All language subtitles for JAG.S05E12.Into.The.Breech.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-Panda_track3_[eng]

Captain, what do you say
to congressional critics

who call
these battleships dinosaurs

that have outlived
their usefulness?

Ms. Conlan, these
battleships remain

one of the most
powerful weapons systems

in the history of warfare.

Our 16-inch guns can hit
a target 25 miles away

with a projectile as heavy
as a small car and a lot
more lethal as you shall see.

Lieutenant, pass the word
to man up gun stations.

Aye, aye, sir.

General quarters!
General quarters!

All hands man
your battle stations
for gunnery exercise.

-Load one round!
-Load one round!

Aye!

Keep it coming,
keep it coming.

Whoa.

Gun turrets,
are you loaded and cycled?

Gun turret three,
rounds at the ready.

Gun turret two,
rounds at the ready.

Gun turret one...
rounds at the ready.

One round spotting.
Fire in rotation,
local control.

One round spotting,
aye, aye, sir.

Gun turret three... fire.

Turret three, fire, aye.

[explosion]

Gun turret two... fire.

Turret two, fire, aye.

Gun turret one... fire.

Gun turret one... fire, aye.

[indistinct emergency
PA announcement]

[theme music playing]

RABB:
Isn't it true

-you confessed to the FBI?
-Yes, but...

but now, you deny selling
secrets, nuclear secrets,

-to the north Koreans.
-Yes, sir.

So, were you lying then
or are you lying now?

-Then... uh... now.
-But how do you...?

you know, I can't...
This is ridiculous.

I... this is really not real.
I can't do this.

Cut!

Reset!

Okay, back to one.
Reset.

Hey, Brian,
how we looking?

Of course, it isn't real.

With all due respect,
Commander,
your reality is boring.

Ma'am, this scenario
does not address

the fine points of military law.

Unauthorized absence,
insubordinate conduct?

It sounds like we're back
in high school.

Missing a movement,
what is that?

Is that a crime
or an intestinal ailment?

Miss Peterson, you apparently

don't understand
what JAG lawyers do.

You don't do anything.

You don't fire torpedoes
or storm beaches. You... talk.

-Is there a problem here?
-Sir...

Yeah, I'll tell you, General.

Admiral.

Whatever.

The problem is that the Navy

is 18,000 sailors short
and can't fill its quota.

The problem is that
I have been hired to shoot
a recruiting commercial

and rather
than be given Navy pilots

or Navy Seals,
like a certain feature director

I was given Navy lawyers.

I see... um...

Miss Peterson,
could you excuse us
for a moment?

Why not?

Lunch. Half hour.

MAN: That's lunch!
One half hour.

Robert, what I'm trying to do...

-Sir...
-Uh, Commander, listen.

About your acting.

You need to find
an internal motivation

uh... different levels,
colors, if you will.

-Sir...
-Well...

I was technical advisor
on
Field of Gold

and I picked up a few things.

Weren't you fired
from
Field of Gold,
sir?

With me, Commander.

Admiral... I...
I didn't mean to...

Admiral. Commander.

How would you two like to assist
in the court-martial
of Gunner's Mate Riordan?

-Gregory Riordan, sir?
-That's right.

Set the explosion aboard
the USS
Minnesota.

Charged with 29 counts
of first-degree murder.

Riordan's been dead ten years,
sir. He died in that explosion.

It's a mock court-martial
at Iron Forge Naval Academy.

Prep school, sir?

One that produces
outstanding candidates
for Annapolis, Colonel.

Commandant Haden's
a retired JAG officer

and old friend of mine looking
for a couple of volunteers

to put his students
through their paces.

Colonel, why don't you assist
with the... defense?

Commander, you can assist
with prosecution.

Well, second-chair
to a high school student.

Well, second-chair there.

First-chair with Ms. Peterson.
Your choice.

♪ I wanna be a Navy pilot ♪

CADETS:
♪ I wanna be a Navy pilot ♪

♪ I wanna fly an F-14 ♪

CADETS:
♪ I wanna fly an F-14... ♪

We will prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that the defendant

Gunner's Mate, Second Class,
Gregory Riordan,

that man right there

intentionally caused
the explosion in gun turret one

in a twisted attempt to get back
at shipmates who hazed him

and made him the butt
of cruel jokes.

He placed
a homemade ignition device
between the propellant bags

causing a cataclysmic explosion
in the breech of the gun barrel.

Twenty-nine...
29 of his crew members died
horrible deaths

at that despicable coward's
hands.
Imagine the horror

as a wave of scalding heat
and explosive gases swept
through the turret.

Put yourself in the position

of those brave
but doomed sailors...

Objection.
Improper opening statement.

Sustained.

[WHISPERS]:
It's prejudicial
to ask the members

to put themselves
into anyone else's shoes.

Counselor?

I'll rephrase, Your Honor.

When considering
all the facts presented
in this case

without putting yourself
in anyone else's shoes,
I'm confident

that you'll return with verdicts
of guilty as charged.

Thank you.

The propellant used
in the
Minnesota's
guns

was manufactured
during World War II

and the summer
before the explosion

had been stored
on an open barge in the sun.

Neither the rammerman
nor the cradle operator

had ever taken part
in a live fire exercise.

Neither was PQS-qualified
and neither attended

a pre-firing briefing that day.
These are only a few

of the factors
that could have caused
that explosion...

accidentally.

It was so lame.

You were fine, Luisa.

A little technical, maybe.

Remember, you have
to humanize your client.

Jurors acquit people they like

and convict those
they don't like.

Oh, in that case,
we're screwed.

-Billy.
-Look, Riordan's a scapegoat.

Isn't it obvious?

Well, that's one way to go.

Colonel?

Commander.

We were just going over
the flaws in your case.

-What flaws, ma'am?
-Try motive.

Riordan blew up the ship
because they hazed him? Right.

Riordan couldn't take it
so he got even
the only way he could.

Ah, I've been punked.
I'm not gonna blow up
the library.

No, you're just the guy
that nearly kills everyone
at the rifle range.

Commander, have you ever seen
someone try to fire

a rifle with the cleaning rod
still in the barrel?

I'm not sure if I'd want to.
Certainly not at close range.

I never thanked you
for that, did I?

Tompkins, don't make accusations
unless you've got proof

-to back it up.
-Gentlemen, this pretrial

conference is over.

Commander, see you at lunch?

Mess hall meat loaf?
Wouldn't miss it.

CADET:
Riordan's guilty.

It's all in the Board
of Inquiry report, sir.

Those investigators had it easy,
Steve.

They didn't have to submit
to cross examination or a jury.

You're going to have
to prove your case.

MAN [imitating a German accent]:
I am professor Heinrich Zoeller

Director of Forensics
at the Naval Research
Laboratory in Washington.

I supervised the investigation

into the explosion
aboard the USS
Minnesota.

Cadet Armstrong, I realize
that you are playing a role

but there is no need to sound
like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[laughing]

Yes, sir.

Professor Zoeller, did you reach

any conclusions as to the cause
of the explosion?

Our tests showed that
the explosion could
be duplicated

only by inserting
a chemical ignition device
between the...

What do you call it, Steve?

Propellant bags.

-Right.
-How would that work, Professor?

A device flexible
and small enough
to fit between the bags

would ignite the propellant,
causing the explosion

and we knew that it had
to be made from materials

obtainable on the ship

but couldn't figure out
what was used

until investigators found this.

Your Honor,
we'd like to submit this
as government's exhibit seven.

That's Gregory Riordan,
with a souvenir

he bought on leave
in Portugal.

The bota bag is made
from untanned goat skin.

I filled a similar bota bag
with... ethial...?

Ethyl acetate, C4H802

a solvent in common use
on the ship.

Right. I placed it
between two propellant bags
in the lab.

It ate through the goatskin
in minutes

and ignited the propellant.
Kaboom.

And did the investigators
ever find Riordan's bota bag?

They searched the ship,
but never found it.

