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{"Soul Finger" by The Bar-Kays
playing on speakers}

(patron 1) Thank you, Colonel!

(grunts) Sorry. Hey, come on.
Coming through! Coming through!

- That's for you.
- (patron 2) All I'm saying is,

I can't remember the last time
Chickie paid for a beer.

Wait, are you calling me cheap?

No, he's calling you a freeloader.
Now, where's my change?

Thank you.

Are you shittin' me?

- Hey, Noodle.
- Mmm?

When I get off a ship flushed with cash,
who picks up more tabs than me?

- No one.
- Bingo.

But you haven't been on a ship
in three months. Do the math.

Can't even go to the Shilling no more,
'cause he ain't paid his tab!

Hey, that's bullshit!
I can't go to the Shilling no more,

because that's where
the Keenan brothers hang out.

They still mad about you and their sister?

I don't know. And I don't wanna find out.

Hey, who put this shit on?

I did. I love this song!

I love this song too.

- (patron 2) This song sucks.
- It's not great.

Hey, Colonel! One more round!

Forget it, Donohue.
You're three weeks behind on your tab.

This ain't on me! It's on Brendan!

Lucky boy!

(chuckles) And keep 'em comin'!

- (door opens)
- (parent 1) Hey.

Get your ass out of bed, you lazy bum!
Come on.

- Fuck. I'm up.
- You're not up!

11:30 mass began ten minutes ago,
for Chris... Get the hell up, Chick!

I went there five o'clock last night.

Bullshit.
Your mother and I were at the five.

Look at you, sleeping your life away.

I'll stay awake when I'm dead.

(parent 2) For God sake's, Chickie.
Church started already!

Get up!

(pipe organ playing)

(church choir singing)

(churchgoers chattering)

(singing continues)

- What are you doing tonight, Chickie?
- What do you think he's doing?

(sighs)
It's the same every night with him.

He's off on a toot. He sleeps all day.
He's "Good Time Chickie." Must be fun.

Oh, my Go... Here we go again.

You know, being a merchant mariner
ain't no pleasure cruise, okay?

- Yeah, yeah.
- It's backbreaking work.

Oh, boohoo, Chickie.

So this is my time to kick back
and relax a little,

like a professor on summer break.

Oh. Oh, yeah. You're... You're a professor,
and your grandmother's Miss America.

Oh, come on. Do we gotta start this again?

You know what? It's my house.
He's gonna live by my rules!

He wants to be a drunk and sleep all day.
Maybe he should get his own place!

Fine. I'll move out.

- (grunts)
- That's a waste of money, Chickie.

You're out to sea more than half the year.

Catherine, you gotta stop babying the boy.

When I was your age, I had two jobs.
I had three kids. I had a wife.

Mmm. So it's my fault
you knocked up Ma in high school?

- Hey! (hisses)
- Chickie!

We got pregnant after we were married!

Chickie: Oh, come on, Ma.

You got married in January.
Gerard was born in June. It don't add up.

- It was a leap year.
- A what?

What does that mean?

Gerard came early. That's how it adds up.

- Very common in first deliveries.
- Hmm.

(sibling) Johnny Knopf's dead.

- No.
- I just ran into Judy Byrne. (cries)

She's best friends
with his sister, Mo. (sniffles)

But he… (stammers) …he just got there.

Well, you know, the family can be proud.
He died a hero, that boy.

(scoffs) How do you know?

How do I know?

Because he died for his country.
That's how I know.

For his country to do what?

Hey, Christine. This ain't the time.

(sighs) Well, when's gonna be the time?

We don't even know why
we're fightin' over there.

Oh, for Christ sakes.
Has it ever occurred to you

our country knows very well
what they're doing,

they just haven't told you yet?

LBJ's lying to us!
He won't even admit it's a war!

- Oh, yeah. Everybody's lying, Christine.
- Christine: They are lying!

Christine, that's enough.

(sighs) Yeah, Ma, it is enough.

Eight kids from this neighborhood
are dead already.

How many's it gonna take
before you all wake up?

(sighs)

(newscaster)
The young mother's daughter was shot

while quietly riding a bicycle
with her father.

On a public lane, in a little village.

In the warm sun on a beautiful day.

- (people speaking Vietnamese)
- She will be dead in an hour…

Knopf wasn't even supposed to be there.

He and his old man signed a waiver
so he could enlist at 17.

Jesus. What the hell was his rush?

His rush was
he was doing his patriotic duty.

You make a very good point.

(Colonel scoffs)

This is bullshit.
They should not be showing this on TV.

This would not fly back in my day.

There was no TV back in your day.

Yeah. And we were better for it.

War is not a TV show. It's too real-life.

And the American people
can't handle real life?

No, they can't.
And they shouldn't have to.

Bringing dead soldiers,
guys with no arms and legs,

into our living rooms

is not helping no one.

If they had showed
the Battle of the Bulge on TV,

we'd have quit after three days.

We didn't. We took our licks,
but we pushed 'em back, and we won.

It was a different time.
It was a different war, Colonel.

(sighs) What are you selling, Noodle?
You saying you're on their side?

I'll throw you right the hell outta here.

Jesus, Colonel.
You got a short fuse today, huh?

I ain't got a short fuse.
You just don't know when you lit it.

(chattering)

(friend) God, I hate these things.

Why can't they just have a funeral
and get it over with?

This just drags it out
and makes it worse for everyone.

- Asshole.
- Ow.

The wake is for the family.
It's not about you.

It gives 'em time to grieve and shit
before they put him in the dirt.

You hit it on the head.
We need wakes. They're important.

It's very good for everyone to grieve.

Jesus, Danny. Don't you ever
have an opinion that you stick to?

- You just blow with the wind, don't you?
- No.

I just try to be open-minded
to everybody's point of view.

- Oh.
- Like the way dogs are.

"Like the way dogs are"?

- What's he saying?
- Oh, I'm just saying dogs don't judge.

The Minogues got a telegram this morning.

Tommy's MIA.

(sighs)

Come on.

(sniffs)

(sighs)

(crying)

Goddamn it.

The ball's dropping in ten minutes.
We're gonna miss it, Chick.

Don't worry about it, Tommy.
It'll drop again next year!

Yeah, but I've never seen it.

- You've never seen the ball drop?
- Only on TV.

- (passengers cheering)
- Bullshit.

I swear. I've never seen it live, Chick.
Just once I wanna be there live.

All right, come on. Let's go!

(sighs)

Goddamn it. (breathes shakily)

(protesters chanting)

Poor Minogue. He was the best.

Don't say "was." MIA doesn't mean dead.

If anyone can survive out there,
it's Tommy.

He and his brothers,
they got those street smarts, you know?

(friend) Look at these scumbags.

(protesters chanting) Hey, hey, LBJ!
How many kids did you kill today?

Hey, whoa. What are you doing?

Go home! Go home, you commie bastards.

(blowing)

Hey, man! Stop, man! What are you doing?

Those candles represent soldiers
who were killed in Vietnam!

Oh. Sorry.
I thought they were peace candles.

What, you got a problem with peace?

I got a problem with you, mouth!

These demonstrations
are hurting our troops!

Yeah, why don't you just keep marching
right up to Canada

and lock the key behind you?

Come on, Chickie. Let's get outta here.

(chanting continues)

What the hell?

How many kids did you kill today?

Hey, hey, LBJ!
How many kids did you kill today?

- Hey! Let's go.
- (exclaims)

…go of me!

What the hell are you doing? Go home now!

You're embarrassing yourself,
and you're embarrassing your family!

Trying to save more In wood kids from dying
is embarrassing myself?

That's right.
Because this... this ain't helping nobody.

At least I'm trying to get 'em home alive.

Everyone's doing something,
and you're doing nothing.

Doing nothing?

I served four years in uniform,
starting when I was 18 years old.

You were playing poker
in a military base in Massachusetts.

You weren't dodging bullets,
you were dodging bar tabs.

So quit acting like you've been there!

Oh, come on. You know what? Screw you!

Now, let's go.

Oh, I'm not going anywhere with you!

I'm gonna be here every day
until this war's over,

because this war is immoral!

Don't tell us about immoral, all right?

We're burying Johnny Knopf tomorrow,
and Tommy Minogue's MIA,

and you're out here
marching with the enemy?

- Tommy?
- Let's just go home, please?

Don't tarnish Johnny's memory like this.

"Tarnish his memory"?

I'm doing this to honor his memory,
you dumb shit!

I don't wanna see no more kids die
for nothing!

For nothing?
They died to save us from communism!

This war isn't about stopping communism,
it's about spreading imperialism!

Hey, cool-breeze. Shut the fuck up!

- You shut up!
- Yeah. Don't push us into your war.

