Between Heaven and Hell Page #5

The radio went dead, Waco.

We came to get batteries.

Oh, what you want to listen

to the radio for?

All you'll hear is somebody tellin'

you you've been relieved.

- But you ain't relieved.

Get back to outpost!

- Easy, Waco.

Captain Grimes,

and don't you forget it!

And I've been put in charge

until they name the new C.O.

Now don't you forget that!

The batteries are in there.

Hold it!

I ain't dismissed you yet.

I may have been relieved, but I'm

still ranking officer around here.

A man can stand so much.

Then he ain't a man anymore.

Well, I've stood about all I can.

You... you used to be a sergeant,

didn't you, Gifford?

Yeah, well, I was a sergeant, too.

First sergeant.

20 years in the regular army.

It was a real army then,

not like it is now.

Millard was in my outfit.

Ask him. Swanson, too. Ask him!

- You'd better be starting back...

- Don't give me no orders!

They busted both of us, Gifford.

You to private, and me to captain.

You guys think I'm yellow,

don't you?

Well, I'm not.

Here, look at this.

Look at it.

Look at it!

They gave it to me for what I did at

Schofield Barracks on Pearl Harbor Day.

No, I ain't yellow.

It's just that I don't want to get knocked

off by a crummy sniper on a crummy island.

Now that I've been relieved,

they'll send me back to Schofield.

When I get there the first thing I'm gonna do

is send to Waco, Texas, for my wife.

You know,

Honolulu's the only place to live.

I ought to know.

I lived there for 20 years.

All my time in the army.

- All right, you can take over now.

- OK, Waco.

- Captain Grimes!

- OK, Captain Grimes!

Oh, this is a sloppy outfit! Discipline.

Discipline, that's what you need!

Let me tell you something.

There's gonna be a lot of people relieved

when I get back to regiment.

Gifford.

Gifford...

You're the one that took that patrol to...

Norzagaray, aren't you?

Yes, sir.

That was a fine job.

Yeah, it was a real fine job.

I'm gonna see they

make you a sergeant again.

Don't worry, Swanson. I'll have you and

Millard back with me in a couple of days.

I won't let 'em throw you

to the wolves.

Ten-hut!

Where were you guys trained? Don't you

know enough to salute an officer?

All right. I don't need a driver.

Can't you keep your vehicle

in running order?

There's a lot of useless people around here.

I'm gonna get rid of 'em. What I need is...

Sniper!

Let's get the batteries.

Hey, Sam, wait a minute.

Leave it alone.

Hey, you guys up there!

Joe?

- Joe, who's that?

- Be quiet.

Hey, you guys up there!

Hold your fire! We're reinforcements!

Lillie Lollipop!

Sorry, boys. Waco didn't

give us the countersign.

- When'd you talk to Waco?

- Not more than an hour ago, Joe.

All right.

Come on out where we can see you.

OK, but don't fire any flares. There are

enemy soldiers all over this hill!

You'll just have to let us

walk up in the dark.

All right, come on in!

Wait for me to fire.

We had a hard time finding you guys.

How many men you got, Joe?

Seven. How about you?

A full squad. Nine men.

Glad to see you.

Aah!

Aah!

- Willie?

- Yeah, Joe?

I've been hit.

- I'll help you, Joe.

- Stay in your hole.

Take it easy.

Willie, get back to your hole.

That's an order.

First one I ever gave you.

Oh. Oh, Willie.

- Sam?

- Yeah?

Joe's dead.

There's only the two of us left.

Think you're gonna make it, Sam?

I don't know. I don't know.

You a rich man, Sam?

Yeah, I guess you'd say so.

How's it feel?

Oh, right now it doesn't

make much difference.

I always wished I had money.

Maybe you will have.

Nah.

I'm nothin' but a sharecropper.

Croppers'll be better

off after the war.

You think so?

Mine will. That's for sure.

You ever been in Walnut Creek?

Yeah.

What'd you think of it?

Not much.

Yeah, it ain't much of a town.

I ain't goin' back there after the war.

- Where you goin'?

- Gray's Landing.

Hey, that's great.

Can I get a job workin' for you?

Sure.

What kind? Truck driver?

I'm a good truck driver.

All right. You're hired.

How much you pay?

Oh, 150 a month.

Lot of money for a fella

that's lived on 300 a year.

Any good-lookin' girls in

Gray's Landing?

- Lots of 'em.

- Reckon they'd go for me?

- Sure.

- Even if I'm a country jake?

They'd be foolish if they didn't.

I wouldn't want no high-class woman.

You can find the kind you want.

How'd you get along on 300 a year?

Growed the vittles.

Ma canned 'em.

That's no way to live.

Lots of folks do it that way.

My croppers might have,

but they never will again.

You used to be rough

on your croppers?

Yeah.

Why?

Well, didn't know any better.

What made you change?

Oh, people.

What they've done for me.

You're one of them, Willie.

I ain't done nothin' for you, Sam.

You've done more than you know,

and I won't forget.

I won't forget anybody.

Think you're gonna make it now?

Yeah.

Yeah, I... I think so, Willie.

I reckon you will, Sam.

Look out!

- Willie.

- My leg.

- Does it hurt you bad?

- No. But it scares me.

Blood really scares me.

Not you, though.

Your hands ain't shakin'.

They will be.

Sam, look down at that river.

We haven't got a chance

with that many.

My leg's ruined, ain't it?

No, Willie. It'll be stiff,

but I've heard of stiff-legged

truck drivers, Willie.

Sam, you better make a run for it.

These hills'll be crawlin'

with 'em pretty soon.

You get out before we

get cut off.

I'm staying with you.

We'll be relieved before long.

Don't argue. Take the B.A.R. and go.

I don't wanna see your wife a widow.

I can't go runnin' away like that, Willie.

You're my friend.

Well, you ain't my friend if

you don't go.

Go on. Git.

That's better.

It's got a full magazine.

And a couple of extras.

See you in Gray's Landing.

You'll see me before that.

Gifford!

Gifford! What happened, boy?

What happened?

Let go! Willie's up there.

Hold it! Hold it.

Easy, Sam. Let me help you.

Give me the gun.

- Don't try!

- We only wanna help you, buddy.

All right, now come on, Sam.

- Give me the gun, huh?

- Stay back.

I've got to see the colonel.

I gotta see the colonel!

I-I gotta see him...

What's goin' on here?

- Colonel!

- What is it? What's happened?

Colonel, there's a hill

called Parade George.

Yes.

Willie Crawford's up there.

He's the only man alive,

and he's badly wounded.

You gotta get him down.

Lt Thomas, take two half-tracks full of men

and get up there. Take a couple of medics.

I want that man off the hill and I

want him off fast, so on the double.

Yes, sir!

- You, go get the doctor.

- Yes, sir.

You men, give me a hand here.

Take him inside.

Hey, wait a minute. Wait. Listen,

I'm not leavin' here without Willie.

- Take it easy, soldier.

- Relax, son.

- Can he have a cigarette?

- Yes, sir.

I'm not leaving here without Willie.

Not without Willie.

One of the half-tracks was just

on the radio. They're bringing him in.

What's the doctor's report?

It'll be a long time

before he sees combat again.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes