Marines.

Here today, gone tomorrow.

Andy, stop.

We both know you'll never come back.

Oh, this rotten war.

Look, I know we're just friends,

but would you write me?

I never get letters like the other guys.

Would you write me?

I mean, nothing to tie you down.

Just stuff about the farm and your family, things like that.

Would you?

I'll write to you.

Pat, I never knew there could be

a place like this...

...or people so nice. Like your family.

Honey, could I...?

No, Andy, no.

We mustn't. We mustn't.

Don't be angry with me, Andy.

I'm not angry, Pat.

I understand, honey.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Time had run out.

Christmas Eve 1942 services were held

in a warehouse on the Wellington docks.

Afterwards we boarded the transports

known as the Unholy Four...

... and steamed from Wellington Bay full of fight...

... and confident that we

would soon be storming a beachhead.

A week later we dropped anchor in Skylark Channel...

... off an island known as Guadalcanal.

And then we got the word.

There would be no beachhead here

for Huxley's battalion.

Our

A dirty mop-up campaign.

As Marines, we took it

like any other order...

... but it was a blow

to the pride of Huxley's Harlots.

Weary Marines of the 1 st Division,

after five months fighting...

... stood by on the beach to be relieved.

- Say, what town is this, cousin?

- Guadalcanal, buster.

I didn't catch the name

of your fine-looking outfit.

The fighting 6th Marines.

Well, well, well.

Hey, boys! Strike up the band!

Huxley's Hookers finally got here!

Sarge, where's the nearest gin mill?

What do you guys think this is?! Fall in

on the double! Column of three! Snap it up!

- Get off the road!

- Get off the road!

We've had some casualties, sir.

Evacuate them to the beach.

- Call them in, Mac.

- On the road! Let's go!

There were only a few actual skirmishes

with the elusive Japanese.

Our main enemy became the jungle.

The mosquitoes and the land crabs.

Malaria. Yellow jaundice and fungus.

The blistering sun

and the tropical downpours.

For a month we played cat and mouse

with the remnants of the Japanese force.

And then at last we cornered them

on an end of the island...

... and brought an end to organized

resistance on Guadalcanal.

We boarded ship again and sailed for Wellington.

We were a dog-tired crew, but there

hadn't been much of a fight to talk about.

Perhaps the greatest wound of all

had been to our pride.

As New Zealand appeared on the horizon...

... we eagerly anticipated

renewing old friendships.

And for some, seeing loved ones again.

Hello, Pat.

I went down to the canteen,

but you weren't there.

Well, don't stand there,

come on in.

We knew you were back, but it

was so difficult to get information...

...I didn't know when to expect you.

Andy, do sit down.

I have some tea ready.

We no sooner than dumped our gear

than they gave us 10 days leave.

I got myself a hotel room

here in Wellington.

You don't look well.

It's the heat. I'm all right.

The battalion lost a couple of dozen guys.

Remember Ski? He got it.

I guess he didn't want

to live anyhow, though.

A lot of the guys

are sick and wounded.

We'll be okay in a couple of weeks, though.

I shouldn't have filled it so full.

I'm all right, just a little shaky.

Guadalcanal must have been frightful.

I shan't ask you about it.

Well, I got me a leave.

Three months furlough.

I mean three months back pay.

I think I'll take me in

some of the country.

You look as though you could do

with some rest.

- Why don't you go to the farm?

- I don't want to go to the farm.

- I feel so hot.

- Andy...

I think you might have malaria, Andy.

No, I'd know malaria.

You're burning up.

- Let me get you to a hospital.

- I'm not going to a hospital.

Don't be so obstinate.

I'm not gonna spend my furlough in a hospital.

Call me a cab, I'll go to my hotel and sweat it out.

I'll call you in a couple of days.

I'll be all right.

Please let me take you to a hospital.

I'm freezing, honey.

I'm getting those chills again.

I'm freezing.

Get me a blanket.

Ski! Ski!

Run for it! Ski!

Run for it, Ski! Run for it.

Run for it, Ski!

Run for it, Ski!

Run for it! Ski! Run for it!

Run for it, Ski!

Ski, Ski! Run, run!

How long have I been here?

Three days.

I'm sorry, honey.

I must say, you gave me a bit of a fright.

You look all beat.

Did you get any sleep?

I caught a wink or two.

You've been through hell.

Nobody's ever done anything

like this for me before.

Andy, I was so frightened.

I'm not keeping any more lamps in the window...

...or waiting for any more ships in the bay.

This war has done me in.

I want you while you're here.

That's all that matters, that's all.

It's not right for you to talk like that.

Andy, you're here and you're safe.

I can have you for a little while.

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