All language subtitles for JAG.S06E07.A.Separate.Peace.Part.1.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-GPRS_track3_[eng]

[Boone] Hammer was
leading us into the break.

That's when we got word
from the Air Boss

that your father was in line
to make the 100,000th trap

aboard theTiconderoga.

The Seventh Fleet historian
had photographers waiting.

The cooks had baked
a chocolate cake.

Hammer was going to be famous.

[Rabb]
Only you got there first.

[Boone] The tailhook
was not fully extended.

[Rabb] So the Air Boss
waved him off.

[Boone] And by the time
he'd gotten past the tower

for a visual check,
I'd already trapped

the 100,000th trap.

And what precisely was wrong
with my father's tailhook?

Well, it turned out
to be nothing at all.

[chuckling]
Your father always suspected

I'd gotten him sent around
on purpose.

I wonder what Dad would think
of you taking command
of the Sixth Fleet, sir.

If your father was with
us tonight he'd think the
whole world had gone nuts.

Everyone thought
he'd be the one
to be CNO one day

and I was just a screwup
along for the ride.

-Mr. Secretary.
-Sorry I'm late, Admiral.

-Good evening, sir.
-Commander, please sit.

Now, we have a problem, Tom.

With what, Mr. Secretary?

With... you.

You may as well hear
this, Commander.

It'll be in your
life tomorrow.

Tom, my office received
an anonymous tip.

The caller claims
that August 12, 1968

when you were in Long An
Province, Republic of Vietnam,

you participated in the murder
of innocent civilians
in the village of Tan Dien.

[theme music playing]

[SECNAV] If word leaks out
that Admiral Boone's
been accused of a war crime

you can kiss his nomination
good-bye.

A.J., I'd like Colonel MacKenzie
to perform a preliminary inquiry

into the accusations
against Admiral Boone

and report directly
back to me.

Nothing in writing.

Mr. Secretary,
I think you should know

that Admiral Boone and I
have butted heads in the past.

The Senate Armed Services
Committee confirmation vote

is scheduled in four days.

I want a full and fair
inquiry by then.

What if I need more time,
sir?

Hmm.

Admiral Boone's gone
back aboard the Seahawk.

He's expecting you
onboard at 1400.

Admiral.

Mr. Secretary, sir,
I have one question.

In 1968, Admiral Boone

was an aviator
aboard the U.S.S. Ticonderoga.

How could him be implicated
in an alleged massacre

by ground troops?

Good question, Commander.

Let's see what
the Colonel finds out.

Sir, I want to be involved
in this.

It's the Colonel's
investigation.

I'll take my lead
from her, sir.

I don't have a
problem with that.

It's the tyranny
of the hot line, Mac.

Any lunatic can call
with a wild charge.

Someone with a grudge
or a grievance.

Some loser who
was passed over.

A whiner with his
feelings hurt.

Tom Boone can tick people off.

I know that from personal...
experience.

Bud, what are you doing here?

It's been a week, ma'am.

That's all the leave
I had coming.

Bud, the Admiral can
grant compassionate leave.

I couldn't ask
for anything more.

Everyone's been so kind
with the cards and the flowers

and coming out
to the house.

How's Harriet?

Well, she's not doing
too great, ma'am.
She wasn't expect...

We weren't expecting
any problems with
the baby's delivery.

Well, tell her
we're all thinking about her.

I will, ma'am.

You should be home,
Lieutenant.

Harriet thought it'd be best
if I came into work.

Well, then start
with this, Bud.

Vietnam, August 12, 1968.

The village of Tan Dien.
The province of Long An.

See if you can find out
what happened

in the village
that night.

[Chegwidden]
Now, look, I-I can see my car.

It's right over there.

It's probably evidence.

-Evidence of what?
-Crime.

That's where they put
all the cars that are evidence.

Look, you give me my car.

If you need it for evidence,
I'll bring it back.

They don't know you're going
to bring it back.

I'm telling you I'm
going to bring it back.

What difference
does it make?

Nobody's even been
charged with a crime.

I'll look it up.

Now, this is from
the Combat Action Report

of the Tan Dien operation.
A pitched battle occurred

between members of the Vietcong
24th Local Force Battalion

and elements
of a South Vietnamese PRU.

Now that stands for
Provincial Reconnaissance Unit

which is "an elite
South Vietnamese force dedicated

to the elimination of suspected
Vietcong soldiers

and sympathizers living among

the civilian population
of the South.

The killing of the suspected VC

was known
as the Phoenix Program."

-Put in place by the CIA.
-That's correct, sir.

And the Phoenix Program
was run by Neville Webb.

-Clayton Webb's father?
-That's right, sir.

He was a CIA Station Chief
in Saigon.

The body count at
Tan Dien is listed
as "45 Vietcong killed.

No wounded.
Three weapons recovered."

Any numbers
on civilian casualties?

Um, none in the Combat
Action Report, sir.

What did the Vietcong claim?

Well, according
to propaganda leaflets

the PRU was accused
of massacring innocent civilians

and I'm quoting

"with the complicity of US
imperialists and their lackeys."

Was there an after-incident
investigation?

-No, ma'am.
-Was there preliminary bombing

-by a Naval aircraft
prior to the attack?
-No, sir.

No suppressive fire
during the attack?

Negative, sir. It doesn't look
like Naval forces were involved.

Uh-oh.
It's been charged.

What do you mean, it's been
charged? It's a car.

"People versus
One Ford Expedition."

You want the docket number?

What is it charged with?

Transporting marijuana.

Unless you already knew that.

I lent it to somebody else.

-Everybody did.
-Look, buddy

I lent it to my ex-girlfriend's
son before I realized

he was an oversized
juvenile delinquent.

Look, you want to get
your car back

you need to go downtown
and prove you're innocent.

You got that backwards.
You got to take me to court

-and prove that I'm guilty.
-Not in a forfeiture case.

Shoe's on the other foot.

I want to see somebody else.

I'm in charge here.

You better get yourself
a lawyer.

Sir, ma'am...

I pulled Admiral Boone's
service record.

August '68, Lieutenant Boone
wasn't aboard the Tico.

He'd been assigned
to the USMACV, Saigon,

for temporary additional duty.

"He reviewed surveillance photos

and prepared targeting schedules
for the fleet."

That places him "in country,"
Harm.

Saigon's a long way
from Long An Province.

There's a fitness report here
filed by Army Major Evan Parker

commending Lieutenant Boone
for serving "in country" with

"distinction and under
great personal risk."

Not one mention
of murdering civilians.

Admiral, were you in Saigon
the entire six weeks
of your assignment to USMACV?

All but two
or three days.

What were your activities
during that time?

I was assigned to a
Forward Air Controller.

Do you recall his name?

No. He was Air Force.

Do you recall anything
about him?

He was a First
Lieutenant.

Dates you flew
with the Lieutenant?

Early August.

Can you be more precise, sir?

No.

Tell me what happened during
those "two or three days."

What you would expect.

We, uh, called in air strikes.

Assessed battle damage.

Kept an eye out for the enemy.

[dispatch] 3-2-3, 3-2-3,
this is Montezuma.

I'm sending you a flight of two
Navy Phantoms,

call sign Fairfield 2-4.

Roger, Montezuma.

Send 'em on down. Out.

Tom, we don't want
to get too close
to this target.

[Rabb Sr.]
Green 23.

This is Fairfield 2-4.
Inbound to you.

[Boone]
Roger, Hammer.

-Keep it coming.
-Tong, is that you?

The one and only.

What's your ordnance, Hammer?

[Rabb]
Six-Mark-82s.

[Boone] What's your posit?

I'm 57 miles on the 120 radial

of Nakom Phanom TACAN
at 10,000.

[Boone] The target's a wooden
bridge at Phu Loc

five miles south of me
at a bend in the river.

Want me to mark it
with a smoke rocket?

No. I see it.

Suggest runs from east to west
to avoid small arms fire.

