Letters from Iwo Jima Page #4

Stay back.

That's cowardice!

There is no use for a dead soldier.

Wait until the flare is gone.

Crawl forward.

What happened to the messenger?

He never came back.

I will go to Adachi myself.

Motoyama's transmitter

still works, General.

Why not try there, sir?

Sir, these men retreated

from Mt. Suribachi.

What are your names?

Saigo, from the 312th.

Shimizu, reporting for duty.

You escaped from Suribachi?

How dare you!

It was your duty

to stay in your position until death.

You should have died...

with your fellow troop members.

You are both a disgrace.

Get on your knees.

- But, sir...

- I said, get on your knees!

I don't want you to kill

my soldiers needlessly.

Put down your sword.

Put it down!

What's going on here?

These men ran from Suribachi.

Lt. Ito, I gave the order that all survivors

retreat to the north caves.

I am very sorry, General.

It's just...

Suribachi...

has fallen.

Now that Suribachi has been taken...

the enemy will maneuver all forces

onto the hillside.

We must move

our command center north, sir.

Ito...

fight for your fallen brethren...

until the end.

Get up!

Major General Hayashi

is leading an attack.

We are to join him.

Kuribayashi's orders are

to remain in the caves.

Lieutenant Ito says Kuribayashi

is a weak American sympathizer.

We will take back Mt. Suribachi.

Where is Major General Hayashi?

We don't know, sir.

Who is in charge here?

I'm not sure.

Stay here until

I determine the plan of action.

We're dead.

Pull back!

We'll get reinforcements.

Why didn't your regiment join the attack?

Don't sit here like rats!

Come out of your caves and fight!

Where is your commander?

We haven't received the order to attack.

Didn't you receive the order

from General Hayashi?

Kuribayashi countermanded

Hayashi's order.

There is to be no attack.

We will take back Suribachi...

with or without Kuribayashi.

There are already troops on the attack.

Get your men in order.

Lieutenant, may I remind you

of your rank!

Your disrespect for senior officers...

puts your men at needless risk.

I suggest you go back to your cave...

or hand over your men.

Enough.

We'll do it ourselves.

That's against regulations.

That's the officer who tried to kill us.

He doesn't care.

I won't go back.

I've had enough of cave fighting.

You men are now under

Lieutenant Colonel Nishi's command.

I will throw myself under an enemy tank.

I will take out one of their machines.

Hurry.

What is the status?

A thousand men were lost...

in a night attack along Chidori airfield.

Why? I have given them strict orders

not to kill themselves.

It seems that the order to retreat

was not conveyed to all sectors.

Hayashi.

Damn you!

And the American advancement?

A battalion is headed north and we

are fighting back along the west ridge.

Good. Once they cross the west ridge,

they will be surrounded on three sides.

This just arrived.

Read it.

From headquarters...

"We regret that we are unable to send

reinforcements to Iwo at this time.

We earnestly hope you will

fight honorably...

and die for your country."

Bring him in.

Bring him in.

Shall I finish him off?

No. Treat him.

But, sir...

Okubo, you would expect the same,

wouldn't you?

Endo, treat him.

We are low on morphine as it is.

Sir, the Americans would not treat

a wounded Japanese soldier.

Son, have you ever met one?

Treat him.

Where are you, American tanks?

Come and get me!

How is the prisoner doing?

He is awake, sir.

I will question the prisoner

for information.

Damn.

I've had enough of this.

I'm going to surrender.

Go ahead and arrest me.

I don't care anymore. That's what

you were put here for, isn't it?

To report treasonous thoughts.

I was put here because...

I was discharged from the Kempeitai.

Discharged?

I had only been in service

for five days.

Shimizu...

you must always be firm.

Any mercy and people

will take advantage of you.

That's unpatriotic.

Go sort it out, Shimizu.

You do not have the Imperial flag

properly displayed.

I'm sorry.

My husband has gone to war

and I couldn't put it up myself.

It is unpatriotic

not to have the flag displayed.

If you help me, I'll put it up now.

Get that dog to shut up.

What was that, sir?

That dog is a nuisance.

It is disruptive of Army communications.

I am very sorry, sir.

Shimizu. Dispose of the dog.

We can't have a dog interfering

with important military commands.

Take the dog in the back.

It's only a dog.

It won't happen again.

Take it out back.

Keep the children inside.

Hurry up.

Take the dog into the house

and keep him quiet...

and never let him out.

It's taken care of, sir.

Are you trying to make a fool out of me?

If you can't even shoot a dog,

you'll never be able to handle the Reds.

You are unpatriotic!

I was discharged for insubordination...

and sent here.

Don't look so glum, Shimizu.

At least now only the enemy hates you.

I don't blame the dog.

Taro...

tonight I attended my farewell party.

The wives also attended,

so there was a lot of fuss.

Greeting all the ladies...

kept me from enjoying the food.

Is there any information

of the enemy's plan?

No, it's just a letter.

It's from his mother.

"Sam...

I have mailed you

a couple of books to read.

I hope that you like them.

Yesterday...

the dogs dug a hole under the fence.

They ran all over the neighborhood.

By the time we found them...

the Harrisons' roosters were terrorized.

Don't worry about us.

Just take care of yourself

and come back safely.

Remember what I said to you...

always do what is right...

because it is right.

I pray for a speedy end to the war...

and your safe return.

Love, Mom."

I'm sorry, sir. There is no more medicine.

It's all right. I'm useless now.

Go help the others!

Okubo, come here.

How are we on ammunition?

Not good, sir.

Our mortars have been taken out...

and we're out of machine gun ammo.

We have only our rifles.

Okubo...

you are now in charge of the men.

We can no longer hold this area.

You must guide

the rest of the men north.

Take whatever food and ammo

we have left.

What about you, sir?

I'm tired of sharing this cave

with all of you.

I'm a one-man show from here on out.

What are you talking about, sir?

Your first order of business...

is to find some water.

Men...

do your best.

Do what is right...

because it is right.

Understood?

I will make sure that they send you

medicine and food.

It has been a great honor...

to serve...

under you.

Hand me my rifle.

I'm sorry, Okubo.

Why am I not getting any reports?

Have we heard from Admiral Ichimaru?

- No, sir.

- What about Nishi or Hayashi?

- Send out messengers!

- We have. Many times.

None of them have come back.

You can't plan strategy like this!

I have been thinking about

what Lt. Colonel Nishi said.

He's right.

I don't know anything about the enemy.

I believed that the Americans

were cowards...

but they weren't.

I was taught...

that they were savages...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes