JAG s07e18 Episode Script

Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire in the galley! Henderson, grab that tank! I'm right behind you! You okay? I think so.
Tim? What happened, Vinnie? What caused the fire? Were you smoking in there? We're a-a little confused.
You want us to investigate a galley fire aboard a ship? I do.
Both of us, sir? That was the SECNAV's request.
He doesn't consider this a waste of resources, sir? They're not his resources, Colonel.
What are the issues, Admiral? Admiral Albrecht, SURFLANT believes one of his destroyers the USS John Cooper is suffering from a lack of leadership.
So, you really want us to investigate the skipper? Discretely.
Have there been complaints? No, but the fire's one of a recent series of incidents aboard that ship.
Admiral, the skipper will sense what's going on.
And he'll deal with it.
Look, I made it quite clear to the SECNAV that you will be acting as attorneys not as some hatchet men.
Your job is to take a look at the circumstances only.
And if our findings don't concur with Admiral Albrecht's suspicions, sir? Well, let's just hope he can be as objective.
Commander Rabb Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie reporting, Skipper.
Admiral Albrecht told me to expect you.
How serious was the damage, sir? The galley's a wreck.
We'll all be using the officer's and chief's galleys for the time being.
Also, sick bay was smoked out.
We moved it and set up a triage on another level.
How badly were the men injured? Could have been worse.
The incident happened after midnight rations.
Only two sailors were in the area at the time.
One is fine.
The other is being treated for smoke inhalation.
The sailor who rescued them, however has second-degree burns on his hands and the Fire Control Officer suffered multiple fractures as well as a broken leg, and was airlifted to Norfolk.
Any sense of how the fire got started, Skipper? Not yet.
The ship has twice as many cas-reps as the others in its class.
She's the second-oldest destroyer in the Navy, Colonel.
But right now we need every ship we can get.
Her age would emphasize the need for preventative maintenance, Skipper.
I can provide the 3-M schedules.
That would be appreciated, sir.
Talk to the men.
Let me know what you find out.
But keep this in mind.
This is a shakedown cruise for a lot of these sailors.
They're green and they'll make mistakes.
Carl Messing, Admiral.
It's a pleasure.
Nice to meet you.
Please have a seat.
Thanks.
What can I do for you? White House chief of staff has hired me to produce a live event at Constitution Hall, March 16th.
The president will be honoring all surviving Medal of Honor recipients.
And what does this have to do with me? Well, the Pentagon gave me the idea to use flag officers as advisors and they suggested that I approach you as the Navy and Marine Corps representative.
Mr.
Messing, let me be honest.
About three years ago I was asked to serve as a technical advisor on a movie and it was well, unpleasant.
You'll be able to perform most of your duties on the phone.
All we'll be asking of you is liaison assistance and availability to our writers and production team.
And you're looking for advice? In matters relating to protocol historical accuracy correct attire, that kind of thing.
We'll provide a stipend to cover your expenses and you'll start working as soon as these men are notified.
Admiral, if you have qualms, maybe I should No, I-I'm warming up to it.
I like the idea of the event.
Would you like to see a list of the Navy and Marine Corps honorees? Yes, I would.
Well, I see there's a name crossed off of here.
Uh, this Marine pass away? No.
Henry Guernsey's alive.
The White House chief of staff's office informed me after a background check that he was recently arrested and due in court just before the event.
So, you don't intend to include him? Oh, it has nothing to do with me.
I-It was their decision.
Hmm.
Fear of bad publicity? That'd be my guess.
Well the man served in Guadalcanal, Mr.
Messing.
You don't have to convince me, Admiral.
I think he should be in attendance.
Did you make that argument with them? Yes.
Is this a deal breaker? No, I'll do it.
Excellent! I'll have my staff contact you.
After I investigate this situation with Mr.
Guernsey I'll let you know.
I'm sure you will, Admiral.
You asked to see me, sir? Lieutenant, walk with me.
Yes, sir.
I completed my review of the Massuco matter.
I agree with Colonel Blakely.
He did nothing to warrant the charge of dereliction.
Thank you, sir.
However, it was not your finest hour.
No, sir.
I'd like to put this matter behind us.
As would I, sir.
Are you still interested in accepting a new assignment? Well, uh, Lieutenant Sims and I are very excited about it, sir.
