Pearl Harbor Page #22

THE LINES AT RECRUITING STATIONS all across America -- men

line up faster than the recruiters can handle them.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

Roosevelt meets with his advisors.

ROOSEVELT:

Gentlemen, the crisis we face is not the

fact that our enemies believe they can

defeat us -- it's the fact that our people

believe it too. I want a plan -- a

workable plan -- to hit the heart of

Japan, to bomb them the way they have

bombed us.

ADMIRAL:

Mr. President, Pearl Harbor caught us

because we didn't face facts. This isn't

a time for ignoring them again. There

are no planes in the entire American

arsenal capable of covering the distance

to Japan from any land base we control

while carrying enough bombs to do any

damage whatsoever.

GENERAL MARSHALL

He's right, Mr. President. The Army has

long range bombers, but no place to

launch them from. Midway's too far,

China is overrun by Japanese forces, and

Russia refuses to go to war with Japan

and won't allow us to launch a raid from

there.

ADMIRAL:

The navy's planes are small, carry light

loads, and have short range. We would

have to get them within a few hundred

miles of Japan, and therefore risk our

carriers. And if we lose our carriers,

we have no shield against invasion.

ROOSEVELT:

What if the Japanese did invade?

GENERAL MARSHALL

We've done studies. We're confident we

would turn them back eventually...after

they'd gotten as far as Chicago.

ADMIRAL:

Mr. President...with all respect...what

you are asking can't be done.

Roosevelt places his hands on the arms of his wheelchair, and

struggles to lift himself. Aides jump to help him, but he

waves them off. With inhuman physical effort, that has his

neck veins bulging and sweat popping on his face, Roosevelt

stands on his withered legs.

ROOSEVELT:

Do not tell me...it can't be done.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - HICKAM BASE - DAY

There is a mass memorial service going on, with caskets

draped in flags.

There are also coffins covered in Japanese flags, their

drowned fliers being treated now with respect.

Everyone is in their best uniforms. The pilots -- Rafe,

Danny, and the other guys -- are looking at Billy's coffin;

Evelyn, next to Danny, on his appropriate side is looking at

one that belongs to Betty. So is Red; he's grieving.

MINISTER:

...Where is God in this? Our enemies

believe a divine wind protects them. We

see our friends laid out before us, and

find it hard to believe in anything at

all.

Rafe and Evelyn exchange a glance, past Danny.

MINISTER:

Though we cannot understand why our

friends should die while we live, we can

affirm our truest selves in our belief

that any God worth divinity would choose

both justice and mercy, and would take

these fallen brothers and sisters into

eternal peace. Amen.

As the mourners disperse, Evelyn puts a lei on Betty's

casket; Red does the same, then breaks down beside Danny. As

Danny comforts him, Evelyn moves to Rafe.

EVELYN:

Rafe --

RAFE:

I need to tell you something. I didn't

know what it was to lose somebody, to see

death and find how much it scares you.

That you haven't lived and loved enough.

I didn't understand. Forgive me.

EVELYN:

Rafe... No. You forgive me.

RAFE:

Of course I forgive you. I know what you

feel for Danny is real. And your choice

is your choice.

EVELYN:

That's what I have to tell you, Rafe. It

wasn't a choice. It --

An Army Corps MAJOR steps up and interrupts.

MAJOR:

Lieutenant Rafe McCawley?

RAFE:

Yes, Major.

MAJOR:

Lieutenant Daniel Walker here too?

Danny sees him and moves up.

DANNY:

I'm Walker.

MAJOR:

You're going Stateside. We fly out in

half an hour.

He hands them both orders.

RAFE:

What for, Sir?

MAJOR:

Ask Colonel Doolittle. Those orders are

from him.

EXT. HICKAM FIELD - DAY

The wrecked planes have been pushed off the runway and lie in

piles. A transport plane is fueling, and Rafe and Danny wait

in the shade of a shelter.

DANNY:

I told her not to come.

The Major, watching the fueling, gets a wave from the ground

crew and turns and motions to Rafe and Danny that they're

ready. They pick up their duffel bags -- and then Evelyn

comes around the corner of the shelter.

Rafe sees her first, but stops and looks away as Danny moves

to her. For a moment he studies her eyes, and she does not

look away.

DANNY:

This hasn't been easy for any of us. I

feel awful for how it's happened. But

I've seen my first spring too. Thanks

for knowing that's true.

He takes her into his arms, kisses her tenderly but briefly,

a final time. Evelyn's eyes find Rafe, but he can't look at

her until the embrace is over.

Rafe and Danny move to the plane and hurry up the steps.

They turn before the door closes and wave to her.

Evelyn's still standing there as the plane lifts away.

INT. U.S. MILITARY INSTALLATION - NIGHT

The transport has landed and taxied right to the door of a

low, dark bunker, mostly underground. The Major leads Rafe

and Danny inside.

INT. BUNKER

Rafe and Danny follow the Major down a spartan corridor; the

whole place reeks of secrecy.

INT. BUNKER - SECRECY ROOM - NIGHT

The Major opens the door for Rafe and Danny, then leaves,

closing it behind him. Doolittle is alone at a desk. Rafe

and Danny walk in and salute. Doolittle motions to the two

chairs in front of the desk without looking up from the

papers he's studying.

DOOLITTLE:

I heard what you did.

RAFE:

We can explain, Colonel.

DOOLITTLE:

Explain what?

DANNY:

Whatever is was you heard about us.

DOOLITTLE:

You mean the hula shirts you were flying

in?... Or the six planes you shot down?

You're both being awarded the Silver

Star, and promoted to captain.

RAFE:

Is that the good new, Sir, or --

DOOLITTLE:

You're just about the only pilots in the

Army with actual combat experience, so

you're volunteering for a mission I've

been ordered to put together. Do you

know what top secret is?

RAFE:

Well sure, Colonel --

DOOLITTLE:

Top secret means you help me pick the

other pilots, train, and go -- without

knowing where you're going until it's too

late.

DANNY:

You can count on us.

DOOLITTLE:

There's only one other thing I can tell

you.

Doolittle looks up from his paperwork for the first time.

His eyes are fierce.

DOOLITTLE:

You won't need any goddamn hula shirts.

EXT. ESTABLISHING EGLIN FIELD, FLORIDA - DAY

Eglin Field is on the gulf coast of Florida.

INT. BRIEFING ROOM - EGLIN FIELD - DAY

A room full of PILOTS are assembled, with and other CREWMEN.

Danny and Rafe are there; Red and Anthony too.

VOICE:

Attention!

Colonel Doolittle strides into the room as all the men snap

to attention.

DOOLITTLE:

Be seated. The mission you've

volunteered for is dangerous. How

dangerous? Look at the man beside you.

It's a good bet that six weeks from now,

either you or he will be dead.

Danny and Rafe whisper to each other --

DANNY:

Sorry you're gonna die -- cause I'm gonna

make it.

RAFE:

What color flowers you want me to bring

to your funeral?

DOOLITTLE:

In flight school you qualified in single

and in multi-engine planes. You'll be

flying multi-engines here.

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