Black Sheep Squadron (1976) s01e11 Episode Script
New Georgia On My Mind
Come in! Come in! I've lost him, Pappy.
Whose dog is that? - Pappy's dog.
Get rid of it.
A little gridiron violence.
If there's any trouble while I'm gone, Gen.
Moore will hear about it.
We have been hitting this ridge for one week with 500-pounders and still there's fire from the ground.
Then double your mission.
I'm about to go in there and write a letter to the parents of one of my boys.
I'm not gonna put my men in jeopardy again.
We are poor, little lambs who have lost our way Baa, Baa, Baa Baa Baa Black Sheep S01E11 - New Georgia On My Mind S01E11 - New Georgia On My Mind Colonel Frank Hutton of the 296th Marine Raiders is awarded the Navy Cross.
A soldier who lives and fights with his men.
A veteran of a doeen commando operations against enemy-held islands.
Colonel Frank Hutton is a hero to a nation and to all fighting men in the South Pacific.
Good morning, sir.
Is there anything I can do for you? Sir.
No.
Let's take a look around, Sergeant.
If you're looking for Major Boyington - I'm not.
He's on a mission, sir.
- I know where he is.
Whose dog is that? It's Pappy's dog.
I mean, the Major's dog, sir.
Get rid of it.
For five straight days, the Black Sheep had flown strafing and bombing missions against the airstrip of Batuna on the Japanese-held island of New Georgia.
The enemy wasn't taking it too well.
They were throwing everything they could lay their hands on at us.
They probably figured the same thing we figured: something big was coming, and we were just raising the curtain.
The men'll need some refreshments, Sergeant.
See what they have to drink.
That thing'll have to go.
Who's the L5 belong to? Some colonel, Pappy.
He didn't give a name, and I didn't feel like askin'.
What do you say, we have a little drink and talk about today's mission, huh? About flying a little tighter, huh, Boyle? You know how to do that? Which one of you is Boyington? I'm Boyington.
I want to talk to you.
Alone.
The rest of you can get out.
I said, you can get out.
Okay, you guys.
Hey, Greg, uh Jim, the Colonel wants to talk to me alone.
Come on.
Come on.
Few minutes.
Just a few minutes, okay? It's a nice, cozy little place you have here, Major.
Good Scotch.
You pilots really know how to enjoy a war, don't you? My pilots have just flown a mission.
They're tired and thirsty.
You wanna talk, Colonel? Let's talk.
I want my boys to come back and have a drink.
I'm Frank Hutton, 296th Raider Battalion.
I'm Major Gregory Boyington, 214.
I'll be using this base as a staging area.
My headquarters' company will be landing in a few minutes.
This place as a staging area? Colonel, there's all kinds of room at the other end of the island.
Major, your squadron will be flying air cover for me.
Air cover for what? The New Georgia invasion.
I'll be taking a strike force in by parachute 1 2 hours before the main landing.
I'll be using this building as a command post while I'm here.
And your squadron will be under my operational control.
My squadron will be under your operational control? That's correct.
Colonel, I'm not turning over the responsibility of my pilots and their lives to a man who is not a combat pilot.
Major, you're wasting my time.
You've any arguments, take them up with Colonel Laird.
I don't take anything up with colonels.
Stow it! Stow it! People Belly-achin' won't do any good, so just stow it.
I say we meet that C47 and knock those grunts off this island! Ice it! Ice it.
I'm going to talk to Gen.
Moore.
So, trust me.
Jim, I want you to take command, and I don't want any trouble while I'm gone.
All right.
Relax.
Hey, Jim, this is not you.
I was Wait a minute.
Just give him a chance to talk to Moore.
Hutton won't know what hit him.
First Platoon, Headquarters' Company reporting, sir.
Welcome aboard, Sergeant.
Pick out a bivouac area, unload your supplies and equipment.
Yes, sir.
Sergeant.
Right face! Route step, march! I didn't know there was natives on this rock.
Should've brought beads and bubblegum.
Hey, Porky-Pie, you gotta pretty girl go kissy-kissy, oof-oof with a big warrior boy like me? - Greg said, ice it! Did you hear what - I heard what he said.
Now, just back off.
Leave it to Greg.
Let him handle it.
See that Col.
Laird gets this immediately.
Are you still here? - General.
Boyington, I don't have any time to talk to you.
Well, five minutes.
Five minutes.
All right.
- All right.
I can accept Hutton hanging his hat at Vella La Cava, but turning over flight operations of my squadron, now, sir, well, uh, uh, I just can't accept that.
No, sir.
I--I can't.
Well, those are the orders.
I follow orders too, Greg.
Oh, yes, sir, I know that, but there must be something you can do.
Yes, there is.
I can call in your markers.
What? Greg, I'm asking you to go back to Vella La Cava, work with Hutton, and not make any waves.
Hutton's operation is the key to the entire New Georgia campaign.
That important, sir? Well, I do owe you some I.
O.
U.
s.
I guess today's payday.
Thank you for the time, General.
Thank you.
All right, let's keep this area policed, you people.
Get that stuff out of here.
Come on.
What do we do with it, Sarge? Get rid of it.