Recommend single passes.

I'll be rolling in 30 seconds.

-Two, you got it?
-Got it.

Switch is hot.
Break.

[engines roaring]

Destroyed the bridge.

Three trucks.
And a water buffalo.

Stay out of trouble, Tong.

[MacKenzie]
Admiral...

during that time,
did you participate

in any ground fighting?

No. I'm an aviator,
not a grunt.

Were you ever at the village
of Tan Dien?

Not that I recall.

Sir, is it possible
that you were there

but you simply don't remember
the name?

I've already answered
the question.

Did you return
to Saigon at night?

No.

At the end of each day's action

the Lieutenant landed
his aircraft

at the nearest dirt strip.

We stayed outside
a couple of villages.

Don't know that
I ever knew their
names, Colonel

if that's what
you were going
to ask next.

Sir, on August 12,
there was a massacre

of 45 innocent South Vietnamese
civilians at Tan Dien.

Colonel...

I'm not sure that there were
45 innocent civilians
in all of Vietnam.

Did I forget we had
an appointment?

In 1968, your father was
CIA Station Chief in Saigon.

Yes.

He headed up The
Phoenix Program.

-Yes.
-Do you recall

its stated purpose?

To employ the best intelligence
to identify and then eliminate

the Vietcong
from South Vietnam.

There are documented
reports of operations

being in violation
of human rights.

There were allegations. Yes.

Sometimes the program was not
precise in its execution.

What part did your father play
in covering up those events?

Get out of my office.

Not until you tell me
what happened

the night of August 12, 1968
in the village of Tan Dien.

I want access to the CIA's files
on the Phoenix program--

in particular, the
confidential file

on the incident
at Tan Dien.

What makes you think
such a file exists?

Because there were 45 dead,
but no wounded.

There were no civilians
reported killed

but only three
weapons recovered.

So there's reason to believe
there was

an unacceptable number
of civilian casualties

which makes it a war crime.
I want to know
what happened there.

No quid pro quo?
Or do you figure my office

is like the drive-up window
at the Dairy Queen?

I can't tell you.

Then I can't
help you.

Or you won't.

What did your father tell you
when you asked him
about the Phoenix operation?

Bury the past?

You're paranoid enough
to work here.

I suggest you file
a request

under the Freedom
of Information Act.

Return it to our Information
and Privacy Coordinator

at the Office
of Information Services.

The director will take it
under consideration

and forward the request to me.

Then I'll take it
under consideration.

I'm on a pretty strict
timetable, Webb.

In truth,
and regretfully, Commander

some of those files are missing.

[speaking Vietnamese]

-Think he's lying, Ellis?
-I don't know, Drax.

[speaking Vietnamese]

Ah, you should have
made something up.

What the hell
did you do that for?

He's the enemy, isn't he?

-[knocking]
-Enter.

Excuse me, Admiral.

What can I do
for you, Singer?

Petty Officer Tiner told
me about your car, sir.

I've taken the liberty
of doing a little research

on my own time into The People
v. One Ford Expedition.

-You have?
-Yes, sir.

I'm afraid you won't
be able to prove

that your car was innocent

since it was used
to transport marijuana

but we might try to show
that Danny Walden was

in unlawful possession
of your car.

Uh... well, I lent it to him.

Fine. So we'll
just have to prove

that Danny Walden
transported drugs

without your knowledge, consent
or willful blindness, sir.

-[intercom buzzes]
-Yeah.

[Tiner] Sir, Commander Rabb
and Colonel MacKenzie
to see you.

Send them in.
Thank you, Lieutenant.

-Whatever it takes.
-Yes, sir.

-You completed your
inquiry, Colonel?
-Not yet, sir.

I had an inconclusive
interview with Admiral Boone.

And?

There are still

some unanswered
questions, sir

and a key witness
we can't locate.

Colonel, what are you
not telling me?

Admiral Boone
was evasive, sir.

There were too many
"I don't recalls."

Some questions he
didn't answer at all.

-It doesn't feel right.
-Can you blame him, Colonel?