- Fascist pig!
- You're the problem, man!

What the f... My war?

I'm just here looking out for my friends,
who, by the way,

- are over there fighting for you!
- Exactly!

We don't need your friends killing for us,
man!

You know what, baby killer?
You and me, let's go!

I don't wanna fight, man.
This march is about peace.

Oh, to hell with your peace!
Come on. You and me, let's go!

- I'm not gonna fight you.
- Christine: Stop it.

You don't have a choice!
I'm gonna hit you in about three seconds.

But I'll give you the first crack.

Go ahead, give it your best shot.

(gasps) What are you doing?

Don't you do it, Chickie, don't!

- You asshole!
- Stop! Stop it!

(protesters clamoring)

(grunts) Hey! Ba... Back off! Back off!

Stay there! Hey! Back off!

Hey, Christine!

Christine!

Take a shower!

Those pussies had us outnumbered 10-to-2,
and we still kicked their asses!

So how'd your cheek get all swelled up?

Sucker-punch. Some hippie.
That's what started it.

Do these dumb-ass protesters not know
that our soldiers see that bullshit on TV

and that it's broadcast
all over the world?

And this is exactly what the enemy wants.

To see us divided. Fighting.

If Americans can't agree,

it makes it look like they're right,
and we're wrong.

I just wish our guys could see

that the vast minority
of the country's behind them.

- You... You mean vast majority?
- Well, no. I wouldn't go that far.

I think most people are behind them,
yeah, sure.

But not everyone.

You know what I'd like to do?
I'd like to go over to Vietnam

and track down Reynolds, Collins,
Pappas, Duggan, Minogue.

You know,
all the boys in the neighborhood.

And just give them a beer, you know?
To say thank you.

To the boys!

- Colonel: To the boys!
- (all) The boys!

I could do that.

Do what?

Bring 'em beer.

I could sign up for a ship headed to 'Nam.
Drop off a few brews.

Are there even boats going over there
with the wars going on?

Hell yeah.
Who do you think's bringing 'em supplies?

Are you serious, Chick?

You can just hop on a merchant marine ship
and drive over there?

Of course he's not serious.
He's hammered. Look at him.

The man's stone sober.
That's his fifth beer, maybe, tops.

Don't bullshit us, Chick.
Could you really pull this off?

Could, would, and will. That's a promise.

I'm gonna show 'em that this neighborhood
and this country is still behind 'em.

- (Brendan chuckles)
- What Chickie's saying is important.

It's very important.

It'll prop our boys up.

Maybe a good ol' American beer
will remind them

what they're fightin' for.

Thank God someone knows.

You bring it to 'em in this.
That way they know it's from all of us.

We're bringing the boys beer.

Hey, Chickie? Chickie, don't do this.
Tell 'em you're full of shit.

- It's always harder afterwards.
- Okay.

Get me a list of all the guys
and the units that they're in, okay?

Because I'm going to Vietnam,
and I'm bringing them beer!

- (all) Yeah!
- Yeah! Let's go!

God bless you, Chickie.

Those brave bastards over there,
fighting and dying for this country.

We're sitting on our asses doing nothing.
Except for you.

Yeah. Well, I ain't done nothing yet.

The hard part's gonna be finding a ship.

Then, once I get over there,
how am I even gonna track 'em down?

Shouldn't be that difficult.
Small country, right?

Shitload of trees, though.
It's like an African jungle over there.

Hey, McFadden just got back from 'Nam.
I bet he's got a map.

He could show you
where they're all stationed.

Right, but like I said,
getting there's the real problem.

Even if I do find a ship,
what if they're fully staffed up? They...

Chickie! When you're in Vietnam,
you're gonna visit my son, right?

- Well...
- 127th MP Company.

See, it's right there on the patch
on his shoulder.

He'll be so excited
to see a friendly face.

Yeah, there's still a few kinks
to iron out, Mrs. Collins.

Like, I don't even know
if it's possible for me to get over there.

And when you see him,
please give him a hug for me.

Jesus, those guys are putting the horse
way in front of the cart.

What do you mean?

I never said I was going to Vietnam,
I said I was gonna try to go.

No, I'm pretty sure you said you was going
and that you was bringing beer.

Yeah. If there was a boat.

Yeah, I don't remember that part.

Shit, Noodle. Read between the lines!

How the hell can I control
if there's a boat or not?

- Okay.
- No, it's not okay.