And that's why your report

named Gregory Riordan
as causing the explosion?

Not only that.

A week before the explosion,
Riordan told a shipmate

he knew
how terrorists could sink
the ship...

by causing an explosion
in the gun turret.

Objection. Hearsay.

Technically,
you are correct, Cadet Vasquez

but the statement is contained
in the official inquiry report

which I have admitted
into evidence

for purposes of our exercise.

I'm out of questions.

I mean... your witness.

Gunner's Mate Riordan wasn't
the only one in the gun turret

with access
to the propellant bags,
was he, Professor?

No. The cradle operator,
primerman, rammerman

a bunch of others were
around there.

Professor, is it your testimony

that the only way to cause
an explosion
in the gun turret is

with a flammable solvent found
inside a bota bag?

It's the only one we found.

What about
static electricity igniting
the propellant?

Or a misfire where
the breech is prematurely open?

We couldn't duplicate
those in the lab.

But are they possible?

I don't know. Uh...

[shuffling papers]

I guess.

I want to thank you both.

I don't think that
there's a military academy

in the country
that could duplicate
the experience

that you're giving my cadets.

Actually, Commander,
we're enjoying it.

It's a relief to try a case
when the verdict doesn't matter.

Oh, it matters to them.

-[knocking]
-Come in.

At ease.

Sorry to interrupt,
sirs, ma'am, but...

-We found a real witness.
-Go on.

Terence Conner, sir.

He was a gunner's mate
on the
Minnesota.

He's Scott Armstrong's uncle,
sir.

He knew Riordan,
and he's willing to testify.

What do our JAG officers think
about this?

It would add a dose of reality.

And unpredictability.

All right.

Let's have the trial
the Navy never did.

Terence Conner,
Gunner's Mate First Class

-honorably discharged.
-Aye, aye, sir.

I served aboard the
Minnesota
in 1989 and 1990.

So you knew Gregory Riordan?

Sure. I was gun captain
in turret two.

He was captain in one.
You might say

-we were competitors.
-In what way?

Riordan's team set
the speed record

for loading the 16-inch gun,
37 seconds.

And did that make him popular?

No. He was a loner
and a perfectionist.

He made extra work
for his crew and everyone else.

That's probably
why he was hazed.

Tell us about the hazing.

Well, it's not much to tell.
He got

some blanket parties thrown
in his honor.

Had a blanket tossed over
his head while a couple of guys

pounded him.
And... uh... well...

I heard a few guys gave him
a swirly...

shoved his head in the toilet,
and flushed.

-Objection.
-[chuckling]

And move to strike
as hearsay.

Sustained.

JUDGE: Mr. Conner
you can't repeat what you heard.

Were you present at any hazings?

Well, once or twice, Your Honor.

Well, you can tell us
what you saw or did.

Well, I... I played
a couple of tricks on Riordan,

but you know, nothing dangerous.

Nothing that would make him
blow up the ship.

What kind of tricks?

Well, little stuff.

He had this...
this wine bag he liked.

Kind of a souvenir
from Spain or Portugal

or somewhere.

What do I do?

What's the rule?

Never ask a question
unless you know the answer.

Thank you, Mr. Conner.
That's... that's all.

What about the wine bag,
Mr. Conner?

Well, he was proud
of the thing.

He used to drink out of it
like it was a canteen

so... uh...
well, I messed with it.

Go on.

I filled it with grease
when he wasn't looking,

and a few of us waited around

and saw him take a swig
out of it.

He cursed all of us out
and threw the bag overboard.

So Riordan no longer had
the wine bag

on the day of the explosion?

No. It was a thousand feet down
and a thousand miles away.

CHEGWIDDEN:
You want to reopen
the investigation?

The Navy conducted
hundreds of interviews

performed a countless
number of tests and spent

millions of dollars
and now you want
to do it all over again

based on some sort of evidence
from a kiddie court-martial?

Admiral, the Navy claims
that Riordan used the bota bag

as a combination
timer-ignition device.

If the bag was thrown overboard
prior to the explosion
there's no case.

You two have seen
enough investigations to know

that not all loose ends are
tied up in pretty, neat bows.

Hell, Riordan was a...
was a gunner's mate.

He could have used
some other method
to ignite the propellant.

Then, respectfully, sir,
let the Navy prove it.

What the hell is going on
down there?

You're supposed to be teaching
a bunch of high school students

the basics of military justice
not fomenting
some damn revolution.

Now, just finish
the mock trial
,

get your butts back here
and get back to work
like everybody else.

Ms. Peterson, is this...
is this really necessary?

Well, we could tell everyone
you're the Navy's secret weapon.

You blind your enemies
with the glare from your head.

Look at this, Admiral.
Navy Seals.

...someone who can go hard
or go home.

Not a lot of people
know what the Seal does.

I kind of like the idea
of that.

How am I supposed
to compete with that?

Ms. Peterson...

the Navy is not just
about its warriors.

Most of the 400,000 men
and women
in uniform will never see

a single day of combat.

God willing.

Now, maybe
their expertise is engineering

or electronics
or nuclear propulsion.

Whatever their specialty
they are essential
to our national security.

The Navy can't function
without its cooks.

They can't function
without its... its doctors,

its mechanics,
its lawyers...

trained in the art of war
and the profession of peace.

Admiral,
you have great presence.

[laughs]

But it's too hokey
it would never sell.

Okay, ready to go again.

Hugo, let's tilt the light
off his head.

Is there a mocha on the set?

Right, face!

Forward, halt!

Order, halt!

[chattering]

Platoon, dismissed!

Aye, aye, sir!

Tompkins, are you sure
you want to be a Marine?

No, sir, my father wants me
to be a Marine.

I want to be a lawyer.

Commander, what did
the admiral say?

The admiral has told us
to put a lid on it.

Well, that's not fair.

It is disappointing, sir.

An order is an order.

No use crying about it.

It's not an order to us.
We don't work for that admiral.

We're still running
a court-martial here.

You're always looking
for a loophole, Tompkins.

It is true. You could keep doing
what you're doing.

Going over documents,
looking for inconsistencies,
new leads, possible witnesses...

at the very least, it would be
a good learning experience.

Yeah, especially
if we get court-martialed.

Well, I don't understand,
Commander.

Why would we want
to find witnesses

who will trash our case?

We should all have
the same goal,

to find the truth.

We have names
and social security numbers

of all 1,500 crew members.

I can use people search
on the internet.

There have to be some
within driving distance.

Ma'am... sir.

Luisa, so am I going
to see you tonight?

I don't know, Steve.
Billy and I have
to prepare for tomorrow.

You've been spending a lot
of time with that loser.

He's my client.

-STEVE: Hey, Luisa, wait up!
-Teenagers.

Yeah.

Remember what it was like, Harm?

Trying to figure out
who you are? Where you fit in?

Or did that just come easy
to you?

You know, sometimes
I think I missed out
on being a kid.

Having a father that was M.I.A.

I was always trying
to be the man
of the house, you know

and I guess I should have been
at a disco.

Yeah, I know
what you mean.

I've seen you dance.

He's here.

Your Honor.

The defense has found
a crew member

who was outside the gun turret
on the day of the explosion.

We'd like permission
to call him out of order.

This is getting complicated,
Cadet Vasquez.

Are there any objections?

-No.
-Yes, sir.

Call your witness.

Shepard Carman.
They call me Shep.

Uh... I was a master chief
on the
Minnesota
'till they mothballed her.

So, you were aboard the ship
the morning of March 20, 1990?

That's right, Miss. Uh...
I was down on deck five

checking out some
refrigeration equipment.

Uh, you get much lower than that
and you'll be hanging
on to the keel.

What did you observe?

The powder flat hatch flew open

and this sailor,
I don't know his name,

came running out of turret one
with a bloody nose.

Well, 15 minutes later
that turret blew up.

I figured that was
the luckiest nosebleed
in this man's Navy.

