Taps Page #2

Can't remember.

- We had this stuff in some green liquid.

- We had brandy. Brandy with the general.

- Incredible.

- Do you even like brandy?

That's beside the point. Can't stand it.

They're beautiful, roomie. You earned them.

Yeah. You deserve them as much as I do.

No way, Jos. I'm half-civilian,

you know, on my mother's side.

Even if I did get you through math, science,

- Military science...

- True. Very true.

Did you get 'em?

Whatever happened to good manners?

The simple custom of knocking...

The gold.

I'd give my right nut for those oak leaves.

Does a major live at this address?

Can I touch 'em? Please?

- Man, I can't believe it!

- Don't cream on 'em. They'll tarnish.

You should have been there.

We talked about battles he'd been in.

- No sh*t!

- Drank brandy.

- No sh*t!

- Toasted honour.

You can tell your grandchildren about it.

Listen. We are gonna have such a great year.

The best year yet.

We are gonna command the best regiment

this school has ever seen.

Damn well said!

In honour of this auspicious occasion,

Major Moreland,

your presence is requested in the hallway.

Dismissed!

Major Moreland, he's our man.

Major Moreland, he's our man.

He's the baddest in the land.

- He's the baddest in the land.

- Thank you, Dave.

Thank you. Thanks.

That was a nice thing to do, Shawn.

I mean it.

Thanks.

The corps of cadets

is commanded by Major John Cooper.

The incoming corps commander

is Major Brian Moreland.

B Company is led by

Cadet Captain David Shawn.

Eyes right!

Eyes right!

A Company is led by Cadet Captain JC Pierce.

Company, turn!

C Company is led by

Cadet Captain Robert Harris.

Eyes right!

- D Troop is led by Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer.

- Eyes right!

Present arms!

Staff, present arms.

Stand at ease!

Staff, stand at ease.

Ladies and gentlemen,

for 141 years, old soldiers like myself

have stood here on this day

and told the finest of America's young men

the meaning of the word "commencement".

It is a beginning, we told them.

But today,

this day,

it has another meaning, an end.

An end to nearly

a century and a half of tradition

and an end to the heart of us.

I have been informed

that Bunker Hill Academy is to be closed,

all of its buildings torn down,

nothing to be left...

but memories.

It is the decision of the board of trustees

in their wisdom that this institution be sold

and the land developed

for its real estate potential.

In order to allow

the incoming seniors to graduate

and the underclassmen

to seek enrolment elsewhere,

the board has graciously extended

the date of termination for one year.

One year.

I stand here today with you

and look out over these young men

and of course I am reminded of other

commencement days and other young men,

men of courage and conviction,

men who have given everything.

In Mexico.

In the great catastrophe of the Civil War.

In Flanders and the Argonne.

In the jungles of the Philippines

and on Omaha Beach.

In the snows of Bastogne,

in the Mekong Delta

and at the siege of Khe Sanh.

How, then,

can others say this land is for sale?

It has been purchased and paid for

with the blood of our graduates.

I am a veteran of many terrible battles.

But no battle is more important than this one,

and this final battle I intend to win.

We have a year.

Entire wars have been won in less time.

Men of the corps,

so long as breath and spirit remain,

we must fight to preserve this academy

so that the traditions that were born here

may endure here.

We must pledge ourselves to that mission.

Yes, come in.

Major Moreland

requesting permission to speak.

Go ahead, Major.

Sir, those of us staying summer session

were wondering... We wondered if...

Stand at ease, Major.

Sir, how can they do this?

With the stroke of a pen, sir.

Their field of honour was a desk top.

They didn't consult me.

Never hinted at what their plans were.

They just papered it and pencilled it

and went ahead and did it

because that's what the numbers said.

Sir, all they want is money.

Let them raise the tuition. We'll pay it.

I'm afraid it's not quite that simple, son.

There's a feeling on the outside

that schools like this are anachronistic

and leaders of men

like you and me are dinosaurs.

Sir?

Well, you go to the movies, you read books.

A military leader is always portrayed

as slightly insane.

Very often more than slightly.

That's because it is insane to cling to honour

in a world where honour is held in contempt.

Sir, I don't know

if I really deserve the rank of major.

My first thought was for myself.

I didn't think about the others or the school...

- Sit down, Mr Moreland.

- Sir.

Never be ashamed of being human.

Without humanity, a leader becomes a tyrant.

I was relieved. I figured I had another year.

I could graduate and go on to West Point.

So you will. And the others too.

I haven't spent a lifetime fighting

just to turn over and play dead now.

I came to Bunker Hill when I was 12 years old.

Just like you.

With the exception of those 12 years,

I've been in uniform all my life.

I know men younger than myself

who take their pensions

and put on stupid little white shirts

with cut-off sleeves,

alligator on the tit,

and spend the rest of their days

beating the hell out of a little white ball

with an iron club.

My God!

The thought of it makes me want to puke.

They like it like that, civilians.

Well, the one thing civilians know

is their rights.

And they're within their rights

to push us out

to make way

for their goddamned condominiums.

But we have one little advantage on them.

- What's that, sir?

- We're here.

And the condos aren't.

We have a foothold.

You boys are my purpose. You're my family.

And I'm not going to let them

take you away from me.

We won't either, sir. We won't let them.

- I knew something like this would happen.

- Sure.

I figured after one whole year of being

sh*t on, I'd get hit by a bus or something

and never get a chance

to sh*t on the next bunch.

So you didn't get hit by a bus. So what?

Thank you, sir.

They'll find me another school for next year.

It'll be another year of getting sh*t on.

Will your folks

let you come back here for one year?

Maybe. I don't know.

- Snow White and the two dwarves.

- I'm not in any mood for your sh*t, Dwyer.

- Just trying to be friendly.

- Yeah.

So... what's Moreland say about all this?

He says it'll never happen.

Bache'll come in and save the day.

- I think he's right.

- That makes two of you.

So what do you think, Dwyer?

I think your mother never gave you any toys

when you were a baby.

Neither did Dwyer's,

so he had to play with his sister's.

Let's go!

Can I use your comb?

Jesus! I feel like a big fat hairy hand reached

inside of me and yanked something out.

Don't sweat it, West. It ain't over.

- Great. We still get our year.

- Forget about that one year business.

This place will be here after

the pencil pushers are in the boneyard.

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