Get rid of it.
Get those tents up.
Bring that jeep over here.
Look at what they've done! They've cleaned us out! Took all our Scotch! Ten cases! Where'd it go? What are you men doing in here? This building is off-limits.
Uh, but, Colonel, our Scotch is gone.
I've got a lot more to worry about than a few cases of Scotch, and so do you.
Now I want to see all the squadron's briefing reports for the last week.
I want a status report on the operational condition of all planes.
I want an inventory on the fuel supply and the types and the amount of all ammunition on hand.
I'll expect the three of you to have those reports for me by 14.
00.
Look, sir.
Pappy, uh, the Major - You're taking orders from me, mister.
Now get out.
Get out! And take that bird with you.
Sayonara.
James, what're we gonna do? Well, I'm gonna see you And I'm going to bump you $10.
That's wonderful, but I mean about the Hutton and the reports.
What I'm gonna do is sit here and play poker with you gentlemen till I've taken all your money and all your other worldly possessions.
Jim! Come on out of here a minute.
Come on, all of you.
Come on.
Look at this! Hey, that's our Scotch.
Where are they takin' it? To the hospital.
- Hospital? That's right.
They called the hospital and fixed up a party with the nurses.
With our booze? That's what they think.
Hey, Sarge.
Look what's blowin' in.
The natives are restless.
Just keep loading.
Is there something I can do for you? Yes, there is.
You can unload our Scotch.
Is that your Scotch? You took it out of the Sheep's Pen.
You know, we looked for names all over 'em boxes.
Sergeant, I said unload the Scotch.
That's an order.
The Colonel's orders are that we take orders only from the Colonel, Lieutenant.
Sir.
So if you want them cases of hooch, you're gonna have to find some, uh, other way.
Then we'll just do that.
Bob! Don't go starting anything now.
Better listen to him, Bobby.
And you better shut up, man! If you're going for him, you're gonna have to go through me.
Get out of here.
I hope you enjoy yourself, Sergeant, tonight, because it may be the last fun you have on this-here island.
Move it out! How did it go? What took you so long? You see Moore? Get it all straightened out with him? I can't wait to see old stone-face when he finds out what it's it's gonna be.
You didn't settle anything, did you? I agreed to work with Hutton as a personal favor to Gen.
Moore.
You what? You don't understand Understand what? Understand that you let Moore sweet-talk you Hey, Jim, just hold it.
What a grateful bunch of jerks we all are.
Gen.
Moore has delivered the bacon more times than any of us can count, and the first time that he asks a favor of us They took the Sheep Pen, took our Scotch, our girls, and the jeep.
We're nothin' but a bunch of orphans.
Oh, is this war becoming too inconvenient for you? You haven't seen anything yet.
You better get used to it.
Wait till you see the New Georgia campaign.
I'm gonna go get something to eat.
That's real good, Greg.
Got a special dish for you over there to eat.
Crow.
Hey, what's this? Sounds like it was a great party, doesn't it? It does.
Sayonara.
Go back to sleep.
And you please shut up.
Making me fed up.
Damn that bird.
Hey, Ross, go out for a long one.
Great throw.
Hey, Porky-Pie.
Hey, you missed the party of the century last night, man.
You talk about kissy-kissy, oofie-oofie.
Take it easy.
And that goes for the rest of you.
Now you men get back where you belong.
Now.
Okay.
How about the ball? How about the ball, what? Sir.
What else? What do you mean? I mean, "How about the ball, please, sir"? Hey, you can take that football and you can keep it, sir.
All right, you guys.
Go to your tents and stay there.
I made a promise to Gen.
Moore and we're gonna keep it.
Let's go.
Let's go, Bob.
Go.
Jerry, forget it.
Hutton, I want to talk to you.
lt'll have to wait.
I'm on my way to a briefing.
You will.
Sergeant, I would like to talk to the Colonel alone.
I'm on my way to Espritos Marcos for a briefing with ComSoPac.
Take those out to the plane.
Your men came in here and took this island over like it was Japanese-held.
Now, I've had it with you and your men.
What do you want from me, Major? I have a squadron of fighter pilots that are ready to start a war right now.
Now, either you tell your men to shut up and stay where they belong, or when you get back, you're gonna find your men in an intensive care ward.
Boyington, we've already got more war than we can handle.
Now, if there any trouble while I'm gone, General Moore will hear about it.
And those men in intensive care, they won't be my men.
as soon as it gets dark.
Right.
We'll meet in my tent.
Hey, Jim.
What was the meeting about? Meeting? Oh, you know I know when something's cookin'.
Now what's in the frying pan? Well, looks like we might have a little serious trouble tonight, Greg.
The boys have decided to jump those grunts after chow.
Surprise 'em and kick their heads in.
Well, I hope they do it in their sleep.
Because those gorillas will kill 'em.
Well, I know.
I told them that, but they won't listen to me.
Well, they better listen to me.
Greg, those boys are like a boiler with the safety valve tied down.
They're gonna blow and nobody's gonna stop 'em.
I know.
Hey.
Maybe I got somethin' that'll let 'em blow off a little steam, and we won't break our promise to Gen.
Moore.
What? A little contact sport.
A little gridiron violence.
And we still might get killed.
A football game, huh? What do you people think? Where and when, Major? The field in 10 minutes.
You got it.
We believe this is the best spot for your drop zone.
I'll decide that.
Colonel, we're only trying to help you.
You've already helped me enough by pushing up my timetable a week.
Colonel, we don't like advancing your timetable any more than you do, but those are the orders from CinCPAC, so let's get on with this.
You'll have 12 hours to secure the Batuna airstrip after you hit the drop zone before Colonel Moffet makes his landing with the main landing force on the beach.
Now, if you can't secure the airstrip, we suggest two alternative fallback positions.
I won't need any fallback positions if I get the air support I need from Boyington.
But if I don't get it You'll get it.
All right, we're gonna flip a coin to see who kicks off.
Anybody got a coin? We gotta have a coin.
Wait a minute.
I'll tell you.
Let's do it.
This is fair.
You pick a number from 1 to 10.
Okay.
Now what is it? Seven.
Seven.
Jim, what's yours? Uh, three.
Three.
That's it.
We'll receive.
You punks.
Okay, line up.
How come we ain't got a cheering section? What do you call that? Sayonara.
Fans.
Come on, let's play ball.
Kick it.
Kick the ball! C'mon, huddle.
Let's go.
Hut-one, hut-two.
Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut! Touchdown! What's the matter, Lieutenant? You can't take it? C'mon, guys! Second half, you're gonna have to help me with that big gorilla.
He's a monster.
I think we're really killin' 'em.
Well, I'm very happy to hear you say that.
Okay, come on, you guys, let's go get 'em.
Show 'em what they're you see that? What is it? Hey.
Take those helmets off.
Where in the rules does it say we can't wear helmets? Not steel helmets, man.
Helmets are helmets.
Well, why don't you gentlemen just go get your rifles, too? No, we don't need no rifles, babyface.
Keep your helmets.
You're gonna need 'em.
You don't mind being buried in them, do you? Hutch has got the message.
Let's run out the right side.
Let's go.
Hit the deck! Hit the deck! Air raid! You guys ain't so good at football, but nobody's gonna beat you at cheatin'.
Did those helmets help at all? Oh, no.
Listen, we got a couple of cases of hooch left.
How about it? This ridge above the airfield has got to be neutralieed.
We have been hitting this ridge for one week with 500-pounders and still there's fire from the ground.
Then double your missions.
Whatever it takes.
The enemy is honeycombed all over this side.
We're not gonna be using 500 pounders, Major.
We're going to burn Tojo out of his gun emplacements and bunkers.
You'll be using incendiaries.
Hutch.
Yeah.
I want these birds ready to go in 30 minutes.
Pappy, I need more time than that to work on these airplanes.
All right, all right, take 45 and put a camera on the starboard wing.
I can't do that.
Do it.
You're the best mechanic in the Marine Corps.
Tell me about it.
We're still getting fire from these bunkers.
They're reinforcing that ridge somehow.
Are they coming in over it? Look at it.
They'd be barbecued in 10 seconds if they tried.
Boyington, I'm hitting the ground right under that ridge in exactly eight hours.
Those bunkers have to be knocked out.
And don't tell me it can't be done.
I'm tellin' you, it can't be done.
Pappy, I got trouble.
Get over the water and ditch.
I can't bring her around.
Did he get out? I don't know.
I lost him.
I I can't see him anymore.
We stayed over New Georgia as long as we could Iooking for sight of Anderson's plane or a parachute.
But the smoke and the fires from the incendiaries made it impossible to see.
Finally, we were out of fuel and we had no choice.
We went home.
Hutch.
How long is it gonna take you to pull these birds off the line and service 'em? Six, eight hours tops.
Do it.
I thank you.
Where's Bob? That's it, Pappy.
That's everything.
Boyington.
Why aren't your men flying? I've pulled the aircraft.
Needs service.
Some of them need an overhaul.
How long is that gonna take? A few hours.
I don't have a few hours, damn it.
Colonel, you better find a few hours, or your boys are gonna hit that strip without air cover.
I take off in 50 minutes, Major.
I'm about to go in there and write a letter to the parents of one of my boys.
Now I should've pulled that aircraft sometime ago and I didn't.
But I'm not gonna put my men in jeopardy again.
I'm sorry about your pilot, Major, but I want those planes gassed Those planes are not gonna fly until they're ready to fly! Are you refusing to obey? Hutton, why don't you push your timetable back five or six hours? There's still enough daylight for you to secure the strip and hold it.
I have my orders, you have yours.
I don't give a damn about your orders, you understand that? Now you come in here with enlisted men and you treat my officers like cub scouts, and you run this operation like like Napoleon and you talk to me about orders? Now, I agreed to cooperate with you.
But you better cooperate with me, or you're gonna be out there all alone, Colonel.
Major.
What? You're relieved of your command.
Callahan.
Sergeant, get on the phone to General Moore.
Tell him I've relieved Major Boyington of his command for refusing to obey a direct order.
Colonel.
Move, Sergeant.
Sir.
Captain, you'll assume command of the squadron.
I expect you to take off in 10 minutes.
- Sergeant.
Add my name to that message, please.
You can fly the damn planes yourself, Colonel.
Radio that message, Sergeant.
Sir.
Who are you? My name is Rouva.
I'm a coast watcher.
I'm Robert Anderson, VMF 214.
We have to get away from here.
I'll take you to my camp.
How much longer, Hutch? A couple of hours still, Pappy.
You know that half of these birds would've never come home if you hadn't pulled 'em, don't you? Yeah, I know that.
I just picked up a transmission from Hutton to ComSoPac.
He's on the ground and moving toward Batuna airstrip.
He's under fire.
- Heavy fire? Well, Greg.
Looks like we're gonna have some company.
That's Laird's plane.
Where have you been? I saw some men parachute down on the other side of the island.
Behind Batuna ridge.
Hutton and his guys.
What are they after? The, uh, Batuna airstrip.
The logic is to grab it and hold it until a main force landing on the beach.
They can take the airstrip, but they won't hold it.
Not with the fire coming from the ridge.
Yeah, I know, I know.
We tried knocking out that ridge, but there isn't any way.
But there is.
There is? That ridge is laced with tunnels.
The entrance can be sealed, and I know where it is.
Well, raise Hutton on your radio and--and pinpoint the location for him and he can call in an air strike.
Lieutenant, if you received such a message, would you accept it? Or would you suspect a Japanese trick? I see your point.
I've got an idea! What? Never mind.
Get on that radio and raise Vella La Cava.
Major, I don't like this Colonel Hutton anymore than you do.
But the fact is he gave you an order and you refused to obey it.
You really went off the deep end this time, Boyington.
You and Gutterman are both going to have to stand charges and that is that.
I want you to tell your pilots and your mechanics that until your replacement arrives, I'm in command of the 214.
You tell 'em, sir.
Anderson's all right.
A coast watcher picked him up.
He's hurt, but he's safe and sound.
Wait a minute, there's some more.
That's it.
Read it, sir.
Signed Meatball? Don't you see? That proves it's kosher.
Tunnels.
Tunnels.
That's why we can't neutralize the enemy, because of the tunnels.
How soon can your birds be ready to fly? - An hour.
Leftfield to grandstand, we are on home plate.
Fire from the ridge is getting stronger.
Come in, grandstand.
Raise 'em, T.
J.
Raise 'em.
Third base to leftfield, come in.
Third base to leftfield, come in.
Do you read me? Over.
This is leftfield, we read you, third base.
Come in! Come in! Third base! It took a hit it's gone dead.
I've lost him, Pappy.
Sir, do I have your permission to fly to Batuna and talk to Hutton personally? Boyington, that's impossible.
No, sir, it's not impossible.
I'll take the L5.
L5? My L5? Hutton's L5.
I can land on a dollar bill.
I'll call an air strike from the ground and we'll plug up those tunnels.
Boyington, even if you can do it, I can't allow it.
Sir, it's the only way.
Otherwise all the air support in the world will not help Hutton.
He'll be pinned down.
He'll lose the airstrip! You're under arrest! - Yes, sir, I know that, but do I've your permission? Yes! Can't you get that thing fixed? Wish I could, Sarge.
It's hopeless.
Colonel! What's your plane doing here? I don't know what you're doing here, but if you brought a radio I'm glad you're here.
I brought you two.
Give me a hand.
Yes, sir.
What do you think you're doing, Boyington? The Japanese, the Japanese have dug a tunnel on the backside.
As soon as we burn out a hole, they run in more men and more guns and put it back into action.
So what? Why don't you call Vella La Cava and put my boys in the air? With only a couple of men and some communications, I'll call an air strike, and maybe we can plug up that damn tunnel.
I'd like to go with him, sir.
All right, Sergeant, take some men, go with the Major.
Major Boyington, it's your show.
Pray that it doesn't turn out to be a turkey.
Move out, Sergeant.
There it is.
Exactly where the coast watcher said it would be.
This is Lost Lamb to Black Sheep leader.
Do you read me? Lost lamb? It's Pappy, you knothead.
Shut up! I read you, Lost Lamb.
Okay, keep comin'.
Just drop when I tell you to.
Now! He did it! He did it! Black Sheep leader to Lost Lamb, how'd we do? Just fine.
You really stuck the plug in Tojo's tunnel.
It's Anderson, Pappy! Nice to see you, you big, tall jerk of water, you.
I'm not a totally well man, but I'm fine.
You blew it away, didn't you? Yeah.
Well, looks like they're dying on the vine.
I radioed Gen.
Moore about you.
You're in the clear.
Thank you, Colonel.
I was wrong about you, Major.
You're okay.
Thank you.
See you around, Sergeant.
Major.
All right, move out.
Rouva, thank you very much.
Why don't you come with us? I still have work to do here.
But it looks like I'll be out of a job soon.
Rouva wasn't out of a job as soon as he had hoped.
The curtain had gone up on New Georgia, but it was a show with a long run.
By the time it was over, we had taken New Georgia.
But there were a lot fewer men left to celebrate it.