Where are you on this?

Sir, I have two questions.

Who at the Phoenix program
was responsible
for the massacre at Tan Dien?

and was
Lieutenant Boone involved?

We need to answer
both these questions, sir

conclusively
to clear the admiral's name.

You disagree
with the Colonel's approach?

Sir, the Colonel is doing
what she needs to do.

Let me do what
I think is right, sir.

SECNAV calls me
every hour on the hour.

We all know that the
longer this drags out

the greater potential damage
to Admiral Boone.

Look...

Take the time you need.

Do the investigation in
whatever way seems best

but, damn it, get it done.

Sir! Ma'am, we just
got the records

on all the operations
at Tan Sahn Nhut, August 1968.

During the period
in question, Lieutenant Boone

flew with a forward air
controller named R.C. Coffin.

Lieutenant Coffin
left the service in 1969.

Find him.

I'm doing the best I can, sir.

Is there a problem?

He's dropped out
of sight, sir

and at your
request, ma'am

I've got
Lieutenant Boone's C.O.--

General Evan Parker,
coming tomorrow

and also, I traced
that anonymous call
to SECNAV's hot line

to a pay phone
in a bar in Wells, New Mexico.

-Near your old stomping grounds.
-Oh, yes, ma'am.

I've got friends in law
enforcement in New Mexico

and they're going to find out
who made the call.

Have them check
on R.C. Coffin.

I already did, ma'am.

He's not listed in
any local directories.

Also, sir, regarding
Lieutenant Coffin

is it possible he was
working for the CIA?

What makes you think that?

Well, I had the National
Personnel Records Center

fax me his DD-214.

In block 18 "remarks"
it indicates

Lieutenant R.C. Coffin
was TAD for six months

to the Air Force Field
Operation Intelligence Center.

-What'd he do for them?
-I don't know for sure, sir.

Does it require
special access to find out?

You got it, sir.

-Nice job, Gunny.
-Thank you, sir.

Sir? Ma'am?
I just got off the phone

with the Office of
Military Records in Hanoi.

The village Tan Dien
was never rebuilt.

Those who survived
the night of August 12

were placed in relocation camps.

We can't locate anybody
to testify about
what happened that night.

Did you get sleep last night,
Lieutenant ?

Not a lot, sir.

Lieutenant Roberts,
this is a direct order.

You are to report
to your residence.

Harriet needs you and you
need to get some sleep.

Aye, aye, ma'am.
Sir.

In 1968, I was Deputy Director
of Air Operations

at Tan Sahn Nhut Air Base,
Saigon.

Lieutenant Boone
was attached to my staff

for a period of six weeks.

General Parker, you
wrote a fitness report

following Lieutenant Boone's
service with you.

-Was there anything
you left out?
-Why would you ask me that?

-It's routine, General.
-Not in my book.

I never left factual matters
out of my reports.

So just what the hell
are you asking?

We're trying to
determine Admiral Boone's
course of conduct, sir,

and there are some gaps
in the record.

So if there is anything that
might lead us in a direction

it would be helpful.

What about rumors, gossip?

I heard things all the time,
Colonel.

I ignored what I didn't know
to be true.

So should you.

Did you ever hear anyone say
that Lieutenant Boone

had run into some trouble
while he was in country?

Our intelligence officer
showed me some VC propaganda.

What did it say, sir?

That a couple of American pilots
had taken part

in shooting up some village.

I heard rumors like that
ten times a day,

most of them spread
by the Vietcong
to make our boys look bad.

Sir, can you tell us
what happened
in the village of Tan Dien?

I don't recall the name,
Commander.

Did Lieutenant Boone
ever express

any particular hatred
towards the enemy?

Damn it, Colonel.

We all hate the enemy
in wartime.

But then you'd have
no way of knowing that.

Sir, I'd like you to think back.

Anything you can remember
might be helpful.

These were taken by
an F-8 photo recon plane

one hour after
the Phantom went down.

VF-53.

That's off the Ticonderoga.

