Sands of Iwo Jima Page #2

You got no kick coming.

You have, so don't go turning your back.

Will we take Hollywood

with them physiques!

- First Platoon!

- That's for me!

- Here, Wright, any mail for Stryker?

- No.

It's going to be rugged again tonight.

He won't solve his problems

with whiskey.

What would you do

if your wife left with your kid?

- After five years I'd forget it.

- Stryker's not much on forgetting.

- Sorry, no letter for you.

- I know it.

You know ten-year-olds. There could be

a thousand reasons why he didn't write.

- A million.

- Cut it out.

- Cut what out?

- Brushing me. The kid's all right.

- Maybe Mary influenced him not to.

- That she wouldn't do.

Of course not.

Stryker, you're a very unusual character.

- Can this be love?

- You know what I mean.

A lot of guys wouldn't see that a woman

needs a husband who's not always away.

A woman wants a home and a guy

to come in and out on time every day.

- You can tell me to shut up.

- If you can't talk to me, who can?

- Don't do it, just for once, don't do it.

- Do what?

Don't start out to get blind, staggering,

stinking, falling down drunk.

Nobody starts out to get blind,

staggering, stinking, falling down drunk.

Some do. Why not leave

half your dough with me?

You got an old maid's failings. You worry.

Don't try to follow me tonight or I'll put

a dent in that ugly head of yours.

- Ready?

- Just a minute.

- What's up?

- Nothing.

Benny didn't strip his M1 fast enough

for Stryker, so he turned him in.

They cancelled his liberty.

Perhaps our sergeant hasn't got a heart

of gold after all, but he certainly is...

You talk too much. You think I restricted

Flynn for my own amusement?

The punishment's unreasonable,

to cancel his liberty for a minor mistake.

I'm gonna tell you something, Conway.

I'm gonna tell all of you.

I'm gonna make it simple

so you'll all understand it.

They handed me you guys as a present,

a regular Easter basket.

They told me to get you into shape

so you can handle a piece of this war.

That's what I'm gonna do and that means

I'm gonna tell you what to do every day,

how to button your buttons

and when to blow your noses.

If you do something I don't like I'm gonna

jump and when I land it'll hurt.

I'll ride you until you can't stand up.

When you do, you'll be marines.

Flynn stays here.

Extra-hard product of a hard school.

Tough luck, Flynn.

- If my brother doesn't go, I'm not going.

- Shut up!

- Who are you telling to shut up?

- You!

Let's go before we all lose our liberty.

I wanna see those Wellington babes.

- How do you feel, boy?

- Like a little bird with feathers on it.

- Don't fly away, little bird.

- I can't. I'm still in the egg.

Beautiful, beautiful! I wanna dance.

You're gonna sit down.

Yes, ma'am, Tennessee,

that's where I come from.

The greatest state in the Union.

They call it the volunteer state.

Right there is where I'm from.

Smithville, Tennessee, what a town!

These are all my cousins on my mama's

side and these are on my papa's side.

We got the best tobacco there is, too.

More fertiliser comes from Tennessee

than any other place in the world.

Listen to that band! Zombies!

They're all dead.

- Maybe they like music that way here.

- Or don't know any other kind.

- I'm talking these boys into a session.

- Maybe they don't have it in them.

After I'm through, they will.

They're breaking my heart.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

- There is a happy man.

- Wait until tomorrow.

- Don't be a killjoy, dance. I'll watch him.

- I'm not much on dancing.

- You might try just this once.

- No, thanks.

- Pete's my name, Pete Conway.

- Allison.

- Hello, Allison.

- Hello, Pete.

- You're warm. Want to sit down?

- No. I don't want to lose you.

- Cutting in.

- Shove off, Mac.

What would you say if I suggested

we get some air?

I'd say I'm not supposed to leave the club

with servicemen, but to you I'd say yes.

Now what?

We know all about each other.

- You'll be missing your train.

- I'll float back on thin air.

Don't do that. You might catch cold.

Funny, I've just met you and I feel

I've known you all my life.

I feel that way, too.

- Ten thousand miles away.

- Not now.

I wanna see you again,

every time I get liberty.

I'll be here.

- Allison...

- Yes?

...l'm glad I met you tonight.

- The train...

- I know.

I'll walk you to the station.

I can get a taxi from there.

- No, I'll walk you home.

- No.

You might miss your train.

I might not see you again for a long time.

Any time I get liberty, she says, just call

her up. Man, what a barmaid!

- I'll finish the war right here.

- Drink any more and you probably will!

New Zealand ain't got rats because

they killed them all with that whiskey!

We'll drink worse before we get through.

They may bury me at sea tomorrow,

but tonight I got that nice, warm feeling.

I got a great future

for the next two hours.

You're bleeding!

Lipstick!

- Hey, fellas, look what I found!

- Hey, sports...

...look.

- Boy, he's really carrying a load!

- Gyrene!

Hey, Mac, you're a little off your course.

- Well, what do you know! Stryker.

- He's sure a mess.

Now I know what happened

to those stripes. Come on.

Shore Patrol.

- That's what it is. Give me a hand.

- You're going to help him?

If he cut my mother's throat five minutes

ago, I wouldn't let them get him.

What a break! He's all set to drop two

stripes and Shore Patrol shows up.

- But look what he done to me!

- Don't tell me he kissed you.

That's a great one!

Did I tell you about the guy on a train

and the funniest thing happened...

- I don't know why you're helping him.

- I'll take care of it.

- Where did you come from?

- Never mind. He don't need you guys.

- How do you like that?

- He must follow Stryker like a little dog.

What do you care?

At least he took him off our hands.

A day after our leave, we drew a 22-mile

hike over terrain carefully selected.

All uphill, and it was a weary bunch of

marines who pitched tents that night

and gratefully folded themselves inside.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

All kinds.

I never did before but I sure do now.

- Why do you have to tell me now?

- Because I'm thinking about it now.

- I'm gonna marry that girl.

- What girl?

- The girl I met last night.

- You'll feel better in the morning.

I couldn't feel any better

than I do right now.

I've been thinking, why do men

get married during a war?

- Don't know.

- It's the worst time.

I fooled around

but I never thought about marriage.

I know a lot of girls

back in the States but...

...I think it's because when you get

out here you're close to things.

You realise way down inside, no matter

how much you try not to think about it,

that maybe something's

got your number on...

...and you want to leave

a bit of yourself behind.

Doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl,

just so long as you won't be forgotten.

There'll be someone who'd never

have lived if it hadn't been for you.

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