The Longest Day Page #2

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Tonight. This afternoon. Now!

I mean...

...as soon as I finish this beer.

-General, can you spare me a minute?

-Come in.

-Thank you.

-Can I get you coffee?

-No, thanks.

-I'll get some for myself.

Is it still raining?

On and off, off and on.

Sometimes I wonder

which side God's on.

What?

I say, sometimes I wonder

which side God's on.

Good question.

What's on your mind, Van?

I'm concerned about the placement

of our drop zones.

Go on.

I know this is a hell of a late date

to bring up something new...

...but you've given me

a tough nut to crack.

-It gets tougher every time I try.

-I know, Van.

Sainte-Mre-Eglise straddles

the only road the Germans can use...

...to drive into our northern flank.

But it has to be taken.

And it has to be held.

That's why I gave you the job, Van.

-Can I use your board?

-Of course.

Here's the town. Heavily fortified.

Down here is the swamp area

that the Germans have flooded.

And in between, four miles

from the town, is our drop zone.

Now if anything goes wrong

and we undershoot...

...we land in this flooded area

and are bogged down.

If we overshoot, we come down

like clay pigeons...

...smack dab in the center

of Sainte-Mre-Eglise.

That's why I gave the men training

in low-level jumps near the villages.

So I've heard.

Got a complaint from

the city council at Bexhall.

Some of your men overshot

the drop zone and landed in the town.

-Tied up traffic for an hour.

-That's true, sir. I was with them.

Sudden crosswind hit us,

swept us over the treetops...

...scattered us all over the place.

-Where did you end up?

-In the courtyard of a convent.

Relax, Van. Sit down.

The last few months have been

a tough grind on all of us.

I hear you've been working yourself

and your battalion hard.

Almost without a stop.

Now that we're almost

at the end of the line...

...why don't you try easing up

on yourself and on the men?

Sometimes a battalion can be

sharpened to too fine a point.

Sometimes a commander can too.

Well...

...if there's any further delay...

...I request permission to submit

a new placement for our drop zones.

All right. Put it in writing.

Make it official.

That's your prerogative.

But Ike has called a final meeting

for tonight at Southwick House.

If it's on, we'll get

the green light by 9:30.

-What are the chances?

-Better than 50-50.

Forget everything I said. I got

the best battalion in this division...

...and they're ready.

Here it is. The latest report.

-It's Southwick House, sir.

-Stagg here.

Yes, sir. The new front's moving in

much faster than we thought.

Yes, sir, it's definitely improving.

I'll be there, sir. 9:30.

-Would you like some more tea, sir?

-Coffee, and make it black.

Please.

What's that you're saying?

But you know I can't get there

with my equipment for two days.

I wouldn't be surprised if...

-When's the next weather report?

-Tonight at 8, General.

Yes, I did, General.

Please wish her a happy birthday.

Thank you, Speidel.

In Normandy.

Trying to pick a trend is difficult.

From a meteorological standpoint,

conditions almost resemble mid-winter.

And Normandy?

High winds, clouds,

and some fog over the beaches.

However, I can say with a certain

degree of safety...

...that we can expect a brief period

of fair conditions.

Let me summarize, then.

What you're promising us is a barely

tolerable period of fair conditions.

Am I right?

Yes.

Conditions that are far below

the minimum requirements.

That's all I can promise.

You've done your best, Stagg.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Well...

...there it is.

We've postponed the attack

once already.

Now, either we go on the 6th,

with only marginal conditions...

...or postpone again...

...in the hope of getting

perfect conditions.

What do you think, Monty?

I say, go. Go.

I must remind everybody...

...that the American convoy

for the Omaha and Utah beaches...

...they've farthest to go...

...must be given the order

within the next half-hour...

...if the assault is to take place

on the 6th.

We can't keep almost a quarter

of a million men on ships...

...in embarkation areas, indefinitely.

The longer we wait, the more

acute our security problem.

The next time...

...the tides and the moon

will be right...

Not before July.

Gentlemen...

...such a postponement...

...is too bitter to contemplate.

Never.

I'm quite positive

we must give the order.

I don't like it...

...but there it is.

Gentlemen...

...I don't see how we can possibly

do anything else but go.

Wilson speaking.

Yes, sir.

It's on, sir. Ike's made the

decision. Tonight, as scheduled!

Colonel Tomson speaking.

Thank you.

Next stop...

...Normandy.

God help us now.

Gentlemen...

...the day we've been

waiting for has arrived.

Invasion! We're on our way.

General.

The orders have been given.

It's on.

Have the battalion commanders

join me in the wardroom.

All right, Sergeant.

You men are the eyes

of our airborne army.

You, the pathfinders, will have

one job, and one job only:

To light the drop zones

for our paratroops.

Along with the British and Canadians

you'll be the first men...

...to land in France.

And remember this:

When you get to Normandy...

...you'll only have one friend:

God.

And this.

This...

...is Rupert.

Now, we are going to drop Rupert...

...and a lot more like him...

...behind the invasion area.

He's...

...a very extraordinary

fellow, Rupert.

He's sort of a...

...one-man army, all by himself.

Let me show you.

Let me show you what happens

when Rupert...

...hits the ground.

Sergeant, switch off

the lights, please.

All right, Sergeant, that's all.

All right, come on. Simmer down.

Come on, up.

It's possible that Rupert and his men

will do the same thing to the Germans.

Confuse them, make them look

over their shoulders...

...and launch an attack

in the wrong direction.

Ten-hut!

-The crickets have been distributed.

-So I heard.

At ease!

You're as ready as we can make you.

This five-cent toy...

...wasn't issued to you for laughs.

It may save your life.

You're gonna be landing in the dark.

On the other side of that hedgerow...

...the fellow may not be wearing

the same uniform you are. So...

...one click...

...is to be answered by two clicks.

And if you don't

get that answering click...

...hit the dirt and open fire.

I repeat:

One click...

...must be answered by two clicks.

Now, hang on to this gimmick.

It's as important as your weapon.

Do you read me?

Loud and clear, sir.

All right. One more thing.

Your assignment tonight is strategic.

You can't give the enemy a break.

Send them to hell.

That is all.

I repeat:

"John has a long mustache."

No, not yet...

Oh, my Lord!

"John has a long mustache."

Make any sense to you, mac?

As I said last night, they're code

messages to the Resistance chaps.

Obviously, one message means

something to one group...

...and another means something

to another group.

"There is a fire at the travel agency."

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