MacArthur Page #5

"stand behind that pledge."

Your words, sir.

Mr. President, General MacArthur's

points are well taken,

and I'm sure that

the Joint Chiefs

will wish to consider

them very carefully.

I shall return.

I am going back there next fall

if I have to paddle a canoe.

If your decision be to bypass

Luzon, with its millions of people,

thousands of

American prisoners of war,

to continue to languish there

in agony and despair,

I daresay that the American

public would be so aroused

that they would register

complete resentment against you

at the polls next fall.

Arthur? Arthur Prettyman.

Get me an aspirin tablet.

No, no, make it two.

Nobody can talk me into a headache

the way General MacArthur can.

Gentlemen, I think

it's time to call a recess.

It's been a fatiguing day.

Indeed it has, sir.

Recess was my

favorite time in school.

It's getting to be

that way in war.

Douglas.

Yes, Mr. President?

Why haven't you come home

all these years?

Well, I've had

my hands full out here.

The country has evolved,

grown mature.

Change is inevitable, you know.

The things I value never change.

My only regret is that my son

has never seen his country.

He's never been home.

Where is that for you?

Well, in a sense,

the army is home.

Even my swaddling

clothes were khaki.

Mainly l...

I think of West Point as home.

The lecture halls, the football

fields where I became a man.

And l...

I also see a terrace

overlooking Manila Bay.

Yes, the Philippines

are also home.

I appreciate and understand

your feelings, Douglas.

Now, I shall inform the Joint Chiefs

of Staff, upon my return home,

that I have had two

excellent briefings.

I'm sure they'll be

both pleased and delighted.

And I shall ask them to make

their decision promptly.

Thank you.

I'd like to return to my

command as soon as possible.

For 40 years,

I've held a firm conviction

that a commander's place

is at the scene of the battle.

I agree with you entirely, Douglas.

That is why I am here.

"Southwest Pacific

forces to invade Leyte.

"Target date

advanced to 20 October."

Hot damn, we got it.

This'll make the old man happy.

He'll be returning

to the Philippines

two months earlier

than he expected.

Sergeant, I want you to get this

out immediately, if not sooner,

to all top command headquarters.

Good morning, Captain.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning, General.

Earplugs, sir.

Thank you.

Good morning, Mr. President.

Good morning, General.

President Osmena,

earplugs for your ears.

Thank you.

I hope to hell they do as well on the

beaches as they did in training.

I don't think you have to

worry about that, General.

I know the 5th Cavalry.

When I was a little boy, my father

was a captain at Fort Selden,

New Mexico territory.

Geronimo, the Apache scourge,

was on the loose,

and it was a troop from this same 5th

Cavalry that rode through to help us.

They fought then.

They'll fight now.

And they'll win.

Look at that,

Mr. President.

The second wave is

going in upright.

Our intelligence reports said the

Japanese wouldn't let us on the beach.

But just look at those boys.

Nothing will stop them.

Where's my landing craft?

I'm going ashore.

I had it delayed, sir. Heavy

enemy mortar fire on the beach.

I felt it was unsafe for

the commander in chief...

The landing craft, Captain.

Aye, aye, sir. Bring the

general's landing craft.

President Osmena,

you're home at last.

Follow me.

Correspondents,

please stay in the rear

until after the general

makes his statement.

No questions... Gerry, where

are you going with that?

I'm gonna get a better shot

down the beach, sir.

I want that camera

right where it was.

I wanna see that wreckage

in the background.

The general will think

this smoke is marvelous!

Get back!

Correspondents, back!

Low angle, remember.

Stay.

You see, General, my people are going

to laugh if I fell in deep water.

I cannot swim.

That's not so bad,

Mr. President.

Everyone's about to see

that I can't walk on water.

People of the Philippines,

I have returned.

By the grace of Almighty God,

our forces stand again

on Philippine soil.

The hour of

your redemption is here.

Rally to me.

Let the indomitable spirit of

Bataan and Corregidor lead on.

As the lines of battle

roll forward,

rise and strike.

For your homes

and hearths, strike!

For future generations of your

sons and daughters, strike!

In the name of your

sacred dead, strike!

Let no heart be faint.

Let every arm be steel.

The divine guidance

of God points the way.

Follow in His name to the Holy

Grail of righteous victory.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Hold it. Hold it.

General, sir, you've arrived

at the front lines.

Well, I see our boys

fully 100 yards up ahead.

Sir, that's only a forward patrol.

The men are under enemy fire.

You'd be in extreme hazard if

you go on up past this point.

There's Japs right up there.

You can't fight them

if you can't see them, son.

Let's go.

I don't believe it. That's the

first time I've ever seen

a commander in chief

take the point.

Yeah, he's the greatest

general since Sergeant York.

Cease fire! Cease fire!

Come on.

Will you look at him? Does he really

think that he can't get hurt?

God damn it, of course he does.

I've got a little

surprise for the general.

Morning, gentlemen.

Good morning, sir.

Sir, pursuant to

an act of Congress,

you have been promoted to the

rank of General of the Army.

Such promotion to take

effect 18 December, 1944,

by order of the president.

Sir, we thought that you should

get these on as soon as you can.

You got your

fifth star, General.

Well, I have no objections.

I like the look of them.

Congratulations, sir.

Thank you, Court.

I think it would be a good

idea to take that mortar out

before someone gets hurt.

So good

to see you, General.

Finally returned,

but a little late.

May God bless you.

So good to see you.

Thank you.

Get me some more

shots of these people.

Hello, sonny.

You know, I've got a boy at

home just about your size.

I have. Here we are.

Nice going, General.

Survivors of the death

march are in here.

General, you really

made it back.

Oh, I'm never gonna forget this.

We're long overdue, sir.

Long overdue.

It's okay.

We knew you'd come back, sir.

Thank you.

We knew you wouldn't forget us.

We tried. We're a little late.

I'm sorry.

Colonel Fox here, sir. We're

sure glad to see you, sir.

I'm a little late.

I'm sorry.

Yes, sir.

General? General?

General?

Thank God.

Thank God you're here.

We're long overdue.

Long overdue.

Castro.

Yes, sir.

I'm sorry I'm

so unpresentable, sir.

You never looked

so good to me, Castro.

Ladies and gentlemen,

if you've ever had

a load of hay fall on you,

then you know

how I feel right now.

I don't know if any of

you pray, but if you do,

you could pray God to help me.

Good luck, Mr. President.

I wish you didn't

have to call me that.

I never felt so out of

place in all my life.

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