Your squadron?

You don't want to look
at this, Tom.

NVA saw the recon
plane coming.

She wanted us
to see this.

-You know the pilot?
-Commander Harold Cartig.

My squadron CO aboard the Tico.

General, what did he say then?

Did he express a desire

to avenge the killing
of Commander Cartig?

Yes.

Do you recall
his exact words?

That was 30 years ago.

Can you give me
a sense of his words?

What was his frame of mind?

You see some gook holding up
a severed head

it tends to sour your outlook.

Did he express a direct threat?

He wanted vengeance.
Wouldn't you?

He wanted her dead.

I had them leave off
the mustard and onions.

Oh, too bad.
A girl likes a little spice
in her life now and then.

-French fries?
-Ooh!

Your request,
it's off the record?

Yeah.

You're not going to tell me
why I'm going
to do this for you?

It would put you
in an ethical bind.

[laughs] Harm, you're always
putting me in some kind of bind.

Why the hell do I
put up with you?

So then...

if I do this for you,
you're going to be in my debt.

[chuckling] Absolutely.

And you don't worry about
what I might ask you
to do for me in return?

I think I could handle it.

What do you want me to do?

[Webb] Congresswoman--
always a pleasure to see you.

Well, I want to talk
to you in person

before the National Security
Subcommittee meets next week

on 2002 appropriations.

I trust there's not a problem
with our request?

Covert ops are very important.

We need that increased funding.

Well, you did ask
for quite a lot.

-I see you keep Lionfish.
-That's right.

Here's what I don't understand.

They'll kill any fish
you put in the tank

but they'll leave
each other alone.

Fear, respect, need.

Who knows what
motivates a fish?

People are pretty
much the same.

Can never tell
what drives them.

Congresswoman...

do you want something?

I'll look forward to seeing
you next week on the Hill.

I think you'll find me one
of your strongest supporters.

Have you no shame?

Hey, you didn't
leave me much choice.

What do you want
to know about Tan Dien?

We believe that an Air Force
Lieutenant, R.C. Coffin

was in or around
the area the night of
the alleged incident.

Was he working for the CIA?

-What makes you think that?
-Because Lieutenant Coffin

was TAD
to Air Force intelligence

around the time
of the massacre at Tan Dien.
Because his records are sealed.

Because he received a Lieutenant
Colonel's separation package

when he left the service.

He never achieved a rank
higher than Lieutenant.

Enough.

R.C. was one of ours.

He flew for the Air Force by day
and the company by night.

He flew agents in country
and into the North.

-What was his role at Tan Dien?
-I don't know.

He was not part
of our pacification effort.

Was there another
American pilot there?

Not according to our report.

Who led the raid at Tan Dien?

Harry Drax, Program Director
at Long An Province.

Tell me exactly what happened
the night of August 12, Clay.

Agent Drax issued orders
to carry out a sweep
of the village

and to "neutralize" members
of the VC infrastructure.

He told his men
to expect heavy resistance.

-[automatic gunfire]
-[people crying out]

They went in shooting.

-[explosion]
-[indistinct shouting]

When he was done,
45 people had died.

Was it CIA policy to include
civilians in the body count?

It was the fashion then.

The battle of Tan Dien
came at a time

when the South Vietnamese
needed a victory.

It was written up
as such.

Where's Harry Drax now?

Harry Drax underwent a change
of status at Tan Dien.

He was shot in the back
and buried in one
of the mass graves.

Well, who filed
the confidential report?

The field agent, Ellis Burke.

I need you to put me
in touch with him.

[sighs]

Well, most of us never stray
far from the agency.

Ellis Burke lives
not two miles from here.

What really happened that night?

It's been rumored that
Agent Drax lost his sense
of perspective.

[mirthless chuckle] What's that?
CIA-speak for killing babies?

Hey, listen to this, Harriet.

"When the baby emerges
through the birth canal

the prolapsed cord
is compressed

so that the baby's
blood supply is cut off."

Bud?

What is it, sweetie?

A.J. would like to
kiss you good night.

