The Americanization of Emily Page #11

But I was unbalanced at the time.

I wasn't responsible.

You mean that Charlie Madison...

Oh, my God.

Sir, we wanted a hero. Now we've got one.

You don't send a man to his death

because you want a hero.

The whole purpose

of our coming over here was...

to try to find something to catch the eye

of the Committee on Military Affairs.

Remind them that the Navy is still

an essential service.

We're trying to keep

from being scrapped, sir.

May God forgive me.

I'll never forgive myself.

If you want to catch the eye of

the Joint Committee on Military Affairs...

you'll have to bury Charlie in Washington

not on Omaha Beach.

Right in the middle

of the Senate committee room...

and certainly no farther away

than Pennsylvania Avenue.

I will not authorize funds

for any monument on Omaha Beach.

We need something more immediate.

Give me my jacket.

Yes, sir.

- You got my flight orders?

- Yes, sir.

You leave for Washington tonight

with Marv Ellender on the 2200 flight.

The only solace for any of us is that...

if Charlie were here,

he'd be laughing himself silly.

All ambulatory patients over here.

You are now at the Sixth Medical

Relocation Center in Southampton.

You'll all be properly taken care of

in a few minutes.

All those who need immediate attention,

right here.

Magazines, newspapers.

Any of you want some magazines?

Here you go.

Do you want some magazines?

Life, Newsweek?

Do you want a copy of Life?

No, thank you. I've seen it already.

You and Adams lock up the shop.

I want you both in Washington

by Wednesday night.

- And forget about that tomb.

- Yes, sir.

Admirals Corning and Ridgeway

are supposed to testify on Thursday.

I don't think they'll get to us

before Monday.

- Bus, can I see you a minute?

- Is something the matter?

I think you could say

something's the matter.

I just got a call from the

Sixth Relocation Center in Southampton.

That's where they bring

the casualties from France.

They've got

a Lt. Cmdr. Charles E. Madison...

ready to be released.

Would we arrange transportation

for him and bring him a uniform?

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

- I don't know if you heard me.

- I heard you. I don't get it.

- I spoke to him. He's alive.

- He's practically a French national shrine.

How the hell can he be alive?

He got on the phone. Said, "Hi, Paul. "

I said, "Hi, Charlie. "

He said, "Paul, do me a favor,

call Miss Barham and tell her I'm okay. "

I saw him with my own eyes.

He also said, "Tell Bus

if I ever lay my hands on him...

"I'm going to belt him

in his big fat stern sheets. "

He's alive.

The first dead man

on Omaha Beach is alive.

Boy, that's great.

the front cover of Life magazine...

every newsreel in the world,

and he's alive.

- What's he mad at you for?

- Not only is he alive, he's a coward.

We had a nice dead hero.

Now we got a lousy live coward.

- What's wrong?

- This better not be a gag!

It's no gag.

Admiral!

Sir, he's alive, damn it.

Alive? Madison?

Yes, sir.

In a relocation center in Southampton

waiting to be released right now, sir.

Thank God.

That's wonderful, Bus. Wonderful!

Now we can bring your

first man on Omaha Beach...

right into Room 610

of the Senate office building.

Sir?

I want Madison flown to Washington

on the first plane out of Southampton.

I want him flown

to Washington tomorrow.

We're going to give Charlie a parade...

right down Pennsylvania Avenue...

and to the front lawn of the White House...

where the President himself

will decorate Charlie with a Navy Cross.

I'm not so sure we should involve

the President in this, sir.

The President's an old Navy man.

He's sympathetic to

our position throughout.

Yes, sir, but I just don't think

we should go that big.

Big?

We're going to make a brass-band hero

out of Charlie...

using every coarse theatricality...

the public relations office

is overpaid to think up.

When I walk into that Senate office

hearing on Monday or Tuesday...

I'll smile my crisp military smile

at all those senators...

and then, in a perfunctory way,

I'll introduce my two aides:

Capt. Ellender here, my technical advisor...

and Lt. Cmdr. Charles. E. Madison.

Gentlemen, the first American

on Omaha Beach. A sailor.

That, Bus, is what is known

as letting them have it in spades.

Doubled, redoubled, and vulnerable.

Sir, I'd better really tell you

what happened on D-day.

Is he alive? Is that what you're saying,

that he's alive?

Yes, Miss Barham, we think he is.

Oh, dear.

Miss Barham, we're almost as happy

about this as you are.

Thank you, sir.

Bus, I want you to drive this young lady

down to Southampton...

just as fast as you can make it.

- Yes, sir.

- Get going.

- Good-bye, Harry.

- Good trip, sir.

- Bus.

- Yes, sir?

You were going to tell me

something before about Charlie on D-day.

Nothing, sir. Have a good flight.

Don't forget I want him

in Washington tomorrow.

I don't care what brass

you have to throw off the plane.

I'll have him on the first flight

out of Southampton.

You'd better move back there, sir.

What I didn't tell the Admiral back there...

was that Charlie Madison became

the first American on Omaha Beach...

because I chased him up there

with a Colt. 45.

He was, in fact, running the other way...

bolting under fire,

an errant act of cowardice!

Our big brass-band hero...

is a big brass-band coward!

But I didn't tell the Admiral that...

because the Navy needs a hero...

even a miserable, lousy, yellow,

cowardly hero like Charlie Madison.

It's a hoax, Emily.

The whole thing's a hoax.

That's my Charlie. Craven to the end.

- Spaulding.

- Yo.

Clear me a space for Madison

on the first flight out of Southampton.

- I'll call him from the hospital there.

- Right.

Harry, I'm in the administration office

right now.

I can have Madison at the airport by 1:00.

Now don't worry about it.

You just clear a place on the plane

for him, that's all.

You told Grisam!

What do you mean? When?

He told the public relations office.

Harry, we'll have every correspondent

in London down here.

What the hell's the matter with you?

Why don't you go on through

and wait for him outside?

Thank you.

You're limping, Commander.

The old wound acting up?

Where have you been?

We expected you back

a week ago yesterday.

I'm sorry. I had to go

to France for a few days.

It's out of season this time of year.

No one worth knowing was there,

I'm sure.

Very rough element

going to France these days.

Oh, Charlie.

- Careful, my leg.

- Shut up. Let me hold you.

Don't you get within a cane's distance,

you tried to kill me.

Come on, don't make

such a big dramatic deal out of this.

I've got a plane waiting

to take you to Washington.

We've got to be at the airport

in half an hour.

There are 20 reporters waiting

in the office...

more piling in every minute.

We'll have five minutes for photos

and a few questions.

- Let me brief you on what you're to say.

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