Hart's War Page #6

It was also on his fingers.

Captain?

At this time,

I would like the court...

to note the following

for the record:

whoever killed Vic Bedford...

had such a substance on his face

on the night of the murder...

which raises 2 questions.

First, what call

would Lincoln Scott have...

for darkening his face?

To look more black?

Second, if he had done so,

when did he take it off?

Your Honor, you stood

face to face with him...

immediately

after his capture.

His face was clean.

I think it's fair to conclude...

that whoever killed Vic Bedford

was not only white...

but was waiting

behind this theater...

face blackened to avoid

detection by the guards.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Lieutenant, you say that

Sergeant Bedford sneaked out...

through a loose board

beneath the barracks' stove.

Is that right?

Yes, sir.

And you took that same route

on the night in question...

after he'd gone out.

Yes, I did, sir.

What did you find down there,

Lieutenant?

Excuse me, sir?

What was down there

on the ground?

Mud, right?

You stated that it had been

your intention...

to put the victim's face

in the mud...

until he begged you to stop...

so there was mud down there,

isn't that right, Lieutenant?

I suppose so.

And a fair amount of soot

from the stove itself.

So it's possible

that Sergeant Bedford...

having descended through

a hole lined with soot...

and then having crawled

facedown...

beneath the barracks

wet with mud...

might have emerged with mud

and soot on his face.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Thank you, Captain Sisk.

Will you step down, Lieutenant?

Lieutenant Scott?

You know how hard they tried...

to wash us out of flight

school--the colored flyers?

Your testimony's been entered,

Lieutenant.

You can step down.

It was test after test.

I mean, anything they

could come up with to turn us...

into the cooks or the drivers

or the sh*t shovelers.

Your Honor,

this is highly unnecessary.

-The witness has already--

-But I refused to wash out.

So did Archer.

I mean, come hell or high water.

We hit the books.

We were just determined...

that we were not going to spend

the war being some n*ggers.

That's enough, Lieutenant.

You will take your seat.

With all due respect, sir...

I would like to exercise

my right and address this court.

Now, I've been sitting down

ever since I got here.

And you know, I should have

stood up and said something...

the moment that you threw us in

with the enlisted men...

instead of quartering us

properly as officers.

But it's OK.

You see, colored men

expect to have to jump...

through a few hoops

in this man's army.

Archer knew that.

We all did.

There's a camp right outside

of Macon, where I'm from, and...

there the army sends

the German POWs...

puts them to work

picking cotton.

But what's strange is

every once in a while...

we'd see them

walking through town...

going to movies,

eating in diners...

but if I wanted to go

to those same movies...

I had to sit way off

in the balcony.

And those diners were closed

to me even in uniform.

But German POWs were allowed

to sit there and eat.

And this must have happened...

to at least half the guys

at Tuskegee.

But the thing is...

we just kept telling ourselves

that no matter what...

as long as we did our jobs,

it'd all be worth it...

because hey, the war would end,

we could go home...

and be free to walk down

any street in America...

with our heads held high as men.

So that's what we did.

We did our jobs.

We served our country, sir,

Archer and I.

And what you

let happen to him...

what you allowed to happen

to him...

was appalling.

And so is this.

At ease, Lieutenant.

How are they treating you?

No worse than the men

in my barracks, sir.

I can probably find you

another blanket.

No. I'm fine.

Good night.

New order, gentlemen.

Before you proceed, Your Honor,

the defense hasn't rested yet.

Still like to call

one last witness.

Defense calls

Oberst Werner Visser.

This some kind of joke,

Lieutenant?

He's material to our case, sir.

Unless, of course,

the colonel refuses to testify.

He does not.

Colonel, could you tell us...

the nature of your relationship

with Vic Bedford?

I'll be happy to.

I didn't have one.

And what about your guards,

Colonel?

Major Fussel, for instance?

Were you aware of his dealings

with Vic Bedford...

at night after lockdown?

That would be impossible

in this camp, Lieutenant.

Policy forbids.

Do you remember

the conversation we had...

in the camp morgue 4 days ago?

Vaguely.

I asked you

if you knew Vic Bedford...

and you said, ''No, but my guards

certainly seem to.''

Perhaps.

So, in your words...

no guard ever traded with

Vic Bedford...

and yet he was able to acquire

winter boots...

thick socks, fresh milk,

and parts for a hidden radio.

Isn't that a fact?

Lieutenant, I'm sitting here as

a gesture of military courtesy.

If it is your intention

to paint me as a liar--

No, Colonel.

It is my intention

to establish...

that Vic Bedford built up

enough of a rapport...

with your majors Wirtz

and Fussel...

to engage in the framing of

Lamar Archer...

conspiring with them

in the tent spike incident...

which resulted in

Archer's death.

Lieutenant Archer was shot

while attempting escape.

No, Colonel.

Lieutenant Archer was executed

in return for information.

Archer dies.

Five minutes later...

Colonel Visser and Major Wirtz

enter Barracks 22...

and destroy a hidden radio...

that they had been trying

to locate for months.

Can you tell the court anything

about these items, sir?

Identification papers,

some currency.

What of them?

Perfect German-made I.D. papers

and reichsmarks.

Two thousand of them.

More than enough cash to make it

through the country.

Vic Bedford kept those

in a stash beside his bunk.

Again, can you tell the court...

the nature of your relationship

with Vic Bedford?

I did not have one, Lieutenant.

Do you have any idea...

how he may have gotten

these items, sir?

If they didn't come from you...

and if he never had any dealings

with your guards...

the fact is, Colonel...

Vic Bedford traded with you

and your men regularly.

Objection, Your Honor!

As soon as he came up dry

on you, you ordered his murder.

Isn't that right, Colonel?

Lieutenant Hart...

I thought you tried

marvelously...

to establish that the killer had

blackened his face with soot.

Now, if any of my guards...

or even I wanted to kill

one of my prisoners--

Vic Bedford in this case--

we would hardly need to blacken

our faces to do it.

Would we?

Move. In the corner, Webb.

Captain.

You see?

German uniforms, explosives.

Yes, Captain, I see.

The trial's got nothing to do

with Lincoln Scott, does it?

No.

It's the way it had to go.

We're out of time, Hart.

We lose this theater tomorrow.

Uh-huh, and I'm supposed to keep

Visser and his men distracted...

while half the camp goes out.

Is that it, Captain?

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