Flying Leathernecks Page #2

Cactus Base. Richter speaking.

Put Colonel Riley on.

He's right here, sir.

It's Colonel Richter, sir.

Hello, Red. How's it going?

Your overlay got here. Let's get a look

at it. I'll call you back in a minute.

Ring off.

General, Red's in trouble.

He's committed his reserves

and can't contain the Jap attack.

His right flank has been turned and

he's lost contact with the 42nd Marines.

Ground command will send the reserve

battalion in a flanking movement...

...through this gap. Right, colonel?

- Yes, sir.

- Is there a new ETA on our air support?

- No, sir, not for two days.

When you contact them, see if it's feasible

to use them in a strike at the north ridge.

Yes, sir. If there still is a north ridge.

Cactus Base, this is Dogface.

Request air support. Urgent.

I say again, request air support.

Urgent.

Jigsaw 1. Jigsaw 1.

This is Cactus Base.

How is your fuel? Over.

Hello, Cactus Base. This is Jigsaw 1.

We are okay. What do you want?

Have a request you make

a strafing run on hill 702.

Runs north to south.

Acknowledge. Out.

This is Jigsaw 1. Wilco.

Jigsaw 2, 10 and 9,

join on me for a strafing run.

We have arrived.

All other chicks, pancake. See you later.

All Jigsaws, nice work.

Prepare to pancake. Check your...

Jigsaw 10, get back in formation!

Acknowledge.

Jigsaw 2 and 9, how is your fuel?

- 2, on reserve.

- 9, oranges sour.

We'll have to pancake. Out.

Hiya, Clancy!

How are you?

- Oh, a little grayer, a little older.

- Any smarter?

Haven't seen you since Midway,

major, but I'm sure glad you're here.

- How you doing?

- Not so good.

All right, let's have the regular beef.

What are you short of?

Everything.

Except Japs.

Them mud Marines will get him.

Well, fancy little airstrip

we got here, eh, major?

Well, it's all ours.

So far.

This must be a pretty

valuable piece of real estate.

The down payment's been pretty high.

They got him.

How are we set on gas and refueling?

I've only got 400 drums of Jap gas.

We refuel by hand

and no spare parts either.

Give up?

I only regret I ain't got but one life

to give for my country.

Save it. We need a good line chief.

- Well, we better get these planes dispersed.

- Better not spread them out too much.

No transportation for a scramble.

Well, I don't like it.

- Get them refueled as fast as you can.

- Yes, sir.

Hey, Dan!

- Joe!

- Seems like I can't get away from you.

- How's the leg?

- Fine.

I had a good doc after I escaped you.

Hey! You took us in pretty close. Cowboy's

knees are still knocking and so are mine.

And so are mine. Doc Curan, this

is Captain Griffin, my exec.

- Glad to meet you.

- Same here.

- Doc was medic at Midway.

- Oh, we gotta be nice to you, huh?

Hey, fellas!

Come on over and meet the bartender.

Griff? Attention!

- Dan.

- Glad to see you, sir.

This is Captain Griffin, my exec.

Colonel Riley, Colonel Foster,

Major Kirby, Captain Griffin.

Glad to see you too, Dan.

- Climb in. We'll go over to headquarters.

- Thank you, sir.

- Is old grumble-guts still on the long island?

- Yes, sir.

- Dan.

- Yes, sir?

I was making a tour of positions

when you hit that ridge.

Nice going. Get all your people in okay?

- One pilot missing, sir.

- Condition red, sir!

I'm getting too old for this.

Get our gang.

Get everybody to help with those fires.

Those planes should

have been dispersed better.

Yes, sir.

Hey, captain!

- Where are you going?

- I'm all gassed up. Let me go.

You'll never get off the ground.

Better get yourselves quartered.

Then come back...

...and we'll see what we can

salvage out of this mess.

No report on Simmons

from ground intelligence.

I guess he's gone.

I guess so.

Let's go.

- It's okay, isn't it, major?

- Couldn't think of a better name.

Hope I can get a couple

of meatballs to put up beside it.

I think my pa would be pleased

if I kind of even things up.

- Hope so.

- You will, Malotke.

Hey, Cowboy, Ernie, come here!

Hey, Billy!

Hey, hey, I'm back!

Hey, Billy! Hey, hey, I'm back!

- You been taking a walk, boy?

- Well, it was such a nice day.

- I bailed out when my tanks went dry.

- Yeah?

- After I splashed a Nip.

- You got one?

A whole platoon of mud Marines

can confirm it.

My hero.

You fellas wouldn't want to take

a little word of advice...

...from a combat-hardened veteran,

would you?

Yes, major. I just got a Nip...

Knock it off.

There's no quarters for you

to be confined to...

...but you're under arrest.

Get ready to face a general court, because

that's what I'm recommending for you.

Griff, how about trying

to square Simmons, huh?

- Yeah, this is a pretty rough deal.

- Simmons was a stupid jerk.

Break it up.

So you knocked down a Nip, huh?

- That's right, captain.

- What kind?

Well, it was only a light observation.

I don't know,

I thought I was doing the right thing.

- Where did you go to school?

- Harvard Business School.

- What did your plane cost?

- $ 150,000.

And how much do you think

a light observation plane costs?

I don't know.

Come on.

Well...

...fresh air.

Seabees can lend us a couple mechanics.

Good.

I had a talk with Simmons.

He knows now that he cost us a combat

plane in exchange for an observation plane.

Didn't you wangle a couple of jeeps

out of those Seabees?

Used my best salesmanship. No soap.

I suppose you've got

to expect kids to act like kids.

I expect them to act exactly according

to the uniform they're wearing...

...and the insignia on their collar.

You trying to intervene for Simmons?

General court's a tough thing

to face when you're 22.

Tough thing to face when you're 90.

How's Kelvin?

I don't know. He's still in sick bay.

Finish this flight schedule, will you?

How goes it, Kelvin?

- All right, major.

- He's got magnesium burns.

I was puffing a fire extinguisher

into the cockpit of my plane.

The very signals must have exploded.

Relax. It's ours.

That PBY's been trying to sneak

in here all day between raids.

Bring in personnel and evacuate wounded.

General Finney's supposed to be aboard.

I better get down to the strip.

Anything I can do for you, Kelvin, holler.

Simmons has really taken this to heart.

I think the major was just hoping and

praying for somebody to get out of line...

...so he could lower the boom,

teach us all to be good little boys.

- Fine guy.

- Look.

This is a battle, not maneuvers.

The major's got himself

a short-handed squadron...

...with no replacements,

planes, parts or pilots.

And we're flying off an airstrip that may be

retaken by the enemy almost any minute.

He was absolutely right in racking up

Simmons...

...and I don't want to hear any more

of this kind of griping.

Does everybody tune me in loud and clear?

Speaking for one,

I'm receiving you loud and clear.

Well, maybe after

the heat's off a little...

...the major will get softhearted

about Simm.

Softhearted? Don't you know a heart

is strictly non-regulation equipment...

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