'Cause now I'm gonna look like an asshole
if I don't go.

- To who?
- To those guys.

Don't worry about those guys.
They don't really think you're going.

They're just busting your balls.

What? They don't think I'm going?

Well, you're not going, right?

That's beside the point.
Why do they think I'm not going?

Well, no offense, but, come on, Chick.

There's a lot of things
you say you're gonna do

that you don't get around to doing
'cause, you know, you get busy.

What things I ever say
I was gonna do I didn't do, huh?

Seriously. Name one thing.

You never became a cop.

And you never played shortstop
for the Yankees.

- What?
- It was fifth grade.

I said I was gonna be a cop.

What, you're not allowed
to change your mind after fifth grade?

That doesn't count.

Well, you never graduated high school.

When did I say I would?

You never sold peanuts
at the Polo Grounds.

Because the day I was gonna start,

Patty Benedetto gave me a way better job
loading rigs at Empire Trucking.

Yeah,
but then you quit that job one day after.

So it's my fault the boss was an asshole?

Well... Look, Chickie, all we're saying is,
you don't have to go to Vietnam.

It's not like people really expect you to.

Let's go.

So when were you gonna tell us?

You know, that you're bringing beer
to your friends in Vietnam.

Richie Reynolds's girlfriend, Jeanie,
dropped these socks off.

She already mailed him a few pairs,
but he never got them.

So she wants you to hand deliver 'em.

And Mr. Collins dropped off 33 bucks
for Tommy,

so he could pay back his poker losses
and he wants you to tell him to stop.

So, I'm just curious,
how many pops in were you

when you came up
with this brilliant notion?

So Christine,
you saying I'd have to be drunk

to wanna support my friends in Vietnam?

How would bringing beer
be supporting them?

It's about friendship and loyalty,
something you know nothing about.

If you really want to support them,
help us get 'em the hell out of there.

Oh, my God. You're like a broken record.

You know, I can't...
The thing I can't figure out

is how he's gonna get all the Clydesdales
on the boat.

- (chuckling)
- You three, don't laugh at him.

You'll talk him into this foolishness
and get him killed.

Stop it, Catherine.

No one's ever gotten killed sleeping
till 3:00 in the afternoon.

Chickie's fine.

Mrs. Minogue. I-I... Uh...

Chickie, I... I hear you're going over
to visit the boys.

I want you to bring this to Tommy
when you see him.

- Yeah, come on in. Just, come on in.
- No. No, no, no.

I want to drop these off.

They can't find Tommy right now…
but I'm sure they will.

No, please, Mrs. Minogue,
you hold onto those, all right?

If I end up going,

then I'll come and pick 'em up from you,
okay? I promise.

No. You see,
Tommy said that he brought some,

but I bet he didn't.

Anyway, having two sets can't hurt, right?

No, I guess not.

Thank you, Chickie.

- (clears throat)
- (phone ringing)

Hey, chief.

Uh, no chance you have a ship heading
to Vietnam any time soon, right?

That cargo ship, Drake,
getting ready to push off.

No shit. What time?

1700 hours.

Tonight?

- What, in three hours?
- Yeah.

Goes out of Jersey, straight to Panama,
then straight to 'Nam.

Should be there in two months or so.

But I doubt they need an oiler
this late in the game?

Um, oiler. (sighs)

Hey, you're in luck.
They're still one short.

Oh.

And why are they going out of Jersey?

She's loaded with 10,000 tons of ammo.

Blow up half of Manhattan
if something went sideways.

If Jersey goes up, who'd miss it?

You want in?

(car hoots)

Chickie!

You can't be serious?

What?

Please don't do this.
This is the dumbest thing I ever heard.

Dumber than carrying around signs,
calling our friends baby killers?

Don't give me that shit.
I wasn't carrying that sign.

Yeah, but you were marching
with someone who was.

Just imagine being a soldier,

just got home
and that's the first thing he sees,

is that sign.

(sighs)

Please, Chick.

- You're gonna get yourself killed there.
- No, I'm not.

Yes, you are! I... I don't get it.
Why are you doing this?

It's like you said.
Everyone's doing something.

I'm doing nothing.

(engine starts)

Three days' leave?
You got some nuts on you, Donohue.

Nobody gets three days.

What about the engine room?
That's gonna run itself?

Sir,
I worked double-time the whole way here,

and I got all my shifts covered, sir.

I don't give two shits.

