Original subtitles

Merry Christmas, Dad.

Oh, excuse me. I didn't mean to disturb you.

Forgot to bring something to light this with.

Not a problem.

Who are you here to honor?

An aviator.

Lieutenant Harmon Rapp.

Little harm.

That's what your father called you, isn't it?

Yes.

You look so much like him.

Did you know him? You must have been... I was five.

Last time I saw him, he took me to Mission Park.

Carved our initials in a roller coaster.

You ever go back there?

They tore it down.

How did you know him?

I met him on the USS Ticonderoga.

I was in a USO troop with Bob Hope on his annual tour.

You're Jenny Lake.

I have your album with Count Basie.

Oh, my jazz experiment.

That was a few years later.

I met your father on December 23rd, 30 years ago yesterday.

1969.

That Christmas Eve.

He was shot down.

I know.

I was there.

It's not my fault it was crowded.

The only experience for your head was on my chest.

Oh,

hello. Hello, and welcome to the USF

Ticonderoga.

That must be the Express.

Never mind the noise. Hope is going to flinch when he sees there's water

Well, give him a mulligan.

I'm Insta Kyle Everett of the Public Information Office.

I'll be your official escort liaison officer.

Harvey Vanditti. I'm the road manager for this here traveling zoo.

This is Jerry Colon of Bob's Not So Straight Man.

And Les Brown.

Ah, love your band.

Tough act to follow, huh?

Yeah. Hey, whatever happened to ladies first?

I'm Phyllis Diller, cutie pie.

This is Diana Ross.

This is Jenny Lake.

The captain invites you to join him on the bridge.

I just got word Mr. Hope's helo had to turn back to Da Nang.

Unfortunately, mechanical problems.

Are they all right?

They're fine, but they won't be able to join us until tomorrow.

The show's today.

Not without Bob, it's not.

We can do it tomorrow.

There's room in the schedule.

That is, if the skipper would be kind enough to put us up for the night. Women

generally aren't allowed overnight on American warships.

Oh, you're not going to throw us to the sharks, are you, Captain?

That'd be better than sleeping with the band.

Speak for yourself, honey.

I think we can find accommodations that are appropriate for all of you. Excuse

me, Captain.

We got a sick bird coming in.

Who is it? Grab.

Panther Tower, this is Batman One. Five miles astern.

Roger, Batman One. What is the nature of your problem?

Black damage to the flight control system.

Amarons are acting up.

Roger, you're sickled Charlie on arrival.

You gonna be able to get us down? Just keep your eye on the hydraulic pressure.

Roger that.

Um, Hammer, you draft first. What?

Don't you want witnesses, or are you afraid you're going to foul the deck?

Both.

Wilco, see you by the Christmas tree.

Break.

Control, this is Batman 2. We are first on approach.

Roger, Batman 2. Call the ball.

Roger, ball.

2 .4.

Watch.

It's okay, honey. One's down.

How's that hydraulic pressure? It's fluctuating between 0 and 1500 PSI.

Roger,

Angel is there.

I didn't know you were going to have a floor show, Skipper.

Well, it wasn't on the schedule, trust me.

Are they all right?

Oh, they'll be fine.

If they don't shrink when they get wet.

Ensign Everett will show you to your quarters, ma 'am. Aye, sir.

If you follow me, just watch out for the knee knockers.

Her fiancé was a marine pilot.

Killed in action?

One week ago.

She shouldn't be here.

She's a trooper.

I sing a little too much, Blake, but nothing like you.

Well, for one thing, your voice would be a little deeper, wouldn't it?

Yes, ma 'am. Here you are.

Somebody will be bringing your bags.

Thank you, Ensign.

This place could use some wallpaper.

Phyllis, I should not come.

I know it isn't easy, kid.

Watching the plane go in the water.

It's like seeing David die.

Look, kid.

We're stuck here tonight.

But after tomorrow, you can get back on a plane to the States. No.

No, it's only another week. I can do it.

Whoa. Looks like Santa came early.

Can we help you, gentlemen?

Yeah, you could tell us what you're doing in our state room.

This is Phyllis Diller and this is Jenny Lake from the Bob Hope USO Tour.

Bob's stuck in Da Nang till tomorrow. I guess the skipper thought you wouldn't

mind.

No, no, no. We can hot bunk someplace.

How about here?

We were just about to grab some chow. A few ladies would like to join us.

