Merrill's Marauders

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January, 1942...

...the high-water mark of Nazi conquest.

Hitler's armies hammered at the gateway

to the Near East.

Their Japanese allies

poured across Asia...

...an irresistible flood of men

and weapons...

...driving to link up

with the Germans to the west...

...crushing the world between them.

Sweeping into Burma...

...they captured the vital air base

at Myitkyina and cut the Burma Road.

Our forces, pitifully weak...

...retreated along elephant trails,

through jungles...

...across rivers and mountains

to the temporary refuge of India.

General Joseph Stilwell

said the last word on the campaign.

I claim we got a hell of a beating.

We got run out of Burma,

and that's humiliating as hell.

I think we ought to find out

what caused it...

...go back and retake the place.

Meeting in Quebec...

...President Roosevelt

and Prime Minister Churchill...

...gathered their strength.

To India they sent our men.

Irish, English, Scot and Welsh.

Australian, New Zealander, Gurkha, Sikh.

And from the United States

came 3000 volunteers...

...seasoned jungle fighters...

...veterans of Guadalcanal,

New Guinea, Bougainville.

Men who responded to a call...

...for one dangerous

and hazardous operation somewhere.

Organized as the 5307th Composite

Unit Provisional...

...and placed under the command

of Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill...

...they became a part of the forces

which sought to regain Burma.

On January 4th, 1944,

the invasion was launched.

Merrill's mission:

To sneak behind enemy lines...

...surprise and destroy

the main Japanese supply base...

...in North Burma, Walawbum.

Moving in three columns...

...spearheaded by an advance platoon,

its point...

...they succeeded

in making their way undetected...

...through 200 miles

of Japanese territory.

After three months

in the cruelest jungle on earth...

...the point was close to its goal.

Bend in the trail.

We better see

what's around the other end.

Come on, Wheeler.

A few miles to the rear...

...the main body reached

the last physical barrier to Walawbum...

...the Tange Ga River.

Private Driscoll, take cover!

Think that Japanese plane saw us?

Let's pray to God he didn't.

Sneaking 3000 men through

this damn jungle's gonna drive me nuts.

Come on, let's go!

- Private Driscoll.

- Yes, sir? Yes, sir?

What happened to you?

That plane could have spotted you.

I don't know what's eating me.

Going through this jungle's

driving me nuts.

Get moving.

I got 3000 nervous wrecks

on my hands, doc.

Ninety days and 90 nights

bellying behind Japanese lines...

...afraid to talk, afraid to breathe.

What do you expect?

Left guard, this is quarterback.

Come in, left guard.

Left guard to quarterback. Come in.

You think that plane spotted

any of your men?

No, sir.

We have good cover here from the air.

Well, what's your situation?

Scouts report 300 enemy

in village of Tange Ga.

Tell your patrols to steer clear of them

and stay out of sight.

Yes, sir.

Right guard, this is quarterback.

Come in, right guard.

Right guard to quarterback.

Come in, quarterback.

Left guard is crossing the river now.

When you reach it, move fast.

That plane's liable to come back

any minute. What's your picture?

Patrols report small enemy force

moving west along river bank.

Don't touch them.

Hold where you are until they pass.

Yes, sir.

Advise point

that we're moving out again.

Another bend in the road.

Wonder what's around this one.

Stock from quarterback.

Stock from quarterback.

Come in, Stock.

Quarterback to Stock!

Knock out that gun!

Quarterback to Stock,

knock out that gun.

See that, officer?

- Yeah.

- He's all yours.

Bullseye gets that officer,

you move in with smoke and frag.

- Aye.

- Bullseye.

Stay away from my ammo.

- Doskis.

- Yeah?

- Any of those Japanese get away?

- No, sir.

- Muley.

- Yes, sir?

- Where have you been?

- Watching out for Eleanor.

She could have got hurt.

O'Brien make it all right?

No, not with that leg.

Stock, you wouldn't leave me here?

You know we don't leave anybody,

O'Brien.

I'll radio the column

and have them pick you up.

- Muley.

- Yeah, Stock?

- Stick with him.

- Yes, sir.

Let us go.

I got some extra smokes

stashed away in Eleanor's pack.

I'll dig them up for you.

We knocked out two guns, sir.

What took you so long?

I want news.

Have Taggy tap into that line

leading to those guns.

That line's been hit.

- Well, find another one.

- Yes, sir.

- All right.

Barney, have my battalion commanders

come up here right away.

- Hey, Taggy.

- Yeah?

Do you know enough Japanese to run

interference for me in a geisha house?

- What geisha house?

- In Tokyo, when we get there.

I'll teach you what I picked up

in Bataan.

From there on, you're on your own.

Hey, there's a wire.

I better climb and pick up some gossip

for the general.

Hey, Bullseye, what's eating you?

Come on, something's eating you.

What's eating you?

Chowhound,

I'll tell you about one last time.

You stay away from my chow,

you hear me?

- Sir.

- General.

Well, now they know we're here.

In a way, it's a relief.

I can let my breath out.

Heh. I suggest you hold it

until we take Walawbum.

You think we ought to notify the British

we're not such a hot secret anymore?

It might change their plans

to link up with us.

I'd hate to be in the middle of Burma

all by ourselves.

Whether the British get there or not,

we've got to knock out Walawbum.

That's the job we volunteered for.

Chuck, your responsibility is gonna be

the underground ammo dump.

Yes, sir.

Sammy, your responsibility

is the communications center.

Sir, Lieutenant Stockton.

Go ahead, Stock.

Taggy intercepted

one of their messages, sir.

Here's his translation.

"Americans in our rear. Where?

How many? What's their strength?

Identify their units. "

Meet me at 0.33.

All right.

Gentlemen, there's a Japanese battalion

on its way to Walawbum.

We've gotta beat them there.

Twenty-mile march,

have your men drop their packs.

Yes, sir.

- Hello, Stock.

- Hello, general.

How's the voice on the radio

holding out?

Getting a little hoarse, sir.

You lost a little weight,

haven't you?

Look a little skinny yourself, sir.

Well, fatter than the last time

we were here.

It's a lot better when they ran us

out of this rattrap two years ago.

But it's still rough.

How do you like running

your own platoon?

You didn't tell me when you gave me

command, I'd be getting gray hairs also.

Hello, Stock.

Hello, doctor.

- Did you pick up Private O'Brien, sir?

- Mm-hm.

Is he gonna lose his leg?

Not if we can fly him back to India.

Hello, boys.

We'll fly him back

as soon as we take Walawbum.

You know, if someone could get in

behind them at Walawbum...

...and create a diversion,

it'd help an awful lot.

Why don't I get going?

Yeah, why don't you?

Doctor, general look okay to you, sir?

Nobody looks okay to me.

Keep an eye on him, will you, sir?

That's an unusual relationship between

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