Good night, sweetie.

Listen to this.
There's more.

"Fetal asphyxia
may rapidly ensue

if circulation through the cord
is not reestablished

and maintained until delivery."

Bud...

we need to talk.

Well, can you hold on
a second, sweetie?

No.

I need you here with
me right now, please.

I-I'm here.

No, you're a
thousand miles away.

I never knew that
it would hurt this much.

You lost...

we lost a baby, Harriet.

And that's a...

a terrible, terrible thing.

And it should have
never happened.

I just don't know
what to do.

-I...
-I'm going to find out
what went wrong.

Bud, I know that's
important to you.

But... how's it going
to help, really?

I mean, do you really think

you're going to fix
what happened?

I have some
good news, Admiral.

I argued your case,
and I won.

You got my car back?

There's a problem, sir.

They lost your car.

Well, how the hell
can the police lose my car?

The last they knew
it was in the impound lot

but it has disappeared
without a trace.

Somebody stole my car
from the police?

No, sir, the police lost it.

Or-Or misplaced it.

Or sold it at a public auction

like it was some damn
pimpmobile!

Singer... find my car.

Yes, sir.

-Commander.
-Sir.

I just told the Colonel, sir.
I had a law enforcement
buddy of mine

drop by that bar in Wells.
Turns out Lieutenant Coffin's
a regular.

He lives a couple miles
outside of town. No phone.

-Nice work, Gunny.
-Thank you, sir.

-Hey.
-Hey.

I'm going to talk

to Lieutenant Coffin tomorrow.

If he's not a credible witness

my report will say that
we found nothing to substantiate

his allegation
against Admiral Boone.

But you're not clearing him?

You're just going to say
that you can't nail him?

There's been
a complicating
factor, sir.

Remember the incident
that occurred

at Lieutenant Cartig's
crash site?

-Well, it turns out...
-Decapitation's

a little more
than an incident, Lieutenant.

Uh, yes, sir.
I got the precise location
from U-2 photographs

of the wreckage
at the National
Reconnaissance Office.

Lieutenant Cartig's
crash site was only
five miles

from Tan Dien.

His death occurred
only three days prior

-to the massacre.
-It goes to motive, Harm.

If Lieutenant Boone
was in fact at Tan Dien

he had every reason
to get involved in the fighting.

Well, I have
every reason to believe
that he was not there.

War crimes definitely
occurred at Tan Dien.

PRU troops got
out of control.

But according to CIA files,
Admiral Boone was not there.

-Are you sure about that?
-Yes, I am sure.

One more interview
and it'll be confirmed.

The Phoenix Program
was a good program
when Neville Webb managed it.

It, um... it got out of hand
when we turned it over

to the Provincial
Reconnaissance Units.

You were the CIA Field
Officer, Long An Province
during the summer of 1968?

-Yes.
-You filed
a confidential report

on the incident at Tan Dien?

Why are you interested
in Tan Dien, Commander?

What do you plan to do
with the information?

I can assure you, Mr. Burke,
there'll be no written report.

And any information
I discover stays with me.

So, what do you need to know?

Why did Harry Drax turn that
village into a killing field?

Why that village?
Why that night?

We had intelligence
that identified

some of the inhabitants
of that village

as VC sympathizers.

There had been... incidents
near the village.

About three days prior
to the attack

the body of a Navy pilot
was mutilated

after his aircraft crashed.

After Drax got the word
about the decapitation

he issued orders
to the PRU death squads

to pacify the village.

It was payback time,
Commander.

Were there any other Americans
with Harry Drax

the night of August 12th?

Yes.

Lieutenant R.C. Coffin?

Yes.

Lieutenant Thomas Boone?

Yes.

How was Lieutenant Boone
involved, sir?

[Burke] I was in the village
the next day.

[camera shutter clicking]

We had reports
that Lieutenant Boone

had joined in the fighting.

[speaking Vietnamese]

[woman continues speaking]

Why didn't you put that
in you report, Mr. Burke?

[scoffs] There were a lot
of things that I left out

in my report, Commander.

There was a quota set

to neutralize 2,000
suspected members

of the Vietcong infrastructure
every month. Everymonth.

At Tan Dien

that quota was met with
indiscriminate killing.

You do not record war crimes
when you commit them.

Only the Nazis were that stupid.

Your mandate was to get me
an answer in four days,

to clear or not clear
Admiral Boone

of even a shadow of suspicion.

It's taking longer than we
anticipated, Mr. Secretary.

Let me tell you
what I'm faced with.

Calling the Chairman of the
Senate Armed Forces Committee

and asking him to reschedule

Admiral Boone's
confirmation hearing.

The Chairman's going
to ask me, "Why the delay?"
and "Is there a problem?"

and since I don't have
a good answer he is
going to smell a rat.

Then when and if Admiral Boone
appears before the committee

they are going to look
into everything

that ever happened
in his life

down to the last parking ticket.

I beg your pardon,
Mr. Secretary.

With all due respect
the Colonel is doing
everything she can do

to speed this
investigation along, sir.

Then why the delay, Colonel?
Do you have doubts, suspicions?

Is there something
I should know, Colonel?

There's one
final witness,
Mr. Secretary.

Someone who was
there at Tan Dien.

I'll interview him
later today and then
I'll give you my report.

Thank you, Colonel,
Commander.

That will be all.
Dismissed.

[both]
Aye, aye, sir.

[announcements over PA]

Send the message off
precedence op immediate.

-Aye, sir.
-JAG officer on the bridge.

Stand easy, Commander.

-Why don't you get
a cup of coffee, Lieutenant.
-Yes, sir.

What are you doing here?

Sir, I thought you'd
have an easier time

speaking with me than
Colonel MacKenzie.

What makes you think
I haven't told the full
truth up until now?

Admiral, you haven't told us
everything, sir.

Time is running short.

How'd you find me?

We traced your call.

Why did you wait
30 years to let
someone know?

I'm dying, Colonel.

TB.

I'm sorry.

It's my last chance
to set things right.

Sorry I don't have
anything nicer.

I don't get
a lot of company out here.

Are you aware
your accusations

may destroy the career
of a good man?

You think that's what I want?

Just 'cause Tom Boone's up
for three stars

and I ended up like this?

I need to know a lot more
about you, Lieutenant Coffin

before I can answer
that question.

[Rabb]
There are some discrepancies

that need to be cleared up, sir.

You stated to Colonel MacKenzie
that you spent three days
with a Forward Air Controller.

You're certain of that number?

I told the Colonel
what I remembered.

We have reason to believe
that you spent
a full week, Admiral.

You also stated
to Colonel MacKenzie

that you did not recall the name
of this Forward Air Controller.

Correct.

Does Lieutenant R.C. Coffin
ring a bell, sir?

Does now.

What do you recall
about Lieutenant Coffin?

Nothing good.

[mirthless chuckle]
Care to elaborate, Admiral?

[sighs] He was a liar
and a drunk.

Are you prepared to
talk on the record?

Well, that prospect don't seem
so bad now that you're here.

Did you bring some beer?

I don't drink.

Well, that's nice,
but I wasn't thinking about you.

Lieutenant Coffin,
where did you land your aircraft

on the afternoon
of August 12, 1968?

[Coffin]
A dirt strip outside Tan Dien.

[sheep bleating]

Tom and me had
a good afternoon.

We got to see a crowd of
Phantoms blow the crap

out of a wood bridge at
Phú Quc.

Then we got to drinkin'.

This stuff any good?

The later it gets,
the better it tastes.

It's tomorrow
you've got to worry about.

What the hell is it?

Fermented coconut.

Got a dead snake
curled up in it.

Tam says it adds flavor.

There are 39 ways
to cook dog meat.

Tam knows them all.

What kind of a man
was Lieutenant Boone?

Have you ever been around
Naval aviators?

Did you notice
they're kind of arrogant
and full of themselves?

You know why?

