Red Ball Express Page #3

We'll get specific instructions

at a forward control point.

Paris is 270 miles

from here.

The way those roads are,

it'll take us ten days to get there.

We'll make it in a day

and a half, driving a maximum speed of 35 miles an hour.

I've seen those roads.

You can't shoot a bullet 35 miles an hour down 'em.

The roads'll be cleared for us.

Incidentally, Sergeant, speakin' of bullets,

see that every man's been issued

a belt full of ammunition anda rifle.

We gonna shoot rabbits

or somethin'?

Could be. We better keep

our engines hot in case we have to cook 'em.

In addition to rations,

we're gonna be carryin' ammunition and gasoline,

so I don't have to

warn you to be careful.

You have any questions?

Okay, everybody,

in the trucks.

All except you,

Sergeant.

Quit buckin' me,

will you, Red? I wanna make an outfit out of these men.

With these goldbricks,

troublemakers and misfits?

Guys other outfits

wanted to get rid of?

We're gonna make a good outfit

out of 'em. The large part of it's gonna be your job.

Don't worry. When

the goin' gets rough,

you won't see me

jumpin' out of a truck and runnin'.

You better get

in your vehicle.

Oh, that Partridge.

If his truck lasts long enough, he may learn how to drive.

Get that vehicle off the road.

I'll check the damage.

All right, you deadheads, move

this hunk of junk off the road before it starts growin' roots.

Aw, go oil your shoes.

They squeak.

It's dolls.

Real American dolls!

- How can you tell

in these outfits? - I can tell all right.

- I guess I'm just lucky.

- Well, wonderful. Now that you've established our gender,

I don't suppose

you'd mind giving us a hand.

Take two. I wish

I was an octopus.

I'll bet he is

in the back seat of a car.

What's this

Red Cross business?

Don't tell me there's

a disaster up here.

We're Red Cross workers,

Sergeant. This is our clubmobile.

We're supposed to ride this

road, serve coffee and doughnuts to the Red Ball Express drivers.

- We haven't seen any yet.

- Well, ya have now, sweetheart.

I'm one of these heroes

you've been waitin' for. Break out the grub.

Okay. Comin' up.

Hey, you guys!

Off your duffs! Chow!

Stay where you are!

The situation's taken

kind of a twist.

The dames are here

to entertain the enlisted men.

Coffee, tea and doughnuts

will be ready in a minute.

Tell the men they

don't have to line up. We'll bring it down to them.

I know this is gonna sound

stuffy, but there are some men up near Paris...

who need gasoline and ammunition

much more than we need coffee, tea or doughnuts.

So will you please move?

While I'm changing the tire,

they can be passing out

the refreshments.

You're not gonna change

anything. Get in your truck along with the rest of the men.

Take it easy, Sergeant.

You wouldn't look good with a court-martial.

I'll do my own fighting.

I'll bet you could lick him, too, lady.

Everybody, in the trucks.

Prepare to move out.

This boy's the soul

of generosity.

In order to have a soul,

I hear you gotta be human.

Sergeant Kallek?

We'll take ten here.

Have the men check their loads, tires, gas and water.

Anything else, sir?

Yeah.

Yeah, put out

a four-man security patrol and check the road ahead.

Security patrol?

Now look, Lieutenant, this isn't combat we're in.

This is behind-the-lines

communication zone work.

I don't wanna tell you your job...

I'd rather you wouldn't.

Just put out

the patrol.

All right, you men.

Everybody up here!

You, too, Higgins!

On the double!

Come on. Let's relax.

Relax?

Are you kiddin'?

Security patrol.

I take it, Sergeant, this is

where we sweat out the rest of this dangerous mission.

You take it

right.

Whoever give the lieutenant

the idea for this security patrol, Sarge?

I think he read a book on

Napoleon once, so now he wants to capture Europe single-handed.

If there's a Kraut within

50 miles of this place, I bet he's laughin' himself to death.

Say, how do you laugh in German?

Grab your guns and take cover

away from these trucks!

Wonder where

the lieutenant's goin'.

Probably back to Cherbourg to get his transfer.

Here, Red.

Let's take a look.

If those Krauts come around

that bend, they'll blow this convoy to bits. Let's go.

I'll cover you, Lieutenant.

Don't worry about us.

Just don't fire

unless they attack the convoy.

I'm gonna draw

their fire, Red. You pinpoint 'em.

They're over there

in that cluster of trees, but they're low.

As long as we stay behind

the lip of the road, we're all right.

Yeah, but we could

stay here all night.

I'm gonna try

to go around and get behind 'em.

You get as close

to the lip as possible.

When I yell,

we both go.

All right, Red!

Red!

- Thanks.

- Thanks for what?

I was hoping

they'd kill ya.

You might as well realize

what happened just now can happen anytime.

This isn't what a lot of you

guys have been thinkin'... a bus line or a gravy train.

There's hundreds of Germans been bypassed, and lot of 'em...

Hold that fire!

Think I'll buy you

a slingshot.

You the officer in charge of this outfit?

Yes, sir. Lt. Campbell.

Don't your men even recognize their own army?

Yes, sir, but...

You might have killed us. I had

to drive 50 miles back from the front to find a supply column.

To have it fire at me

is a little more than I can take.

We had a run-in with

the Krauts, sir. We're a little trigger-happy.

I see. Get your men

in the trucks. I'll show you where to take the stuff.

Major, these men

need a break. They've been driving 30 hours.

A break? Nobody's

getting any breaks up where I came from.

We need this ammo and gas,

and we need it bad.

Yes, sir.

Unless our speedometer's

broke, we've done 275 miles in the last 36 hours.

Yeah. Hey, that's just what

the lieutenant said we'd do.

This is where we drop it.

This area's been cleared for mines.

Where's the Seine River?

The other side of those hills.

Soon as Patton gets

another bridge built, his boys'll pick this stuff up.

Hey, Major, which way is Paris?

Ten miles in that direction.

Uh-huh.

It's not gonna do you any good. The Germans still hold it.

Germans?

Ten miles away?

You nervous

because the Krauts are ten miles away?

That's a little

close, buddy.

Well, don't spread this

around, but they're only two miles in that direction.

Hey, Major.

Where are the unloading crews?

Sergeant, this is not a reception center.

This is war.

Up here, we do our own unloading.

So let's get this stuff

on the ground.

Let's move,

Sergeant.

All right, you guys.

The next hour

will be devoted to physical education.

Next he'll want us

to pour the gas in their tanks,

load their guns

and pull their triggers for them.

I guess this is the life of a soldier.

Soldiers?

We're nothin' but bus

drivers and travelling gas station attendants.

Hey, Taffy, you know

that book I'm doin' on my war experiences?

I'm afraid that's gettin'

a little depressing.

If you ask me,

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