Yeah, Phyllis, go with them.

Nicole, I'm fine. I promise.

Well, if she insists.

Hoot, I'll catch up with you. I just want to grab that combat mission log.

You okay?

Go.

Gone.

Shy little thing, huh? Yeah.

Used to be her act. Now she's been doing it so long. She is her act.

You, I guess, are a little newer to show business, huh?

Hey, I'll just get out of your way so you can find that mission log.

More planes going up. Let's see.

Catapult. How long did that go on?

Until they launched the squadron.

Is there someplace I can go to get away from the noise?

Pantale. It's on the opposite end of the ship. I can take you there if you'd

like.

Are you Rab or Gibson?

Rab. Mort Rees, I need a picture of the hero they pulled out of the water.

That was you?

Look brave.

No, I don't know what papers there's going to be in. No, I can't give you a

copy.

You ready?

No, I'm kind of getting used to it now.

Hammer.

Oh, sorry to interrupt.

Cag wants to see you on the bridge.

See you later.

I'm hearing, sir, somewhere about here.

Somewhere? By morning, those missiles are going to be dispersed all over the

province. We're sending in an intruder's track tonight.

I can't pinpoint it on this map, sir, but I could find it again.

You're not qualified on intruders, son.

You'd have to fly in the bombardier's seat.

A passenger?

We could always strap you to the bottom rack.

No, sir, second seat would be fine.

You grab some chow.

You launch in an hour.

Aye, aye.

I was mad at your father. It made no sense.

My father was a pilot who survived, ma 'am. Your pilot didn't.

It reminded me of David, too.

Not that he looked like him.

All fighter jocks are kind of alike, they say, ma 'am.

Like you?

I was, but not anymore.

When my father got back, did you see him again?

Oh, yes.

I saw him later that night.

Tell me the truth.

What's that thing on your mouth, a mustache or a caterpillar?

Why don't you kiss me and we'll find out.

Well, I guess my insurance is paid up.

Something moved.

The earth?

No, your tongue.

That wasn't my tongue.

I don't think you want to know what it was.

That's the stuff Bob won't let him do.

So I go to the doctor. Say, Doc, got...

Yeah, what'd he say it was?

My trick knee.

Shouldn't be talking his way around all these sailors.

It's like being in the middle of a big dessert.

Watch out, fellas. She likes to nibble on a few appetizers before she gets to

the main course.

Put this down.

Mind if I sit down?

Yeah, wherever you want. I was just leaving. Hey, if it's on my count, I can

in my quarters, or should I say your quarters.

Kind of a confusing night, huh?

Look, Lieutenant.

What?

You seem like a nice guy.

I'd like to be alone with my thoughts.

Probably shouldn't be on an aircraft carrier, then, ma 'am. No, I probably

shouldn't.

The only safe way to get down is to get shot down.

You almost got killed today.

Wasn't as close as it looked.

Doesn't it bother you?

Not half as much as this chow.

You almost got killed and you crack jokes?

What would you suggest I do?

Rad?

Joe Garcia.

Are you looking for a ride downtown?

You my chauffeur?

If you know how to work the knobs in the passenger seat.

I'm studying up on my handy pocket checklist.

You didn't eat much.

Nervous? I figured you'd be serving a box lunch.

Do you want to get back?

We should get back.

She's with the comedy troupe.

Jenny, what the hell are you doing?

Having the time of my life, Les. Can't you tell?

We're supposed to be cheering these men up.

Well, how about getting them out of here so they don't get killed?

Wouldn't that cheer them up?

Hey, you're out of line.

Then send me home.

Hey, Harm.

Huh? I'll see you in the ready room.

Are you taking a run at that singer?

She looks like she's hurting her tongue.

You might send her to sickbay. Last I heard, Dr. Hammer's a happily married

He still is.

This girl just needs a big brother.

Okay.

What does big brother need?

A little sister.

Don't worry about it.

You must get kind of dull flying these turkeys every day.

Oh, we do kill Sam every now and then, mostly by accident.

Hope you don't get bored.

I brought a book.

Then mark your place.

This is Sunday Puncher One taking the pause of repression.

How's your book?

Boring.

Good. Because we're going feet dry.

Not the Supremes, but it does make you want to dance, doesn't it?

Why is that, Captain?

Well, I believe you said it yourself, Diana.

If I may call you that.

Love is like an itching in my heart.

