The Americanization of Emily Page #5

and shrines of our battlefields.

We wear our widow's weeds

like nuns, Mrs. Barham...

and perpetuate war

by exalting its sacrifices.

My brother died at Anzio.

I didn't know that, Charlie.

Yes. An everyday soldier's death,

no special heroism involved.

They buried what pieces

they found of him.

But my mother insists he died a brave

death and pretends to be very proud.

You're very hard on your mother.

It seems a harmless enough pretense

to me.

No, Mrs. Barham.

No. You see, now my other brother

can't wait to reach enlistment age.

- That'll be in September.

- Lord.

Maybe ministers and generals

blunder us into war, Mrs. Barham...

the least the rest of us can do is

to resist honoring the institution.

What has my mother got

for pretending bravery was admirable?

She's under constant sedation...

and terrified she may

wake up one morning...

and find her last son

has run off to be brave.

I don't think I was rude or unkind before.

Do you, Mrs. Barham?

No.

You better push off, Emily,

if you've got to get to work.

Give my best to Father, then.

Your father died in the blitz...

and your brother died a brave

and pointless death in December 1940.

- I've carried on much too long with all this.

- Mother.

No, do go.

Honestly, I'd much rather be alone.

Really, I mean it.

You're a kind man, Commander.

I hope you'll come again.

Thank you, ma'am. I'd like to.

At the same time, Jesse,

it has to be a neap tide...

so we can unload all the Army's heavy

stuff with a minimum of open beach.

Jesse, D-day has to be June 5 or 6.

We won't repeat these tidal conditions

for half a year, at least with a moon.

That'll put us into the winter.

Jesse, why don't we

knock off this briefing?

- We've been at it since 3:00.

- Yeah, I'm tired.

It took me six months to get that

portable port plan to the Pentagon...

let alone the British.

I haven't had more than

two or three hours' sleep a night...

since Florence died. I'm really worn out.

Why don't we get a couple of beers

and get a decent night's sleep?

Yeah. Let's really tie one on tonight.

Bus, call Charlie Madison.

Tell him to set up a little bar in a hotel.

Yes, sir.

You remember we weren't called

midshipmen in those days...

we were called naval cadets.

Yeah!

This was before Bancroft Hall

was turned into a dormitory...

because they found

the O.O.D. Sitting there with his...

You remember when they christened

the canvas!

Anyway, "Hey, you cadet,"

said this jimmy leg.

Jesse?

Jesse, you think they're gonna...

unify the services after the war?

Yeah. It looks that way.

A joint committee on military affairs...

is holding a hearing. The end of June.

Ostensibly, it's about the Army's

new bomber program.

It's really about the Army pushing to be...

the dominant service

in the military establishment.

A lot of talk about the Air Corps

becoming a separate service.

Yeah. Every senator in Washington...

is infatuated with strategic bombing.

You don't win a war

with strategic bombers!

Right!

If you did, Hitler would be sitting

in this room right now instead of us.

Right! Hitler ruled the sky.

He had the greatest army in the world.

But he couldn't make it across

Right.

Hitler had everything, except a navy.

Now he's finished.

This planet is five-sixths water!

God made it that way,

and that's the way it's gonna stay.

In this world, you're as strong

as your sea power.

- You tell them, Jesse!

- Damn right.

My father was class of 1869.

He beat the Army 2-0...

when they were still pitching baseball

underhanded.

I wish he was pitching for us this year.

My grandfather died slipping a sloop...

through the Union blockade at Charleston.

I knew we'd get back to the Civil War.

My people have shipped out for this

country under sail, wood and diesel...

ever since Capt. John Smith left

a Jessup to hold Jamestown in 1610.

And I'm damned if I'm going to see

the Navy sucking runt's udder in my time.

I'll tell you that!

By golly!

Bus, how is that movie coming along?

- Movie, sir?

- Yeah.

What...

- Sir, are you all right?

- Jesse?

You know, something very strange

is happening to me.

I'm beginning to like tea.

With milk?

Charlie? Better come here.

Florence!

- Take it easy.

- Florence!

- Florence!

- Easy, Jesse.

I've got him, sir.

Help me get him on the bed, Bus.

- Think we ought to call a doctor?

- No, he'll be all right, sir.

Here we go. On the other side, Bus.

Here we go, sir.

Good. There you go. Right.

What happened, Bus?

I don't know.

He asked me about that movie.

I told him I couldn't locate

any photographer's mates.

Since he hadn't brought it up again,

I let it slide.

He started yelling for his wife.

We couldn't stop him.

All right. I'll take care of him.

You see Admirals Healy and Hoyle out,

will you?

Yes. Sure.

- Charlie?

- Yes, sir.

Charlie, I want you to make

that movie for me.

I want you to take charge, Charlie.

- I want you to make that movie for me.

- You just leave it to me, sir.

We might as well see some of this film

before the Admiral comes.

Combat engineers in training.

This is a beach somewhere

on the west coast of Wales.

It has been prepared to be an

exact duplicate of the beaches of France...

where the invasion of Europe

will take place.

Every foot has been mined.

Three years of German ingenuity have

gone into making that beach impregnable.

How will we get troops, tanks,

and weapons across that beach?

That's the job of the

Navy Combat Demolition Engineers.

How did I get into this, anyway?

Here on this secret beach in Wales...

the Navy engineers train

for their hazardous duty.

This is only a dry run.

On D-day these engineers...

will be under heavy mortar

and artillery fire.

Thanks a lot!

Shut up, Charlie.

I'm trying to watch the picture.

You won't like it, Marv. Got lousy reviews.

Each squad must clear an alley

50 feet wide...

for our troops to advance on the beaches.

These American sailors

will actually be the first men...

to assault Hitler's European bastion.

That fact, Charlie, is exactly

what I want clearly recorded on film.

I want you and your photographers...

to get into the water

with those engineers.

Film their activities

right up to the beaches.

Would you like us to start the movie

from the beginning, sir?

No, I've got to run.

You're on the right track, Charlie.

- Sir?

- Yes, Charlie?

Sir, I get the feeling

a man could get killed making this movie.

A lot of men are going to get killed

on D-day, Charlie.

I would like to be relieved

of this assignment, sir.

Seems like a lot of risk to take

for no particular reason.

I'm ordering you to make

this film, Commander.

That's reason enough.

Seems to me, sir,

the only thing at stake here...

is a matter of naval public relations.

No, Commander. What's at stake here

is the essence of military structure...

the inviolability of command.

I've given you an order.

You'll obey it, or I'll have you brigged.

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