Any duty stations that appeal to you? Haven't really gotten that far yet, sir.
I need to make my decision by the end of the week.
I'll get right on it.
And-And once again, sir thank you for your support.
Thank me when you make lieutenant commander.
Yes, sir.
Seaman, we understand you were first on the scene.
What can you tell us? I'd just come off seven hours of embark training and was on my way to berthing when I saw ash floating in the air.
As I followed it to the galley I saw smoke could hear the sound of coughing coming from inside so I yelled "Fire in the galley" grabbed an EEBD and went in.
What could you see in there? Two sailors, sir.
Seaman Raff was unconscious.
Seaman Travino was about to be.
What could you see of the fire itself? The hood system was ablaze, sir.
There were small fires everywhere.
How did you burn your hands? A stainless steel shelf, ma'am.
It had flaming rags on it.
I had to push it out of the way.
You saved these men with burned hands? One of them, sir.
How do you think the fire got started? That's unclear to me, sir.
Well, do you have a theory? Seaman Holly? Yes, ma'am, I do.
Are you a heavy smoker, Seaman? Excuse me, sir? How many cigarettes do you smoke a day? I-I don't know, sir.
Whenever I get the chance.
It's not very often.
So what do you do when you can't light up? Well, I don't, sir.
Were you smoking in the galley last night? No, ma'am.
Seaman Holly seems to think that you might have been.
Well, I-I didn't tell him anything.
Well, you, uh, aren't telling us anything and we're getting the same impression.
It's incorrect, ma'am.
So, uh, what do you think started this fire? This blaze endangered the entire crew of this ship and impacted its ability to serve the fleet, Seaman.
Now, you either tell us what was going on in there or excuse your Article 31 rights.
I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't say.
The charge is shoplifting.
Mr.
Guernsey was arrested after trying to steal $200-worth of fishing equipment from a large sporting goods store.
Did he admit stealing this fishing equipment? No, but he had no receipt.
Now, here we go.
"Cashier spotted him "trying to exit through the entrance gate.
Notified security.
" Are you positive this was a theft? He fits the profile.
At 80 years old? It's the fixed-income blues.
I've seen quite a bit of this.
Does Mr.
Guernsey have an attorney? I don't think so.
Are you considering military charges, Admiral? What would I charge him with? And frankly, why would anyone charge this man with anything? The store has strict policies against pilferage.
There's little we could do other than make the arrest.
Well, you could try to talk the store manager out of filing charges.
Why would I have done that? I have to explain that to you?! You obviously have an investment in this man that I don't share, Admiral.
Well, you should.
Why? 'Cause he held off with a .
45 and a case of hand grenades.
Seaman Raff, you and Seaman Travino were working in the galley the night of the fire, correct? Yes, sir.
And it's a non-smoking area.
That's right, sir.
Was Seaman Travino smoking that night? No, sir, he wasn't.
You sure? Yes, ma'am.
I believe otherwise, Seaman.
I don't know where you got that information, ma'am.
Are you covering for him? No, ma'am.
Seaman, are you aware of the consequences of making a false official statement? Yes, ma'am.
Then why are you lying? Seaman Travino wasn't smoking in the galley last night.
I was.
So, you're the one who started the fire? Yes, sir.
I'm real sorry a couple people got hurt.
What happened? I was cleaning up after mid-rats Seaman Travino was the watch.
He came in, we started talking and I asked him for a cigarette and a light.
And he gave them to you? He thought I'd be going to the designated smoking area, ma'am.
But you lit up a cigarette there in the galley.
It's not his fault, sir.
How did your cigarette start the fire? It wasn't the cigarette, ma'am.
It was the lighter.
What did you do, Todd?! Todd, what did? So the rags caught on fire first? Yes, ma'am.
I was standing too close to the shelf at the time.
I accidentally lit one.
How much time elapsed between the rags catching fire and the room filling with smoke? Less than a minute, sir.
A minute? That fast? My second mistake was thinking that I could put it out myself.
I should have yelled fire and dragged Vinnie out of there.
Seaman Holly did that for you.
Yeah, I owe him my life, sir.
Do you realize how serious this is, Seaman Raff? Yes, ma'am.
I almost killed my best friend.