Did you tell
the Navy's investigators
what you saw that morning?

You bet, about that

and that old gal's steam leaks
and corroded hatches

and electrical
short circuits and... uh...

and the bad brakes
on the hoist cars.

So, you're a safety expert,
Mr. Carman?

Self-taught.
The Navy considered me

a "mess management
specialist."

I ran the galley.

Nothing further.

That's it?

Don't you want to see
the documentation?

Now, I wrote the captain

and the fleet commander
and the SecNav. I told them

what caused that explosion.

It was a "HERF" gun.

"High energy radio frequency."

You see, the Ruskies had
a sub in the area.

Well, they surfaced
and bleeped us

with those electro gizmos.

[phone ringing]

-Lieutenant Roberts.
-Bud, it's Harm.

You think you could locate
the medical records
of the
Minnesota?

Uh, sure, they'd be archived
at the Navy Yard in D.C.

The index system there isn't
the best

but I have a friend there
who owes me a favor.

See if anybody reported
to Sick Bay

with a bloody nose
on March 20, 1990?

I'll do my best.
Sir, isn't that the day...

That's right, Bud.

That's the day
the Sick Bay became the morgue.

[chattering]

I can't believe
Bill even brought in
that tweaker Carman.

If this was a real court-martial
would you check out his story?

You always follow leads.

Sometimes witnesses
who can hardly find
the courthouse

have important information.

All right, flex your knees.

Here, watch me.

Okay?

I can't do that.

MACKENZIE:
Okay, all right, try this.

Double up on the jab,
stick and move, okay?

Try that.

[chattering]

Keep your hands up.
Good.

You're so together, Colonel.
I wish I could be like you.

I'm trying to beat Steve
in court and he's hitting on me.

I don't know how you do it.
You can compete with men

-and retain your femininity.
-Well, it's easy.

You just have to do everything
better than they do.

But don't rub their noses in it.
Be smart.

Think like a woman,
but act like a man.

Right... easy.

Anyway, it's better not
to get involved with someone

who you have to see all the time
no matter how you feel
about them.

Luisa!
You're not gonna believe it.

-What?
-I was right.

About what? Martians did blow up
the gun turret.

Commander Rabb just heard
from his friend at JAG.

-And?
-15 minutes before the explosion

Petty Officer Michael Saunders,
a gunner's mate

reported to Sick Bay
with a broken nose.

So what?

Maybe he walked
into a bulkhead
in the gun turret.

No, no. Saunders told
the corpsman he tripped over
a knee-knocker

near his compartment
which is nowhere near the turret

where Master Chief
Carman saw him
running out bleeding.

-So Saunders lied?
-Right.

And when we figure out
why we'll know exactly

-what happened that day.
-Oh, Billy!

[laughs]

Whoo!

Come on. Come on.

"Michael Saunders,
United States Navy, retired

born 8 August, 1911."
I don't think so.

Using the internet to try
and find someone, sir?

Oh, trying. Not succeeding.

When I was a deputy sheriff

I rounded up
a few missing persons

including some
who didn't want to be found.

Gunner's Mate
Michael Saunders discharged
from the Navy ten years ago.

The Bureau
of Navy Personnel doesn't have
a current address

and I've already gone through
all the people-search sites
on the net.

That's just
a glorified phone book, sir.

Why don't you try finding him
the old-fashioned way?

Driver's license, court files,
auto registration

real estate records.
I once found a fugitive

by looking in hunting licenses.
The guy never missed
a deer season.

Interesting.

I'd be happy to help you, sir.

BILLY:
There were a number
of safety problems
aboard the Minnesota.

The guns were
over 40 years old.
So was the propellant.

The hoist cars
sometimes crashed.
Training was haphazard.

Petty Officer Riordan were you
a victim of hazing aboard ship?

There were some guys who seemed
to enjoy tormenting me,

but I didn't try to get even.

I would never hurt
innocent people.

Do you know what caused
the explosion in the gun turret?

I only know I didn't do it.

Your witness.

Did you have a lot of friends
on the
Minnesota,
Petty Officer Riordan?

