Twelve O'Clock High Page #5

...that general seems willing

not to do any himself.

We got us a talking general.

"Get in there, now!"

We're alerted, sir.

Field order's coming in now.

Tell Cobb to wheel and deal.

I'll be right over.

Operator, keep this line clear.

Get me the bomb dump. Hurry.

Two missions, only one aircraft lost.

Very little battle damage.

That's because most of the time

we flew tight formation.

The enemy took a look

and didn't want a part of the 918th.

The bad side, the bombing.

Fair, particularly the low squadron.

We drop practice bombs every day

we haven't got a mission. Cobb.

That's your baby.

Anybody got any comment?

- I've got some more. Henley?

- Here, sir.

You've been late with your bombs

the last two missions. Why?

No excuse, sir.

I'll say this for you, you're honest.

Nine men risk their lives to ride

with you to drop on target.

Gately?

Here's a new bombardier for you.

- Pettinghill?

- Yes, sir.

We're lucky to have only one loss.

Why did you break formation?

Ackerman was in trouble.

Two engines on fire,

and we were getting enemy fighters.

I figured I'd stay back and try

to cover him. But he couldn't make it.

- Ackerman a friend of yours?

- My roommate, sir.

For the sake of your roommate

you violated group integrity.

Every gun is able to give the group

maximum defensive firepower.

When you go out of formation,

you reduce the group's power by 10.

A crippled airplane

is expendable.

What is never expendable

is your obligation to this group.

This group. That has to be your

loyalty, your only reason for being.

- Stovall?

- Yes, sir.

Work out a reassignment of quarters

so every man has a new roommate.

Gately?

Baxter's promoted out of the Leper

Colony. Pettinghill's your copilot.

That's all I've got.

- Anybody got anything else?

- What about our transfers?

Okay, if that's all. Dismissed.

[KNOCKING]

Come in.

Keith. Come on in. Glad to see you.

How are you?

How's the adjutant business?

I'm out of that line of work.

Ground exec now.

- Glad to hear it. You had it coming.

- Thanks. Good to see you.

- Good to see you, Harvey.

- Piece of cake? It's a bit old.

Many happy returns.

- I've seen this joint before.

- Looks better with you in it, Keith.

Have a drink.

The boys will be glad to see you.

I'm not so sure.

I saw Sergeant Keller at the gate.

Had to show my A.G.O. Card to get in.

I just dropped down for a minute.

Something I want to talk to you about.

I'll get on about my exec-ing.

I'll see you before you go.

All right, Harvey.

- Nice guy, Harvey.

- First-rate.

Sit down.

Tastes good.

Gets the chill out of your bones.

- What a stinking climate.

- It's pretty bad.

You didn't come to talk

about the weather.

No.

Or maybe I did at that.

- There's a storm coming, Frank.

- The old man?

I don't know if he knows about it.

Those transfer requests.

None have come through.

- You been sitting on them?

- I have.

You've got a mutiny on your hands.

The inspector general's got them.

If he investigates you, you're cooked.

Can you slow him down?

The old man can't interfere

with the IG.

You want a few good missions.

Maybe they'll change their minds.

- But it won't work that way.

- You got any ideas?

To be frank, when you took command

here, I was hoping you'd fail.

I'm that human.

I blew it, but I want to tell you

how to run this group.

- Shoot.

- All right. You're blowing it too.

You can't drive those boys.

They can't be just a set of numbers.

My blowing it doesn't mean

that idea was wrong.

My failure was me.

I wasn't good enough.

You've got to help them, Frank,

or they will walk out on you.

That'll be a worse failure

than mine was.

Give them something to lean on?

Call it anything you like.

Well, Keith...

I don't believe it.

Here's where we part company.

They're not boys.

They're men.

Too bad to have to find out so young.

How old is Bishop?

Twenty-one, maybe.

It's tough to have to grow

all the way up at 21.

But that's the only way

we're gonna get it done.

And I think they can do it.

Lean on somebody?

I think they're better than that.

If that's not true,

then we're a dead duck.

We'd better find out about it

right now. Once and for all.

Well, that's that.

You called a turn for me once,

and I couldn't see it.

Now we're even.

- Good night, Frank.

- Good night, Keith.

[PIANO PLAYING AND SINGING]

MAN:

Not again.

No good, sir. The other groups

turned back. Nothing from the 918th.

- Forget code. Try in the clear.

- Yes, sir.

Pinetree to Flashlight Leader.

This is a recall. Do you read me?

Pinetree to Flashlight Leader.

This is a recall. Do you read me?

Nothing, sir.

Weren't all commanders

told to go on channel B?

It was in the field order, sir.

Something's happened.

They've gone on to the target alone.

I'm going down there.

I can't just stand here.

That's 21. They're all back.

That's something.

I'm glad we still have miracles.

We had a little weather, but the

target area cleared. We clobbered it.

That's fine. What about the recall?

Recall, sir? Never heard it.

Must have had radio malfunction.

- I see. Let's get up to your office.

- Yes, sir.

Bar's open, Harvey.

The boys really earned it today.

You think I'm going to buy a Persian

rug about a radio malfunction!

You'll tell me next you didn't see

the others turn back.

You've no right to gamble

with my money.

It isn't enough that you plant

an inspector on me.

I've lived without them

for 20 years.

Don't justify this

because you got away with it.

I didn't hear a thing.

- You're sticking to that fairy tale?

- Yes, sir.

There's one more thing, sir.

The 918th got through today and

bombed the target. Nobody else did.

If I get another chance to give

this group...

...the pride it ought to have...

...I may have radio

malfunction again, sir.

There's one more thing. I'm asking you

for a commendation for this group...

...for their courage in bombing

under very adverse conditions.

You don't need to mention

the leadership.

You'll get it. Maybe I'll send you one

for leadership. I don't know.

- Got somebody that can take dictation?

- Yes, sir!

Mclllhenny,

bring a book and pencil in here.

Come on. Hurry up!

Relax, Harvey. Mission accomplished.

What do you make of it?

I don't know. I can't make it out.

They're pleased, but they're

not celebrating the way kids ought to.

It's not normal.

No cries for

"Savage for President," then?

I don't know.

Get hold of Bishop. Tell him

I'd like to see him in my quarters.

- Smoke, Bishop?

- No, thank you, sir.

I wanted to talk with you,

because I know you'll level with me.

I wish you'd try to tell me

what you're feeling right now.

- About, sir?

- The transfers.

That we showed them how it's

done today. If you're proud of that.

- I can't speak for the rest of them.

- Then don't. Just speak for you.

Well, sir, that's hard.

I don't know how I feel.

- That's kind of the trouble.

- What is?

The whole thing, sir. Everything.

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