Fantail Review Crew make ready to cease operations.
He admitted culpability? He did, Skipper.
Given the nature of the incident-- injury to crew members and damage to government property-- we're recommending an Article 32 hearing.
Thank you, but I intend to settle this with a mast aboard ship.
Captain, do you feel a mast would be sufficient in this case? I'm going to make him do a rug dance, Colonel and stick him in the brig with bread and water.
He's got a long road back to respectability.
This is a serious offense, Captain.
This is a young man who made a young man's mistake.
Now, it's my intention to scare him into never making another like it but if I drag him into a courtroom I'll damage him forever.
We still have to file our recommendations with your chain of command.
I understand.
Can't figure me out, Commander? Just thought you'd be relieved it wasn't your fault, Skipper.
What about Europe? Well, wouldn't that mean taking little A.
J.
out of preschool? Well, yeah.
I mean, he's just now starting to learn how to relate to other children.
Well, there are children everywhere, Harriet.
I know.
It would also mean that we would have to put off buying the house for a little while.
Well, I thought that you said that you were okay with that? Well, I mean, we could still do it if you were on a carrier.
You'd just be gone for six months out of the year.
Well, maybe that's the way to go.
You could be stationed in a battle zone.
Harriet, the flight deck of a carrier is safer than the streets of D.
C.
Well, what are the other possibilities? Reykjavik and Burkina Faso.
You can scratch Reykjavik-- way too many pretty girls.
And the other place sounds like the seventh level of hell.
Harriet, I'm confused here.
Last time we talked about this you were making all the opposite arguments.
I know.
That's before your career was threatened and I realized how important our time is together.
Wouldn't be the first captain to resist giving up control, Commander.
Nonetheless, COMSURFLANT agrees with your assessment.
Even if the circumstances don't directly implicate the captain Admiral Albrecht still wants to send him a strong message.
As a result, he's assuming disposition authority and has initiated Article 32 proceedings against Seaman Raff.
Colonel, you'll be trial counsel.
Commander, you'll defend.
Aye, sir.
Aye, sir.
I appreciate your interest in my case, sir.
Well, you can thank me after we avoid court-martial.
Do you have a plan, sir? Well, you've already admitted guilt in the matter, Seaman, so We can avoid a hearing and the possibility of confinement by pleading this out.
What could I expect from that, sir? I'm sure we could avoid anything harshly punitive but in return, Seaman, you're probably looking at a civilian career.
I like the Navy, sir.
So do I.
And what if I plead not guilty, sir? I'll try to convince the hearing officer the fire wasn't your fault and the case shouldn't go to court-martial.
Look, sir, I feel sick about what happened but I don't want to get kicked out.
I know I can be a better sailor than the one you see sitting in front of you.
So, you want to plead not guilty? Yes, sir.
Mr.
Guernsey? Yes? I'm A.
J.
Chegwidden, the Navy JAG.
Should I be worried? Uh, no, sir.
Not at all.
Can I speak with you a moment? What's it about? Well, I'm a bit of a war history buff.
Came across your biography.
I was especially impressed with your record at Guadalcanal.
Thought I'd meet the man himself.
This is a first.
Uh, I'm sorry about the untidiness.
Household matters were my wife, Bea's, expertise.
Can I offer you something to drink? Uh, what are my choices? Prune juice or water.
Um, water's fine.
How did you manage to hold off that many men? Two dozen grenades Can do a lot of damage.
How old were you? And stupid enough to think I could pull it off.
Do you mind telling me the story? What story? How you received your Medal of Honor.
Oh, well, uh I was dragging a grenade case up Hill two-35 when a Banzai charge started 500 feet below me.
I think, uh, let me see I well, I yanked the lid off and I started lobbing grenades with one hand and firing my pistol with the other.
Would-would you like something to drink? I'm fine, thanks.
Were you wounded? By my own shrapnel.
That's 'cause I couldn't throw far with my left hand.
So, uh, so, how are you doing? You getting along okay? Got some trouble with the law.
It's the craziest thing.
They think I was stealing fishing gear.
Was it a misunderstanding? I know I paid for it.
I mean, I gave the woman exact change.
Did you get a receipt? Yeah It's somewhere.
Well, maybe I can help you look for it.
