Red Tails Page #7

No, no.

The word is...

"Negro."

When you get upset, when you

get mad, you turn red, right?

When you get envious or

sick, you turn green.

When you become cowardly,

you turn yellow.

And y'all got the nerve

to call us colored.

I want to ask you

an important question.

Um...

Will you marry me?

Uh...

Time to think.

Oh.

Okay.

When you get to

the other side, don't wait.

Just run for the woods, okay?

Go!

Remember, run for the woods!

It's Ray Gun, he's

back with the batteries.

Any problems?

They won't even

know they're missing.

Divide the batteries among

those who have flashlights.

You've been

a great help, Ray Gun.

I guess there's a lot more to

you coloreds than I thought.

We want you to travel with us.

Oh, I can't. I'll stick out

like a pig in a poultry shop.

I'll draw attention

to you guys.

Thank you.

I'll go alone.

But...

Here, take my dog tags.

Get them back to my unit.

You're a wily sucker, Ray. At least

they won't see you in the dark.

Good luck, Lieutenant.

Safe journey, Captain.

Good luck, Ray.

Good luck.

Remember, run for the woods.

Okay, let's go.

- Run, Miller, run!

- Halt!

Halt!

Halt, halt!

Hot tamales, and they're red

hot Yes, she got them for sale.

I got a girl,

she's long and tall.

Sleeps in the kitchen

with her feets in the hall.

Sticks on metal ain't music.

It ain't.

I like music.

Aww! Coffee, were you

always mean as hell,

or you just get like

that with old age?

I once was a happy man. Never did

not have a smile on my face.

That was before you guys started

tearing up my beautiful planes.

I could tolerate

the P-40s.

But these new babies getting beat up?

It breaks my heart.

Come on, Coffee. I only came

back with two holes this time.

Uh. Six.

Six holes.

Well, that ain't nothing compared

to what's gonna happen to you

when you run into those jets those

bomber jockeys was talking about.

I ain't afraid of no jets.

Don't go trying your

old tricks, Lightning.

If you end up too close

behind one of those jets,

the turbulence alone will blow your

black ass right out of the sky.

Trust me, I'm gonna

be the first one

to shoot one of

those things down.

And I'll be the second.

My advice is, you see

one, run like hell.

The only thing in life that

makes me want to run like hell

is you, Coffee.

That's gonna get you killed out there.

I'm not dancing with you.

The target is a tank factory

on the outskirts of Berlin.

Shut that down, you shut down Jerry's

ability to shore up a Berlin defense.

General Campbell's wing will

be leading the bombardment.

You have recon on the area?

In the air, we're expecting

everything the Luftwaffe's got,

A possibility of 262s,

German jet fighters.

Jet fighters?

The boys are

gonna love this one!

The target area

isn't your concern.

The 52nd will escort the

General's planes into Berlin.

Is there a reason, sir?

Sixteen hundred miles

to Berlin and back.

The fighters need

to take it in stages.

With external fuel tanks,

the 51s can make it.

I guarantee our pilots can.

I'd prefer the Red Tails take the

leg where we need protecting.

Our first major air

offensive over Berlin.

From a propaganda

point of view,

a lot of attention gonna be paid

to this and a lot of ink spilled.

And Negro pilots aren't

part of that story.

Colonel, A.J.

This is coming

from way above me.

If you didn't have my respect,

I wouldn't be talking

to you face to face.

But we don't win this

war, all my regard,

everything that you and

your men have done,

none of it means a thing.

Colonel.

Please see to it that the

General gets to his plane.

Sir.

You like it?

I want you

stay in Italia.

You want me to stay?

Does that mean...

Does that mean you'll marry me?

Yes. Marriage.

I love you.

I can't believe it.

I'm getting married.

Okay, we're going to throw it, all right?

There you go.

There you go. All right. Throw!

I'm looking for Captain Julian.

Right here.

You the one they call Easy?

I guess some people do.

What can I help you with?

I'm Captain Miller. I was in

prison with Lieutenant Gannon.

He asked me to

give his tags to you.

Four of us got out.

The deal was, if we

made it and he didn't,

I'd get his dog tags

back to his unit.

Ray was a good man.

To whoever it matters,

you tell them from me.

Ray was the best

soldier I ever met.

Thank you.

A moment, Colonel.

What is it, Captain?

Ray Gannon's dog tags, sir.

A soldier brought it by today.

He and Ray were

prisoners together.

They got out from

under the Germans,

but Ray didn't make it.

Sir, Ray Gun wasn't fit when

I put him back in rotation.

The Flight Surgeon

wouldn't clean bill him,

so I talked my way

right past him.

I just don't feel like I'm fit

to lead the squad any more.

I've made so many mistakes.

No, you've made

one big mistake.

That self-pity of yours,

that's your weakness.

But it ends right here,

right now.

You man up,

you lead your squad.

Every decision that you make isn't

gonna always be the right one.

All right, this is it.

For the first time, the bombers

are going all the way to Berlin.

They'll be up against 109s and

Unfortunately, we're only

going to escort them

on the first leg

of their mission,

so I don't expect

you'll see much action.

You will rendezvous with the

relief escorts at 0830.

I know this is disappointing to you.

It's not the job you wanted.

But those are your orders.

- Understood?

- Yes, sir!

Full briefing at 0400.

On the flight line at 0530.

Spread the word, gentlemen.

Julian. A moment.

Captain, if your relief

doesn't arrive,

as squadron leader,

it's your call.

If you think you can make it.

Sir.

That is all, son.

We're past

the rendezvous point.

Tail gunner, has the

No, sir.

No sign of them.

Anybody got eyes on

our relief fighters?

Not a dang thing, Red One.

Are we going all the way, sir?

Fuel-wise,

we're looking good.

But I'm guessing

the hours there and back,

it'll definitely be

one for the record books.

Come on, Easy.

It's Berlin.

Let's go.

We can make it.

All right, gentlemen. Brace yourselves.

We're going the distance.

Yeah! We fight!

Ha-ha! Watch out,

Hitler, here we come!

Just remember, we're here

to protect the bombers.

Under all circumstances,

we stay on mission.

What's that about?

I think we've got the Red

Tails for the duration.

By my reckoning,

we're deep into Germany.

It's a little creepy we haven't

seen any fighters yet.

Maybe they found out

we were flying escort

and decided not to show up.

That'd be nice.

Wouldn't mind that,

would you, baby?

Colonel!

It's from Mission Control.

The 52nd didn't

make the rendezvous.

They didn't join

up with the 5th.

Did our boys turn back?

No, sir. They're

headed on to Berlin.

I gave Captain Julian

the option.

Headquarters wants to know

if we're gonna call them back.

Yes, sir!

Show no mercy.

Oh, sh*t! Jets!

We got jets!

What the hell?

What? Oh, no!

Maurice!

Mama!

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