Flags of Our Fathers Page #4

then we trot you over

to shake hands with

a couple of hundred Congressmen

who won't pull a penny

out of their pockets.

Politicians and actors.

You put them in a restaurant together,

they'd die of old age

before picking up the check.

Then New York City, Times Square,

dinners with various hoi polloi,

then Chicago...

Who are these "Gold Star Mothers"?

That's what we're calling the mothers

of the dead flag-raisers.

You present each mother with a flag,

they say a few words,

people will sh*t money.

It'll be so moving.

But this says Hank Hansen's mom.

Lovely woman. She knows how close

you and her son were.

He wrote home about you.

She is very, very much

looking forward to meeting you.

Hank wasn't in the picture.

Sorry?

Hank didn't raise that flag.

He raised the other one, the real flag.

The what? The real...

The real flag? There's a real flag?

Yeah, ours was the replacement flag.

We put it up when they took

the other one down.

Am I the only one getting a headache

here? You know about this?

It was after it was already in the papers.

The mothers had already

been told, but...

That's it, that's beautiful.

Yeah, that's beautiful.

Yeah, why tell me?

I'm only the guy that has to explain it

to 150 million Americans.

Who is in the goddamn picture?

Are any of you guys

in the goddamn picture?

Yeah, we're in the goddamn picture.

Six guys raising a flag over lwo Jima.

Victory is ours.

You're three of them, right?

This was the fifth day, sir.

The battle went on for 35 more.

Well, what'd you do, raise a goddamn

flag every time you stopped for lunch?

Can I hit this guy?

You know what, I don't give a sh*t,

you're in the picture,

you raised the flag,

that's the story we're selling, boys.

Are you deaf? Hank isn't in the picture.

Harlon is in the picture.

Well, who the f*** is Harlon?

Harlon Block. That's whose mother

should be here if anyone's should be.

You know, I think this whole damn thing

is a farce, you ask me.

You know what they're calling

this bond drive? The Mighty Seventh.

They might've called it the

"We're Flat F***ing Broke

And Can't Even Afford Bullets

"So We're Begging For Your Pennies"

bond drive,

but it didn't have quite the ring.

They could've called it that, though,

because the last four bond drives

came up so short

we just printed money instead.

Ask any smart boy on Wall Street,

he'll tell you

our dollar is next to worthless,

we borrowed so much.

And nobody is lending any more.

Ships aren't being built.

Tanks aren't being built. Machine guns,

bazookas, hand grenades, zip.

You think this is a farce?

You want to go back to your buddies?

Well, stuff some rocks in your pockets

before you get on the plane

because that's all we got left

to throw at the Japanese.

And don't be surprised if your plane

doesn't make it off the runway

because the fuel dumps are empty.

And our good friends, the Arabs,

are only taking bullion.

If we don't raise $14 billion,

and that's million with a "B,"

this war is over by the end of the month.

We make a deal with the Japanese,

we give whatever they want

and we come home,

because you've seen them fight,

and they sure as sh*t ain't giving up.

$14 billion.

The last three drives

didn't make that much all together.

People on the street corners,

they looked at this picture

and they took hope.

Don't ask me why,

I think it's a crappy picture myself.

You can't even see your faces.

But it said we can win this war,

are winning this war,

we just need you to dig a little deeper.

They want to give us that money.

No, they want to give it to you.

But you, you don't want to ask for it.

You don't want to give them hope.

You want to explain about

this person and that flag.

Well, that's your choice.

Because if we admit we made a

mistake, that's all anybody'll talk about

and that will be that.

Gentlemen.

Mr. President, here they are.

- Well, hello. Good to see you.

- Mr. President.

Darn good to see you, boys.

Heard you had a hell of a fight

on your hands out there, hell of a fight.

Yes, sir.

Ira, you're off the Gila River Reservation

in Arizona, am I right?

Yes, Mr. President.

Being an Indian,

you are a truer American than any of us.

Bet your people are proud to see you

wear that uniform.

Very proud, sir.

They should be.

Well, I want to thank you for coming all

this way to Washington to help us out.

You fought for a mountain in the Pacific

now we need you to fight

for a mountain of cash.

- And I don't expect you'll let us down.

- No, sir.

Good. Go get it.

That's the end of this ceremony.

Let's take a look at this famous photo

over here, see if I can pick you out.

My gosh. There you are.

Boys. Boys, this one's on me.

To those who can't be with us.

Yes, sir.

Excuse me, Mr. Gagnon.

May we have your autograph?

I suppose.

And your name is?

I don't know about you,

but I get the impression

I'm drinking with the wrong heroes.

You're such a hero.

I feel honored to be in your presence.

That's just not true.

That's professional work.

Here, to professionals.

Here they are. You're the guys

in the photograph, right?

I heard you were on the train.

Let me shake your hands,

John Tennack.

John Bradley.

These boys are with me, Harvard

and Yale types, didn't fight a lick.

Pappies all rich sons-of-b*tches.

Boys, shake hands

with some real war heroes.

Excuse me for one moment.

You can buy them a drink

while you're at it.

That's right. Drinks for these men

all the way around.

And you're the other one, aren't you?

John Tennack, Tennack Homes.

- Rene Gagnon.

- Pleased to meet you.

Have a drink, come on.

And here's my card.

Listen to me, Rene,

when you get finished

being famous you come see me

because if you can sell bonds,

you can sell homes.

Now, they're not gonna build homes

anymore, they're gonna deliver them.

- You heard of prefab homes?

- No, sir.

Well, you will. And you hang on to that

card and you come see me, you hear?

- All right?

- Certainly will.

All right.

This sure takes it, huh, Doc?

If Mike and the guys could see us.

Yeah, they'd hardly believe it,

would they?

Harlon!

Franklin!

Can you imagine Franklin

on this train

eating at the dining car

with all the silver?

We shouldn't be here, Doc.

There's gonna be a Hallelujah Day

When the boys

have all come home to stay

And a million bands begin to play

We'll be dancing the Victory Polka

And when we've lit the torch of liberty

In each blacked-out land across the sea

Ira! Hey, Ira!

We heard the picture was posed!

What?

We heard you posed the picture!

Hey, Doc!

We're bigger than life, Doc!

And we'll heave a mighty sigh

When each gal can kiss the boy

she kissed goodbye

And they'll come marching down

Fifth Avenue

The United Nations in review

When this lovely dream

has all come true

We'll be dancing the Victory Polka

Good job.

Thank you.

Thank you, girls!

And now,

here are the men

you've been waiting to meet,

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