It was a major turning point in the war.
All you could say about it was we won.
Whose dog is that? - Pappy's dog.
Get rid of it.
A little gridiron violence.
If there's any trouble while I'm gone, Gen.
Moore will hear about it.
We have been hitting this ridge for one week with 500-pounders and still there's fire from the ground.
Then double your mission.
I'm about to go in there and write a letter to the parents of one of my boys.
I'm not gonna put my men in jeopardy again.
We are poor, little lambs who have lost our way Baa, Baa, Baa Baa Baa Black Sheep S01E11 - New Georgia On My Mind S01E11 - New Georgia On My Mind Colonel Frank Hutton of the 296th Marine Raiders is awarded the Navy Cross.
A soldier who lives and fights with his men.
A veteran of a doeen commando operations against enemy-held islands.
Colonel Frank Hutton is a hero to a nation and to all fighting men in the South Pacific.
Good morning, sir.
Is there anything I can do for you? Sir.
No.
Let's take a look around, Sergeant.
If you're looking for Major Boyington - I'm not.
He's on a mission, sir.
- I know where he is.
Whose dog is that? It's Pappy's dog.
I mean, the Major's dog, sir.
Get rid of it.
For five straight days, the Black Sheep had flown strafing and bombing missions against the airstrip of Batuna on the Japanese-held island of New Georgia.
The enemy wasn't taking it too well.
They were throwing everything they could lay their hands on at us.
They probably figured the same thing we figured: something big was coming, and we were just raising the curtain.
The men'll need some refreshments, Sergeant.
See what they have to drink.
That thing'll have to go.
Who's the L5 belong to? Some colonel, Pappy.
He didn't give a name, and I didn't feel like askin'.
What do you say, we have a little drink and talk about today's mission, huh? About flying a little tighter, huh, Boyle? You know how to do that? Which one of you is Boyington? I'm Boyington.
I want to talk to you.
Alone.
The rest of you can get out.
I said, you can get out.
Okay, you guys.
Hey, Greg, uh Jim, the Colonel wants to talk to me alone.
Come on.
Come on.
Few minutes.
Just a few minutes, okay? It's a nice, cozy little place you have here, Major.
Good Scotch.
You pilots really know how to enjoy a war, don't you? My pilots have just flown a mission.
They're tired and thirsty.
You wanna talk, Colonel? Let's talk.
I want my boys to come back and have a drink.
I'm Frank Hutton, 296th Raider Battalion.
I'm Major Gregory Boyington, 214.
I'll be using this base as a staging area.
My headquarters' company will be landing in a few minutes.
This place as a staging area? Colonel, there's all kinds of room at the other end of the island.
Major, your squadron will be flying air cover for me.
Air cover for what? The New Georgia invasion.
I'll be taking a strike force in by parachute 1 2 hours before the main landing.
I'll be using this building as a command post while I'm here.
And your squadron will be under my operational control.
My squadron will be under your operational control? That's correct.
Colonel, I'm not turning over the responsibility of my pilots and their lives to a man who is not a combat pilot.
Major, you're wasting my time.
You've any arguments, take them up with Colonel Laird.
I don't take anything up with colonels.
Stow it! Stow it! People Belly-achin' won't do any good, so just stow it.
I say we meet that C47 and knock those grunts off this island! Ice it! Ice it.
I'm going to talk to Gen.
Moore.
So, trust me.
Jim, I want you to take command, and I don't want any trouble while I'm gone.
All right.
Relax.
Hey, Jim, this is not you.
I was Wait a minute.
Just give him a chance to talk to Moore.
Hutton won't know what hit him.
First Platoon, Headquarters' Company reporting, sir.
Welcome aboard, Sergeant.
Pick out a bivouac area, unload your supplies and equipment.
Yes, sir.
Sergeant.
Right face! Route step, march! I didn't know there was natives on this rock.
Should've brought beads and bubblegum.
Hey, Porky-Pie, you gotta pretty girl go kissy-kissy, oof-oof with a big warrior boy like me? - Greg said, ice it! Did you hear what - I heard what he said.
Now, just back off.
Leave it to Greg.
Let him handle it.
See that Col.
Laird gets this immediately.
Are you still here? - General.
Boyington, I don't have any time to talk to you.
Well, five minutes.
Five minutes.
All right.
- All right.
I can accept Hutton hanging his hat at Vella La Cava, but turning over flight operations of my squadron, now, sir, well, uh, uh, I just can't accept that.
No, sir.
I--I can't.
Well, those are the orders.
I follow orders too, Greg.
Oh, yes, sir, I know that, but there must be something you can do.
Yes, there is.
I can call in your markers.
What? Greg, I'm asking you to go back to Vella La Cava, work with Hutton, and not make any waves.
Hutton's operation is the key to the entire New Georgia campaign.
That important, sir? Well, I do owe you some I.
O.
U.
s.
I guess today's payday.
Thank you for the time, General.
Thank you.
All right, let's keep this area policed, you people.
Get that stuff out of here.
Come on.
What do we do with it, Sarge? Get rid of it.
Get rid of it.
Get those tents up.