Hmm. Not the song I had in mind.

What were you thinking of?

You can't hurry love.

We will talk.

Are you lost?

I'm looking for the fantail.

Fantail. Well, see, that'd be the hangar deck, and this is the O2 level. See the

first two numbers here?

Ma 'am, they tell you what level you're at, and then the next three tell you

what frame you're at, and then... So I have to go up?

Yes, ma 'am, down.

Ma 'am, you know, the fantail wouldn't be a real safe place to be right now.

We've got some intruders coming in in pretty bad shape. In fact, one of them

shot down.

Who was in it? Well, I don't know that, ma 'am, but if you'd like to go see them

come in, I can take you up to Vulture's Row and you can watch them come in.

Would you like to?

It's this way.

so far there goes another call

my fuel 1200 pounds i hope this thing gets good mileage you don't want to swim

twice in one day i forgot my flippers 1100 pounds battles this is sunday

one intruder ball 1 .1 roger ball you're low get it up get it up never had that

problem before

Thank you.

Bad habit. We all had it back then.

Excuse me.

Miss Lake?

Yeah.

Private First Class Phillip A. Field.

First Air Cav.

Until I got shot up at Kwan Loy.

You visited me at the hospital at Cameron Bay.

You and Bob Hope and that guy with the big eyes.

Jerry Colonna.

I had the picture of Jimi Hendrix on the wall above my bed, and you told me you

liked Purple Haze.

Nobody played the guitar like Hendrix.

You remember?

Yes.

You kissed me on the cheek.

I was really hurt, and it meant a lot to me, to all of us.

Well, I just wanted to say thank you.

No, Private Field.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

That must make you feel good.

Yeah, very good.

Where was I?

The photographer had blinded the pilot with his flag.

Oh, God.

I thought that plane was going to go in the water with your father in it.

Point six.

I have the ball a mile and three quarters. Check me out. Am I in line?

To the left.

you to go flying in a dump truck, huh? Didn't do too bad for blind men.

I'm sorry about the flash, really. I had no idea. I just took a picture.

Just so I get a copy.

He doesn't give his photos away.

Not this badge.

CAG Deep Sixties camera.

With my picture in it? Yeah, there's a loft.

Hey, the party's still going on down in the mess. Come on, I'll buy you guys

root beer.

Maybe later.

Has anybody seen Jenny Lake?

You know, she watched Garcia there almost by the farm with you on board.

so upset, she ran off crying.

I didn't know she cared. She doesn't care.

Phyllis Diller told me her fiancé was an aviator.

He got killed last week.

You really flew missions into China?

Those missions are secret, Jojo. I hope I can count on you to be discreet.

The outcome of the war could depend on it.

Bob said we'd meet men like you here.

We don't think of ourselves as brave.

We're just men doing our jobs.

Bob didn't say brave.

He said full of crap.

They fought the communists as hard as they're fighting to get in these girls'

pants. This war would have been over a long time ago. We should lend Dixie and

Jojo to the South Vietnamese.

They've got a great defense.

You know...

I was a very big supporter of the Reverend Martin Luther King.

Honest.

She lived next door to me.

We used to play in my treehouse.

She was the only girl I ever loved.

I know we made promises.

Maybe I'm just weak, but I honestly believe I've fallen in love with Dennis.

best friend.

We were on the tennis team together.

It happened after a Jefferson Airplane concert in Hartford. I'm sorry if this

hurts you, but waiting for you, not knowing if you'd ever make it back, it

just too much for me.

I'm thinking about joining the priesthood when I get home.

Dear Reggie.

I thought you said your name was Archie. It is.

She called me Reggie. A pet name, you know. Really.

Cause I've got nothing to live for.

No, nothing's gonna come my way.

I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay.

Watching the tide roll away.

Sitting on the dock of the bay.

Wasting time.

What a change.

I can do what ten people tell me to.

So I guess I'll remain the same.

And it's rolling, it won't leave me alone.

Thousand miles I roam.

Were you really gonna jump?

Yes, I think so.

What happened?

Your father happened.

Be this beautiful girl.

My grandmother was born in South Dakota.

Died in South Dakota.

Never saw the sea until she was 75.

My father put her in his Plymouth and drove her out to California.

Walked her out on the Santa Monica Pier.

She looked out at the ocean.

You know what she said?

No.

Oh, my God, it's big enough to hold South Dakota.

