The Devil's Brigade Page #5

...than I'd care if you buried me in brass.

Why do I help you?

Why do I even bother talking to you?

- It's your funeral, Bob. Enjoy it.

- Walter?

I want to thank you for your help...

...and your friendship.

Col. Frederick to see Gen. Cullen.

I don't believe

you have an appointment, Colonel.

May I ask the nature of your business?

Would you tell the General

that it's very urgent?

Gen. Cullen's in a staff meeting.

I don't expect him back

before 7:
00 at the earliest.

Where can we reach you?

Right here.

You're a lucky dago.

- Joy to the world.

- Lf it ain't old handsome Ransom.

What brings you back so soon?

Sir, I found the old homestead

intolerably oppressive.

Not the heat, the humility.

- Pull up a bayonet, and you sit down.

- Home is where the heart is...

...also the liver, spleen,

and the lower intestine.

- What you need is a drink.

- True.

Come on, ante up.

- Who dealt this one?

- Come on, get your money in.

This horse should have

his kidneys checked.

And why aren't you all partaking of

the blessings of home and family?

- What's to go home to?

- I went home. Stupid sister's.

That draft dodger she married...

...you know what he called me?

"Sucker." I didn't say nothin'.

I just broke his jaw and walked out.

Deal the cards, Hopalong.

- Any word from Washington?

- Nothing. Not even a peep.

High muckety-muck Generals.

Jesus Christ was satisfied

with just one star.

Some of those brass hats gotta have four.

You know how they get 'em?

By screwin' things up.

All right, cowboy,

we gonna play cards or not?

All right, I'm in.

- Ante up.

- Come in, boys.

Thank you.

My sister's children.

Their father's off somewhere in the Pacific.

Hasn't been home in over a year.

I guess the least I can do is

make their packages look nice.

Do you have a family, Colonel?

Yes.

Not much of a Christmas

for you either, is it?

Gen. Cullen's office. Gen. Cullen.

Sir, there's a Col. Frederick here.

Been waiting since 3:30.

Says it's very urgent.

I see.

And a very merry Christmas

to you, General.

Gen. Cullen won't be back to the office.

He says he's fully aware of your situation,

but there's absolutely nothing he can do.

I'm sorry.

Colonel.

From Gen. Walter Naylor.

He just phoned. Can you read it?

Merry Christmas.

Gen. Mark Clark,

Gen. Hunter, Col. Frederick.

- Colonel.

- General.

Thank you.

- Gen. Naylor informs me you need men.

- That's right.

In Italy,

we're facing a solid wall of mountain...

...defended by the best troops

in the German army.

As you've doubtless heard,

we're getting nowhere.

Have your boys had any mountain training?

I promise you, sir,

whatever the job is, we can handle it.

That's quite a promise coming from a man

with no combat experience...

...commanding an outfit

that nobody wants.

Gen. Hunter's been making some inquiries.

He's a little dubious.

One misfit can foul up a whole company...

...and one fouled-up company

can ruin a whole attack.

A lot of your men are chronic misfits,

that's the word I get.

I don't know where the General

got his information, sir...

...but I can guess.

Probably from the people

who sent us the misfits.

As of now, man for man,

they're the best combat unit in the world.

And that's a fact, sir, not a promise.

If you doubt it, let us prove it.

Unfortunately, there's no luxury in war.

Gen. Hunter won't agree with me,

but this is no time to be conservative.

I do need your men, Colonel.

- When can they be ready?

- Right now, sir.

Attention!

As you were.

Sorry to interrupt your religious services,

but good news requires a drink...

...and I detest drinking alone.

Yes!

You've heard from the Colonel.

We're still alive!

Very much alive.

I knew it.

A merry Christmas to him, to us...

...and to the brigade.

We're alive, I knew it!

Follow that stream up ahead.

Lower! Get lower.

Sir, we're gonna get our ass shot off.

- All right, let's head back.

- Yes, sir.

Colonel, my first impression of you

was a whole lot less than favorable.

This daredevil flight of yours...

I don't want any officer around me...

...who takes unnecessary

or unauthorized risks.

- Is that understood?

- Not entirely, sir.

- Depends on how you define unnecessary.

- Never mind the definitions.

Your outfit is being sent

on an ordinary, routine patrol.

You were given maps

and reconnaissance photos, right?

All of which fail to indicate

that the entire route is under enemy fire.

Sure, enemy fire.

Would you like to be relieved?

No, sir. But I think I've found a safer route.

Show me.

Sir, if we could enter the stream

two miles above or below the bridge...

...around Hill 418, and then

enter Santa Elia from the south...

Take your men two miles

through ice-cold water...

...arriving, if they arrive, behind the town...

...in a position to be cut off,

captured, wiped out.

- Very good.

- Not if they perform as expected, sir.

What do you think Santa Elia is,

a Boy Scout camp?

It's a key German supply line to

the mountains and heavily fortified.

- Here it is.

- Yes, sir, you're right.

Now, listen to me.

You've got to take Santa Elia

sooner or later...

...but I've gotta know

what we're up against.

Now, frankly, I don't know

what to expect from your men.

I'm hoping they'll scout the area

and bring back a few prisoners.

That's what I want from you. Is that clear?

Do I gather, sir, you're trying to test us?

You can stop worrying right now, sir.

Let me tell you...

No, sir, we understand.

You're quite clear, sir.

I'm glad of it.

When your outfit comes back

from the patrol...

...you report to me immediately.

Yes, sir. Very good, sir.

Yeah, all right.

I must say, sir,

you accepted his insults graciously.

You get a great idea, he doesn't like it.

So you just forget about it, right?

Do it by the book.

That's what he thinks. What do you think?

He wants prisoners, we give him prisoners.

Damn, why does this guy

love water so much?

Why? He's nuts.

Who ever heard of a Colonel on a patrol?

A daddy wants to take care

of his little kiddies.

- Right, pretty boy?

- Right.

- There goes my chance to be a daddy.

- Don't worry about it, frog.

Keep quiet.

Pass it on to the other morons.

Quiet up there!

It's only a mailman.

Peacock. You, McDonald, Bronc...

You know what to do. Kill if you have to.

But the most important thing is prisoners.

We've got to get 'em.

In an hour, the whole town'll be awake,

so we have to move fast.

In Deutsch.

"Silence, or you're dead."

No mistakes.

One mistake, we're all dead.

You stay here.

Drag these bodies. Hide 'em someplace.

But you stay here. Let's go.

- Move.

- Keep it quiet. Don't let up.

- Come on.

- Come on. Keep going.

Keep it quiet. Get a move on.

Move!

- Get a move on.

- Let's go.

Move!

Once more! How many men?

What is your objective?

Rockwell W. Rockman, Corporal.

Serial number:
15359...

Once more! How many men?

What is your objective?

Rockwell W. Rockman, Corporal.

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