Bring that jeep over here.
Look at what they've done! They've cleaned us out! Took all our Scotch! Ten cases! Where'd it go? What are you men doing in here? This building is off-limits.
Uh, but, Colonel, our Scotch is gone.
I've got a lot more to worry about than a few cases of Scotch, and so do you.
Now I want to see all the squadron's briefing reports for the last week.
I want a status report on the operational condition of all planes.
I want an inventory on the fuel supply and the types and the amount of all ammunition on hand.
I'll expect the three of you to have those reports for me by 14.
00.
Look, sir.
Pappy, uh, the Major - You're taking orders from me, mister.
Now get out.
Get out! And take that bird with you.
Sayonara.
James, what're we gonna do? Well, I'm gonna see you And I'm going to bump you $10.
That's wonderful, but I mean about the Hutton and the reports.
What I'm gonna do is sit here and play poker with you gentlemen till I've taken all your money and all your other worldly possessions.
Jim! Come on out of here a minute.
Come on, all of you.
Come on.
Look at this! Hey, that's our Scotch.
Where are they takin' it? To the hospital.
- Hospital? That's right.
They called the hospital and fixed up a party with the nurses.
With our booze? That's what they think.
Hey, Sarge.
Look what's blowin' in.
The natives are restless.
Just keep loading.
Is there something I can do for you? Yes, there is.
You can unload our Scotch.
Is that your Scotch? You took it out of the Sheep's Pen.
You know, we looked for names all over 'em boxes.
Sergeant, I said unload the Scotch.
That's an order.
The Colonel's orders are that we take orders only from the Colonel, Lieutenant.
Sir.
So if you want them cases of hooch, you're gonna have to find some, uh, other way.
Then we'll just do that.
Bob! Don't go starting anything now.
Better listen to him, Bobby.
And you better shut up, man! If you're going for him, you're gonna have to go through me.
Get out of here.
I hope you enjoy yourself, Sergeant, tonight, because it may be the last fun you have on this-here island.
Move it out! How did it go? What took you so long? You see Moore? Get it all straightened out with him? I can't wait to see old stone-face when he finds out what it's it's gonna be.
You didn't settle anything, did you? I agreed to work with Hutton as a personal favor to Gen.
Moore.
You what? You don't understand Understand what? Understand that you let Moore sweet-talk you Hey, Jim, just hold it.
What a grateful bunch of jerks we all are.
Gen.
Moore has delivered the bacon more times than any of us can count, and the first time that he asks a favor of us They took the Sheep Pen, took our Scotch, our girls, and the jeep.
We're nothin' but a bunch of orphans.
Oh, is this war becoming too inconvenient for you? You haven't seen anything yet.
You better get used to it.
Wait till you see the New Georgia campaign.
I'm gonna go get something to eat.
That's real good, Greg.
Got a special dish for you over there to eat.
Crow.
Hey, what's this? Sounds like it was a great party, doesn't it? It does.
Sayonara.
Go back to sleep.
And you please shut up.
Making me fed up.
Damn that bird.
Hey, Ross, go out for a long one.
Great throw.
Hey, Porky-Pie.
Hey, you missed the party of the century last night, man.
You talk about kissy-kissy, oofie-oofie.
Take it easy.
And that goes for the rest of you.
Now you men get back where you belong.
Now.
Okay.
How about the ball? How about the ball, what? Sir.
What else? What do you mean? I mean, "How about the ball, please, sir"? Hey, you can take that football and you can keep it, sir.
All right, you guys.
Go to your tents and stay there.
I made a promise to Gen.
Moore and we're gonna keep it.
Let's go.
Let's go, Bob.
Go.
Jerry, forget it.
Hutton, I want to talk to you.
lt'll have to wait.
I'm on my way to a briefing.
You will.
Sergeant, I would like to talk to the Colonel alone.
I'm on my way to Espritos Marcos for a briefing with ComSoPac.
Take those out to the plane.
Your men came in here and took this island over like it was Japanese-held.
Now, I've had it with you and your men.
What do you want from me, Major? I have a squadron of fighter pilots that are ready to start a war right now.
Now, either you tell your men to shut up and stay where they belong, or when you get back, you're gonna find your men in an intensive care ward.
Boyington, we've already got more war than we can handle.
Now, if there any trouble while I'm gone, General Moore will hear about it.
And those men in intensive care, they won't be my men.
as soon as it gets dark.
Right.
We'll meet in my tent.
Hey, Jim.
What was the meeting about? Meeting? Oh, you know I know when something's cookin'.
Now what's in the frying pan? Well, looks like we might have a little serious trouble tonight, Greg.
The boys have decided to jump those grunts after chow.
Surprise 'em and kick their heads in.
Well, I hope they do it in their sleep.
Because those gorillas will kill 'em.
Well, I know.
I told them that, but they won't listen to me.
Well, they better listen to me.
Greg, those boys are like a boiler with the safety valve tied down.
They're gonna blow and nobody's gonna stop 'em.
I know.
Hey.
Maybe I got somethin' that'll let 'em blow off a little steam, and we won't break our promise to Gen.
Moore.
What? A little contact sport.
