The Siege of Firebase Gloria Page #3

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Get it together!

Charlie just reminded us

he had nothing to lose

and everything to gain.

You had to admire his

strength of purpose.

He'd been fighting off foreigners

for hundreds of years.

The Chinese, Japanese,

the French and now, us.

We knew. We just knew he

was never going to give up.

That night, Charlie pulled the

biggest publicity stunt of the war.

The last thing the folks at home

were expecting to see

on their tv sets that

day was a ravaged embassy.

Any news that the Tet offensive had started.

Had been told the war was almost won.

They would not be so trusting again.

All headquarters told me

was to hold the firebase,

whatever it took.

A little religious communication

might not be a bad idea

this late in the game.

I myself, I don't take any chances.

I talk to Mohammed,

Buddha

and to Jesus H. Christ

and any other religious

honchos I can come up with.

There is no sense staying as

an atheist in a combat situation.

Now we don't have a chaplain here,

but I don't see that as any major setback.

You can rest assured,

you will not go in that bag

until I've said a few

appropriate words over you.

I figured about 450 yards.

Set up the main tube.

Pound them!

Recoil 25 four!

F*** their guns!

All right, hold your fire!

Wait now. Wait for my command!

Forceps.

Captain.

I can help.

Give me something to do.

I've done field dressing.

-Uh-huh.

This is a big chance to be a hero.

I want you to maintain

constant contact with DiNardo.

You got it?

Yes, Sergeant Major.

Hold your fire, goddamn it!

Fire!

Yeah, what's it like?

What's it like!?

How many of 'em?

Medic!

Medic!

Charlie was testing us.

He lost his first assault on the northern side

when we were better prepared.

Then through his waiting,

DiNardo's position

on the east perimeter

was tougher for him.

but not so strongly defended.

Nice thinking, Charlie.

You damn your fathers

with our pants down.

Pull back!

Get on the horn to Haffner!

Tell him we're being overrun!

Shortwave!

This is Murphy!

Tell Hafner we need backup.

Now!

Right now!

That's affirmative!

Let's go!

Jones, this is Hafner!

DiNardo's getting overrun.

There are gooks through the wire.

Gather as many as your troops

together as you can spare,

get 'em over to him, right now!

We're on our way!

Move out!

Let's go!

Let's go. Payback time!

Now!

Howdy, you scumbag!

That's right! Go back!

All the way back to Hanoi!

Murphy, Spider, Hawk!

You're all on death detail.

Get out there

and kill the wounded.

I don't want any surprises, overnight.

Murphy, if you can find it

in your sweet little heart

to bring back a prisoner.

I'd appreciate it.

No problem.

Murphy.

What's goin' on with you?

Everything?

Jesus Christ!

They're killing wounded.

Don't tell me you're

feeling sorry for 'em, Sergeant?

They're soldiers just like us.

Wounded!

Snipers! There!

Yes!

You have a good time?

You're f***in' crazy,

you know that?

You're really diggin' this sh*t.

What were you

back home, a rapist?

No.

I'm just another

dumbass, like you.

All right, hang in there.

It'll be all right.

This is your ticket home, man.

It'll be all right.

Hang in there.

Okay, Mr. Commanding Officer.

Where's the medevac?

I've got eight people who will

be dead within the hour.

We're running out of morphine.

Where are the supplies I ordered?

You listen to me, Flanagan.

You listen good.

Communications bunker is history.

We are on our own.

There will be no resupply.

So you tighten up and

make do with what you've got.

You're a captain.

Be a goddamn captain.

Just the guy I was looking for.

Woo! Hot damn it, Murphy.

I told you to bring me back a live one.

Hey, he's still alive.

He's fine, pretty still alive.

For that matter, so am I.

Get him at the aid station.

I want this little dink talkin'

to me in twenty minutes.

No problem.

What the hell are you doing?

Leave him alone!

Leave him alone!

Look lady, this is called

extracting information.

You understand that?

So we torture prisoners

now, do we?

You goddamn right.

This ain't Nebraska, lady.

But you don't do it in my hospital.

No?

Goddamn it, talk to me!

Talk to me!

What kind of animal, are you?

Animal?

Yeah.

Lady, you have any idea

if Charlie got in here.

What will they do?

He will rape you.

Your nurses.

Until you are dead.

But you know what?

They'd have to kill me first.

Animal?

I'm not that --- The Animal.

Sergeant Major.

Now, I mind being your radio operator.

I was trained Recon.

No patrols.

Goddamn it,

you're a short-timer.

You just don't need it.

Hi guys.

Can you stand a

little more excitement?

Whaddaya got, Nard?

They're digging.

Where?

At the edge of the tree line.

And they're headed

right this way.

My little Cong tells me that

two big guns are arriving

the first thing in the morning.

Where's your little Cong now?

He's probably shaking hands

with Buddha right now.

You'd think you could

get into their camp?

Sergeant Major.

You're in Bangkok.

It's Friday night.

And you got a fistful of dollars.

You think you could get laid?

Yeah, I think so.

- Yeah, I think you could too.

Shortwave, let's go to Bangkok.

Okay. Go on.

Alright.

Keep your head down.

We learned we were up

against the Dong Nai Regiment.

under the command of Colonel Cao Van.

He wasn't exactly one

of my favorite people.

He'd overrun 9th Motor

Transport last year.

and that'd really pissed me off.

So I thought I'd let

him know we weren't

gonna lay down

and die that easy.

It was time to sprinkle

some sh*t in Charlie's rice.

Goddamn it, Jones. You have any idea

how close you just

came to get blown away?

Where the hell do you think

you are anyway, Iwo Jima?

No, this ain't exactly Suribachi, either.

I didn't know that you

were a flag-waver, Jones.

I care.

I don't care for a lot of it.

What I care for, care for a lot.

Know what I mean?

I've been a dedicated soldier

for twenty-three years.

Does that tell ya

something, hmm?

Yeah, I came in

the Marine Corps

when I was

seventeen years old.

So hell no.

I wouldn't change

a goddamn thing either.

Sh*t!

Goddamn it!

DiNardo!

DiNardo, I'm on a mine.

Closer, Coates.

Give me a knife, man.

- I got ya. I got ya.

Goddamn it.

There's a patrol up there.

I'd like to see you back in one

piece. You understand me?

Oh, we'll just

leave him here, man?

Yeah, we're going.

Now!

DiNardo! Comin' in!

Password!

F*** your password!

Yo! Comin' in !

What's the password?

Moonlight over Saigon.

It's so enticing.

How you've been?

-Lovely.

You're little flat, Murphy.

It's the wording.

I think that got my name on it.

Good night.

How did you do this?

With a knife.

That's a little silly.

Silly?

I guess it is a little silly.

What's your name?

Cathy.

Kinda remind me of my girl.

Her name's Polly.

We're gettin' married in May.

We're supposed to be

married last November.

But leave got canceled.

But that's okay.

I like May better, anyway.

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