Original subtitles

(over speakers): ...stand by to recover inbound helo.

Major Holmes, please stay clear of the foul line, sir.

Right. Sorry, but there's a pilot I need to interview

as soon as he lands.

I'll bring him to you, sir.

Just stay clear of the foul line.

His name's Captain Campbell.

Major Holmes needs to see you, sir.

Major Holmes!

Major Holmes!

FDO, be advised, you have a man overboard, starboard side.

INTERCOM: Bridge, Pri-Fly.

We have a man overboard, starboard side.

Roger that.

Left full ruder.

Port engine stop.

Execute a Williamson turn.

Stand by, the duty lifeboat party.

Stand by, the saw bird.

Stand by, signal bridge.

This is not a drill.

Man overboard.

(phone rings)

Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie, good morning.

(laughs): Oh.

I love you, too.

So, when do I book my trip back for the wedding?

Mac?

Um, I have news about Mic.

Something happened to him?

He's not hurt, is he?

He went back to Australia.

Oh.

So, when's he coming back?

He's gone, Chloe...

forever.

His choice.

He dumped you?

Yeah.

But why would he do that?

Because I didn't love him with all my heart.

Is Harm there with you?

No. He's at a funeral.

Renee's father died.

Chloe, I'm not going to discuss this any further.

You don't need to.

I know what happened.

Harm happened.

I love you.

(line clicks, dial tone drones)

(sighs)

Well, good morning, sunshine.

RENEE: He looks so peaceful.

RABB: Yeah, he does.

Dad's wearing his favorite suit.

Oh.

Uh, it's... it's becoming.

I wish you two had met.

(sniffles): Well, it's too late now.

Why don't we join the others.

Okay.

(sniffles)

Good-bye, Daddy.

Hello, Renee.

Oh, Cyrus.

Oh...

Mother sends her condolences.

Cyrus Fortney, Commander Harmon Rabb.

Nice to meet you.

RABB: Yeah, you, too.

RENEE: He looks wonderful.

Oh, well, Renee, he's your dad, so I took special care of him.

Cyrus does all of the work himself.

Really?

You know, so much of the hands-on work

is farmed out these days.

Well, that's interesting.

Renee, why don't you and, um, uh, um...

Cyrus.

...Cyrus catch up, and I'm going to wait for you outside.

Okay.

Okay. So, nice meeting you.

Take care.

Mrs. Petersen.

Why, Renee tells me that you're leaving

right after the service.

Yes, ma'am. I need to get back to Washington ASAP.

Nonsense.

I'm sure that no man wants to hear this, but...

JAG can manage without you.

(both laugh)

Mrs. Petersen, I'd really just be in the way here.

Oh, not at all.

And I know it would mean the world to Renee

to have you close.

She dotes on you.

That's Cyrus Fortney.

Yes, yes. We met.

Well, Cyrus is a lovely boy.

He and Renee were sweethearts for years.

But she...

forgot all about him

when he went to embalming school.

Well, imagine that.

Do you know that

that casket is solid bronze?

Weighs a ton.

Wow.

It will keep my husband safe

for at least a hundred years.

SINGER: Good morning, ma'am.

MacKENZIE: Good morning, Lieutenant.

Did you talk to Mic, Colonel?

No. Did he call?

No.

Well, then what?

About rescheduling the wedding.

Uh, it's off.

Off?

Yeah. Mic went back to Australia.

That's terrible.

You must feel dreadful.

I mean, when? Uh, why?

If you'd like to talk about it, ma'am,

I'm here for you.

ROBERTS: Good morning, ma'am. Morning.

Harriet and I left the weekend open

in case you decide to reschedule.

So you let us know where and when.

We'll be there with bells on.

That'll be when hell freezes over.

Good morning, Colonel.

So, when's the big day?

Tiner, no questions.

Get me in to see the admiral.

That's an order. Y-Yes, ma'am.

This is the message traffic you asked for, ma'am.

Admiral, Colonel MacKenzie would like a word with you, sir.

Send her in.

Aye, sir.

Sir, I've just learned Major Miles Holmes,

the Staff Judge Advocate

for the Marine Expeditionary Unit

aboard the Guadalcanal,

was reported missing at sea last night.

I've seen the OPREP and casualty reports.

The Amphibious Ready Group is on joint maneuvers

with the Indian Navy, Admiral.

They need a lawyer to advise on Rules of Engagement.

And to help conduct an investigation

into the disappearance of Major Holmes.

What has that got to do with you?

I want the assignment, Admiral.

Colonel, that's a step backward for you.

It doesn't matter, sir.

Well, I'm shorthanded right now.

I don't think I can spare you.

Sir, Commander Rabb returns

from convalescent leave tomorrow.

Only if I think he's ready. I'm sure he will be.

And once he's back, you'll never miss me.

You underestimate your value.

Have a seat, Mac.

You want to tell me why you checked

the message traffic for the first assignment

that'd take you out of town?

No, sir, respectfully.

Just received a request

to forward Commander Brumby's records

to the Royal Australian Navy.

He's returned to active duty.

Well, he missed the seafaring life, sir.

No, Mac. He, uh... he missed out on you,

and that makes him one damn fool.

Is that why you're asking

for a T.A.D. assignment?

Sir, I just can't talk about this one more time.

Job's yours.

That'll be all.

Thank you, sir.

Colonel, uh,

take the gunny with you.

I can take care of myself, Admiral.

Oh, I know-- it's the marines aboard the Guadalacanal

that I want to protect.

Ma'am.

Gunny, how long will it take you

to throw some things in a sea bag?

I keep one packed, Colonel.

Then meet me at Andrews at 1300.

Going out to the Guadalacanal, ma'am?

That's affirmative, Gunny.

Figures, ma'am.

What makes you think that, Gunnery Sergeant?

Do you really believe

that I'm running away from my life here at JAG?

Do you think that a simple thing like... Ma'am,

the missing Staff Judge Advocate is a marine.

It's natural you'd request the assignment.

Exactly.

GERGEN: As you know, from our first interview, Commander,

a mishap investigation report

by the safety review board is strictly confidential.

Today I want to talk to you

about what happened after you ejected.

You suffered short-term memory loss.

Do you have your memory back?

As far as I can tell.

The incident report indicates equipment failure post-ejection.

I was hoping you could clear up a few details.

Why did you take your helmet off

while you were still in your descent?

Shroud lines were wrapped around me.

I was being strangled.

You're aware

the NATOPS manual says to keep your helmet on?

I made a judgment call, Commander.

I wanted those damn lines off me before I hit the water.

You cut your way out of your risers.

Yeah, well, the release jammed.

There's nothing wrong with this release, Commander.

You know, Commander,

it's one thing to stand in front of me

and pop that thing open, but I can assure you

when I was underwater, it didn't work.

When the Viking first flew over your position

why didn't you use your flares?

Well, the first one failed,

and by the time I got to the second one

the Viking disappeared...

Or did you panic, Commander?

I didn't panic.

Then why didn't you follow standard emergency procedures?

I was fighting for my life, Commander,

being tossed about in eight- to ten-foot seas.

I did what I thought best.

And everything wasn't working the way it's supposed to.

The fact is, during this incident,

you did nothing by the book.

Hey, if I did everything wrong, why am I still alive?

Because, Commander,

somebody up there likes you.

Huh. Well, he can't like me too much--

I'm in here with you, aren't I?

Thank you, Commander.

That'll be all.

Commander,

after all that's happened

are you sure you want to stay current?

Yeah. There've been a lot of guys

who have gone through a lot less who don't have it in them

to eject a second time.

Well, I'm not one of those guys.

Let's hope you don't have to find out.

(over P.A.): Lieutenant Commander Tyler, please report to the bridge.

Lieutenant Commander Tyler, please report to the bridge.

Welcome aboard, ma'am.

Thank you.

The captain requests your presence on the bridge.

MAN: JAG on deck.

Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie and Gunnery Sergeant Galindez

reporting as ordered, sir.

Stand at ease.

You want to talk about Major Holmes.

When you have time, sir.

I have time now.

He was a friend of yours?

An acquaintance, sir.

And why was the major on deck

during flight operations, Captain?

Well, he told the flight deck officer

that he needed to interview an incoming helo pilot.

Had the pilot done something wrong?

No. The exercise had gone off without a hitch.

It's gonna be hard to know why he was out there.

Well, did anyone see him go over the side?

No, but that's not a surprise-- there was a lot going on.

Accident?

There was a possibility he got

careless or distracted.

Can you think of anyone

who may have had a grudge against the major, sir?

Well, the major had a number of open cases.

I'll make those files available to you.

But quite honestly, I find it highly improbable

that someone's going to push him overboard

in front of a hundred potential witnesses.

Do you believe Major Holmes

to be the kind of man who would kill himself, sir?

The major kept mostly to himself, so I'd have

a hard time answering that.

His wife's been informed?

Yes. And according to Mrs. Holmes,

the major was in good health and spirits.

Sometimes the wife is the last to know, sir.

Hmm. Well, that's three theories, Colonel.

So where does that leave us?

Welcome back, Commander.

Welcome back, sir. Thanks.

Welcome back, sir. Good to see you again, sir.

You're not going to find her there, sir.

At present, she's halfway around the world.

Australia?

No, sir.

The Indian Ocean.

I imagine that's a pretty big surprise.

I understand she asked to go T.A.D.

I guess she wanted to get away.

Yeah, well, we all feel that way every now and again,

don't we, Lieutenant, like we need a little space.

Tiner.

Nice to have you back, Commander.

Thank you. I need to see the admiral right away.

Yes, sir.

Commander Rabb is...

Send him in.

Sir. Commander!

Good to have you back.

Well, thank you, sir. It's good to be back.

So, how'd your interview go with the Safety Board?

Oh, well enough, sir.

I'm primed and ready to get back to work.

Good. Have a seat.

Thank you.

So, um, what makes you think you're ready

to go back to full duty?

Well, Admiral, I'm feeling better every day, and frankly,

I'm going a little crazy sitting around that apartment.

My, uh, second tour in 'Nam was... it was rough.

By the time I got stateside, I was pretty beat up.

First Sunday I was back I did something

I hadn't done in a long time-- went to church.

Priest got to the blessings,

and he gave a special thanks

for my safe return.

Those few words damn near killed me.

Till then, I had no idea how bad I hurt.

Make of it what you will.

Meantime, with the Colonel T.A.D.,

I could use all the help I can get around here.

TINER (over intercom): Admiral, your ten hundred is here, sir.

Oh, send him in.

Sir, if...

Commander.

Admiral.

Good to see you.

Sturgis.

I thought you were in Pearl.

I was. I checked in here last week.

CHEGWIDDEN: Commander Turner has just finished

his tour as Force Judge Advocate

at ComSubPac.

He's been assigned to the JAG Headquarters.

Why didn't you tell me?

Ah, when was the last time we talked?

I sent you a Christmas card.

Three years ago, to the wrong address.

It was the only address I had-- if you had bothered

to stay in touch... I wanted to get in touch with you...

CHEGWIDDEN: If you gentlemen

are through catching up with old times...

Sorry, sir.

Sorry, sir.

The, uh, commanding officer

at Naval Air Station at Whiting Field

has filed charges against a Airman Tyree.

The airman was on integrity watch on the flight line

when he took up a T-34 Charlie trainer.

Crashed on landing.

How badly was he hurt, sir?

Mm, minor abrasions on his left leg.

Sounds like he got a little tired

of chipping paint and cleaning windscreens.

(Chegwidden chuckles)

Commander Turner, you will prosecute; Rabb, you'll defend.

Yes, sir. Aye, sir.

Now, there's a matter of logistics.

Sir, I'll be more than happy to show the commander around.

Oh, good, good. Then you can be the one to tell Roberts

that Commander Turner has been assigned to his office.

Well, where will Lieutenant Roberts...

Mr. Roberts will move back to his old office.

That'll be all.

ROBERTS: I need to know what happened, Scout Loveland.

Well, he said bad words.

Right. But I need to know exactly

what Master Chief Edwards said.

But on my honor, I can't repeat them.

Oh, no, I understand, Victor, but...

it's very important that we know the specific words.

Have you ever killed anyone?

Excuse me?

Like during the Gulf War.

No. I was in R.O.T.C. at college.

But you do carry a gun now, right?

No. I'm a lawyer.

But have you ever fired a gun?

Well, I'm weapons- qualified, yes.

Victor, we should probably talk about you,

your Freedom Scout retreat

and the navy master chief who cursed at you.

Okay, but I-I can't say the words.

Hey, what if I, like, write the words out,

and then, that way, I won't have to say them?

(chuckles): Hey, you ought to be a lawyer.

(knock on door)

Lieutenant Roberts,

I'd like you to meet Commander Sturgis Turner.

Pleasure to meet you, sir.

Lieutenant.

Heard a lot about you. Welcome aboard.

Is it true that you were roommates at the academy?

Company mates.

And as a midshipman you wrote

the winning essay on leadership?

RABB: Yes, and he still has the sword to prove it.

Oh, and you met at the brigade boxing finals?

Yeah, where I got sucker-punched, huh?

Uh, look, uh, Bud,

I need to talk to you about something.

I'm afraid that... That we're running late.

Commander's just gonna show me to my office.

The only one open is my old office.

You know what, sir, I should move back there.

It's a small, cramped room with steam pipes

on the ceiling and down one wall.

Now you make it sound tempting, Lieutenant.

(laughs): Sir?

Well, the commander was a submariner.

Yeah, but still... Uh, you look

settled in here, Lieutenant.

Nice meeting you.

It's, uh, it's just to the left there, Sturgis.

Thanks, Bud.

Did you gain weight?

A little bit. I'm working on it.

All right, here you go.

(chuckles)

Wow!

Yeah, the guy cussed great.

The "guy" was a navy master chief, Scout Loveland.

He should have known better than to curse in front of children.

None of us gave a damn.

MAN: We just brought in a CH-53.

MacKENZIE: How close is Major Holmes to the helo?

He was behind the foul line, ma'am.

Well out of harm's way.

Was he acting strangely?

Can't say. Had my eyes on the helo.

Was anyone standing near Major Holmes?

It was during flight ops, ma'am.

There were people all over the place.

Who yelled, "Man overboard"?

Don't know for sure. That's good.

What happened after you knew a man had gone overboard?

Well, Captain launched a SAR helo,

and then we called muster to count noses.

Once we searched the ship,

it was pretty obvious he was missing.

And the vest that we recovered was the one that was issued

to Major Holmes when he came aboard ship.

Well, how do you account for the fact

that the vest became separated from Major Holmes?

It's a six-story drop out there,

and if the vest wasn't properly secured

there's a chance it could have got torn off.

Hard to know just what happened, ma'am.

But it's a damn shame.

We had a perfect safety record up until now.

STURGIS: Two years confinement, loss of pay,

busted to E-2.

Time served, formal counseling.

Why not just give him an air medal?

Look, no one was hurt,

the T-34 suffered minimal damage,

the accused has expressed remorse.

He stole an airplane, Harm.

A trainer.

And if it was some bubblehead who'd stolen a midget sub

you'd be arguing with me to cut him a break.

Now, come on. That is simply not true.

We have Airman Tyree cold on wrongful appropriation

and negligent damage to military property.

He's a bright kid, Sturgis.

He scored high marks on his exams,

excellent evaluations.

Six months confinement, loss of pay,

but Airman Tyree stays in the service.

Nope, no deal.

Well, then we're going to trial, my friend.

Then we go to trial.

GALINDEZ: What are we looking for, Colonel?

Anyone who didn't want to see Major Holmes in court.

Had you ever, ma'am?

We went up against each other a couple of times.

I didn't really know him outside of the courtroom.

Good lawyer?

I beat him twice.

He argued with his heart, not his head.

Well, most of what's here is routine, ma'am.

Seaman stole a pack of cigarettes

from the ship's store.

Two petty officers were busted

for hiding a couple of cases of Scotch whiskey

in a void on second deck.

And there's a Petty Officer Darling

who made threats to Major Holmes.

Why?

Major Holmes had Petty Officer Darling

scheduled for a special court-martial for fighting.

Well, I'd like to talk to the petty officer.

Not a problem, ma'am.

It must be pretty tough going through life

with everybody calling you Darling.

I wouldn't know.

I just pulled up a list of the last 50 Web sites

Major Holmes visited.

Three are garden seed catalogs.

Amazon.com six times.

And who the hell is Iris Dement?

Ooh, awesome country singer, ma'am.

That's her Web site.

Huh. Three different USO's.

Oh, that guy was a regular Boy Scout.

We need to get a look at his hard drive, Colonel.

Make arrangements with the computer specialist on board.

I have a feeling we're not going to find anything, though.

I don't think this guy had a life.

Hm. Everybody has a life, Colonel,

even Petty Officer Tiner.

MAN: Taking her up, Commander?

Thinking about it.

Well, you've come a long way out here not to fly.

Well, sometimes it's better

to stay on the ground.

Sometimes, I guess.

When you start out flying, you got no experience

and a whole lot of luck.

You hope to end up

with a whole lot of experience

before you run out of that luck.

(chuckles)

You, uh, feel lucky today?

Oh, it's hard to say, Pops.

Why is that?

Well, I, uh...

I recently used up a lifetime of luck in one night.

Well... you let me know, okay?

Yeah, will do.

TURNER: When did you discover the aircraft was missing?

HARRELSON: The following morning, sir.

It was upside down in the grass.

And how did you link Airman Tyree

to the theft and subsequent destruction of the aircraft?

Objection.

Assumes facts not in evidence.

Rephrase, Commander Turner.

How did you come to suspect

that Airman Tyree might be linked:

to the unusual state in which you found the aircraft?

After his watch ended

Airman Tyree had reported to sick bay

with various cuts and abrasions.

Is there any doubt in your mind

Airman Tyree was at the controls of the aircraft?

He admitted as much when we questioned him, sir.

Did Airman Tyree have permission

to fly the aircraft?

No, sir, definitely not.

He was not trained as a pilot.

Thank you, Master Chief.

No further questions.

Master Chief...

the morning after its discovery

when you examined the relocated aircraft

what damage did you find?

Well, it landed on grass, sir,

so all it was, was a broken strut, sir, and a bent prop.

How soon did you have the aircraft flying again, Master Chief?

The next day, sir.

So, damage to the T-34 Charlie was minimal,

interruption to training, negligible.

Your Honor, counsel is editorializing.

Commander Rabb...

Master Chief, when you confronted Airman Tyree

with your suspicions, did he deny it?

No, sir.

In December of last year

Master Chief, did the accused receive a letter of reprimand

and was he reduced in rank

from third class petty officer

to airman?

HARRELSON: Yes, sir.

RABB: For what reason?

For taxing an aircraft

too fast on the taxiway, sir.

Was he a qualified

taxi pilot at that time?

Yes, sir.

And as such, he was authorized to taxi aircraft

to the run-up area to test their engines.

Is that correct?

Yes, sir.

Does he still have

such authorization?

No, sir.

This is the accused's personnel file.

Master Chief, do you see a document

giving written authorization to taxi aircraft

as a taxi pilot?

Yes, sir.

So he had every reason to believe

he still had permission.

TURNER: Objection. The Master Chief

can't testify as to what

Airman Tyree believed or did not believe.

Sustained.

Nothing further.

Redirect, Your Honor.

JUDGE: Mm-hmm, go ahead.

Master Chief Harrelson

if Airman Tyree had his permission to taxi suspended,

why was that document still in the file?

It's bad record keeping, sir,

but there's no doubt to his status.

Busted is busted, and he knew it.

Thank you, Master Chief.

No further questions, Your Honor.

You may step down.

JUDGE: We'll reconvene at 1400.

You may call your first witness then,

Commander Rabb.

Court is in recess.

(pounds gavel)

WOMAN: I guess you could say

I threatened Major Holmes.

You, uh, threatened to "rip his heart out

through his nose."

That's a figure of speech, ma'am.

What was your grievance with the major?

He wanted to bring me

to a special court-martial for fighting.

If I was found guilty

I was going to get kicked out of the navy.

Did you get into a fight?

Everyone fights, Gunny.

They want us to be tough.

Where is the harm in that?

MacKENZIE: You were working on deck

the night Major Holmes

went overboard.

So were a lot of sailors.

Your area of responsibility

is on the starboard side of the flight deck.

That's the side off which Major Holmes fell.

Or was pushed.

I wasn't that mad, Gunny.

You have, uh--

to put it politely-- a problem with anger management.

Permission to speak off the record?

Denied.

SINGER: Don't you ever lose your temper?

Every now and then.

And you've never said a bad word.

Singer, there are 40 different words here.

I don't even know what several of them mean.

If there's anything you don't understand

I'd be glad to help you out.

Okay, look, three months in the brig.

Reduction to E-8.

Suspend the bust and confinement

and we'll arrange for voluntary community service.

Where's the punishment in that?

The guy hates kids, right?

Right.

Then do I have a deal for you.

MORROW: Here it is, ma'am.

That's everything I retrieved off the hard drive.

I got a look at some of it, ma'am.

I have to say this for the major--

he e-mailed his wife nearly every day.

GALINDEZ: What else?

Well, Gunny, he, uh, corresponded

with the American Rose Society.

He wanted to name a rose after his cleaning lady.

Anything of interest, Senior Chief?

Uh, Major Holmes visited nearly every U.S.O.

in the Pacific.

He was real serious about it, ma'am.

He kept e-mailing this administrator

at U.S.O. headquarters.

What did he want to know?

He would let her know

where the Guadalcanal was going to be on liberty

and she'd tell him all the things that he could do

once he got to liberty port.

This woman have a name?

Susan Evans.

He e-mailed her almost as often as his wife.

Airman Tyree, I'd like to revisit

the night of the incident.

So would I, sir.

I'd do a lot of things differently.

Please wait for the question, Airman. Oh, y-yes, sir.

I know we practiced it that way.

Ma'am, we-we didn't "practice" anything.

I-I reviewed the airman's testimony.

Let's see how it goes.

(Rabb sighs)

Did you move

the aircraft the night of the incident, Airman Tyree?

Yes, sir, I did.

You see...

All right, were you moving it

to the run-up area?

In that direction, yes, sir.

Did you have permission to taxi the aircraft?

I know how to do it, sir.

Actually, I became pretty good at it.

In fact, one of the pilots said I was...

Were you taxiing the aircraft too fast that night?

Yes, sir.

As Master Chief Harrelson testified

you had done it on at least one other occasion.

Yes, sir.

So, is it fair to say, Airman Tyree

that while taxiing the aircraft

for a moment, it traveled too quickly

causing the plane to lift off, and in an attempt...?

Objection.

Three leading questions busts his quota, Your Honor.

Sustained.

Airman Tyree, why did the aircraft begin to lift off?

Well, you see, sir,

the motion of the wing through the air generates lift.

As the plane taxis down the runway

when the lift exceeds the weight...

Did you intentionally fly the aircraft

or did it get away from you?

Well, sir, it pretty much got away from me

and I lacked the skills to put her down right.

Thank you.

That will be all, ma'am.

Airman Tyree, until recently,

you had an exemplary service record.

Thank you, Commander.

Given your high regard for naval aviation,

you ever thought about taking flying lessons?

Yes, sir, but they're expensive.

Oh, why not apply for flight training?

I don't have a college degree, sir, so, no commission.

Ah. Do you have a dream, Airman Tyree?

Objection. Vague.

I'll allow it.

All my life I wanted to fly, sir.

