The Devil's Brigade Page #3

Now, you listen to me,

you dirty-mouthed buggers!

I'm not one to pull rank,

but if there's any more of your filthy talk...

...or your foul, rotten tricks,

you'll pay for it.

Now, is that clear?

Right. This man is right. Let's cut it out.

- Very sorry, Corporal.

- It won't happen again, Corporal.

Very well, then.

Sweet dreams, Corporal.

Fall in.

We have very little time to determine...

...who is and who is not qualified...

...for the difficult job assigned to this unit.

The training continues today

with a 30-mile hike.

Normally, you would carry

a full pack and a rifle.

I regret to say that our weapons

and much of our equipment...

...have not yet arrived.

We shall therefore

have to do without them.

However, we do have rucksacks...

...which are loaded

with 50 pounds of rocks.

Each man, each officer, and each unit...

- He's got to be kidding.

- Don't you wish?

Corporal.

"Yankee doodle went to town,

riding on a pony

"Stuck a feather in his hat,

and he called it macaroni"

- Peacock?

- Yes, sir.

Your stripes are not a license

to behave like an ass.

No more derogatory behavior

or insulting remarks to the Yanks.

- Is that clear?

- Yes, sir.

There will be no more

derogatory insults about the Yanks!

Is that clear?

Would ordinary insults be acceptable, sir?

Sir, what am I going to do about my men?

They're a bunch of eight balls.

Half of them, if they don't belong in jail,

should be put in a loony bin.

- How many of them keep pet rattlesnakes?

- Sir?

How many of them have been

in and out of nine different camps?

Would you like to try for 10, Major?

It's very easy.

All right, now, look alive.

I know this is in route-step, but shape up.

I see you circling up there,

and I know who you're following, too.

Fifteen miles back.

"The contents of this can

are not fit for human consumption."

- Maj. Crown?

- Sir?

The Canadians seem to be

in better condition than I expected.

That's very good of you to say so, sir.

"Very good of you to say so, sir.

Thank you, sir."

Bunch of gung-ho volunteers,

they give me the galloping trots.

I can't make it.

- I just can't make it.

- The hell you can't.

Anybody quits gets his head broke.

- What's wrong with him?

- Nothing, sir.

Double hernia, slight heart attack,

otherwise he's fine.

Don't be smart, pretty boy.

- Everybody's fine, sir.

- Just don't drop out.

Canadian company, double time!

American company, attention!

Double time! Hard!

Come on, faster.

Keep up with them. Don't let them win.

Come on, get that bugger!

Run, boy, run!

Go get him, Omar.

- Well done, lad. Good try.

- You all right?

You! Runt!

That was great work, soldier.

That was a silly-ass thing to do.

I was just trying to return your favor, sir.

Now?

- You mean about getting out?

- Yeah.

Look, Bronc,

I've been doing a lot of thinking.

You said it yourself, remember,

that they always get you?

This time,

they could put me away for the duration.

It's just not worth it.

You've got your knife,

I'll give you half of this.

You won it. You keep it.

When you get it lighted,

I'll tell you what to do with it.

Bronc, listen, what if I help you get out?

What good'll that do?

Bronc, will you take this?

I don't even smoke.

It's very bad for the wind.

- Who is it?

- Maj. Crown, sir.

Come in.

Our chemists came up with this, sir.

It's the best thing I know of for sore feet.

Thank you. I don't need it.

Is that all?

You paid our men a compliment today, sir.

I'd like to reciprocate.

Your men performed

better than I expected.

- My men?

- The Yanks, sir.

Major, please understand,

I command the entire brigade...

...Canadians and Americans.

Yes, sir.

What I don't understand is, sir...

...why are you pitting them

against each other?

I have less than four months left

to convert this misbegotten outfit...

...into the Army's finest combat unit.

I haven't time to explain or justify

every move I make.

Yes, sir.

But I might point out, sir,

that many of my men fought...

Many of the Canadian unit

fought at Dunkirk.

So?

So, it's just possible, sir,

you might want to learn a lesson...

...from their combat experience.

Yes, I might...

...if you'd won at Dunkirk. You lost.

I'm training this outfit to win.

Good night, Major.

We lost, yes.

In a most bloody awful fashion, we lost.

But from that loss, I learned a lesson...

...the danger of assuming the role

of almighty God.

When the day of reckoning arrives,

as mine arrived at Dunkirk...

...I can assure you, Colonel,

it can be a most sorry day, indeed.

That's it, boys.

Come on, move it. Let's go.

Keep it moving.

Faster than that. That's it.

That's it, Canadians. Keep it moving.

Don't get your feet wet, soldiers.

Get going, Americans.

Bronco, you got a sharp knife?

Sharp enough.

What do you say, Peacock? You ready?

Nobody can see your stripes now.

- I know you're yellow.

- Cpl. Peacock.

Sir?

You never looked better, Peacock.

- All right, next man on the line.

- All right, soldier.

Heard enough out of you, let's go. Move it.

Keep it going. Come on, move out.

Capt. Cardwell tells me you spoke to him

about a man named O'Neill.

- Is he capable?

- He's capable enough to recommend, sir.

However, if you question my judgment,

you could try him.

I'm a new man here.

You'll not object if I join you?

You don't need all that space...

...even with that enormous

fat behind of yours.

God in heaven, you're not going to eat

that entire nauseating mess?

Small wonder you're

such a monstrous tub of lard.

Is it true that all you Yanks

are thieves and murderers?

There's one of you

that's worse than all the rest...

...a villainous clod who never ceases...

...derogatory remarks about the Canadians.

Mind the elbow, lad.

Would one of you be kind enough

to point out...

...the contemptible swine

named Rocky Rockman?

You have just two seconds

to make a public apology.

- What?

- Time's up.

You can't. We're under orders.

If you disgrace your uniform,

you'll be court-martialed.

Lad, it's his uniform I propose to disgrace.

Now, sit down.

The human body has

numerous vulnerable points:

The elbow, the ribs, the neck...

...including...

...the solar plexus and many other points.

It's true, you're a great, powerful beast.

But you'll note

how his own size and weight...

...can be used against him.

Name:
Sgt. Patrick O'Neill.

Title:
Hand-to-hand combat instructor.

Further instruction will

commence tomorrow...

...07:
00, on the parade ground.

Could you pass the salt, please?

Thank you.

You're right, he's capable.

I hope, Major, that you won't punish him

for disobeying orders.

It was my impression

he was following your orders, sir.

More coffee?

I don't mind if I do. Thank you.

And twist.

Try it.

All right, let's have a go at it.

In a situation like that,

you do this, you see?

The collarbones are very easy to break.

Now watch.

See? Try that.

Good.

Your stance is more like this.

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