When Willie Comes Marching Home Page #2

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- They want young fellas for wings.

- Little Charley?

Yeah. So every time Clara sees a uniform

she thinks of Charley and...

that's the way it goes.

- Sit down, William. I'll get Marge.

- Charley.

Marjorie!

- William's here.

- Oh! Bill!

- Marge!

You big meanie.

You make me cry like this.

- I didn't make you cry.

- This postcard!

Oh, that. I thought

we were going overseas.

- I had no idea we were gonna stop at Loring Field.

- Loring Field?

- That's only five miles from here.

- Yeah, I know.

- Maybe they'll keep you here.

- Are you kidding? I'm the top gunner in my outfit.

- Well, maybe.

- Not a chance. They'll put me on

the first fortress to England.

They don't waste guys like me, honey.

I'm a sharpshooter!

Bill, have you any idea

when you're leaving?

Well, there's no telling.

Secret orders, you know.

Could be right now or...

could have been five minutes ago.

Son! Hey, son!

Mess call!

- Hurry up. We gotta get down

to canteen by 8:
00 sharp.

- Okay, I'll be right there.

Oh, Bill.

- Wow!

- Welcome home, Private Kluggs.

Did you do this?

Holy smokes!

Take it easy, folks.

What did you expect us to do, sit back while

you're gettin' shot down in enemy territory?

Friends, attention, please!

Please. Pl-

We have an unexpected pleasure,

in fact, a great honor tonight.

One of our own boys,

the pride of Punxatawney-

Has returned to us.

Not for long, mind you.

Perhaps only 12 hours.

And then he'll be on his way

to meet the enemy.

It gives me great pleasure

to introduce to you the first to fight...

Private First Class William Kluggs.

- Quiet, please.

- Quiet!

William- Bill-

it gives me great pleasure to present to you,

as a token of esteem from your hometown...

this solid gold, 14-karat

identification bracelet...

so that no matter where you are...

you'll always know

that we are thinking of you.

- Speech!

- Speech!

- Who is this guy, General MacArthur?

- I don't dig it.

Uh, thank you.

It's-

This whole thing kind of

took me by surprise.

I certainly never expected

anything like it.

I don't really know what to say

except, well, thank you.

If you can't say it, sing it!

- Remember "You've Got Me This Way"?

I'll play the first two on the piano.

You fellas pick it up on the chorus.

I say hello

to the people I know

In a vague sort of way

Baffled and blue

I go wandering

Through the day

Don't ask me

what ails me

What I'm thinking of

One look reveals

that I'm head over heels

In love

You've got me this way

Say

What are you gonna do about it

What are you gonna do about it

You've got me this way

Crazy for you

You kissed me one day

Then, seein' that I was

true about it

What did you

go and do about it

You left me this way

Bluer than blue

You thought it was funny

My fallin' so hard

I'm laughin' my sides off

honey

You're really a card

You've got me this way

Say

Now that I'm in a stew about it

What am I gonna do about it

I'm just gonna stay

crazy for you

You've got me this way

Say

What are you gonna do about it

What are you gonna do about it

You've got me

this way

Crazy for you

You've got me this way

Say

What are you gonna do about it

What are you gonna do about it

You've got me this way

Bluer than blue

- You thought it was funny

My falling so hard

I'm laughing my sides off

honey

You're really a card

You've got me this way

Say

Now that I'm in a stew about it

What are you gonna do about it

- I'm just gonna stay crazy for you

- Me too

- For who

- For you

I'm just gonna stay

Crazy for you

- Pretty sharp, huh? Solid gold too.

- It oughta be platinum.

I know, honey,

but it's the thought that counts.

- Well, good night.

- You don't have to go in yet, do you?

Well, I don't want to,

but Mom'll be worried about me.

She's too busy

worrying about Charley.

I guess she is at that.

These are precious moments. Fella's just

got the time left, he has to see his girl.

- This may be our last night together.

- You're gonna miss me after I'm gone, huh?

- Terribly.

- I know what you mean.

- But I'm not gonna sit around and mope.

I'm gonna be fighting this war

on the home front through the Red Cross...

and in the canteen

and in air raid warden-

Not tonight, honey.

Not tonight.

Good night, William,

and good luck overseas!

- You said it, killer.

- Good night.

Yeah, good night, Mrs. Barnes.

Night, Andy.

So long.

- You know, I'll always remember tonight.

- Me too.

For the first time I've realized

there aren't enough hours in a lifetime-

Hours? We haven't got hours.

Just minutes.

- The last few minutes could

mean so much to a guy, you know.

- You're not holding out.

- You're not leaving tonight.

- When you're a soldier, you never know.

- You've had your orders. You've gotta tell me.

- No, I haven't had my orders.

But if I did, there's something

I'd want you to know before I left.

We've grown up together,

you know, Marge.

- We've always sorta been a twosome.

- Yeah.

But now it's different.

I don't know.

Maybe- Maybe it's you. It may be me.

Maybe it's the war.

I don't know.

All I know is,

I'm real stuck on you, Marge.

I've always loved you.

Somehow that stopover at Loring Field...

began to stretch out

like a visiting mother-in-law.

Hogan. Hughes.

Irwin. Isaacs.

Jones. Kelly.

Kirkwood.

King. Kaplan.

Libby. Morgan.

Muller.

Moriarty.

Those men whose names

have been called, right face!

Forward, march!

The rest of you men, dismissed.

The war went on, and I didn't.

They shipped soldiers east

and they shipped 'em west...

but you'd have thought

I had a long-term lease.

Yes, Kluggs?

- I'm sorry to bother you, sir.

- What is it? Speak up.

I've got to ship out of here. It's my turn,

and I'm one of the best aerial gunners you've got.

The best, Kluggs.

You know I can't spare you.

But, sir, I've got to get out.

I want combat duty. I'd like to get overseas.

There's more to a war than fighting.

What kind of army would we have

if somebody didn't teach these rooks to shoot?

- But if the lieutenant please-

- Kluggs, you're wasting your time and mine.

I'd be glad to send you, but

I don't run this army... yet.

Yes, sir.

- However-

- Yes, sir?

You're being hiked to corporal.

And, Kluggs, I'm recommending you

for the Good Conduct Medal.

Thank you, sir.

Hi, Mrs. Barnes.

What's bitin' her?

It's hard for her to understand

why you're on a weekend pass...

fighting the battle

of Punxatawney...

while her son Andy

is beach-heading in New Guinea.

Why take it out on me?

I've told you time and again, I've tried.

Yeah, I know.

But she doesn't, that's all.

But, sir, you don't understand.

It's not only that I've been here over a year.

- But this is my hometown!

- Sorry, Kluggs.

But the people in this town

are beginning to think I'm chicken.

I'm gonna be about

as popular as Hitler, sir.

I understand the dilemma,

but there's nothing I can do about it, Kluggs.

You have the highest rating

of any instructor we've ever had.

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