Go Tell the Spartans Page #7

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"are being moved

into the attack on Muc Wa.

"General Harnitz signals

he will not...

"repeat, he will not commit

additional personnel...

"to the defense of Muc Wa.

"Its strategic value

is not now believed...

"to be worth a major engagement

with the enemy.

"Immediately exfiltrate

all American personnel...

by aircraft

and disperse garrison."

Here. Give me that.

Sir, shall I take the helicopter

into Muc Wa?

I ought to let you.

Maybe you'd get yourself shot.

I want you to take the convoy

back to Penang.

I'll radio Olivetti

from the chopper...

that we're coming in

to exfiltrate the team.

I want 'em ready to go

the minute we touch down.

Understood.

Be careful, sir!

Wattsberg, do you love

your commanding officer?

Well... yes, sir.

That's fine,

because I love you, too.

Sir.

My men, they say they ride

in helicopter to Penang.

They're gonna do

what they're paid to do.

They're gonna help these farmers

bug out of here tonight...

and you're gonna be in command.

Sir, I am interpreter...

number one interpreter.

I go with you.

You can interpret, all right.

You tell 'em...

they set one goddamn foot

toward that chopper...

and the machine gunner'll

cut 'em in half.

I hear it, sir.

They're getting ground fire.

Git!

What do we got here?

We got two on stretchers

and five walking wounded.

God damn it, Cowboy!

Tell 'em to stay back!

Tell 'em now!

Tell 'em, Cowboy.

That Courcey sure has a way

with the goddamn gooks, sir.

Let's get out of here

before he loses that way...

and they swamp the chopper.

Get the wounded aboard.

Come on!

Keep it moving! Keep it moving!

All right. Let's go.

We got a hit

in the hydraulic line.

We've got to leave

these walking wounded behind...

or I'll never get this heap

off the ground.

OK, OK. I got you.

No, back, back.

Move back. Come on, back.

Get away from the ship.

Sorry. Sorry.

Pilot says no.

We can't handle it.

Just not enough room

for all of you.

Now get back. Get back.

Come on, move.

Sorry. Sorry.

Sir, are you gonna leave

these wounded soldiers behind?

Pilot can't handle it. He runs

the ship. Now get aboard.

- No.

- What?

I said no, sir.

Corporal!

My orders are to exfiltrate

all American personnel.

Now get aboard that ship.

Look, boy, it's their war,

and it's their country.

We've done all we can do here.

They're gonna

rip this place off.

Hey, major!

Come on, for Christ sake!

I got to get it up.

I'm giving you an order,

soldier.

Get your ass on that ship!

Take it up, God damn it.

Come on, major.

Get back. Get back.

Now I know what's

peculiar about you, Courcey.

I should have figured it

right off.

You got it written

in great big letters...

on your goddamn forehead...

h-e-r-o. Hero.

You're a f***ing hero.

I'm sorry, sir.

I just didn't see how we could

leave these people behind.

We brought 'em out here.

How'd they do

in the fracas last night?

Fine, sir.

This character still

getting his jollies...

out of torturing dinks?

Couldn't have done it

without him, sir.

You screwing this kid?

No, sir.

Well, if we're gonna

break out of here tonight...

we'd better start planning it.

The aerial photographs show...

that this... this gully runs

back here about half a mile...

then flattens out into a meadow.

- You know it?

- Yes, sir.

That's the way we'll go.

The province chief's

got a bunch of 155 howitzers...

ready to blow hell out of

this neck of the woods tonight...

if I can get the son of a b*tch

to use his ammo.

Charlie be too busy ducking

shells to worry about us.

You sure you're not

screwing this kid?

Yes, sir.

Somebody ought to.

Bring 'em along, Cowboy.

That is all, sir.

You're sure?

I don't want to leave

one goddamn thing...

that Charlie can use.

Certainement.

- You spike the mortars?

- Yes, sir.

Well, spike the machine guns

5 minutes before we shove off.

OK, Cowboy.

You seem to know

what you're doing.

I was trained

in demolition, sir.

So you said.

How about it, corporal?

How about what, sir?

What the f***

are you doing in 'Nam?

Does it bother you, sir?

Well, now, it doesn't

bother me to the extent...

that I can't live

without knowing...

but we don't get

many draftees here.

Not yet, anyway.

And in particular,

we don't get any of your kind.

Well, sir...

it started with a dog.

You mean a broad?

No, canine, sir.

Just a little black dog

with a curly tail.

We used to tie him

in the furnace room...

during inspection time...

but he got loose this one time

and trotted in the barracks...

and took a liking,

or disliking maybe...

to the inspecting officer.

Went on his boot.

The officer kicked the dog,

and I kicked the officer.

You kicked the officer?

It was just a reflex, sir.

He was pretty nice about it,

really.

He could have court-martialed me

or sent me to prison.

He gave me a choice... Vietnam.

Very generous.

Very generous indeed.

What was the officer's rank?

Sir?

The officer's rank, corporal?

Uh, brigadier general, sir.

Now, that's a cock and bull

story if I ever heard one.

It did happen, but also...

maybe I just wanted to see

what a war was like.

That's more like it.

You know what you are,

Courcey?

You're a tourist.

Too bad we couldn't have

shown you a better war.

Like hitting the beach

at Anzio...

or smashing through to Bastogne

with Patton.

That was a tour worth the money.

This one?

This one's a sucker's tour.

Going nowhere...

just round and round in circles.

Get on with the job,

corporal.

They tried to run away, sir.

They Cong. You look.

They steal guns.

They Cong.

You killed the kids!

Whoa! Easy, Courcey.

You look, sir. You look.

I sorry, sir.

I say to Corporal Courcey...

these communist people.

A-OK.

A-OK. A-OK.

Give me that flashlight.

I count eight.

I thought there were nine.

- Nine, sir.

- That little girl is missing.

Search the camp.

Yes, sir! Instamment!

It's their war.

Give me a hand with that crank.

OK, corporal.

Let's get moving...

before old Lard-ass

opens up with his howitzers.

We got ten seconds.

OK, kid. Let's go.

All right. Now.

You spike the machine guns?

It's done, sir.

The Cong girl... we not find her.

Well, we can't hang around

and worry about that.

You lead off. Take the wounded.

Come on. Hurry.

What's it look like?

All clear

as far as I can make out.

We'll rest here for a minute.

We're well protected...

just in case those howitzers

get their triangulations wrong.

He's stopped his mortars.

He's getting ready

to take the fort.

Charlie's fighting

goddamn feathers for a change.

Come on, Lard-ass, you're on.

Let's go fast, soldier.

When we get to those trees...

we'll turn north and

head for the road to Penang.

The trucks will be there

about daybreak to pick us up.

- Cowboy!

- Yes, sir!

Take a man

and check out the area ahead.

Where you hurt, kid?

L... I don't know. I feel blood

running down my legs.

Maybe you just crapped

your britches.

I have very strong

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