Oh, the Navy doesn't have enough for you to do, Admiral? Uh Hmm Uh Ah Oh, here it is.
Here it is.
Nah I must have forgot to record it in the register.
I thought you said you paid cash for it.
I did.
Petty Officer LaGreco as the leading petty officer in the enlisted mess did you ever catch Seaman Raff smoking in the galley? Once, ma'am.
I could smell it in the air.
Told him not to do it again.
Did you, two days prior to the fire instruct him to scrub down the hood system? Yes, ma'am.
It hadn't been touched in two weeks.
Uh, the preventative maintenance system requires it be cleaned weekly otherwise, you get a dangerous buildup of grease in the system.
If a fire were to start under such conditions what would be the likely result? It would spread more quickly.
Was the seaman deficient in other areas? Well, he had a tendency to flip greasy rags onto a metal shelf and leave them there.
What's the proper procedure? To bag them and send them to Laundry.
Thank you.
No more questions.
Petty Officer, was the fire control system in the hood vent turned off at the time of the fire? Yes, sir, it was.
Did you order that done? I did, sir.
It was malfunctioning going off during normal use.
Is that significant? The fire started away from the cooking deck.
Well, that's what's alleged, but given the fact that the hood itself was on fire would the system have not helped in such a situation? It could have, sir, but the fire was widespread and there's no guarantee the hood system would have been able to control it.
Seaman Raff was lighting up at the time, ma'am.
And everything was fine.
And then, suddenly the rags on the shelf were on fire.
Did he try and put them out? Oh, yes, ma'am.
Seaman Raff went for the fire extinguisher.
And see, he'd been swabbing the deck so I grabbed the bucket of water.
But some of it spilled on the floor and I slipped and I banged my head.
The last thing I heard were the alarms.
Seaman Travino, did Seaman Raff know that smoking was restricted in the galley? I reminded him of that, ma'am when I gave him the cigarette and the lighter.
But he ignored you? Yes, ma'am.
He said that he smoked under the hood all the time.
Thank you, Your Honor.
The Government rests.
Commander Rabb? When Seaman Raff lit up in front of you, did you try to stop him? He knew how I felt about it, sir.
But you only warned him once? Yes, sir.
Thank you.
I have no further questions.
What are you looking for, sir? Alternative theories as to how the fire got started.
Didn't Seaman Raff start it, sir? Well, the Seaman's pleading not guilty.
You think you can help me out? I'll do what I can, sir.
What about the deep fryer, here? Is it possible that it was left on and the hot oil ignited? Well, you see that burn pattern, sir? That would indicate that the fire started where the shelf unit was.
What about paper goods near the burners? Uh, it was after mid-break, sir.
Burners would have been turned off.
Electrical? Sir, do you honestly plan to catch anything today? Well, I'm not going to catch anything, Master Chief if I don't drop a hook in the water.
Well, it didn't look like an electrical fire, sir.
Did you check the wiring? Only where there was fire damage.
What about this burn pattern, here? What would that indicate? That would indicate a short, sir.
You think that that happened prior to or as a result of the fire? Uh, it's hard to say, sir.
Well, if it happened prior to this is likely the cause of the fire.
And you can make that argument fly, sir? With your help I can, Master Chief.
Master Chief, you headed the fire inspection team and filed the initial damage report.
Is that correct? Yes, sir.
Now, based on a recent inspection of the galley what are your findings? I discovered a spark in the electrical short in the power supply.
Objection.
Relevance, Your Honor? Your Honor I'm trying to establish alternative theories as to how the fire got started.
I'll allow it.
Where was the short located? In a transmission box.
And what lived in that section of the galley? A steel shelf, sir.
The steel shelf that contained the grease-soaked rags? Yes, sir.
Is it possible, Master Chief that the fire was started by a spark igniting the rags? Yes, sir.
Thank you.
I have no further questions.
Master Chief, wouldn't you say the chance of the circuit tripping at approximately the same time that Seaman Raff was lighting a cigarette is improbable? Objection.
Speculation and argumentative.
He's got you two ways, Colonel.
Try again.
Do you recall an instance on any ship where a freak spark caused a fire? No, ma'am, but that doesn't mean it can't.
But your initial assessment didn't even consider that possibility.