A few. I'm...
I'm not all that sociable.

And did you have any enemies?

Well, there were some guys
who didn't seem to like me.

They're all dead now,
aren't they?

-Objection. Argumentative.
-Withdrawn.

Petty Officer Riordan,
back home in Arkansas

did you explode homemade bombs?

I blew up tree stumps
on my family's farm.

So, you know all
about explosives?

I am a gunner's mate, Counselor.

Why did you blow up
those tree stumps?

Well, they're hell
on a plow.

The shipmates made
your life hell on earth,
didn't they?

What?

Didn't you write letters
home saying that

the hazing was so bad

that your life was
"hell on earth"?

I refer to exhibits 38,
"A" through "F," Your Honor.

Well, I was upset at the time.

And when you were upset
with those shipmates

you blew them up
just like those tree stumps.

No, I didn't have
to seek revenge.

I always knew
I was better than anyone
who tried to hurt me.

ROBERTS:
I'm amazed you found her.

Missing men usually have
ex-wives.

This is the same address
that was listed
on the divorce docket.

What about
Saunders' address?

We'll ask her.

Lieutenant, we'll play
Mutt and Jeff.

You want to be
good cop or bad cop?

Well... ah... let's see.

Good cop, absolutely.

[electronic noises]

Mom!

Go finish your breakfast, honey.

-Kimberly Saunders?
-What's this about?

Sorry to bother you, ma'am.
We're looking
for Michael Saunders.

Why? Does he owe you money
or did he steal
an aircraft carrier?

We're not at liberty
to say, ma'am.

Neither am I.

We can get a warrant, lady.

Why don't you do that, Sergeant?

Actually, ma'am,
the Navy owes him
three months' pay

and we just want to make sure
that he's going to get it.

And you need a warrant for that?

Ah, he's new. There's nothing
to worry about, ma'am.

Mr. Saunders isn't
in any trouble.

That would be a first.

Try the Little Creek Tavern
in Hampton.

He'll be on one side
of the bar or the other.

Thank you.

Peterson:
Just what does a yeoman do,
Petty Officer Tiner?

The yeomen are the glue
who hold the Navy together.

In my case, I handle
file management

type the admiral's
correspondence
and arrange his appointments.

You're a clerk?

Yes, but with managerial duties.

The gunny and I reorganized
the entire filing system

from an alphabetical
to a numerical base.

Cut.

And I took this gig over a job
on
Animal Planet.

[chattering]

-Ms. Peterson?
-Let me guess.

You sort the paper clips?

I'm an attorney.
Lieutenant Loren Singer.

I was wondering
if Admiral Chegwidden told you
about the court-martial

-I just prosecuted?
-No, why would he?

For your recruiting commercial,
of course.

I convicted two Marines
of dueling.

"Dueling"?
As in flintlock pistols
at 20 paces?

More like
nine-millimeter Berettas
outside a Newport bar.

So, what was the body count?

The Marines missed each other
but mortally wounded
a traffic light.

They'll each do six months
in the brig.

But the case shows
how versatile
JAG lawyers have to be.

The Marines had
a friend videotape
the whole thing.

Have you tried
Jerry Springer?

MAN:
Oh!

Slow night.

Can't tell one
from another.

What can I get you?

Whatever's on tap.

You ever in the Navy?

Ah, I got one
of those faces.

A lot of folks think
they know me.

Served on the
Minnesota,
didn't you?

You got me mixed up.

Gunner's Mate Saunders.

And you'd be a cop, right?

You got NCIS written
all over you.

I'm with JAG,
but it's not official.

Well, how'd you find me?

My ex? My boy doing okay?

He's good.

I haven't been out there
in a while.

This is about the
Minnesota,
Mr. Saunders.

Oh, man, that was
a long time ago.

March 20, 1990,
you broke your nose.

Yeah.

You told a corpsman in Sick Bay
that you broke it
near your berthing compartment.

The ship blew up that day.
29 men died.

Why are you worried
about where I broke my nose?

