Original subtitles

Just like swatting flies.

There!

Just like Nam.

Nam.

What's Nam?

What's Nam?

Vietnam.

Nam is Vietnam, buddy.

What else?

Fred, how's it going?

Don't ask.

When are you going to get a job, [inaudible]..

You give the enemy an inch, they take your life.

I'm trying.

It's kill or be killed.

Sure you are.

That

I'll back it up.

You bet it is.

Charming.

The Viet Cong.

Big war hero down there.

My man was coming down a valley, like this, see?

Comes in here like he owns the joint, and kill this one,

kill that one.

Real good point man.

A kid from Montana.

I've been listening to that garbage for three hours.

So we come down here, and I ended up on this little perch.

And we bushwhacked them bushwhackers.

Malam! Malam!

Malam!

We swatted at them little sons of--

them little suckers like flies.

Hey, you was over there in Vietnam, wasn't you, Fred?

Yeah, I was there.

You know what it was really like then.

Yeah, sure.

Charlie makes a move, you hit 'em.

Ba-bam! Ba-bam!

Would you look at that loudmouth?

Yeah, I always told them, this is a war.

This is a mean business.

You can't cut it, get back behind your momma's skirts.

Pearson, come here.

You've got to be a man, I said.

Not some crybaby.

Pearson!

Your job is to do some killing,

and that's what you do.

Ba-bam!

Ba-bam!

Pearson, where's your rifle?

Ba-bam! Ba-bam!

Ba-bam!

Fred, what's the matter?

I told him, you're a marine.

This is my rifle.

It is my life.

Now, a dirty weapon will--

Blow up in your face.

You don't have a clean weapon, you're going to pay

the price to Sergeant Guedo.

You're going to get dirty detail till you puke!

Hey Fred, are you all right?

You don't look too good.

Move!

Move! Move!

Move it!

No, I'm all right.

See you guys tomorrow.

Hey, barkeep, how much do I owe you?

$6.00.

Five, six.

Nice shooting.

Thanks.

Ba-bam, ba-bam, ba-bam.

What's your problem, fella?

Hey, barkeep.

Get this guy a drink.

He looks like he needs one.

Get out!

Get out of the way!

Guedo!

Guedo!

Where are you Guedo!

Remember me!

Private Fred Pearson, Guedo!

You goddamn look at me!

Guedo!

It was him.

I know it was him.

So it was him.

What difference does it make?

He made my life hell.

That was years ago.

That was in the marines.

Pearson, dirty detail.

Dirty detail.

He was out to crack me.

He wouldn't leave me alone.

Nothing I can do was right.

Dirty detail.

Dirty detail.

That was the marines.

Everybody gets dirty detail in the marines.

He had it in for me!

Everybody has it in for you.

Your last five jobs, your boss had it in for you.

The whole world has it in for you.

You don't know what it was like with Guedo.

Vietnam, my first firefight, the guy standing next to me

is shot.

I roll him over, and his stomach is hanging out.

I threw up.

Guedo sees that, he laughs. he says, Pearson, clean it up!

When we get back, you do the latrines.

Then you do the garbage pit.

Then you do the body bags!

You just take it easy, now.

Come on.

Come on.

Don't want to get yourself all upset.

You don't want to have to go back to the vet's hospital,

do you?

He did it.

He broke me.

He had it out for me.

Oh, Fred.

Poor Fred.

Everybody has it in for you.

Just go to sleep.

Everything will be all right.

OK.

It's clear.

Come on.

Pearson, come here.

I'm going to put you on dirty detail.

I'm going to put you on the garbage pit permanently!

Go on! - Go!

Go! Go!

Go!

Pearson!

He's dead.

Come on.

You're going to pay the price to Sergeant Guedo.

You hear me?

I don't have no ...

In Nam, you shaped up.

Charlie saw to it, or you shipped out in a body bag.

I had my share of lemons.

The big warrior is back again.

Sure.

Be the last one in Sergeant Guedo's outfit.

I was tough on my men.

I swear, some of these guys, the high point of their life

is a damn morgue.

I got 'em shipped out.

I got 'em shipped out alive.

A sloppy marine's a dead marine.

There, you guys owe me some beers.

