Flags of Our Fathers Page #2

Rene?

Look like a goddamn corpse.

Three points of contact on that rope

at all times.

Next four. Over the side.

Let's go. Keep moving.

Next four, over the side.

Just keep your eye

on the guy below you.

That's all you gotta look at.

Watch me, Doc, just watch me.

Keep three points of contact

on the rope at all times.

You see? No big thing.

Just one step at a time and keep

your hands on the vertical rope.

Remember, once you're in the boat

move away from the rope.

Just make sure you keep three points

of contact on the rope.

I got him!

All right, get that man out of the water.

Give me a hand.

Grab his pack.

Don't worry about him, Doc.

All right, quit skylarking! Keep it moving!

He'll be fine.

Our target, Island X,

is an ugly, smelly,

dirty little scab of rock called lwo Jima.

It means "Sulfur Island,"

which accounts for the smell.

Looks sort of like a burnt pork chop,

you ask me.

After 20 straight days of bombing

you won't find a blade of grass

or a twig on it.

It wasn't that pretty to start with.

Captain?

Lwo's just five-and-a-half miles long,

two-and-a-half wide.

There's a lump down at the bottom.

That's Mount Suribachi.

On the maps in front of you

the island is white.

Not much of it.

The black dots represent

known enemy emplacements.

Coastal defense guns,

dual-mount dual-purpose guns,

covered artillery emplacements.

Rifle pits, foxholes, antitank guns

machine guns, blockhouses, pillboxes,

and earth-covered structures.

I don't see any barracks

or any other structures.

That's right.

And we still don't know why.

Now, this isn't just any island to them.

This isn't Tarawa, Guam, Tinian,

or Saipan.

This is Japanese soil, sacred ground.

Twelve thousand Japanese defenders

in eight square miles.

They will not leave politely, gentlemen.

It's up to us to convince them.

The 28th will land here at Green Beach.

The 8th Ammo Company

will land here to re-supply.

The Suribachi's guns

are the biggest problem.

They can hit any point on the island.

We're sitting ducks

until we take them out.

That's our job.

We cut across the island, right at the

base, slit its throat, lop off its head.

And we take that mountain.

We take that mountain,

we take their big guns.

We take their eyes.

Okay, I'm heading in. Follow me.

Let's put a good show on

for the Marines.

Close it up.

Take it right down to the deck.

Yeah, boys!

Man overboard portside!

See him?

Throw me a line!

He's right there.

- Where is he?

- Watch out, watch out, watch out.

Hawaii's that way!

Just keep paddling, Mac,

we'll catch you on the way back!

Hold on, they're gonna lower a raft!

They're not gonna stop.

What?

None of them are. They can't.

So much for "No man left behind."

- Sir.

- Come on in.

Look, I've had to make

a few other changes.

I'm promoting you to platoon sergeant.

- Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.

- You bet.

Trouble is, I already told my men

I'd see them through this.

That your

James Cagney impersonation?

'Cause I've heard better.

Well, I'll keep practicing, then.

Look, this isn't

your first time through this.

- You don't need to prove anything.

- No, sir.

You're not the best sergeant

I've ever had,

you're just the best one

that's still walking.

- Block's a good man.

- Yes, sir, he is.

The men know him, he can step right in.

You know,

I have actually thought this through.

Platoon sergeant puts you further away

from the bullets.

I already gave them my word, sir.

I told them I'd bring them all home

to their mothers

which means I already lied to half

of them. Can't lie to the rest.

- How are your men?

- They'll do fine.

Except maybe Gagnon.

Our own Tyrone Power?

Yes, sir. He's a good man, just might be

better use further back from the lines.

I'll use him as a runner.

All right. Thank you, sir.

Now get out of here.

Hear the good news, Doc?

We're going in with the first waves.

Hey, you do that again

I'll take your head off!

F***ing dominoes.

Iggy, have you ever heard news

you considered to be bad?

The first ones off the ship, Doc.

Means we don't go over

the side of the ship.

We hop on a tractor,

they drive us right there.

Oh, sh*t, that is good news.

You see? What'd I tell you?

What's going on?

Look at that.

We're killing them!

We're killing them, Doc.

I was promised 10 days of shelling.

You're giving me three

and saying that's the best you can do?

I don't give a sh*t! My men hit

that beach with less than 10

and I'll be taking them home

to their mamas in buckets!

Yeah, I know exactly why.

Because every Navy man with

a scrambled egg on his chest

wants to offload us here

and sail to Japan

so they can be there for the big finish,

tell their kids they captured

the Emperor all by themselves.

Well, you aren't going to Japan

unless we take this piece of sh*t island!

These little pricks are dug in!

Okay, appreciate that, Jim.

Three days is a f***ing beautiful thing.

Sharpen your knife or bayonet?

I'm okay.

Sharpen your knife or bayonet?

Jesus, lggy, just leave me alone,

all right?

How about you guys? Knife? Bayonet?

Kick in the ass?

How about you, Doc?

Sharpen your knife?

You sharpened it three times already.

Well, then I better make sure

I didn't nick it.

Good man, Doc.

- Hey, Doc.

- Yeah.

When we land, try not to wave

this kit around too much.

They got sharpshooters

that are trained to look for them.

And they know that

if they take out a corpsman

another dozen Marines

will die unattended. All right?

Okay, Mike.

Yeah, right there.

Close the damn door. For God's sake.

Yeah, like that's gonna help.

That your girlfriend, Chief?

Bet she's a pretty

damn good-looking squaw.

Bet you're missing her,

and that little wigwam of yours.

Welcome, all Marines off lwo Jima.

We have a long-time wait...

It's what they do to prisoners,

- at least the lucky ones.

- Jesus.

If I were you, cowpokes, I wouldn't think

about waving a white bandanna.

Poor Marines, so far from home

for no good reason.

Think of your girls back home,

waiting for you.

But a girl cannot stay home every night.

So who do you think

they're with tonight?

And will she let him kiss her?

And will he comfort her at your funeral?

This sweet music is to make you think

of your girls back home

who are missing you.

This is all for now.

I'll see you tomorrow night.

Gunners!

Move, let's go!

Let's go, get up on the berm!

Gunners!

We're clear!

Get up the berm!

Baker Company, move out!

- Seen Second Platoon?

- I don't see them.

First Squad, move it out!

God, this place reeks.

- Go, go, go!

- Move out!

Go, go, go, go! Go, go! Go! Go, go!

Drop your packs! Go!

All clear!

- Jesus, you needed some exercise?

- He got lost.

A hundred landing craft heading

for one beach and this guy gets lost.

Now I'm glad we did.

Jesus, what a mess.

Any theories why they ain't shooting?

It's getting on my nerves.

Maybe they're all dead.

What do you think, Doc?

You think they're all dead?

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