Where did you break it?

In my berthing compartment.

We have witness who says
you broke it in gun turret one.

Why would you lie?

'Cause I broke it in a fight.

Who'd you fight?

Greg Riordan, the guy
who blew up the ship.

The night before,
that was the worst.

[grunts]

We threw a little blanket party.
Pounded him pretty good.

Then we carried him up
on the main deck.

He was crying like a baby.

[sobbing]

We picked him up by the ankles,
had him over the rails

let him dangle there,
right over the screws.

Do it. Do it.

SAUNDERS:
He was sobbing, swearing,
yelling...

He said he'd get even.
He swore he'd kill us all.

[knocking]

Enter.

Excuse me, Admiral,
I know you're busy
with the law of the sea

or the Treaty of Versailles
or whatever...

-What is it, Ms. Peterson?
-I've won two Cleos.

I directed an independent film
that was shown at Sundance

and yet still I can't find a way
to make this work, so I quit.

Ms. Peterson,
have you explored every option?

I mean, Lieutenant Roberts here,
he's third-generation Navy.

His grandfather served
on a battleship.
His father was a master chief.

I'm not doing
the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Oh, oh.

I... I am... I am so sorry.
I'm not usually like this.

Look, your Commander Rabb
almost works

if only he'd done something else
besides practice law.

Well, actually...

Female on deck.

Luisa, what are you doing
in here?

Thinking like a woman,
acting like a man.

Did Steve do this
to you?

Can we talk about this
someplace else?

-You should report him.
-No.

You can't let him get away
with this.

He won't. I'll beat him
in the courtroom.

Not if that means winning
an acquittal for Riordan.
At ease.

What happened, Commander?
Did you find Michael Saunders?

We did.

Billy, what happened
to your eye?

I saluted too hard, ma'am.
What did he say, sir?

He buried Riordan.

TOMPKINS:
Maybe he's lying, sir?

Could he have told
a different story
to anyone else, sir?

His ex-wife Kimberly in Norfolk.

Norfolk?

Wait, wait, wait a minute, sir.

Okay, here it is.

Exhibit 477-B, a postcard sent
to Greg Riordan in March 1990,

a few days before
the explosion.

Investigators found it
in his locker.

Postmarked Norfolk.

"See you in port.
Can't wait!
I love you, Kimberly."

Kimberly loves Riordan.

Kimberly marries Saunders
after Riordan dies.

Saunders told me
that he and Riordan

were fighting over hazing.

Hi, is your mom home?
Ma'am?

Reinforcements?

I'm Commander Rabb, ma'am.

This is Lieutenant
Colonel MacKenzie.

We're with the JAG Corps.

We'd like to ask you
a few questions if we could.

Look, I have to help
my son finish his homework.

This won't take long.
We have questions
about Greg Riordan.

-About me?
-No, son, not about you.

But I'm Greg Riordan.

Why don't you two come in
for a cup of coffee.

I was young
and I thought it was fun

having two sailors fight
over me.

Michael Saunders
and Greg Riordan?

Hmm.
One boyfriend too many.

When I finally figured that out,
I chose Greg.

An odd time to kill yourself
when you finally get
the woman you want.

That's what I always thought.

But it's tough
to argue with the Navy.

So far, I've shielded Greg, Jr.

from what they say
about his father.

Saunders led me to believe
that he was the child's father.

He wasn't a bad substitute...
when he was sober.

Michael is the only father
that Greg knows

and they love each other.

He stops by once in a while
and takes him fishing
or camping.

You married Saunders
after the explosion?

I was four months pregnant

when Greg came home
in a body bag.

Greg, Jr. needed a father
and I needed somebody, too.

Did Saunders ever talk about

what happened that morning
in the gun turret?

He wasn't there.

Yes, he was.

Oh, my God.

Ah, you I'm done with.

Hi, Dad.

-Hey.
-Can I have a root beer?

Greg, over here.

You know,
the boy shouldn't be in here.

He shouldn't be seeing me
like this.

I'm sure you look great to him.