I'll be back to collect.

Never mess around with crack-shot Guedo.

Hey, Pearson, you owe me a buck!

Would you put that cigarette out, please?

Look, kid,

you kill or be killed.

You hear me?

What did I say?

Did you hear me?

What did I say?

Kill or be killed.

Fred?

Fred, is that you?

Didn't you hear me calling you?

Yeah.

I had something on my mind.

Well, where have you been?

A job.

I went to see about a job.

And?

I have to go back tomorrow.

Well, what kind of a job?

They want a man with military experience.

That's no good for you.

You got a medical discharge.

They think I'm perfect for it.

Well, what kind of a job is it?

It's a surprise.

You'll see when I get it.

Oh, Fred.

I hope it works out.

That's all you really need.

A good job would do you just fine.

It'll work out.

Don't worry.

Don't worry about anything.

Are you all right?

I mean, all that talk about your Sergeant in the marines.

Yeah, I'm fine.

I don't even think about him anymore.

Well, are you coming to bed soon?

Soon?

Yeah.

Yeah, soon.

Ruthie, for what it's worth, I love you.

all right, Fred!

Breakfast is ready!

Oatmeal?

Yeah.

I'm in a rush.

The office is just overflowing with work.

Oh yeah.

You better hurry.

Did you sleep all right?

I'm fine.

Never better.

You were throwing yourself around.

I thought maybe those bad dreams had come back.

No.

No more bad dreams.

Remember, we're having dinner at my mother's tonight.

I can't go.

Why not?

The job.

I have a chance for the job.

I've got to see the man tonight.

You'll have to go your mother's by yourself.

well, all right.

You know, you haven't told me anything about this job.

I told you it was going to be a surprise.

Wish me luck.

Sure.

Good luck.

I'll see you late tonight, honey.

Yes.

I know.

I know.

Sorry I ran out on you yesterday.

Here's the buck I owe you.

No sweat.

You know that guy that's been coming in here?

The guy at the pool table?

Oh, you mean the big war hero?

Yeah.

He looked so familiar to me, and then it

dawned on me who he was.

We were in the service together.

You've got to be kidding me.

Yeah.

I owe him something.

Money?

A debt.

I always pay my debts.

hey, Ernie.

Speak of the devil.

Give me a shot and a beer.

I've got to get the engine started.

Hey, listen.

Pearson, down there at the end of the bar,

he says he knows you.

Says you were in the marine corps together.

How are you doing?

You know, when it dawned on me--

I was telling Ernie--

it finally happened.

I remember where it was.

Fifth Marines. Sergeant Guedo.

That's right.

Pearson.

Private Pearson.

Come on.

You've got to remember.

You always said I was the worst recruit you ever had.

Yeah?

I must hold the record for pulling the most dirty details.

Hey, foul-ball Pearson?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Foul-ball Fred.

Right.

Foul-ball Fred Pearson.

You should have seen this guy.

What a mess.

Yeah.

How have you been, buddy?

Fine.

How you doing, buddy?

Well, some days are good, some days are better.

You know how it goes.

Sure.

Well, here's to you, Foul-ball.

Here's to you, Serge.

I knew you looked familiar, I just couldn't figure it out.

Yeah, it's been a few years.

Yeah.

I thought about you a lot, Serge.

Oh really?

Yeah.

You had a strong effect on me.

Yeah?

We was in Nam together.

Yeah.

He was the sloppiest marine I've ever seen.

I was afraid you were going to blow up the whole outfit.

Yeah, I'm beginning to remember now.

They-- they shipped you on the psycho, didn't they?

Yeah, they did.

My nerves were a little shot.

From all those dirty details.

That's why you got shipped out.

You could've gotten some of the other guys killed.

You had to know your weapon, and be ready to use it.

Well, good to see you, Foul-ball.

Yeah.

All those years, I've had something on my mind, Serge.

What's that?

The $100 you loaned me.

$100?

Yeah, you remember.

We were on liberty in Da Nang.

All the guys were partying out downtown,

and I was a little low, and you helped me out.

You're a hell of a guy for helping me out.

And I pay back all my debts, eh, Ernie?

Oh, yeah.

That's right.

