Word Of Honor Page #2

on trial. We have no jurisdiction.

-General?

-Tyson and his men are civilians.

The Army only tries soldiers on active duty.

You have to be tried in a military court,

which has no authority...

-...unless you're still in the reserves.

-l'm not.

No way to recall him in order

to try him?

lf he was in the reserves

or collecting disability.

And?

Anyway, this is assuming

these allegations are true.

He gets medical benefits

for his leg injury.

We have an uncorroborated account

by a former platoon mate...

...who doesn't specifically identify

you as having killed anybody.

But as commanding officer,

l bear full responsibility for my men.

We're gonna tell all our wounded veterans

we can recall them on a whim.

Let me spell it out for you, general.

Our country's in a state of war.

Do not talk to the press.

You give no statements, public

or private, to anybody. Marcy too.

We're accusing nations of harboring

terrorists and killing innocents.

The last thing this government needs...

...is a scandal about an Army cover-up

of a civilian massacre.

Now, for a special report,

we go live to Dallas.

Please, move aside!

Let her through!

Mr. Tyson, sir!

Do you acknowledge your role

in the massacre?

-You people are on private property.

-Mr. Tyson!

l've been trying to reach you all day.

l forgot my cell phone.

There was an incident at that hospital.

lt didn't happen exactly

the way it's being reported.

-Where's David? David?

-lt's okay.

l reached him at school.

He's spending the night at Parker's.

This magazine says

that you and your men...

...killed innocent people...

...burned down a hospital.

-ls that true?

-lt's not true.

lt's true and it's not true.

l wanna talk to you about this,

but l can't.

l gave my word.

You gave your word to whom?

-The Army?

-You're gonna have to trust me.

l can't talk about this.

lf that article triggers an investigation,

there will be different versions of the truth.

-You can be charged?

-According to Phil Sloan, it's possible.

-You--

-But not likely.

-You already talked to Phil Sloan?

-He's got a law degree.

This Seattle doctor doesn't care

about the sanctity of some oath.

You weren't there.

You were in friggin' grammar school.

Don't ask me to justify

what happened in that hellhole.

lncoming!

-Can l help you?

-Yes.

-Major Karen Harper here to see Mr. Tyson.

-Thanks.

Here he is.

Benjamin Tyson.

Major Karen Harper, representing

the judge advocate general's office.

l'm sorry for the inconvenience.

Can l borrow a few minutes

of your time?

l assure you, Mr. Tyson,

this is merely a preliminary inquiry.

There've been sensational

allegations against you.

l've read the statements that you and

your men gave to investigators in '73.

l have no reason, at this time, to believe

Dr. Brandt's story and disbelieve yours.

The man waits 30 years to come forward?

lt obviously raises certain questions.

Nevertheless, l have a duty to advise you...

...l'm here to conduct an Article 32

investigation, and in order to do so...

...charges must be contemplated.

ln this case, among those charges

are murder and accessory to murder.

Under the Uniform Code

of Military Justice...

...the maximum penalty for murder

is death by lethal injection.

You have the right to counsel,

to remain silent.

Do you understand these rights

under the uniform code?

Yes, major, l do.

The things they make a girl say.

-Would you like to have lunch?

-You, me and my attorney?

lf you want your attorney, by all means.

But, as l said, this is all very preliminary.

lf l find there are no grounds to prosecute,

as l fully hope and expect...

...l will recommend the case

against you be dropped.

Hi. l'm sorry....

Did you suffer any casualties

before you entered the hospital?

Arthur Peterson.

-May l take this from you?

-Thank you.

What about Larry Cane?

Larry Cane was killed inside the hospital.

You decided to bring the wounded inside

the facility for treatment, correct?

And once inside, how were you able to

distinguish between enemy, patients, staff?

We didn't.

The VC either masqueraded

as patients or staff...

...or they used patients and staff

as human shields.

-How many enemy in all do you estimate?

-Thirty, forty.

ln the hospital,

how many casualties in your platoon...

...other than Larry Cane

and Arthur Peterson?

There was no one else.

Major, do you think the Army

could afford a cognac?

lt can afford two cognacs,

but l'm on duty.

So to recap, you were ambushed

outside the hospital, a man went down.

You made a decision

to enter the building...

...and in the battle for control,

a fire burned the hospital to the ground.

-That's correct.

-You did not order your men to kill anyone?

There was no massacre?

Thank you.

This is not a war crime,

and you did not intentionally set the fire?

Yes.

Why do you think there's a discrepancy

between this official report...

...and what Dr. Brandt told

The Atlantic Monthly?

-Brandt is lying?

-Possibly.

But why?

-You'll have to ask him.

-l intend to.

Eleven fatigued men attack

a beach in Hue...

...and then make a frontal assault

on Misericorde hospital.

This is an international hospital, and l decide

who gets seen here and in what order!

Die!

Why didn't you call for reinforcements?

l don't expect you to answer that, because

it presupposes you're lying about all this.

What do you know...

...about combat conditions?

You have no idea what that war was like.

Mr. Tyson, would you please note

that this envelope is addressed to you.

Those are orders recalling you

to active duty in the U.S. Army.

Would you please sign the receipt

attached to these orders?

Absolutely not.

lt's a formality anyway, lieutenant.

Legally, you've been served.

Off the record...

...l sincerely hope Dr. Brandt's

story isn't true.

A thing like this could have

devastating consequences...

...not only for you and your family,

but for the Army and this country.

Well, for the record...

...you go to hell.

This incident transcends

not only constitutional rights...

...but Mr. Tyson's civil liberties.

The Army has no jurisdiction here, none.

And if they think they can

enforce the recall order...

...it sets a very dangerous

and chilling precedent.

At least he is defending you.

-New dress?

-Yeah.

lt's for the fundraiser tomorrow night.

Well, l am the new principal. l have

to be there. Smile and answer questions.

How do you do, Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So?

l'm really excited about my new job.

The fact that my husband

is accused of war crimes...

...doesn't detract at all from

my qualifications as an educator.

Well, it is bound to come up.

And it would help

if l knew what to say.

-He's gonna walk away from this, isn't he?

-Oh, no.

The Army's taking this very seriously.

We're not into covering up war crimes.

l saw Tyson's lawyer on a panel discussion.

He was saying that the Army's recall

violates the Constitution.

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