A little gridiron violence.
And we still might get killed.
A football game, huh? What do you people think? Where and when, Major? The field in 10 minutes.
You got it.
We believe this is the best spot for your drop zone.
I'll decide that.
Colonel, we're only trying to help you.
You've already helped me enough by pushing up my timetable a week.
Colonel, we don't like advancing your timetable any more than you do, but those are the orders from CinCPAC, so let's get on with this.
You'll have 12 hours to secure the Batuna airstrip after you hit the drop zone before Colonel Moffet makes his landing with the main landing force on the beach.
Now, if you can't secure the airstrip, we suggest two alternative fallback positions.
I won't need any fallback positions if I get the air support I need from Boyington.
But if I don't get it You'll get it.
All right, we're gonna flip a coin to see who kicks off.
Anybody got a coin? We gotta have a coin.
Wait a minute.
I'll tell you.
Let's do it.
This is fair.
You pick a number from 1 to 10.
Okay.
Now what is it? Seven.
Seven.
Jim, what's yours? Uh, three.
Three.
That's it.
We'll receive.
You punks.
Okay, line up.
How come we ain't got a cheering section? What do you call that? Sayonara.
Fans.
Come on, let's play ball.
Kick it.
Kick the ball! C'mon, huddle.
Let's go.
Hut-one, hut-two.
Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut! Touchdown! What's the matter, Lieutenant? You can't take it? C'mon, guys! Second half, you're gonna have to help me with that big gorilla.
He's a monster.
I think we're really killin' 'em.
Well, I'm very happy to hear you say that.
Okay, come on, you guys, let's go get 'em.
Show 'em what they're you see that? What is it? Hey.
Take those helmets off.
Where in the rules does it say we can't wear helmets? Not steel helmets, man.
Helmets are helmets.
Well, why don't you gentlemen just go get your rifles, too? No, we don't need no rifles, babyface.
Keep your helmets.
You're gonna need 'em.
You don't mind being buried in them, do you? Hutch has got the message.
Let's run out the right side.
Let's go.
Hit the deck! Hit the deck! Air raid! You guys ain't so good at football, but nobody's gonna beat you at cheatin'.
Did those helmets help at all? Oh, no.
Listen, we got a couple of cases of hooch left.
How about it? This ridge above the airfield has got to be neutralieed.
We have been hitting this ridge for one week with 500-pounders and still there's fire from the ground.
Then double your missions.
Whatever it takes.
The enemy is honeycombed all over this side.
We're not gonna be using 500 pounders, Major.
We're going to burn Tojo out of his gun emplacements and bunkers.
You'll be using incendiaries.
Hutch.
Yeah.
I want these birds ready to go in 30 minutes.
Pappy, I need more time than that to work on these airplanes.
All right, all right, take 45 and put a camera on the starboard wing.
I can't do that.
Do it.
You're the best mechanic in the Marine Corps.
Tell me about it.
We're still getting fire from these bunkers.
They're reinforcing that ridge somehow.
Are they coming in over it? Look at it.
They'd be barbecued in 10 seconds if they tried.
Boyington, I'm hitting the ground right under that ridge in exactly eight hours.
Those bunkers have to be knocked out.
And don't tell me it can't be done.
I'm tellin' you, it can't be done.
Pappy, I got trouble.
Get over the water and ditch.
I can't bring her around.
Did he get out? I don't know.
I lost him.
I I can't see him anymore.
We stayed over New Georgia as long as we could Iooking for sight of Anderson's plane or a parachute.
But the smoke and the fires from the incendiaries made it impossible to see.
Finally, we were out of fuel and we had no choice.
We went home.
Hutch.
How long is it gonna take you to pull these birds off the line and service 'em? Six, eight hours tops.
Do it.
I thank you.
Where's Bob? That's it, Pappy.
That's everything.
Boyington.
Why aren't your men flying? I've pulled the aircraft.
Needs service.
Some of them need an overhaul.
How long is that gonna take? A few hours.
I don't have a few hours, damn it.
Colonel, you better find a few hours, or your boys are gonna hit that strip without air cover.
I take off in 50 minutes, Major.
I'm about to go in there and write a letter to the parents of one of my boys.
Now I should've pulled that aircraft sometime ago and I didn't.
But I'm not gonna put my men in jeopardy again.
I'm sorry about your pilot, Major, but I want those planes gassed Those planes are not gonna fly until they're ready to fly! Are you refusing to obey? Hutton, why don't you push your timetable back five or six hours? There's still enough daylight for you to secure the strip and hold it.
I have my orders, you have yours.
I don't give a damn about your orders, you understand that? Now you come in here with enlisted men and you treat my officers like cub scouts, and you run this operation like like Napoleon and you talk to me about orders? Now, I agreed to cooperate with you.
But you better cooperate with me, or you're gonna be out there all alone, Colonel.
Major.
What? You're relieved of your command.
Callahan.
Sergeant, get on the phone to General Moore.
Tell him I've relieved Major Boyington of his command for refusing to obey a direct order.
Colonel.
Move, Sergeant.
Sir.
Captain, you'll assume command of the squadron.
I expect you to take off in 10 minutes.