You see, the guys
on the ground

at the end of the day,
they've got to go sleep

in some slit trench
with six inches of damn water...

but the aviators,
they fly back to the carrier

take a hot shower...

and have some colored steward
lay out their clothes for them.

What do you recall about
Lieutenant Boone's attitudes

toward the Vietnamese people?

Well, he was sort of upset.

You know, it's one thing to see
the war from up in the clouds

but you get down in the dirt,
it's pretty ugly.

Did he ever express anger
at the Vietnamese people

over the beheading of his
squadron commanding officer?

You done your homework, lady.

Yeah, Tom talked
about that a lot.

That was one ugly-ass war.

Just look what happened
at Tan Dien.

Commander Harold Cartig,
your squadron C.O.

when the Ticonderogawas shot
down five miles from Tan Dien.

He was decapitated
by the Vietcong.

We have eyewitness
testimony, sir

that you saw surveillance
photos of that atrocity.

Why didn't you volunteer
to Colonel MacKenzie

that you'd seen
the photos, sir?

It wasn't any of
her damn business.

I didn't want it
on the report, Harm.
Harry's wife never knew.

I didn't want
to take a chance
of her finding out now.

Well, I can understand that,
sir.

Admiral, did you tell
Major Parker

that you wanted to kill the
woman who had done that to him?

[sighs]

We all said things like that...

but that's not how
we fought the war.

While you were "in country,"
sir, did you ever meet a man
named Harry Drax?

He was a CIA agent that
Lieutenant Coffin transported
on several occasions.

No one flew with us
when I was out there.

Admiral, do you recall
the events that took place

the night of August 12, 1968?

Colonel MacKenzie has informed
me that 45 non-combatants

were rumored to have died
at Tan Dien that night.

Admiral, we have confirmation.

There are reports in
Vietnamese military archives--

Oh, I know those sources.

Yeah, they generally
begin, uh...

"The American devils
divulge their true form."

You have anything credible?

Eyewitness, maybe?

Tan Dien was burned
to the ground that night, sir.

Survivors were relocated
to refugee camps.

There were no
names recorded.

What about the
Combat Action Report?

It lists the battle
as a great victory.

There is, sir, however,
a confidential CIA file
that contradicts that.

You've seen that?

Portions of it were read to me.

-Does it implicate me?
-No, sir.

However, Admiral,
I spoke to the field agent

who filed the report.
He gave me reason to believe

that you participated
in the fighting that night.

Let me get this straight,
Commander.

You talked to somebody,
who talked to somebody...

who claims I shot up
some village?

Isn't that what you
lawyers call hearsay?

Technically, yes.

And on the basis of that
I'm accused of a war crime?

Admiral, unless you answer
my questions, sir--

fully and completely--

I can't help you.

What role did
Lieutenant Boone play
in the fighting at Tan Dien?

It was our last night
"in country."

It was the best,
the best of times.

[sighs]

What the hell are
you doing here, Drax?

In two minutes, we're going
to neutralize this village.

These people
are friendlies.

That woman who makes
your fish soup, Tam?

She's VC.

Better move now.

I didn't see Boone again
until maybe ten minutes later.

What were you doing
during that time?

I tried to find Tam.

When did you next see
Lieutenant Boone?

It was after
he joined in the killing.

-[gunfire]
-[shouting]

I saw him use this little kid
as a human shield.

He was shooting into hootches.
It was like he'd lost his mind.

I never expected that from Tom.

Did you find Tam?

Seconds later...
in a hootch.

She was one of the ones
Boone killed.

What else can
you tell me?

Isn't that enough?

Yes, it is.

[sighs]

No one wanted to get assigned
to Tan Sahn Nhut, Harm.

It was a damn clerk's job.

Harry Cartig came
to Hammer and me, and said...

"One of you have to go
to Saigon."

So, we flipped a coin.

Your father won.

That's how I ended
up in Saigon.

Could have gone either way.

Could have been your father.

[gunfire]

[explosions]

[screaming]

[yelling, grunting]

[closing theme music playing]