Last Flag Flying Page #10

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I served with your son

in Vietnam.

Oh, yes. One moment, please.

- Welcome.

- Thank you.

Come on in.

Hi. Name is Sal.

- Welcome.

- Hi. Larry Sheppard.

- So glad you could come.

- Thank you, ma'am.

I'm gonna show you

some pictures.

This one--

That's the last one

we ever got from Jimmy.

Look at him.

- Hmm?

- Yeah.

- Remember that smile?

- Sure do.

He was a handsome man,

- wasn't he?

- Yes, he was.

Oh, Lord have mercy.

And this...

is his little girl.

- All grown up now.

- My Lord.

My Lord.

How old was she when he died?

Four months.

Her mom eventually remarried,

and they moved to San Diego.

Mm.

And these--

They're my great-grand.

Hmm?

Look at that.

He'd be a grandfather.

I never saw them in person,

but they calls.

- Mm.

- Every now and then.

So...

you three men

were with my Jimmy.

Yes, ma'am.

3rd Marine Division.

We were a very tight unit.

Ma'am.

It's like this.

Uh, see...

we had already fought us...

a good long year,

and most of us...

were still breathing.

But the extension...

that... that four months

they added on,

that was...

that was bad.

And...

some of us...

we just couldn't handle it, see,

and, uh, I-I don't

even think that, uh...

What was it for?

Hmm?

What was it all for?

Right, well...

they said they knew,

and we just believed them.

But now...

Mrs. Hightower,

we came here today

to tell you what happened.

Were you...

...were you some of the men

he saved?

I mean...

were you some of the men...

whose lives Jimmy saved?

I mean, they told me

that he saved

three or four of his buddies

before he was killed.

Were you?

Were you?

Yes, ma'am, that was us.

Jimmy was...

a great guy.

Yep. Never forget him.

That's why we're here, ma'am.

Uh, we feel we owe him.

Yeah.

We just wanted to come by

to pay our respects.

And, you know, let you know...

that he's always been

in our hearts.

God bless you.

I can never thank you enough.

Mrs. Hightower,

very glad to have met you.

Me, too, son. Me, too.

- Thank you, ma'am.

- Take care.

Bye.

Bless you, Mrs. Hightower.

Uh...

looks like they used

to make things here.

Used to.

That's the operative word--

"used to."

Jesus, I got to piss.

Ah...

Ah...

Ha-ha.

Oh...

- Hey, Mueller.

- Yeah?

Now I see God.

Sal, if you had any more

manners you'd be a dog.

You gonna want

to stay on here alone?

Well, I hadn't really

thought much about it.

Portsmouth. Boy.

With the brig right there.

Might want to try another place.

Fresh start.

But Larry'll be here.

Mary, too.

You could always visit.

Hey.

You got close friends here?

Not too many.

Not too close.

Move to Norfolk.

You can work in my bar.

I don't know anything

about working in bars, Sal.

Trust me,

you don't need to know much.

Well, your bar

doesn't seem that busy.

No, it ain't.

But that's my fault, see?

I let it go.

It just needs some...

new blood, you know?

We can get the grill part

going again, boy.

I need a partner.

- A partner?

- Yeah.

The bar would be half yours.

Then, when I bite it,

it'd be all yours.

Sal, you don't owe me anything.

No, no, hey, this has nothing

to do with, you know,

paying back a debt.

Trust me.

I really do need a partner.

You could stay with me.

For a while. Then you'd have to

get your own place, 'cause...

I like to pursue the ladies,

if you know what I mean.

And quite frankly, no offense,

but you'd cramp my style, Doc.

You thinking about it?

I am. I'm picturing it.

It's kind of funny.

Yeah.

Might be time for a new BCD

in your life, huh?

- Better career decision.

- There you go.

If nothing else,

I guarantee it...

we'd have some fun.

What's wrong with that?

You are in love with that thing.

Look at you,

you can't even put it down.

No, I'm trying to get

that f***er O'Toole to answer.

You know, the whole place could

be burned down for all I know.

Come on, you dick.

Well,

there it is--

Larry's graduation suit.

Oh, that's nice.

Very nice, Doc.

Looks a little small.

- You think?

- Yes, sir.

Larry bulked up,

so that might be a little tight

on him now.

Oh, okay. Well, I guess

I could go down to Penney's

and get him something new.

Well, we do still have

his dress blues.

Oh, my word.

The dress blue uniform.

Remember how we used

to call it? The tuxedo.

The tuxedo. Yeah. Yeah.

'Cause by law, you could

wear it to any formal function.

Not that we ever got invited

to one,

or would have gone

even if we had.

Still, it was nice to know

you were always dressed

for any occasion.

That's true, and a man

never forgets the first time

he puts on that uniform,

let me tell you.

- Oh, no. Oh, no.

- Huh?

Didn't you stand in front

of the mirror

looking at yourself?

- Right?

- Uh-huh.

Ooh! I am in the United States

Marine Corps,

- and I look pretty f***ing good.

- I remember

- loving that feeling.

- Yes, sir.

- Glad to know that never changes.

- Yeah.

Ooh, I bet Larry looked sharp

in his, didn't he?

Oh, he did.

Yeah, he was proud

- as a peacock in it.

- Mm.

I know that for a fact, sir.

You know, and that's the point,

Doc-- it's about pride.

And it's not a sin.

Oh, no, not that kind of pride,

no, sir.

I guess I could...

bury him in his uniform,

even if...

Yeah, you could.

Yeah. Means you did something.

You know, you served.

F*** what the politicians did.

You served.

Right? You didn't try

to weasel out of it, or think

- it was somebody else's job.

- Nope.

You took it on, man,

and you looked sharp doing it.

Like a man.

I'm gonna. I'm gonna

bury him in his uniform.

- That's good, Doc.

- Mmm.

Never regret it, sir.

- F***in' A.

- Okay.

Hey. Washington.

You ever relax, huh?

Why don't you sit down?

That's it, huh?

Okay. Yeah, much better.

Why are you looking

at me like that?

I'm sizing you up.

You know what?

I am gonna get you

a new suit of clothes.

- Say what?

- Yup.

I'm gonna dress you up

for the occasion.

May I ask why?

Well... because I love you.

Hey. Mm-hmm.

First of all, uh, I don't

need a new suit of clothes.

- Yeah.

- Second of all,

you're the one who could

really use some grooming.

And third of all, neither one

of us are dressed properly.

But we're gonna be.

- You watch.

- Oh, the things

that come into your head

and out of your mouth.

Scary, right?

You know what I think?

I think that "I love you" thing

really rattled you,

didn't it, old man?

Deeply disturbing.

There's a sorrow

in the wind

Blowing down the road

I've been

I can hear it cry

While shadows steal the sun

But I cannot

look back now

I've come too far

to turn around

And there's still

a race ahead

That I must run

I'm only halfway home

I've got to journey on

To where I'll find

Find the things

I have lost

I've come

a long, long road

But still

I've got some miles to go

I've got a wide

A wide river to cross

I have stumbled,

I have strayed

You can trace

the tracks I've made

All across the memories

My heart recalls...

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