Red Tails Page #3

I want the tag Ray Gun.

I'm not a kid.

I did two years at Howard before I

even enrolled in the Tuskegee program.

I'm going to be an engineer.

What about you?

My dad's a judge.

He wants me to

go to law school,

so I guess I'm gonna do that.

You ought to just give it up!

Go back to where you came from.

I'd rather be up there

killing Jerries

than down here playing

games with you, Joker.

Look, don't be in a hurry to

get to the killing part, Maurice.

Tell me something.

You scared of dying?

I don't know.

I am.

Every time I close

the lid on that canopy,

I feel like I'm shutting

the lid on my own coffin.

I tell you something else, the pilot that

tells you otherwise is either a liar

or too foolish to

know any better.

Amen.

It's useless.

All this talk for another

study, another inquiry.

"Politics is

the art of..."

Major Kessel's political science

class, the quote that he used...

He said, "Politics is the art of

postponing a decision until it is..."

"No longer relevant."

Colonel

Mortamus stumbled badly.

If he hadn't

embarrassed the brass

by leaking that report

to the press,

they probably would have

let you wither and die.

His politicking

bought you time.

For what?

Operation Shingle.

Air cover for a beach landing.

It's your chance to go up

against German fighters.

I'll say this, Jack.

Even when your hope is

false, it sure is grand.

I'm serious, A.J.

I can get that for you.

If you stick your

neck out how far?

I don't want you to put your

career on the line for me, Jack.

A little less tin on my

uniform is the least of it.

If I get you the mission,

your men have got to

put something on the board.

They come through,

or Mortamus and the brass

will have all they need

to shut the whole thing down.

You get us that mission,

we will light up the board.

Has this flight order

been verified?

Yes, sir. It came directly

from Colonel Bullard in Washington.

Check it again. Get the

flight leaders together.

Sir.

The Colonel got us an opportunity.

Gather around, gentlemen.

Attacking another train, sir?

Or did we graduate to minding

a truck convoy this time?

Operation Shingle.

It's an ambitious

landing off the coast

of the Tyrrhenian Sea

at Nettuno.

We've been given the frag order

to provide air cover

for the landing.

Yeah!

Whoo!

I'm gonna have so many of those

little swastikas on my plane,

they're gonna think

it's camouflage.

We will repay the old man

with victory, hear me?

Yes, sir!

Full briefing at 0400.

On the flight line at 0530.

Good luck, gentlemen.

Junior, where you at, boy?

You're gonna miss the flight.

I know I'm late.

I'm coming.

We're a long way from Memphis,

but Black Jesus is here with me,

and he says it's gonna

be a successful mission.

Now does that mean we're gonna

shoot down a bunch of Jerries,

or we gonna come back

in one piece,

or Lightning gonna pick up

some girls along the way?

No more pickups for me, boys.

I swear to you, lam in love.

Love? Swearing? Both

bad luck in my book.

I can't believe I made it.

Don't tell Easy I was late.

They all set?

All ready, sir!

Send them off.

Hallelujah. The saints

are marching in!

Watch me become

an ace today, boys.

Lightning, did you

just say you're gonna

become an ass today, or an ace?

I couldn't quite

hear what you...

Was it ass or ace?

I couldn't hear.

I think you heard

him right, Smokey.

All right, men,

cut the chatter.

Jesus.

Would you look at that!

Oh, my goodness.

Just like in the newsreels.

Keep your eyes peeled

for the Jerries.

Bogies inbound, twelve o'clock.

And they're

closing in mighty fast!

These pilots are rookies!

Make quick work of them.

All planes, hold formation.

Hold on.

Come on, come on, come on.

Anytime, Red One.

Drop tanks!

Oh, sh*t!

I'm shaking them!

There's two more!

Yes. They're cutting left!

Put a

little hitch in his giddyup!

I'm feeling good now!

Remember,

keep the beachhead clear.

It's clear.

Straighten up

over there, Junior.

Let's go, Lightning.

I'm on one.

I'm behind you. Break right!

I got him.

Get on the inside, Easy!

Get on the inside.

Come on, slip just a little.

Come on, tighter, tighter.

Congratulations, Captain.

You are the first Negro to

shoot down a Jerry! Whoo!

Ha-ha!

Junior!

Straight ahead now.

There's my swastika.

I'm on your wing.

Come on, baby, just move

a little bit closer.

All I want is

a little bitty kiss.

Just give me a little

peck on the cheek. Yeah!

Good shot.

Oh, hell.

Joker, there's one on my tail!

Okay, listen, Junior. Buttonhook

right, and I'm gonna go left.

Come on.

No touchdown for

you today, Fritz.

Junior, you're

all clear, buddy.

Deke, on your right!

I see him.

Let's give those newspapers

something to write about.

Tennessee says hello!

There's the squad leader.

I'm gonna take him out.

Careful. He's good.

You're letting him

get away, Lightning!

I'm just toying with him.

This is for you, Pretty Boy,

with your bright yellow nose!

Come on, boy. Line it up.

One shot.

Holy crap!

How'd he do that?

Get him off me!

I'm on him.

Get him off me!

Get out of the way, Lightning!

Open your throttle.

Come on, man!

Take him out!

I can't get a clear shot.

Hold on.

Drop to your right.

All right! I got him.

Oh! Thank you, Lord.

And there I was thinking

you didn't love me any more.

He's headed home to mama.

You thinking what I'm thinking?

If you're thinking

I should finish him off

so we can get back to the

beachhead, then, yes.

Or we could follow him.

We could go

after their airdrome.

I don't know, Lightning. We got orders.

You know that.

Come on, Easy. I'm talking

about a Jerry airbase.

Dozens of planes!

You're saying no?

All right. I'll trust

your instincts this time.

But we're running low on fuel. We're

gonna follow for five minutes.

You got that?

Five minutes.

Joker, you back there?

We're still back here.

Junior?

I'm ready for a turkey shoot.

Mayday! Mayday!

There it is, boys.

Get your scorecards ready.

Gotta knock out those fighters

before they take off.

Got to take

those guns out first.

Everybody, form up.

Here we go!

Brand-new 109s.

Not so brand-new 109s.

Like ducks in a row.

All right.

Two at once!

That's nothing. Watch

me get four this time.

Touchdown!

We're running low on fuel.

No time for celebration.

Whoo!

The Ray Gun strikes again.

Junior, watch out

for that flak!

Good job, Lightning.

Washington brass won't

be able to ignore this.

My God!

Those pilots are African!

Hey! What happened to Junior?

There he is.

Three o'clock high.

He's trailing oil.

Red One to Red Three.

Junior, come in.

I took something in the leg.

Something in my head.

Level off, Junior,

or you're gonna stall out.

All right.

Oh, yeah!

Yeah!

Yeah!

Yes!

Whoa!

They done shot down the whole

Luftwaffe, didn't they?

Yes, they did, huh?

Those hotshots sure did.

Never doubted it.

Did I make it?

Yeah, you made it, damn Knucklehead.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote