Go Tell the Spartans Page #6

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it is not possible.

There is rumor of a coup

in Saigon.

The colonel must hold all

of his troops in readiness...

for support of the president.

I appreciate

the colonel's situation.

But I need reinforcements

for a place called Muc Wa.

Before the colonel makes...

an absolutely final decision,

let me add this.

A relief column going into

Muc Wa would need artillery.

Now, the American

Advisory Command...

has no artillery

in this province.

But Colonel Minh has. Allow me.

The colonel has a battery

of howitzers situated here...

to protect the old road from

the south going into Penang.

If that battery were moved

thirty miles to the east...

on the road to Phnom Penh...

They would be within range

of Muc Wa.

Now, I realize

that the colonel...

would be using

precious ammunition...

on a rather unimportant post.

But if the colonel

could spare the troops I need...

I will have five hundred rounds

of howitzer shells...

brought in by air transport...

And a thousand rounds

delivered by truck convoy.

It would take four or five days

for the truck convoy...

to bring the shells

from the American depot.

That could conceivably be

too late for their use...

could it not, major?

Could be.

In such a case, the American

depot would desire...

the return of the shells,

would it not?

In the whole history

of the United States...

they've never asked

for the return of anything...

be it guns, money, boats,

or howitzer shells.

They wouldn't know how to ask

for the return of anything.

If they did, it would screw up

the bookkeeping...

and everybody in Washington...

would have

a goddamn nervous breakdown.

You tell the colonel...

if he gets his hands

on the ammo, it's his forever.

A drink?

Always.

Alemay akefay.

I do not understand.

It's an old battle cry

from our American revolution.

It means, "To victory."

Merci. Merci.

- You got anything from Courcey?

- No, sir.

Ackley.

Read me. Over.

Ackley, read me.

I got Charlie. Stand by.

5-5, Courcey, over.

Charlie's got

a big team out here...

moving west along the river.

Roger, Courcey, stand by.

We're gonna get hit.

Maybe a couple hundred VC,

and they got hardware.

We'll be ready for 'em.

You tell Courcey

to dog 'em long enough...

to see if

they get across the river...

then get his ass back in here.

Shoot a signal off to Penang...

tell them we want flare ships

and air support on standby.

Cowboy, get outside

and shake the farmers down.

Yes, sir.

Charlie's crossing the river.

Now he's within mortar range.

You want to try a hit? Over.

Hell, yes, let's try it.

Let the bastards know

were onto 'em.

Give me the range and direction.

On the map, he's crossing...

in the middle of the third bend

above the fork.

Set your range

for two thousand yards.

I'll talk you on target

after the first round.

Signal when

you're ready to fire. Over.

When we get the range,

get out of there, Courcey.

They'll know

they're being observed...

and they're gonna be

on your butt, boy.

Stand by. Out.

Drop it.

Take it down two hundred.

Spray left and right for effect.

Drop two hundred, fire

left and right for effect.

I'm buggin' out.

There he is.

Major! Sir!

God damn it, Wattsberg...

every time I see you

it means bad news.

What the hell is it now?

Sir, Muc Wa is in the red, sir.

Captain Olivetti's

requested flare ships...

and air support on standby.

Intelligence reports

that the 507th VC battalion...

may be closing on Muc Wa, sir.

Is that all?

I'll bet you got

some more goodies for me.

Yes, sir.

Nighthawk control reports they

can't send up flare ships...

because General Harnitz

has grounded all helicopters...

and planes on request

of the Saigon government.

An attempted military coup

is expected, sir...

and all our air support

is gonna be needed...

to suppress the insurgents

in Saigon, sir.

You can turn in now, boys.

What are you going to do, sir?

Don't worry about it.

I'll think of something.

What's going on?

I just keep hammering

for air support, sir...

but Nighthawk just keeps saying,

"Negative, negative, negative."

Let me have the key, Toffee.

What's General Harnitz's

call numbers?

F-F-Z-T.

This is the code book, sir.

F*** it.

Look.

Let's go in here.

Well, it's shocking, sir.

It's unthinkable

that any officer...

would address such a message

to his commanding general.

What would you like

to do about it, sir?

Sir?

Captain, there are things in

heaven and earth and the army...

they didn't teach you

at Virginia Military Institute.

This here is one.

There are some soldiers who

bought the rap with their blood.

They'll say anything to anybody

in a just cause.

Now, military coup

or no military coup...

you hop-ass over

to the combo room...

and fire off a signal

to Nighthawk control...

to put some air support

over Muc Wa.

Yes, sir.

'Cause apart from the fact

that maybe I got old Asa...

stretched pretty thin

up there...

that crazy son of a b*tch might

just do what he says here...

shoot my balls off.

What do you think

I'm here for, Courcey?

Move over.

Will you sit down

on that box over there?

You're beat.

Been shot through the flesh.

Lucky. Hasn't lost much blood.

These little mothers are tough.

You can't believe

what I've seen 'em take...

and get up and trot

the next day.

You can't worry about 'em,

Courcey.

You better learn that.

You better get hard.

They don't know

what you're doin' here...

or what they're doin' here.

There.

Slopes out there shot him...

they don't know any more

than he does.

They could change places

and not know the difference.

A-OK, old man.

A-OK.

A... OK.

A... A...

Nighthawk to Blaze.

Nighthawk to Blaze. Over.

Got 'em, sir.

Blaze to Nighthawk.

What's your position,

and what do you got? Over.

Nighthawk to Blaze. One flare

ship and two hawks in group.

Position maybe ten miles

due east of you...

but a star shell

will help confirm. Over.

You got it, baby.

Nighthawk to Blaze. We see you.

Closer than we thought.

OK. Let's go.

OK, they got it.

Hey, they got it, major!

Hey, major, they got it.

Hey, major,

they got the air support.

Marvelous, sir. You did it, sir!

Yeah, well...

me and old Harnitz,

we go back a long way.

Blaze to Nighthawk!

You got us. Over.

We got you, Blaze. Over.

Then light us up!

Hit the goddamn treeline on

the west side of the triangle!

Hit the wall, Ackley!

Courcey! Cowboy! The north gate!

A couple of the bastards

are trying an end run!

That's the way the USA

kicks ass, Charlie!

That's the way

I get my goddamn C.I.B.

Wattsberg, what the f*** are you

doing out here in a chopper?

I requested it

in your name, sir.

- Sir, I have...

- You requested it in my name?

Soldier, shoot

this goddamn four-eyed nitwit.

Sir, the uniform code

of military justice...

expressly forbids

summary executions.

Oh, sh*t, Wattsberg,

what do you got?

This message, sir.

"Intelligence believes that

more than one thousand VC...

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