- Sergeant.
Add my name to that message, please.
You can fly the damn planes yourself, Colonel.
Radio that message, Sergeant.
Sir.
Who are you? My name is Rouva.
I'm a coast watcher.
I'm Robert Anderson, VMF 214.
We have to get away from here.
I'll take you to my camp.
How much longer, Hutch? A couple of hours still, Pappy.
You know that half of these birds would've never come home if you hadn't pulled 'em, don't you? Yeah, I know that.
I just picked up a transmission from Hutton to ComSoPac.
He's on the ground and moving toward Batuna airstrip.
He's under fire.
- Heavy fire? Well, Greg.
Looks like we're gonna have some company.
That's Laird's plane.
Where have you been? I saw some men parachute down on the other side of the island.
Behind Batuna ridge.
Hutton and his guys.
What are they after? The, uh, Batuna airstrip.
The logic is to grab it and hold it until a main force landing on the beach.
They can take the airstrip, but they won't hold it.
Not with the fire coming from the ridge.
Yeah, I know, I know.
We tried knocking out that ridge, but there isn't any way.
But there is.
There is? That ridge is laced with tunnels.
The entrance can be sealed, and I know where it is.
Well, raise Hutton on your radio and--and pinpoint the location for him and he can call in an air strike.
Lieutenant, if you received such a message, would you accept it? Or would you suspect a Japanese trick? I see your point.
I've got an idea! What? Never mind.
Get on that radio and raise Vella La Cava.
Major, I don't like this Colonel Hutton anymore than you do.
But the fact is he gave you an order and you refused to obey it.
You really went off the deep end this time, Boyington.
You and Gutterman are both going to have to stand charges and that is that.
I want you to tell your pilots and your mechanics that until your replacement arrives, I'm in command of the 214.
You tell 'em, sir.
Anderson's all right.
A coast watcher picked him up.
He's hurt, but he's safe and sound.
Wait a minute, there's some more.
That's it.
Read it, sir.
Signed Meatball? Don't you see? That proves it's kosher.
Tunnels.
Tunnels.
That's why we can't neutralize the enemy, because of the tunnels.
How soon can your birds be ready to fly? - An hour.
Leftfield to grandstand, we are on home plate.
Fire from the ridge is getting stronger.
Come in, grandstand.
Raise 'em, T.
J.
Raise 'em.
Third base to leftfield, come in.
Third base to leftfield, come in.
Do you read me? Over.
This is leftfield, we read you, third base.
Come in! Come in! Third base! It took a hit it's gone dead.
I've lost him, Pappy.
Sir, do I have your permission to fly to Batuna and talk to Hutton personally? Boyington, that's impossible.
No, sir, it's not impossible.
I'll take the L5.
L5? My L5? Hutton's L5.
I can land on a dollar bill.
I'll call an air strike from the ground and we'll plug up those tunnels.
Boyington, even if you can do it, I can't allow it.
Sir, it's the only way.
Otherwise all the air support in the world will not help Hutton.
He'll be pinned down.
He'll lose the airstrip! You're under arrest! - Yes, sir, I know that, but do I've your permission? Yes! Can't you get that thing fixed? Wish I could, Sarge.
It's hopeless.
Colonel! What's your plane doing here? I don't know what you're doing here, but if you brought a radio I'm glad you're here.
I brought you two.
Give me a hand.
Yes, sir.
What do you think you're doing, Boyington? The Japanese, the Japanese have dug a tunnel on the backside.
As soon as we burn out a hole, they run in more men and more guns and put it back into action.
So what? Why don't you call Vella La Cava and put my boys in the air? With only a couple of men and some communications, I'll call an air strike, and maybe we can plug up that damn tunnel.
I'd like to go with him, sir.
All right, Sergeant, take some men, go with the Major.
Major Boyington, it's your show.
Pray that it doesn't turn out to be a turkey.
Move out, Sergeant.
There it is.
Exactly where the coast watcher said it would be.
This is Lost Lamb to Black Sheep leader.
Do you read me? Lost lamb? It's Pappy, you knothead.
Shut up! I read you, Lost Lamb.
Okay, keep comin'.
Just drop when I tell you to.
Now! He did it! He did it! Black Sheep leader to Lost Lamb, how'd we do? Just fine.
You really stuck the plug in Tojo's tunnel.
It's Anderson, Pappy! Nice to see you, you big, tall jerk of water, you.
I'm not a totally well man, but I'm fine.
You blew it away, didn't you? Yeah.
Well, looks like they're dying on the vine.
I radioed Gen.
Moore about you.
You're in the clear.
Thank you, Colonel.
I was wrong about you, Major.
You're okay.
Thank you.
See you around, Sergeant.
Major.
All right, move out.
Rouva, thank you very much.
Why don't you come with us? I still have work to do here.
But it looks like I'll be out of a job soon.
Rouva wasn't out of a job as soon as he had hoped.
The curtain had gone up on New Georgia, but it was a show with a long run.
By the time it was over, we had taken New Georgia.
But there were a lot fewer men left to celebrate it.
It was a major turning point in the war.
All you could say about it was we won.