Well, most galley fires are flame-based Thank you.
Except, perhaps in this case No more questions.
Look, I want Henry Guernsey back on the list.
You spoke to the police? I talked to the officer assigned to the case and the store manager, where the alleged theft occurred.
And are the charges being dropped? Not yet.
Well, nothing's changed.
Mr.
Guernsey was falsely accused.
I'm absolutely convinced of it.
He didn't steal anything.
He simply forgot to pay.
He's an elderly man.
He gets confused at times.
Can you prove this? Not conclusively.
I wish I could help you, Admiral but I got the White House chief of staff questioning my every decision.
Henry Guernsey's got to be without baggage for me to get him on that list.
Henry Guernsey is a hero.
Undervaluing his contribution because he's-he's imperfect makes us look petty and thoughtless.
I don't disagree with you.
So why aren't you fighting with me? Because I can't save him without jeopardizing my ability to do my job.
Waiting for the corpsman? Yeah, I need to get these dressings changed.
The trial seems to be going better.
Yeah, well, we'll see.
Your family know? My mom.
The last time I talked to her she was crying so hard I couldn't even hear what she was saying.
How about your dad? He died three years ago.
I'm sorry.
They were divorced.
I didn't see much of him anyway.
Tim You've thanked me twice already, Todd.
I'm alive because of you.
So you'll return the favor.
Have any ideas? Don't worry about? I worry about everything.
Can I tell you something my dad told me? Yeah, yeah, sure.
No one ever overcame a problem by wrinkling his forehead.
Was he a teacher or something? Former Squid.
So was my grandfather and his father.
Four generations, huh? It's a big deal in my family.
He must be proud of you.
So far.
He just expects a lot.
They all had spotless records.
My dad received the Navy Commendation Medal.
So will you.
I just need to keep it up for the next 20 years.
Thanks again, man.
Seaman Holly? Yeah.
Come on over.
Mac.
No deal, Harm.
You don't even know what I have to offer yet.
You wouldn't be offering if you thought you had the leverage to keep your client in the Navy.
I wouldn't be so sure.
Admiral Albrecht won't bite.
He feels if the seaman remains it'll be sending the wrong message to the captain.
What if the case is dismissed? He'll live with it.
Oh, the admiral might have to, Mac.
This is an old ship.
In fact, if I wanted, I could bring the captain's inability to hold her together back into the argument.
You won't.
Besides, a little reasonable doubt is hardly enough to make me fold.
Look, just hear me out.
Go ahead.
Reduction in rate, one pay grade.
Forfeiture one month's pay.
The seaman stays in the Navy.
No confinement.
Too lenient.
Look, I'm just trying to avoid getting him discharged.
You can do what you want with rest of it.
The rest of it is insignificant.
He's got to go.
Present it to Admirable Albrecht, Mac.
See what he has to say.
The offer's on the table.
Your table is missing a leg.
I'll see you in court.
Ah, this looks good.
Ah, yeah.
You think this is weird, don't you? Well, I, you know, it's, uh It's different.
I-I'm sorry.
You know, I've actually been seen smiling before.
Well, now you've got a whole hour to practice.
Yeah.
I think the last time I had a picnic was with my SEAL unit, eating sea rations and sharing with a pack full of tree rats.
Should we invite the squirrels? Present company's fine, thank you.
Good.
So what do you have in there? Tapas-- Spanish appetizers.
Make 'em yourself? I do everything myself.
Well, I'm impressed.
Want to try one? Absolutely.
It's an mini-empanada.
Like it? Mmm.
Oh, good, 'cause I made a million of 'em.
Are you always this reflective? It's just, uh, one of those days.
Do you want to talk about it? I don't want to bother you.
Well, I'd be flattered if you did.
Okay.
I recently met this Medal of Honor recipient.
When he was in his early 20s he did this extraordinary thing.
Now he's in his 80s.
His wife has passed away.
He's living alone and he's having trouble taking care of himself.
Well, because of that, he's been excluded from this event where all other surviving war heroes have been invited to Have you lobbied on his behalf? As far as I can go.
Hmm.
And now you're trying to figure out a way to help him? Oh, Meredith, the man deserves to be honored.
Yeah.
So what's stopping you? Mr.
Guernsey? Admiral.
