Courage Under Fire Page #2

Did you listen to the tape, sir?

Colonel, the war's over.

You and I have been given

the great responsiblility and privllege...

..of investigating combat medals

for our army.

In other words, we've been passed over.

I prefer to think of it

as a second chance, Nat.

We understand each other?

Yes, sir.

OK.

The White House heard we're considering

the Medal of Honour for a chopper pllot...

..who saved some guys

on a downed Blackhawk.

- Naturally they want it for Veterans Day.

- Naturally.

Which is why

you're taking over the inquiry.

We've got the rescued soldiers

in there for debriefing.

Attention.

Morning. Take your seats.

Everything in order?

- Just going over the sequence of events.

- Bring Colonel Serling up to speed.

Morning, sir.

Good to see you again.

Could we get a picture

of you and the survivors?

No, thank you.

- Keep me in the loop.

- Thank you, sir.

- Morning.

- Morning.

Doug Bruno, White House.

Do everything my way and well be fine.

Nat Serling.

Ill, uh, get out ofyour way.

- Major.

- Sir.

these men were part of a refuelling convoy.

Their Blackhawk was shot down

by an SA-7 west ofAI Kufan.

Five seconds after it locked on,

we were down.

- We didn't know what hit us.

- Our lines were surrounding them so fast,...

..we got caught in a pocket of resistance.

Iraqi ground troops on the ridge above

kept them completely pinned down.

Did you discuss surrendering?

Yes, sir, we did.

We were all wounded one way or another.

We weren't trained

for that kind of situation, sir.

Don't have to make excuses to me.

Go on, Sam.

That's all we got so far, sir.

OK.

- Lieutenant Chelli.

- Yes, sir.

Well,

as ifthings weren't bad enough already,...

..one oftheir T-54s...

..joins the ragheads up on the ridge.

(tank engine)

Incoming! Get down!

That round

kills the medic, Relleno, Gerspach,...

..and, uh, Egan here lost his leg.

So we figure that's it. We're dead.

But then we hear it.

Nothing like the sound of an inbound Huey.

(helicopter)

Yeah!

Yeah!

(Serling) This Huey, didit take anyfire?

Right offthe bat.

But this time

when the Huey comes back, it returns fire.

Ground troops go for cover.

Then the Huey circles back over the tank...

That's when

they threw something overboard.

- Threw something, or something fell off?

- I couldn't tell, but the tank blew.

Oh!

Yeah!

Man, did it ever blow!

We, uh, we never did see

what knocked the Huey down.

(explosion)

We couldn't see the crash.

That night we caught sporadic ground fire.

The Huey was down below,

between us and the enemy,...

..so they caught most of it.

Any communications

between you and them?

No, sir. As I said, our radio was wasted.

Shouting just draws enemy fire.

So the Iraqis,

they start to close in on the Huey...

..under cover fire,...

..and the Huey returns fire.

We figure it's all over,

and that's when we hear the rescue team.

Cobras, Hueys...

And a big-ass A-10 Thunderbolt.

I swear I never heard such a sweet sound.

But now the f***ers are...

I'm sorry, sir.

The Iraqis are letting loose with all they got.

- You were right the first time.

- (laughter)

Plus the Huey crew is stillbanging away.

We load our wounded aboard,...

..and that's when

somebody decided to leave the dead.

I guess it was the commander ofthe rescue.

Mm-hmm.

And this... Huey crew,...

.they, uh, they returned fire

all through the final rescue?

Yes, sir. I... I think so.

I couldn't see much, though.

I heard it.

Nothing else sounds like an M-16.

Not no A-K or M-60.

I heard it, too.

The last thing we see is the Thunderbolt

dropping napalm on the downed choppers.

I don't know if it was Captain Walden...

..but that Huey...

..saved our lives.

It sure sounds like it.

OK.

Thank you for your help.

Ill look over your statements.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Colonel.

Thatll be all.

- Got something for me?

- I do, sir.

Walden's 201 file. Evaluation reports.

You know I'm going to need

background on these guys.

Make sure we don't have a wife-beater

or an illegal allen or gays.

Thatll blow it.

About this Congressional Medal of Honour.

It's not the Congressional Medal of Honour.

It's just the Medal of Honour.

Tell that to Congress.

If Captain Walden wins this medal...

You don't win it. You, uh, receive it.

It's not a contest.

But that is perfect. That is why I'm here.

I'm not here

to get down your throat, make you crazy,...

..take these facts and twist them.

I just want to get these nuances out

of your head and to get it straight from you.

- It's a woman.

- You didn't know?

What did you think the hoopla was about?

Banacek's got information

on three of Walden's men.

- The crew chief we're still tracking.

- This is Captain Karen Emma Walden.

She's the first woman ever to be nominated

for a Medal of Honour for combat.

I mean, this is gold.

It's gold.

Unfortunately it's posthumous,...

..but I've got her Little daughter.

I got the President of the United States.

It's all set in the Rose Garden.

The President's going to lean down and

hang that ribbon round that pretty face.

There is not going to be

a dry eye from Nashua to Sacramento.

Excuse us.

OK, it was 5 to 1,...

..hook shot.

Me and her are cheerleaders.

- More mashed potatoes.

- (woman) Sorry, no more potatoes,...

..but how about some bread?

Aah!

(Boylar) Aah!

Daddy, can I have your mashed potatoes?

Daddy?

Sir?

Can I have your mashed potatoes?

M... Yeah. Sure.

Yeah,...

..soldier.

You want 'em all?

(telephone rings)

That enough?

More?

Hello?

Yes.

Uh, who is calling, please?

Just a minute.

It's for you.

Who is it?

Somebody Gartner.

Want some more peas?

Excuse me.

Where are you going?

Fort Hood.

General Hershberg's got me investigating

a Medal of Honour.

It's a woman.

Good for her.

Posthumous.

Too bad, but still good for her.

Mmm. Too bad.

You talk to the investigators today?

Right.

It's all right, isn't it, Nat?

Yeah. Fine.

How long are you gone for?

Couple of days.

Then why are you emptying

your sock drawer?

I may be gone more than a couple of days.

Nat.

Yes.

I don't know what's happening.

Everything's fine.

I'm handling it.

(Nat) Mr. Rady,

you were Captain Walden's copilot.

That's right.

(Nat) Can you tell me

what you remember about AlKufan?

I remember the earth.

I remember... llario's face.

I wish...

- She hadn't needed to be a hero so bad.

- That's not fair.

We were just doing our job.

It's not Ren's fault I got hit.

She sure as hell saved the lives

of those guys on the Blackhawk.

- You always defend her.

- Why didn't you like her?

She was so butch.

Honey, shut up.

She was, you know.

One of those women

who want to be officers...

Annie, shut up.

She gave her life for those men.

She was a soldier.

There she blows.

(gunfire)

- We're taking fire!

- Holy sh*t!

- Kill that motherf***er, Bonfires!

- I may as well be pissing on him.

- We need a f***ing air strike!

- We got no f***ing bomb!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes