The Steel Helmet Page #4

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and slap those rabbit teeth of yours out

one at a time.

What are you doing?

You're supposed to be getting ready.

I know.

-But I made special prayer.

-Oh, yeah?

Well, hurry up.

We're pulling out of here.

Unless you wanna stay

with these guys.

Oh, no, Sergeant.

I want to go with you.

Yeah? Well, then

you'd better hurry up.

Here.

That-a-boy.

Better get yourself in a steel pot.

Your clodhoppers too.

Shoes. Go on. Hurry up.

Sure that's what you wanna do?

Yep.

Never can tell.

One of the boys might get a scratch.

Ha!

I've gotta earn my money.

I'll stick around.

All set, Major?

Sure you're all right?

Three weeks in Tokyo.

-So long, Buddha-head.

-Ah!

When I get out of this, I'm gonna join the

air force. No more beetle crushing for me!

Aw, be smart.

There's nothing like the infantry.

You're in a plane and you get hit,

what happens? You still gotta fall.

Two strikes against you.

If you're in a ship, you get hit,

you can still -you can still drown.

In a tank, you can fry like an egg.

But in the infantry,

you get hit and that's it.

One thing or the other-you're dead or alive -

but you're on the ground.

Get wise.

-Nothing like the infantry.

-Is he kidding?

Well, Conchie, I don't know what changed

your mind about getting into this one...

and I don't care.

But if you get into a fight,

play on this 50...

not on that music box.

All right, Sergeant.

I'll try to remember.

Yeah.

All right, Short Round, let's go.

Major?

Sergeant Zack.

Yeah?

I, uh - I'd like to

swap helmets with you.

Oh, yeah? Why?

Well, it sounds a little silly, but, uh,

I thought maybe if I wore your helmet...

it'd bring me the same kind of luck

it's brought you.

I'd be crossing the army

if I brought you luck to live.

Sergeant, I've, uh...

changed my mind

about a lot of things in the past hour.

You'd have to change a lot more

than your mind to get my steel pot.

You're too dumb to be an officer,

so you take it out on us.

You're a sorehead, and you're jealous.

That's why you hate any officer.

Look, I'll tell you about an officer.

And he wasn't

a 90-day act of Congress like you.

He was a colonel,

and he didn't have to be there.

It was D-day in Normandy,

when you were wearing bars in the States...

and we were pinned down

for three hours by kraut fire.

This colonel - Colonel Taylor-

he got up on Easy Red Beach

and he yelled...

"There are two kinds of men

on this beach -

"those who are dead...

"and those who are about to die.

So let's get off the beach

and die inland."

That officer

I'd give my steel hat to any day.

Over there!

Fork in the tree!

He's still moving.

Yeah, now he's out of action.

Wonder how many people are out there.

Keep your eye glued to that scope.

I couldn't find anyone else.

Just one man. He's dead.

Well, that's what happens when you

get lost from your outfit. Where's the kid?

-Outside.

-Yeah?

He's not going with you, Sergeant.

Hmm? Why not?

Hmm?

It's his own fault.

Told him I didn't want

any kid tagging along.

Take him outside and bury him.

Go on. Take him out.

You heard him.

"To Buddha:

Please make Sergeant Zack like me."

What a stupid prayer.

Stupid.

It's a good thing this army isn't made up

of fatheaded slobs like you...

that think this war's run by idiots.

Just because those little rats kill our prisoners

is no reason we have to do the same thing.

No matter how sentimental

or personal you get...

you're supposed to be

in the United States Infantry.

"Soldier."

You're no soldier.

You're just a big, dumb, stupid,

selfish, fatheaded sergeant.

And if it takes me 20 years I'll see that you're

shot for killing a prisoner of war. Understand?

What are you waitin' for, Thompson?

Sew him up. Give him blood.

Are you kidding?

You blew a hole in him as big as a tunnel.

-I can drive a truck through it.

-Ahh!

If you die, I'll kill ya!

-I'm dying.

-You're gonna live.

-He's a goner.

-Shut up and keep him alive.

Look, Sarge, don't take it out on me.

You're the one that blew your top, not me.

-Shut up.

-You shut up!

No more blood.

Please. Please.

-A prayer.

-Huh?

Give me a prayer.

A prayer? Are you kidding?

You want a prayer?

-You're gonna live.

-The guy wants to die, let him die.

If the guy wants a prayer,

let him have one.

Listen, punk, there's nobody dyin' on me.

Understand?

Please.

What are you, buster?

Buddhist.

Buddha bless you.

There goes your furlough, jack.

Relax.

Lieutenant! Lieutenant!

There's a million Reds out there!

A million of'em!

Hurry up! Hurry up!

I'm trying!

Dagwood. Dagwood. Come in, Dagwood.

Come in, Dagwood, come in.

Can you hear us? Can you hear us?

Go ahead. We can hear you now.

It's working!

Stephen Foster operation's on.

Did you get that?

I'll give you Division Artillery.

This is DuVardy. Give us a target.

Thickskin, 870-968.

Thickskin, 870-968.

-200 yards over.

-200 yards over.

-Too far to the left a hundred yards.

-Too far to the left a hundred yards.

-On the target!

-On the target!

Fire!

You'd better check your guns.

Fire!

If those commies get wise

we're directing the fire from this temple...

they'll have every big gun from Manchuria

to Moscow trying to knock us down.

Buddha-head!

Buddha-head! Tank!

Rear! I'll cover you!

You never thought you'd be

knockin' 'em off like this, huh?

What are you gonna do if you come out of this?

Stay in the army?

Going back to my studies.

-What are you gonna be?

-A priest!

-What's a conchie like you doing in the war?

-I got news for you, Sergeant.

If a man lives in a house

and there's some danger in it...

if he wants to keep on living in it -

He should fight for it.

Zack! Hey, Zack!

Cover me!

Get the tommy!

I never thought I'd be

making money like this again.

-Can you handle coordinates?

-Yes, sir.

Soldier!

Yes, sir?

-Did you hear the colonel?

-Huh?

Did you hear the colonel?

Hear what he said?

Yeah.

Yeah, I heard what he said.

Well, then what are we waiting for?

Let's get off the beach, hmm?

Let's get those krauts.

Gotta get off the beach.

Gotta. Gotta -

Gotta get off the beach. Gotta -

Medic!

I guess we won't have

to run anymore, sir.

-Yeah.

-I think they got theirs.

Wait a minute.

There's another Red, and he's still moving!

Hey, fellas!

Are you sure that Zack'll be okay?

Sure.

Just got a headache.

The enemy was pushed away

from the river.

Regiment's putting all of us in

for Silver Stars...

for keeping the O.P. Alive.

I'm hungry.

Me too.

Me too.

First we'll eat.

Then we'll bury 'em.

Ho!

Anybody in there?

What's your outfit, soldier?

Say, what kind of an outfit is this?

U.S. Infantry.

Where's your officer?

Okay, come on.

Let's get going.

Come on, fellas!

Let's go!

Come on, Sergeant.

Yes, sir.

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