Decision Before Dawn Page #2

Well, we're finally gonna pay a visit

to your German friends, Pete.

Pardon me, but if I may,

I'd like to talk with you about my duties.

Well, it can wait

till morning, can't it?

How about coming to Sarrebourg?

lt'll give you an idea of what it's all about.

- Votre sant, messieurs-

or should I say, prost.

- Prost.!

No, sir. Not me. When a man gets his life

handed back to him like I just did...

he'd be a fool

to put it up for sale again.

- I'll do any kind of work you want, but-

- Next man.

I have never been

interested in politics.

They forced me to join the party.

It was the only way I could get a promotion.

All right. Next man.

Sergeant Rudolph Barth reporting, sir.

At ease, Sergeant. Sit down.

- You smoke?

- Yes, sir. I do.

Dick?

- Thank you.

- Uh, not now.

What unit were you with

when captured?

Twenty-fourth Infantry-

or what was left of it.

- Did you desert?

- No, sir. I was caught by one

of your patrols while, uh-

while visiting the wife

of an Alsatian farmer.

She was a very lonely woman, sir.

How long have you been

in the Wehrmacht, Barth?

- Since '41, unfortunately.

- And before that?

I worked in a Panzer factory in Hamburg,

and before that I was with the circus.

Yes, sir. I took care of two tigers

and a lion- a lioness to be exact.

- I lost my job when the old woman died.

- Have you ever been in jail?

- Yes sir, in '36 in Dsseldorf

and in '42 in Norway.

- And what were the charges?

In civilian life, theft,

and in the army-

how shall I say-

uh, insubordination.

I hope it won't

count against me.

- And what are your political convictions?

- My political convictions?

- Never been able to afford any.

- Then why do you want to work for us?

Because you are winning the war.

Isn't that a good enough reason?

Well, good or bad,

I suppose it's a valid one.

In other words, you don't mind the general

disaster, as long as you come out ahead.

If you want to put it that way.

I guess a few years ago, for the same reason,

you were shouting, "Sieg heil."

No. Not that.

That was one swindle I never fell for.

They were too much like my cats

to suit me- dangerous to turn your back on.

Would you work for us

even if it meant risking your life?

I didn't expect the job

to be safe or pleasant.

Why should you take Germans for safe work

when your own people are in danger?

- All right, Sergeant. We'll think about it.

- Next.

This next guy's supposed to be

an experienced radioman.

- Pardon me. May I ask you

a question now, sir?

- What is it?

How much do you pay?

Thanks a lot, Sergeant. Don't forget to keep

our guys separated from the others.

I know what you mean, sir.

I'll take care of it. This way, sir.

- Look.

- I wonder what he's doing here.

Don't you know? They look for

volunteers who will work for them.

- Have they found any?

- Yes. But there are men here

who will remember their names.

And someday, when we've won,

they'll be taken care of.

"When we've won"? You still believe in that?

Here they come-

the volunteers.

Look at them. They are ready to do

anything just to save their own hides.

- Like most of us.

- What did you say?

Yes, we are no different

from them.

We didn't care what happened to others

as long as they didn't bother any of us.

We just closed our eyes and went along

until we found ourselves

forced to fight the wrong enemy.

You sound as if you're all set

to join the Americans yourself.

I don't know.

That takes courage.

The trouble with me is I want to stay alive.

Like most of us, I talk but I do nothing.

Paul? Paul, are you asleep?

No. What is it?

Did you see their faces

this morning out in the yard?

Yes. For some of them,

nothing is changed- even now.

Richter, the Amis

want you for questioning.

- The Americans want me now?

- Yes. Come with me.

Sergeant Paul Richter...

you are facing a court-martial

of the Wehrmacht.

You are accused of treason

against your fhrer and your fatherland.

Have you anything to say

in your defense?

- What are you doing here?

- Eavesdropping, eh?

Get it over with.

Quick!

- What happened?

- One of the P. W.'s

fell out of the window.

Let's get him inside

before there's more trouble.

- Hey, you fellas,

come over with that light.

- All right.

- Break it up, guys.

- Come on. There's nothing to look at.

Break it up, I said.

Get back to your bunks.

- Which room did the guy fall from?

- Fall? Are you kidding?

He was pushed.

Better keep

your mouth shut, Junge.

All right. Let's go.

Well, what about you?

Let's go.

- Monsieur Rennick. Monsieur Rennick.

- Yeah?

Sergeant Watkins asked me to tell you,

there is a German to see you

downstairs. A soldier.

- Morning, Griffin.

- Morning, sir.

You wanted to see me?

What's it all about?

I remembered you from

the morning I was captured, sir.

I thought maybe you can help me.

- The morning you were captured?

- Don't you remember those Krauts

we picked up in Hagenau woods?

Oh, yeah.

How's your friend doin'?

He was killed, sir, ten days ago.

He was killed? By whom?

- He was murdered

by some of the other prisoners.

- Yeah, I heard about that.

- He was pushed out of a window, wasn't he?

- Yes.

- Coffee, Dick?

- No, thanks.

- Is that why you came here?

- No, sir.

It is-Well...

I want to work for you, and I thought

you might be able to help me.

- You know what you're gettin' into?

- It doesn't matter.

Even if it means fighting

against your own people?

I believe fighting against them now

is fighting for them.

You sure it isn't the murder of your friend

that's prompting you to do this?

No, sir. That was only

the last thing that happened.

- Sit down.

- Thank you.

Look, it's none of my business,

but the job you'll have to do here...

isn't as clean and simple

as you may think.

I don't feel there's any difference

between one way of fighting or another.

Isn't the important thing to believe in

what you're fighting for?

Well, what do you believe in?

Do you know?

Or does it change

when your crowd's taking a beating?

Pete, got a cigarette? Sit down, Corporal.

Don't let me interrupt.

- Thank you, sir.

- Go ahead. What do you believe in?

I don't quite know

how to say it...

but I believe in a life

in which one is not always afraid...

in a life in which people are free

and honest with each other.

And I know we won't have this

in Germany... until- until we have lost.

That sounds great. What makes you so sure

you'll be able to stick to these convictions?

Things will change.

You'll be facing your own people.

It may become hard for you

then to hold on to your beliefs.

No, not any harder

than it has been.

Not any harder than fighting

for something I knew was wrong.

You were a medic.

You didn't really fight.

To be there is to fight.

There's something in what you say,

Corporal. Griffin. Griffin!

- Yes, sir?

- Tell Major Richards I want to

keep this man here a few days.

- Yes, sir.

- We'll let you know.

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