I'm going to pay you back.

You owe me $100?

Right.

Ha.

Well, I'll be a son of a gun.

It's real good to see you, Foul--

Fred.

It's terrific!

I don't have it with me.

I'm just a couple of bus stops from here, you know?

We'll jump on the bus, stop by the house.

Pick it up, huh? - That's A-OK with me.

That sounds fine.

You're giving, I'm taking.

Ernie, what did he get? Take it out of here.

- No, no. - Come on.

No, no, no. It's on me.

No.

$3.00, $3.00.

Aw, it's on me, buddy.

Thanks, buddy.

Here.

This is my lucky day.

Sure is.

So, buddy?

Just over here.

It's a long way from Da Nang, huh?

Yeah.

I was lucky to get out when I did.

You're lucky to be alive.

This is mine.

Come on in.

Thanks.

Make yourself at home.

Thanks.

This is a nice setup.

Oh, yeah.

What line of work you in?

Semi-retired.

You live alone?

I'm married.

Huh.

Where's the wife?

She works.

It's nice.

Real nice.

Sit down.

Make yourself comfortable.

Thanks.

Can I get you a drink, buddy?

Yeah, I don't mind if I do.

Rye?

Whatever you say.

You know, I just can't get over running into you like this.

Yeah, well, some days everything just comes to you.

That's right.

Well, here's to my old buddy Pearson.

Foul-ball Pearson.

Here's to all the dirty details you used to give me.

Ha, I'll drink to that.

Ah.

You caused me to suffer a lot, Serge.

Oh, that's the corps, Fred.

You know, make or break.

My life's never been the same.

Knowing when you can't make it, you can't cut it, it hurts.

Foul ball.

Your life can really get rotten.

That's the past.

Water over the dam.

How's your life, Serge?

How are you doing these days?

Oh, well, I've been better, I've been worse.

Take the bad with the good.

What do you do for a living?

Dirty work, I hope.

Like the dirty details you used to give me.

Uh, look, Pearson, why don't you just give

me the money you owe me, and--

Money?

You think I brought you here to give you money?

No.

I owe you something else.

What do you want?

I want to see how tough you really are.

Yeah?

What's that supposed to mean?

You brought me here for nothing.

No, not nothing.

Oh, no.

Punk.

I wouldn't talk like that.

Not here, Serge.

Still a whining punk.

You have no rank here.

I've got better things to do than talk to punks.

You hold it right there!

What are you doing with that thing?

Sit down.

We're going to straighten out some things.

Are you nuts or something?

Is that thing loaded?

yeah, it's loaded.

Remember, you used to yell at me all the time to keep it loaded?

You taught me well, Serge.

Sit down!

You're psycho.

It's not nice to call me names.

I'm just trying to be sociable, Sergeant.

I just want to talk about the old times.

You remember the old times, don't you?

16 hours in the grease pits--

Now look, buddy--

Garbage detail and the body bags!

Foul-ball Pearson, get in the garbage pit!

How'd you like to stuff body bags for 16 hours?

What's to stop me from putting a bullet right through your head?

Give me one good reason.

Hey, Pearson--

Start talking, Sergeant.

Give me a reason.

That was a long time ago.

I didn't mean nothing by it.

And see, things are different now.

Not for me!

Things are the same! Everything's the same!

Day in, day out!

Dirty details!

Dirty details!

I hate you just as much now as I did then.

I want to hear you beg, big shot.

Start begging.

I ain't begging for nothing.

You're gonna shoot me, go ahead and shoot!

Maybe you've got the guts, finally.

Guedo.

I don't regret nothing I did.

I did what I had to do.

You weren't a marine.

You're a sloppy punk!

You're not helping yourself, Sergeant.

You couldn't march.

You couldn't dress.

You couldn't shoot!

You were a disgrace to the Marine Corps!

You miserable coward!

An M-16.

Yeah.

He was in my outfit in Vietnam.

You vets never learn, do you?

These souvenirs are dangerous.

They kill.

Poor, dumb guy.

I was his Sergeant.

I told him to keep his rifle clean.

That a dirty rifle will blow up in his face.

He wouldn't listen.

I tried my best.

He just would never listen.