And now you have, Airman Tyree.

You have taken a naval aircraft for an unauthorized flight

and crashed it.

Objection, Your Honor.

Commander Turner, do you have a question to ask the accused?

I do, Your Honor.

Airman Tyree, was it your intention

to profit from the borrowing of this aircraft?

Did you plan to sell it for scrap?

Cut it up for spare parts?

Uh, no, sir.

I just wanted to get it up in the air, just once

to see what it was like.

TURNER: Would it be fair to say

that your flight was not an accident?

Only the last part was, sir.

No further questions, Your Honor.

JUDGE: Commander Rabb,

do you have any other questions?

None come to mind, ma'am.

Court is in recess

until 1500, at which time we'll have argument.

GALINDEZ: Bingo, ma'am.

Tell me.

Susan Evans is an entertainment coordinator

with the U.S.O.

She came aboard the Guadalcanal

with the U.S.O. unit four months ago.

Had lunch and dinner in the wardroom.

That must be where they met.

Major Holmes has been in touch with her

seven times since that visit,

and each time he's requested information

on the U.S.O. facility at the next liberty port

the Guadalcanal was scheduled to visit.

And she met him there?

I did a quick check with her credit card company.

Miss Evans stayed in a hotel

in each of the seven ports the Guadalcanal visited.

Gives a whole new meaning to the term "follow the fleet."

She's beautiful.

Yes, ma'am. Her last stay was in Jakarta.

Ship didn't stop there.

No, ma'am, but it came real close

and that's where they inserted the marines on maneuvers.

Okay, say Major Holmes faked his own death

and then jumped ship.

Where would he hide, and how would

he get off the Guadalcanal

to hook up with Susan Evans?

Let's go, Gunny.

First, Major Holmes hangs

a torn piece of uniform sleeve on a stanchion

tosses the float gear over the side

and yells "man overboard."

Kept the cranial and goggles on

because no one can recognize anybody

in those damn things.

While the ship is being searched...

he hides in here.

Holmes knew about this void

because of the two cases of scotch

the petty officers had hidden here.

Gunny, pull the screen.

Yes, ma'am.

All right, go ahead.

Look at that sleeve, ma'am.

This is Major Holmes' shirt.

He definitely spent the night here.

(sighs)

You're in no shape to play.

I'm fine.

Yeah, then how come I'm up 17-10?

'Cause you're cheating.

(both laugh)

Coming at you.

You still with that girl, the, uh...

the widow with the kid?

No. She dumped me years ago.

Oh, that's too bad; I liked her.

That was Annie, right?

Don't know what it is; they never stay.

Smart.

What's that?

They're too smart.

Or they... You find they get smarter as time goes by?

Or the opposite:

We get stupider.

Oh.

Mm.

With my recent luck with women, that is a definite possibility.

Ready?

So, you got a girl?

Nope. She's got me. (pager beeping)

The judge is back with the verdict.

JUDGE: In the case of the United States

v. Airman Peter Tyree, United States Navy

this court finds you guilty

of all charges and specifications.

Sentencing will commence at 1100 tomorrow.

Court is in recess.

That's okay, sir.

I know I didn't give you much to work with.

Considering you never had a case, Harm,

you did a great job.

It was my fault, Commander Turner.

Sometimes when I get excited,

my mouth gets ahead of my brain.

But you did a good job tripping me up.

I took no pleasure in it, Airman.

I know that, sir.

I just wish I could fly as good as you talk.

The first wave went ashore

at 0600, ma'am.

How many men per boat?

33 marines aboard the LCACs

Marines stay inside their vehicles

due to the noise of the engines.

Where do they muster?

Hanger deck.

Marines do head counts

and personnel manifests are taken

in the case of a mishap.

Then they board their vehicles.

You ever had any unauthorized personnel go ashore?

Once or twice, someone snuck

on board the LCAC after the head count.

Did you know Major Holmes by sight?

Well, you know how it is

during maneuvers, Gunnery Sergeant.

All those Marines dressed in camou

and got their faces painted black.