What do you got there? Marine dress blues.
I didn't know your size, so I brought three along.
Why don't you try one on.
Is there a reason for this? Yes, sir, there is.
Um, you still have your Medal of Honor? Of course.
I'd like you to wear it on this uniform.
Oh hmm? What are you doing? I'm looking for a screwdriver.
Mr.
Guernsey, can I be honest with you? Of course.
I think you might need some help around the house.
I know I do.
Have you ever considered a roommate? Are you that lonely? No, sir.
There's an agency in D.
C.
that puts together seniors who aren't interested in retirement homes and assisted living.
I'll pay the fee.
All you have to do is go in for a series of interviews until you find someone you think you can live with.
That sound like an idea.
Good.
Good.
Want to try on a uniform? Well, what's this for? What are you doing the evening of March 16? Getting older.
What are you doing? Taking you someplace.
Your Honor, I'd like to recall Seaman Travino to the stand.
Seaman, I'll remind you, you're still under oath.
I understand, sir.
You may proceed, Colonel.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Seaman Travino, you testified that prior to the fire Seaman Raff had been swabbing the deck.
Is that correct? Yes, ma'am.
Do you remember him moving anything so he could swab behind it? He moved the steel shelves with the rags on it, ma'am.
Was it a rolling shelf? Yes, ma'am.
With wheel locks.
We're the wheels locked at the time? No, ma'am.
How far did he move it? About three feet, ma'am.
Was it away from the wall when the fire started? Yes, ma'am.
The wall with the transformer box on it? That's correct, ma'am.
Far enough away to rule out the chance that a spark from that box ignited the rags? Objection.
Speculation.
Sustained.
Thank you, Seaman.
Figured you'd have stopped by now.
It's been a tough week sir.
Don't tell me you're giving up on me.
Can I ask you a question, sir? Why does all this matter to you? I was young once, too, Raff, and sometimes stupid.
A few times along the way people I hardly knew helped me out.
And you didn't deserve that help, sir? Ah, no one knew that at the time.
They just took a chance.
Same way you're taking a chance on me, sir? Is that the same type of lighter that Seaman Travino lent you the night of the fire? Yes, sir, it is.
Do me a favor, would you? Dial that up, high as it'll go.
Those rags-- were they about the same level as the flame or were they above it? Ah, they were about even with my shoulder, sir.
Why? What are you thinking? I can't believe a flame that low would ignite those rags.
No, the flame was much higher, sir.
How much higher? I've been considering different types of gases that might accelerate a fire, Master Chief.
If you don't mind me asking, sir do you ever just say, "to hell with it"? No, but that might not be such a bad idea.
What types of gases did you have in mind, sir? Propane, for one.
Oh, propane's quite an accelerant but, uh, galleys are all electric.
Naphthalene? Acetylene? Hydrogen? Not in here, sir.
Oxygen? Sick Bay, sir.
It's right around the side of this bulkhead.
Rescue units have some.
You wanted to see me, sir? Yes, Seaman, I was told that these oxygen tanks are your responsibility.
Yes, sir, they go in that locker.
Sick Bay's actually scheduled for cleanup today.
Were these tanks unsecured at the time of the fire? They were, sir.
Their locker was under repair, so I left them here.
I meant to get back to them the next day.
A valve was open on this one.
The tank is empty.
Empty? It shouldn't be empty, sir.
I was checking the tanks at the time, sir.
I must have gotten distracted.
It could have fallen against the wall which would have forced the valve open.
Thank you, Seaman.
Uh, that'll be all.
Thank you, sir, for calling it to my attention.
I'll round up some guys, get it done asap.
Bea and I were married at that church.
How Long's she been gone? Four years.
I slipped on the rice coming down the stairs and I broke my elbow.
All those war wounds and it's the only thing that still hurts.
So, are you going to tell me where we're going? Not until we get there.
You saying I'm not responsible for the fire, sir? No, we're not getting out of this that easy.
You're responsible but only partly.
I don't understand, sir.
The galley's air was highly oxygenated due to an open valve on an air tank which leaked into the galley's ventilation system.
The oxygen acted as an accelerant causing the lighter to flare higher than it would have under normal circumstances.
So is that why the rags caught fire so quickly? Yeah.