You know, the view is much nicer from this side of the rail.

Yeah, I'm all right, I promise.

Just leave me alone.

I don't think I can do that.

Why not?

Because I need somebody to talk to.

You're not bad, kid.

Navy got an exclusive contract on you? Only for another two years, four months,

and three days.

You're not counting the hours?

Four hours.

The plane exploded.

There were two shoots.

Skinny kid from Chicago named Rogers.

Loud mouth.

Called him a rork. Thought he could bluff at poker.

We haven't heard a damn thing from him since.

They're alive?

Maybe.

Maybe they got shot on the ground.

Maybe they landed in a river and drowned.

Maybe they're being marched to a POW camp right now.

That would be the worst thing.

Worse than dying?

People who love you should have closure.

Who loves you, Lieutenant?

My wife.

My son, little Harm.

He's all boy.

Drives his mother crazy.

You must miss them very much.

Miss?

They send me letter tapes.

I listen to them till my roommate screams.

He can recite them along with me.

Hey, Dad.

Went to Marineland today.

Mom bought me a shark's tooth.

Got one for you, too.

hell of a way for me to talk to a woman who's just lost a fiance running on

about my family.

Oh, it's better than someone trying to cheer me up.

What was his name?

David.

He was an aviator like you.

Did you love the part of him that made him an aviator?

You mean, did I love the thing in him that got him killed?

Yeah.

I wanted to have babies with David.

You're kissing him.

Who are you kissing?

I don't know, sir. He should be here soon.

Morning, sir.

Well, I'm glad you could join us, Lieutenant.

Sorry, sir.

Bob Hope just arrived, gentlemen, and I'm going to say hi.

I hope you enjoyed that impromptu show last night because you're going to miss

the one today.

Cackle brief you.

XO, you got it.

The powers that be don't think Uncle Ho deserves a break just because it's

Christmas Eve.

And they don't think you deserve one either.

What's the mission, sir? The Tamsat that's taken out three of our aircraft.

It's got to go. The mission's in iron hand.

So we're going to be giving them some early Christmas gifts.

Us? You let their radar lock on so your missiles can follow it home.

Fire and run like hell.

You know the drill.

Nobody talk!

Nobody move!

I gotta get this eyelash back on. Very delicate.

It's been with me since Guam.

Ta -da!

Now for my next trick.

Do you have to go now?

It isn't exactly voluntary.

And you!

I think you need a goodbye kiss for luck.

Thank you.

Jim, give me a sip.

I think we need a little alone time.

But just don't start anything unless you're prepared to finish me.

You're kind of cute.

I better chaperone that poor boy.

I better come back before I leave.

Well, it's the you and 3 ,000 failures or North Vietnamese POW key. Don't do

that brave joke crap with me, Har.

That's all we have, Jenny. You can't take that away.

Har.

Jenny, if this was another life.

Well, you just get back here for the life you have.

I'm going to have a life now, too, because of you.

For luck.

There's something I want you to have.

Your wings?

It's Christmas Eve. Everybody should have something.

Someone brings a little bit of the United States out here to us far from

No, I don't mean Santa.

It's a great honor for me to welcome this man and his USO troop to the USS

Ticonderoga, Mr.

Bob Hope.

I don't know how you got that high. I want to tell you that.

I just, uh, where the hell are we, anyway?

Oh, yeah. A Ticonderoga.

And we're very, very thrilled. Hello, you Tyco Tigers.

Oh, this is a pretty sight. Isn't this beautiful?

Who are these kids over there? They on our side?

It's amazing the change, though, that comes over the crew when you bring five

beautiful girls aboard.

We've got more steam on deck than we have in the catapults.

They were pretty nice to me. I had to go over to the North Hollywood draft board

and report in. They gave me a physical.

But I thought they were pretty rude about it. They burned my draft card.

All right, enough about me.

Here's someone I know you guys will welcome.

Miss Jenny Lay.

Worst fear.

But you know all that.

I didn't know about you and him.

Oh, I mean, loved your mother very much.

And you.

I would be so proud of you.

I finished that tour, and I came back every year until all our boys were home.

One way or another.

I fell in love with the bass player in the band.

And I have two wonderful children who wouldn't have existed if your father

hadn't chased a mixed -up girl out to the fantail of an aircraft carrier in

middle of a crazy war.

I was going to leave these at the memorial, but they belong to you.

Father's wings.

No, they belong to Him.