The Wings of Eagles Page #8

It gets won and lost by logistics.

And I'll let you in on something.

Every plan that we ever had is down

at the bottom of Pearl Harbor.

Yeah, we lost our Sunday shirt.

- That bad?

- Yeah, that bad.

Now, you see this?

Well, this is sort of a flattop.

I'm sticking my neck out.

You want one, you can have one.

I'll try it for size, admiral.

And thanks.

The name's still Jack. Farrington,

get him a uniform, a desk and a drink.

He's going to work

for the first time in his life.

Aye-aye, sir.

I'm all right.

The carrier Hornet.

Notice the hits by enemy action.

Three kamikazes.

Two hits.

One forward...

...one midship.

Not a chance.

Notice the abandon-ship drill.

Morale excellent.

We have only one carrier left, gentlemen.

Repeat, one carrier left.

Enterprise.

And more on the way.

Well, they won't help...

They won't help now.

Every battle we fight

depends on the big carriers.

Yeah, but there's a limiting factor,

planes and crews.

Can't carry enough. There ought to be

some way to keep them in action.

- Yeah, but how?

- Well, it's a simple thing.

It keeps going around in my head

like a forgotten name.

What do you do when you're

stuck like that, Levi?

Well, I go through

the alphabet backwards, sir.

I take a long cold beer.

Back in Hollywood,

we cut to the seventh cavalry.

Attention.

Johnny.

I've been looking

high and low for you.

Well, what do you know?

- Yeah, my uncle got re-elected.

- You got your command.

- Task force.

- Combat, you lucky dog.

Say, and you...

I have been calling your hotel...

...you haven't checked in

for three days.

What are you doing,

sleeping on this deck?

- Well...

- I've got three hours to kill...

...and I got a jeep outside.

I'll buy you the tallest, coldest beer in...

- You got a what outside?

- A jeep.

That's it. That's the forgotten name.

Jeep. Jeep carriers.

It was there all the time.

I knew it'd be simple.

Hand me that Liberty ship.

Give me a chair. Drag up a chair.

That's it, Johnny.

Jeep carriers.

That's the limiting factor.

Spig, I haven't got

too much time, I...

Yeah?

- So long, partner.

- So long.

That's what we've been needing.

Johnny.

John Dale.

Attention.

At ease.

- Soryu, Akagi, Kaga.

- I know all that.

- Wead?

- Yes, sir.

Let's have it.

Well, these big combat carriers

are still the spearpoint of battle.

But now, backing them up,

we have jeep carriers...

...loaded with planes and crews.

If the big carrier loses

a plane, she radios back...

...and a replacement

is immediately underway.

The big carrier stays in action.

- You can get this on paper?

- Yes, sir.

I like it. Write it up.

Eureka.

Cut me some orders, boy.

- Welcome home, sailor.

- Hello, Jock.

- How are you feeling?

- Like an old fire horse.

- Thanks for everything.

- Thanks for nothing.

Well, there she is. She's all yours.

Oh, I want you to say hello

to an old pal of yours.

- Doc.

- How are you, fella?

Oh, half-man, half-worm and half-wit.

Well, I got the last chapter

of the book.

Come on, Spig, I'll show you

to the royal suite.

Knock it off.

- Sir.

- Jughead.

I don't believe it.

How'd you wangle this?

Same as you. Drag, pull, juice.

- I know where the bodies are buried.

- You buried them.

Thanks, Jughead.

So you finally made it.

Come on, let me show you around.

- I got the crap game.

- And everything else.

- You look a little beat up to me.

- Yeah, too many soft chairs.

- Living off the fat of the land?

- The sea will bring it out.

Well, don't worry.

I'll make a man out of you again.

And the next time you walk

in that door, sailor, salute.

- Aye-aye, sir.

- Hey, wait. This is pretty nice, huh?

You and me

and old Jock and the doc.

All we need now is Pincus.

Whatever happened to Pincus?

He made it. Back to the old Arizona.

- Pearl Harbor?

- Yeah.

- Hey, you know where we're going?

- I got a general idea.

You're gonna see some action.

All hands, man your battle stations.

Pilots, man your planes.

Yep, plenty of action.

You're gonna see island grabbing

the hard way.

Step by step on the Tokyo road.

See us pounding away

with everything we've got...

... and them pounding back at us

with everything they've got.

Crash on the flight deck.

Crash on the flight deck.

There's one in on the deck.

They haven't got any release...

Then we'll see if your jeep carriers

can send replacement planes fast enough...

... to keep the big carriers

in there slugging.

Because the big carriers are it, sailor.

High, low, jack and the game.

Nine minutes, 56 seconds.

You owe me a sawbuck.

Good job, Spig. Swell show.

We'd had your plan at Tarawa,

we could've saved casualties.

When you gonna sleep?

You've been going for 54 hours.

- I'll sleep after the party.

- The party's over.

- I'm as good as asleep here.

- Captain, make him go to bed.

- Go to bed.

- No, sir.

Here's the Oscar, sir.

We've got them now.

Listen to this, Jughead.

"Formal resistance has collapsed

on all fronts as of 12:42.

Vigilance against die-hard individual

action will be maintained...

...but your commander is signaling

Washington that Kwajalein is ours...

...and signals each of you 'well done."'

- A clear path to the Marianas.

- And a clear path to bed for you.

- Haven't even got under fire.

- Get under the sheets.

- Captain, make it an order.

- That's an order, Spig.

I'll fix the coffee.

No cream, no sugar.

All general quarters.

All hands, man your battle stations.

I guess I forgot to stick out my hand.

Jug.

Jughead.

Now, wait a minute, wait a minute. This is

a game you have to think, you know.

- Use my brain a bit when you play...

- Ten-hut.

- Relax.

- Hi.

Hi.

Well...

...I had to get to battle.

Pretty near got you killed.

I'm a Gemini. You can't kill me until

after the 17th of the month.

Anyway, Frank Merriwell Jr.

Had to see action.

Oh, you did me a favor.

I'm a wounded hero.

They're even gonna give me a medal.

I got a month at Waikiki...

...in the sun and the surf.

Gin rummy. Gin.

Those beautiful nurses.

Hey, do you remember the nurse

you had in San Diego?

Miss Crumley.

- I want you to meet her son.

- The name's McGuffy, sir.

McGuffy Crumley.

Put the black king on the red ace.

- He even cheats when he plays with me.

- Is there anything you need?

- Yeah, but you ain't got it out here.

- Well, look, Jughead.

- I'm trying to say is...

- You don't look so good.

- You want I should move over?

- Yeah.

- Well, I...

- Drop in and see a guy, will you?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Jug.

There it is, Spig.

Looks like a drunken grasshopper.

- No good?

- Lousy.

How long does it say?

Three days,

three months, three years.

Okay?

Why not?

Like to have you

do me a favor, Johnny.

- If I can.

- Even if you can't.

Try me.

A lot of people went to some trouble

to get me out here.

- I know.

- I don't want them to blame themselves.

Why should they?

I don't know why. I just don't want it.

What do you want?

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