Why a small, controlled fire quickly became uncontrolled.
In simple terms, the air itself was flammable.
And you can prove this, sir? Look, there's a phenomenon called a "flashover"-- a large burst of flame.
It could only happen in this type of scenario.
Seaman Holly mentioned he experienced one while rescuing you.
Seaman always seems to be there when I need him, sir.
Yeah, well, the Seaman himself was not fully without blame.
He failed to secure those tanks.
Excuse me, sir? I'm going to argue mitigating circumstances.
Sir, I lit that cigarette against regs.
Look, I understand you feel grateful to Seaman Holly, but No, sir, I'm indebted to him.
He saved my life.
Seaman Holly is a good sailor.
He'll overcome the fallout.
That's not fair to him, sir.
Please don't do this.
If Seaman Holly has to suffer as a result of me it would be an even greater injustice.
I've caused enough people pain.
I'd rather just walk away.
All right, I'll make a case for leniency with the hearing officer.
I'll file a separate memo with the captain dealing with the unsecured tanks.
I won't name names.
Don't worry.
That'll be all.
Thank you, sir.
That's great.
Couple more shots Looks like there's a to-do at Constitution Hall.
There are people in uniform.
Well, this looks familiar.
Cole's Tavern, 88 years old.
I think this is where I celebrated my return from the Pacific.
I know it is.
and I'm falling in a dream of yesterday Softly with the words you said at Henry! Recognize these men, Mr.
Guernsey? Hell, I could smell them.
Say hello to Second Platoon, Bravo Company.
Ain't we pretty? You're looking good, Henry, you're looking good.
Henry.
Some of these men traveled as far as 3,000 miles to see you, Corporal Guernsey.
there could be no greater love I don't know what to say.
How about, "Drinks on me"? Jake the last time we were in here We were toasting to the men we lost.
Now, it's to the one who's found.
Here, here! In conclusion, Seaman Raff, by his own admission willfully disobeyed a standing order prohibiting smoking in a restricted area and set off a blaze that resulted in damage and bodily injury.
Based on the facts, Your Honor there is more than sufficient cause to recommend this matter to court-martial.
Thank you.
Your Honor, we're at war.
Every ship in the United States Navy is needed.
The John Cooper is an old ship.
She has been pressed into service.
This was her shakedown cruise.
We've heard testimony that not everything aboard her is in good working order and that that contributed to the severity of the incident.
But she is being repaired and she will take her place inside the fleet.
At the moment, sir, the U.
S.
Navy needs every sailor.
Seaman Raff is 18 years old.
Yes, by smoking in the galley, he defied regulations and endangered the ship.
But who among us can claim that he or she did not make similar mistakes? And most of us were given a second chance.
In the course of defending this young man I have come to know Seaman Raff as a decent and caring individual.
He has expressed great remorse at the damage his actions have caused and I believe, sir, that he, too, deserves a second chance.
Please, Your Honor, don't let one stupid mistake ruin this young man's career.
Will the accusing counsel please rise? I've reviewed the evidence and Seaman Raff's file.
I find his character to be upstanding and his service record-- while brief-- commendable.
That said, there's no greater danger on board ship than fire.
Therefore, I find it difficult to excuse even a single act of negligence-- one that seriously injured two sailors and endangered hundreds.
For this reason, I have no choice but to find Seaman Raff culpable and recommend this matter be referred to court-martial for the charges as preferred.
This hearing is adjourned.
You okay? Yes, sir.
I gave up smoking last night.
Good for you.
You know, it took me a month to get over the cravings.
Yeah, well, if I don't make it, sir you can have my watch.
I'm sorry.
Thought for a time your speech might turn it around, sir.
Any regrets? No, sir.
Well, good luck, Seaman.
My door is always open.
Thank you, sir.
What was that about? The cost of loyalty.
You want to explain that? You ever heard the saying "the greatest thing you'll ever do in this life is that which will cost us the most"? No.
Good, then maybe I just made it up.
Thank you both for your efforts.
I have nothing against Seaman Raff, sir.
I wish him the best.
We'll see what happens.
I think it already has, Skipper.
I'm sorry? Seaman Raff will weather this.
You see something in him? I see something in this ship, Skipper.
She's old, but she's experienced.
It's a hell of a place to grow up.