His other father is
a mass murderer.

He doesn't know about that.

He will.

Someone at school will tell him.

They might even beat him up.

You'd know about that,
wouldn't you?

What do you want from me?

Tell the boy the truth.

Don't let this lie ruin
his life, too.

It's too late.

It's not too late for him.

MAN:
It's an honor to have
a distinguished visitor
with us today.

Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden

the Judge Advocate General
of the United States Navy.

Are you ready to proceed,
Cadet Vasquez?

Your Honor, although
both sides have rested

we move to reopen
the evidence

to present
a final defense witness.

This has gone on long enough.
Motion Denied.

Commandant Haden,
may I be heard?

Of course, Admiral.

I came here today
because I understood

that you might hear
from a witness

who never spoke
to the Board of Inquiry.

The Navy did
the best job it could

but if there's a chance
that we committed
a miscarriage of justice

no matter how innocently,
we want it corrected.

Call your witness.

Thank you, Your Honor.

The defense calls
Michael Saunders.

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear the evidence
you are about to give

is the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?

-I do.
-Be seated.

State your name and rank
for the record, sir.

Michael Saunders.

I was gunner's mate,
second class

aboard the USS
Minnesota.

Were you aboard ship
on March 20, 1990?

Yes, ma'am.

Did you know Gunner's Mate
Gregory Riordan?

Yes, ma'am.

Ah, we had hazed him...
I hazed him, but
that had nothing to do

with what happened that day.

It was about a woman.
I wanted her. He had her.

What happened in the gun turret,
Mr. Saunders?

Riordan was gun captain,

doing a better job
than anybody else, as usual.

I don't know
why I went in there.

I didn't belong there.
I didn't really belong anywhere.

Load one round.

Load one round, aye.

They'd already loaded
the projectile

and the propellant bags were
coming off the spanning tray.

Riordan put the lead foils
between the first
and second bags

just the way
he was supposed to.

And then he saw me...

What are you doing here?

I'm just checking up on you.

I heard they threw you
a little blanket party
last night.

Get out of my turret.

Relax, I'm just here
to help you.

You want to help me?
Get out.

And I told him that
Kim had been

seeing me behind his back.

What did you say?

Don't fool yourself, son.

She's only marrying you
because I wouldn't marry her.

It was all a lie.

I just wanted to hurt him.

Anyway,
it was the cradle operator's

first live fire exercise
and he was nervous enough

but I'm sure I didn't help it
by busting in.

Now, I'm not so sure,
but I thought...

I saw him...
load six bags of propellant
instead of five.

Now, Riordan would have
caught the mistake

but he never saw it
because of me.

Yeah, I could have warned him.
I...

could have stopped it,
but in that...

split second...

I didn't want to.

I never loaded the gun.

It wasn't my fault, right?

VASQUEZ:
Mr. Saunders,
what is the effect

of six propellant bags
instead of five?

Too much propellant...
over-pressurizes the gun.

I am sorry.

Petty Officer Riordan,
on all specifications
against you,

this court-martial finds you
not guilty.

This court-martial is adjourned.

Thank you.
Hey, good work.

Nice work, Steven.

Billy...

Congratulations.
Cadet Vasquez.

Well done,
Cadet Tompkins.

Thanks.

Billy, I was wrong about you.

I know.

What's going
to happen to him?

Well, dereliction of duty
and manslaughter

would both be barred
by the statute of limitations

so the only punishment
he'll get

is what he has
to live with every day

for the rest of his life.

Thanks, A.J.

Jerry, good to see you.

You bet.

Colonel, Commander,
correct me if I'm wrong,

but didn't I advise you
to drop the investigation?

It wasn't our investigation
to drop, Admiral.

-It wasn't?
-No, sir.

We were simply sitting
second-chair.

Oh, uh, Commander,
I almost forgot.

Can you be
at the Washington Monument
at 1700?

The Washington Monument
at 1700, sir? Why?

I think she called it
"magic hour."

Ms. Peterson, she says
the light is just perfect then.

Colonel.