So, down here, I wouldn't know him from Adam.

What happens when the marines hit the Jakarta Beach?

The trucks head inland, ma'am.

After that, a man could hide just about anywhere.

Are you lost, Commander?

No, sir.

Who the hell are you?

Commander Rabb, sir.

I was hoping to speak with Admiral Landry

at a convenient moment, sir.

Well, now is not convenient,

but you've already barged in.

So, whatever you have to say, you can say it to all of us.

Aye, sir.

Come on in, Commander

and close the hatch behind you.

Yes, sir.

Master Chief, Lieutenant Roberts and I have settled on a deal

pending your agreement.

A suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service.

Okay, ma'am. Where?

The Norfolk Freedom Scout Camp.

Now, you say one word there

other than "please" or "thank you"

and you will spend six months in the brig.

Is that really the best you can do, ma'am?

Let's review the evidence against you, Master Chief.

Shall we start with the four-letter words

or the compound ones?

JUDGE: Commander Turner, Commander Rabb.

I'd like to thank you for all the time and effort

you've put into this case.

There will be no sentence handed down in this case.

In fact, my verdict stands null and void.

Uh... Ma'am?

That's because there is no more case.

Admiral Landry, who is AIRLANT

has assumed convening authority in this matter

and directed that all charges be withdrawn.

You are free to return to duty.

Thank you, ma'am.

Court is adjourned.

(gavel pounds)

Commander Rabb...

the navy has programs to put superior enlisted personnel

through college and then OCS.

Yes, Your Honor.

Admiral Landry suggests

Airman Tyree might make a fine candidate

How the hell did you get a three-star

to take up Airman Tyree's cause?

I told him the truth.

The airman's a smart kid who needs a little education

and a lot of time to grow up.

The navy is always looking for men with dedication and passion.

Hey, anybody who wants to fly that badly, well...

(chuckles)

they should be flying for us.

(car horn honking)

Thank you.

GALINDEZ: Miss Evans.

Who are you?

Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez, ma'am.

Where's Major Holmes?

End of the line, Miss Evans.

How did you find us?

Well, you used your credit card one too many times, ma'am.

Come with me, please.

Thank you, sir.

Major Holmes.

Colonel MacKenzie.

Major, why fake your death?

It was the only way, ma'am.

You put your wife through hell.

Why not just file for divorce?

This way, she got my insurance, and I got a new life.

Where were you going to live?

In a shack on the beach in Indonesia?

It worked for Gauguin.

That was Tahiti and he painted.

I don't expect you to understand, ma'am.

You didn't have to take a wrecking ball to your life.

I didn't give up one damn thing I wanted, Colonel.

With Susan, I'd finally gotten to a place

where anything-- a sunset,

the curve of her thigh, the air I breathe--

anything was enough with her.

Didn't you ever love anyone

so much that you would have given up the world for?

Did love ever make you crazy?

Once or twice.

Not again?

Well, maybe one day, you'll get up the nerve

to stop playing it safe and work without a net.

Wow!

What is this exactly, sir?

It's a Stearman.

Two generations of naval aviators

trained in one of these.

Yours?

My dad's.

He teach you to fly?

Well, he, uh...

he taught me to want to fly.

Are you ever afraid, sir, when you're up there?

Hell, yeah.

I'm afraid of screwing up, afraid of losing control.

Not afraid of dying?

No. You can't be.

How about you, Peter?

Where did you get the bug?

Well, you're going to laugh, sir.

Top Gun, Midway

12 O'Clock High.

That was the late show.

See, you're laughing.

Oh, I've seen them all: 30 Seconds Over Tokyo

Flying Leathernecks, Bridges at Tokori...

Oh, that's my favorite, sir.

I always get a lump in my throat

when Bill Holden and Mickey Rooney get killed.

And the admiral, what was his name?

Fredric March.

Yes. Then the admiral says...

"Where do we get such men?"

Go on, sit up front.

Get up there.

(Tyree whooping)

(laughing)

You ready?

Yes, sir.

She's yours.

(laughing)