USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage Page #3

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Sir? Where are we headed

after the drop?

Not my concern.

Or yours.

Hey, so what's

in the crate, huh?

I hear it's toilet paper

for General MacArthur.

(CHUCKLES)

So why'd you join

the Marines?

To kill people.

Your requested cereal,

Chief.

Hey, Lindy here

has a confession to make.

This a**hole wanted

to join the Army.

But he ended up in the Navy,

and he doesn't know how to swim.

I'll tell him tell him why

he doesn't need to know

how to swim.

Because we won't be going

in the water, sir?

Hey, son, you any idea

how old the ship is?

It's 13 years old.

13 is an unlucky number.

We have the unlucky privilege

of carrying God knows what

with no protection

across the ocean.

So you don't need to swim

because if you go in the drink,

and the Japs don't get you...

here... the sharks will.

Sharks, sir?

Si, seor,

the great white shark.

Very top of the food chain.

No natural enemies,

an ancient killer left over

from the dinosaur age

when there was still a big

food supply in the water.

Go that way, you guys.

Now up on the land

by some evolutionary accident,

we developed these big brains,

and we invented weapons.

So we got used to being

at the top of the food chain,

but once you step

in that saltwater,

right back to the bottom

of the food chain.

Even if you swim well,

we look pathetic to sharks.

They think were wounded,

split up the middle, you know?

Five rows of dagger-like

teeth and jaws...

that can bend steel.

(GROWLS)

It's okay. Apparently,

we're not good eatin'.

'Course, they don't know that

until they shred us up pretty good

and we're bleeding

everywhere

and nothing turns a shark

on more...

than blood.

(METAL CLANGS)

- Sorry.

- Yeah.

I was sent down here

for an engine room punch.

- XO send you?

- Yes, Chief.

Yeah?

Look at that nose.

Look at that nose!

Look at it.

You can be thankful

you didn't get an engine room punch

- in the nose.

- Y-yes, Chief.

I wouldn't worry

about it, though.

Our luck will hold

as long as we have

our little white dove of peace here.

She's our good luck charm.

All right, back to work!

Captain wants the boat

at top speed.

Chief, doves have longer

tail feathers.

That's a pigeon.

I know. my father

raises pigeons.

Hmm.

CHARLIE:

We accomplished our mission,

reaching Tinian in record time

with zero casualties.

I fear the cargo

we were dropping off

could change

the nature of war forever.

Our next assignment

would be to return to combat,

but we were still

being denied our escort

(COUGHS)

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

To the best chaplain

we ever had!

ALL:
For he's

a jolly good fellow

For he's

a jolly good fellow

For he's a

jolly good fellow

Which nobody can deny.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Congrats on

your last tour, chaps.

Thanks, boys.

I think I'm gonna take this one back

in my quarters.

(ALL GROANING)

Come on, short timer,

stay with us.

I do appreciate Deuce

for not sneaking

any unclothed women

in here tonight.

Listen up, Standish

is on the prowl, all right?

So keep it down.

Alvin, I know

that's tough for you.

Hey, I'm innocent as a dove,

father, you know me.

- (LAUGHTER)

- Thanks, fellas.

Admiral, I understand that

we are to sail to Leyte.

Now that we have

delivered the packages,

can we please

have our escort?

Charlie, how can you

have an escort?

You were never here.

(ALL CHANTING)

Go! Go! Go! Go!

Go! Go! Go! Go!

Go! Go! Go! Go! go!

(ALL CHEER)

Listen up,

listen up,

hey, hey,

who am I? Huh? Huh?

- Hey! I'll have y'all know...

- (LAUGHTER)

That I graduated second in

my class at the Naval Academy!

Whoo!

(BLOWS RASPBERRY)

And I'm going to turn you into lean,

mean fighting machines!

(LAUGHTER)

Attention on deck!

Signalman!

Where did you

get that alcohol?

It's actually mine.

Is that so?

And that liquor on his breath?

Is that yours, too?

Swab up that giggle water.

We're shipping out!

There will be no liberty!

We're received our orders.

And you'll all be on mess hall duty

effective immediately.

This isn't a minstrel show.

This is the United States Navy!

And I graduated first

in my class, by the way.

(CUP CLANGS)

(SHIP'S HORN BLOWS)

What in the hell?

That ain't your bag.

No, it's Alvin's.

I think he took the ring.

Hey, you're gonna

get busted.

I checked Sanchez and West.

Nothing. Sh*t.

Hey, thanks for helping me

out the other night with Standish.

Wouldn't want you

to jeopardize your promotion.

All right, look,

the whole reason

that this ship is on a course

is 'cause they charted a plan

and they followed it.

So it's lucky Clara

didn't get a chance to say yes

because I'm incapable

of making a plan,

incapable of supporting her.

I'm just saying maybe things

turned out for the best.

My plan is to find

the son of a b*tch that stole my ring

and marry her the second

I get off this ship,

and I don't care

what her parents or you

or anybody else

has got to say...

You the kid

that does the diving?

Oh, you mean the all-knowing

Brian Smithwick?

Yeah, that's him.

Yeah, I do a little diving.

Okay, man, we want

to know about sharks.

I've been telling

Lindy here that sharks

don't really bother you

unless you're bleeding.

If you're bleeding,

it's a problem.

I get nosebleeds.

(BELL RINGS)

Captain's on the bridge.

Captain, some of the men

are sleeping on deck again.

Let them.

Their racks

are hotter than Hades.

- Visibility?

- Just this side of poor, sir,

Got a fog rolling in.

Let's get through this weather

as quickly as possible.

Cease zigzagging until the fog clears,

full speed ahead.

- Aye aye.

- Standish.

Full speed ahead.

Full speed ahead, boys.

Full speed ahead.

I hear you put 24 men

on mess hall duty for a week.

Yes, sir, I'm gonna

write them all up as well.

The Japanese are extremely

disciplined adversary, sir.

If we are to defeat them...

Sometimes it's better

to be respected than feared.

(SPEAKING JAPANESE)

(SONAR PINGING)

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)

- D'Antonio.

- What?

Night watch

is that way.

- He took the ring.

- What?

The engagement ring,

Deuce took it

when he pulled me

out of the fight,

- pickpocketing son of a b*tch.

- Come on, Deuce?

Ugh, you smell like

a distillery.

Might as well go on and admit.

You was scared, boy.

Scared? Of you?

You hit like a girl.

Next time I'm scared of a fight,

it'll be the first damn time.

Boy, you better be glad them MPs

saved your ass from us.

Else we have to take you

like this chicken bone here.

Hey, Mr. Big Talk,

whatever you do

to that there

flight deck buzzard bone,

that's exactly what

I'm going to do to you

when I get out of his cage

and I catch you alone.

(LAUGHS)

You suck that bone

like you've done that before!

(SPEAKING JAPANESE)

(ALL SHOUTING IN JAPANESE)

(SHOUTING)

(ALL CHATTERING)

Lady Luck

is a friend of mine.

Open up

and let it shine. Huh?

Yeah.

- Come on, now,

- Here we go, we go.

(ALL SHOUTING)

(SPEAKING JAPANESE)

(SPEAKS JAPANESE)

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