The Bridges at Toko-Ri Page #5

---

- Negative.

- Stand by for second attack.

CAG to Flight.

Commencing second attack.

All bridges down! Nice going, CAG!

CAG to Flight.

Proceed to secondary target.

CAG to Flight. Secondary target

below. Commencing first run.

210 from 209er.

I think I just took a hit.

210 from 209er. I just took a hit.

Where are you?

Harry, this is CAG.

210 must have radio failure.

I have you in sight.

I'll be with you in a minute.

No visible damage.

Vapour coming from your fuselage.

- Could be hydraulic fluid or fuel.

- RPM surging. Everything else is OK.

CAG to 205. Martin, take over.

I'm staying with Brubaker.

CAG from 205. Roger. Will stay above

and keep you in sight.

I was worried for a minute. I thought

I might have to land. I'll make it.

- Brubaker from CAG. What state?

- Fuel OK. 2,000 Ibs.

Keep checking.

Hydraulic fluid would be gone by now.

- Can you still see vapour?

- Yes. Don't your gauges show it?

- Can't tell.

- You'll make it to the sea.

Wonsan Harbour's just over the ridge.

The helicopter scow will pick you up.

Yeah, sure, I'll make it.

I'm losing fuel fast. Down to 1,600 Ibs.

You'd better call the word now.

You'd better call the scow.

Yeah. Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!

This is 209er. RDF call.

35 miles north-west Wonsan.

Flak damage. Losing fuel rapidly.

Let's go, Nestor.

Alligator 1 to 209er.

Give me a call for a bearing.

Emergency! Emergency!

Prepare helicopter for launch.

1- 2-3-4-4-3.

Launch helicopter.

Bluejay, Bluejay.

This is Alligator 1.

- This is Bluejay. Go ahead.

- 209er has had an emergency.

He bears 330 degrees,

35 miles from Wonsan.

Air Op, CIC. We have an emergency.

- Can't last much longer, CAG.

- You're doing fine. You'll make it.

Fuel tank's empty. I've had it.

You can make it.

I can glide to the water

if I can clear the ridge.

Can't make it.

- What are you gonna do?

- Crash.

They love to fire at parachutes.

Alligator 1, this is Zero Zero.

209er crash-landing,

bearing 335 degrees.

- 25 miles from Yodo Island.

- Roger your transmission.

Trying to divert aircraft to crash

for rescap protection of pilot.

- There's a clearing ahead.

- I see it.

Looks like an irrigation ditch alongside.

Land near it.

Get out fast. Make for that ditch.

- Hit every item on your checklist.

- I'm doing that now.

Tighten your shoulder straps

as tight as you can stand them.

- I can hardly breathe.

- Gun?

I've got one. Not that I've ever used it.

How does the field look, Harry?

- You pick 'em real good.

- Jettison your canopy.

Get out fast, Harry. No matter

what happens, get out fast.

Forney!

Nestor!

Nestor!

They was gonna give Nestor a medal.

How much longer can them ADs stay?

Not very long. They must be

running out of ammunition.

They won't send another 'copter now,

not after dark.

If we can hold out, they'll find us

in the morning. Take this.

Just release the safety and squeeze

the trigger. It fires automatic.

I'm a lawyer.

I probably can't hit a thing.

How did you get out here

in a smelly ditch in Korea?

That's what I've been asking myself.

Better get these things off.

Too good a target.

"You're stuck with

the wrong war in the wrong place."

What did you say, Lieutenant?

You ever hear Admiral Tarrant

talk about this war?

About the few who lay it on the line?

Nestor and me never fraternised

with admirals.

I can see now he was right.

You fight simply because you're here.

Watch out, Lieutenant!

- Where's Lee?

- On the bridge, sir.

- Admiral from CIC.

- Go ahead.

Just received final report,

authenticated by Army Intelligence.

Jet aircraft crashed.

Helicopter shot down.

Three Americans killed

by Communist troops.

- Why was Brubaker abandoned?

- We stayed as long as we could.

Why didn't you call

another helicopter?

I called in the downed-pilot report.

I had to leave. My fuel was low.

The first helicopter hadn't arrived.

There was nothing I could do.

- Was Brubaker hit at the bridges?

- No, at our secondary target.

We had bombs,

so we went to the fuel dump.

- Was that good judgment?

- Admiral, we did everything right.

I put Brubaker in charge of the division

because I knew he'd fly low.

I don't care what fitness report

you give me. It was a good mission!

It cost the lives of three men.

Forney, Gamidge and Brubaker.

I know how you feel. But what makes

you think you're the only one.

He may have been your boy, Admiral,

but he was my boy, too. I lost him.

You're right, CAG. You're right.

I was wrong about CAG, Evans.

He's a good man. A good man.

I'd like to write Brubaker's wife,

but what can you say?

How can you explain this

to the mother of two little girls?

Prepare to launch jets.

Where do we get such men?

They leave this ship

and they do their job.

Then they must find this speck

lost somewhere on the sea.

When they find it,

they have to land on its pitching deck.

- Where do we get such men?

- Launch jets.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes