The Green Berets

1

Detachment, halt!

Left, face!

Parade rest!

I am detachment commander...

...responsible for training

and employment of this detachment.

These compact, highly-trained

detachments may be employed...

...to assist friendly governments

in counterinsurgency operations.

They may also be utilized

in unconventional warfare.

In training, survival under

varying conditions is stressed.

I speak Norwegian and German.

I am Executive Officer.

My duties include the supervision...

...of all administrative

and logistical matters.

In the event the detachment

were to be split into 2 teams...

...I would command one of these.

I speak German and Spanish.

That about covers

the central area, Colonel.

As you know, the C detachment commander

in that area is Colonel Franks.

In the southern area

there has been approximately...

...a 30/ increase in our operational

detachments over the past year.

Sir, since you served

as a C detachment commander...

...I won't elaborate

on the southern corps.

Thank you.

In summation...

...the bulk of our problems seem to be

in the northern areas of the country.

This concludes our briefing.

Any questions?

I think not, Colonel. Thank you,

gentlemen, that will be all.

You stay behind.

Captain.

Leave the Jeep.

- All right, Mike, what's on your mind?

- What do you mean?

Something's bothering you.

What?

When do you expect me

to take over, sir?

Lmmediately. Why?

When I get over there, they're

going to snow me under with paperwork.

And I'd like to get oriented

to the critical area.

- I want to look at those forward camps.

- How much time do you need?

- I'll need 3 weeks.

- You got it.

And when you see old Cactus Thomas,

who's over there now, give my regards.

Thank you, sir.

Hello, Bill.

Morning, Mike.

Up early?

Not for Airborne.

This yours?

Yes, sir.

- These yours?

- Why don't you ask them?

- Who are you?

- Airborne!

- How far?

- All the way!

- I'll get part of them.

- You always do!

I am combat engineer specialist,

with the same basic knowledge...

...as the engineer sergeant.

I'm cross-trained as medic and weapons.

I speak French and Vietnamese.

I'm radio operator supervisor.

My duties:
Maintaining a communications

link with my next higher detachment...

...and supervising communications

training for native military personnel.

I'm trained in

intelligence and weapons.

I speak Danish and some

Norwegian and English.

Detachment, attention!

Muldoon, take over!

I'm Master Sergeant Muldoon

and this is Sergeant McGee.

Between us, we've had 3 tours

of duty in South Vietnam...

...which makes us experts,

so we've been ordered...

...to volunteer to answer

questions here for you today.

I'm Hume Parkinson.

I happen to be a newspaperman.

Perhaps you can answer a question

many of our subscribers ask.

We'll try.

Why is the United States

waging this ruthless war?

Foreign policy decisions

are not made by the military.

A soldier goes where he is told

and fights whomever he's told to.

You agree with that, Sergeant McGee?

The Green Beret's just a robot

with no personal feelings?

Can I have your name?

- George Beckworth, Chronicle-Herald.

- Thank you, sir.

Sybil Sutton, Washington Sentinel.

Will you please answer that question?

Do they press a button?

Do you do what you're told to do without

any personal feelings or opinions?

We have feelings and opinions.

It's hard not to form them out there.

Everyone knows the South Vietnamese

are fighting and dying for their cause.

As soldiers, we can understand

the killing of the military...

...but the extermination

of the civilians...

...the murder and torture

of women and children...

I guess horrible things

happen in war.

But that doesn't mean to say

they need us or want us.

I'll try to answer

that question for you.

Let me put it in terms

we all can understand.

If this same thing happened

here in the United States...

...every mayor in every city

would be murdered.

Every teacher that you've ever known

would be tortured and killed.

Every professor you ever heard of...

...every governor, every Senator...

...every member of the House of

Representatives...

...all would be tortured and killed,

and a like number kidnapped.

But in spite of this, there's always

some little fellow out there...

...willing to stand up and take the

place of those who've been decimated.

They need us, Miss Sutton.

And they want us.

Sergeant, I'm Gladys Cooper,

a housewife.

It's strange we've never

read of this in the newspapers.

Newspapers! You could fill volumes

with what you don't read in them.

That's sometimes very true.

But how do you know we should

fight for this government?

They've had no free elections.

They have no constitution.

6 months ago a committee was appointed

to form a constitution. Still none.

The school I went to taught us

that the 13 Colonies...

...with proper, educated leadership,

all with the same goal in mind...

...after the Revolutionary War,

took from 1776 to 1787...

...11 years of peaceful effort...

...before they came up with a paper

that all 13 colonies would sign.

Our present Constitution.

That's very good, Sergeant.

But there are lots of people...

that believe this is a war

between the Vietnamese people.

Let's let them handle it.

Let them handle it, Mr. Beckworth?

Captured weaponry.

From Red China.

Chisom K Fifty.

Chinese Communists.

S. K. S., Soviet-made carbine.

Russian Communists.

Ammunition.

Czechoslovakian-made.

Czech Communists.

No, sir, Mr. Beckworth...

...it doesn't take a weight to fall

on me or a hit from those weapons...

...to recognize that what's involved

is Communist domination of the world.

Ladies and gentlemen,

pardon us...

...for giving a little more than a

"yes" or "no" answer to your questions.

Are there any more?

Section "C," take the blue trail...

...and sections "A" and "B"

the red trail...

...for further orientation...

...on the capabilities

of the Green Beret.

Kowalski, break out the gear.

Okay, Sarge.

- Colonel.

- Yes?

Your brainwashed sergeant

didn't sell me.

Didn't sell you what?

Didn't sell me on the idea that we

should be involved in Southeast Asia.

You ever been to Southeast Asia?

No, I haven't.

Sergeant Provo requests to speak to you.

Provo?

Heavy weapons specialist.

I'll see him.

Sir, Sergeant Provo requests

permission to speak to the Colonel.

At ease.

I appreciate your seeing me, sir.

I know how busy you are.

I understand you're picking 2 "A" teams

for Vietnam. Is that true, sir?

We might be, and we might not.

I think it might be, sir. Since I

haven't been picked, I'm volunteering.

You're a heavy weapons specialist.

Not if I can find a light one, sir.

Why are you volunteering, Sergeant?

I'm a soldier.

That's where the action is.

We'll let you know.

Thank you, sir.

Sergeant McGee.

Pull his record.

I did.

He's a good man.

- Thanks, Doc.

- Yes, sir.

There he is.

Right on time.

Quite a character.

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