And don't talk to me like we're
in the marines, you butt-licker.

No one's getting off this ship.
We're in a goddamn war zone.

But I have to.

Oh, you have to?
What's your deal, Donohue?

I need to find my stepbrother.
Uh, Ricky Duggan, First Air Cav.

Stepbrother?
He's not your goddamn real brother?

No way. You ain't getting three days
for a half-ass brother.

I got a rust bucket to run here.

But he is my real brother, sir.
Uh… (stammers) …my mom is his mom.

Uh, you know,
my... my dad died fighting in Okinawa.

And, you know, my mom remarried
and Ricky was born,

and we was raised together,
just like real brothers.

You know, I just got word
my... my stepdad, Ricky's dad, just died.

I don't want Ricky to read the news
in a letter

or hear about it on a phone call.

I would like to tell him in person.

How'd he die?

Stroke.

Linger?

Yeah. Like a week or two.
It got real ugly at the end there, so…

Where's this stepbrother?

(clicks tongue) Oh, he's, uh...
He's up north. The LZ… Jane.

Christ.

Shit's hit the fan up there.
You could be walking into a bloodbath.

You know that, right?

Well, he... he's my brother.

You get all the info on the stepbrother
and all that,

in case Donohue gets his balls blown off
stepping on a land mine?

Yeah, all right here.

Okay. You got three days.

It's 8:05. If you're not back here
in 72 hours and one second,

you better be dead.

Yes, sir. You have my word, sir!

(chattering)

Hey,
you guys ain't with the 127th MP Company?

Yeah, and what about it?

You don't happen to know a guy
named Tommy Collins from New York?

(chuckles) Yeah, we know Collins.

- No shit?
- (military policeman) Yeah.

(laughs)

Yeah. Uh, you wouldn't know
where I could find him, would you?

- Why?
- I just brought him a couple of beers

from New York. (grunts)

Seriously, pal,
why you looking for Collins?

No, I'm being serious. I...

This whole thing's full of beer
from back home.

Now, listen, smart-mouth.
You looking to take a swim?

No, no, no. Guys...
Look, I ain't messin' with you.

I'm serious. This... Here.

In fact, you know what?
I got a couple for you too.

Hey, Pete. He's good. Let him in.

Hey, buddy. He is in there somewhere.

- Thanks, guys.
- All right.

All right, which one of you donut holes
wants to get your ass kicked first?

- The fuck you say?
- You heard me, cupcake.

What,
you think that uniform makes you tough?

Come on, bring it on.
I'll stuff you right in that helmet.

(both laughing)

Chickie, Chickie, Chickie!
What the hell are you doing in here?

Oh, you know,
I was just in the neighborhood.

- No, seriously. What are you...
- (laughs)

Guys, this is my buddy from back home,
Chickie Donohue.

Yeah.

Got some pretty screwy friends, Collins.

Oh, without a doubt. Guess what?

This screwy friend
just came 10,000 nautical miles

to deliver your ass
a sudsy thank-you card.

{"C'est Les Vacances"
by Ilona Mitrecey playing}

- (song continues on radio)
- Like my grandfather used to say,

always ring the doorbell with your elbow.

And that, my friends,
is called the Irish hello.

- Here. Take that.
- Hello, Ireland.

Hello.

- Take it.
- Mm-hmm.

I still can't believe you came
all this way just to bring me a beer.

Not just you.

I came for Duggan, Reynolds, Pappas.
All the guys.

- That's the dumbest thing I ever heard of.
- Chickie: Really?

Is it dumber than the time you took a pull
off your nephew's baby bottle,

'cause you wanted to know
what titty milk tastes like?

- (chuckles)
- Whoa, that was your sister's titty milk?

No, it was my brother's wife's.
I'm not an asshole.

Oh, hey, hey. Wait, wait.

So, I got this from your old man,
$33 to pay off your poker debt.

- Thank you.
- Almeida, what the hell...

Uh-uh. Now we're even, buddy.

What the hell's going on here?

Attention!

- Where'd those beers come from?
- (music stops)

Who the hell are you?

I'm Chickie Donohue.

And what the hell are you doing here?

Just got off a ship, sir.

Am I talking to you, Collins?

What's your business?

Uh, just traveling around.

Be more specific.

Okay. Uh, more specific...
I'm traveling around Viet... In Vietnam,

and I'm… (stammers) …bringing beers

to as many of my friends
from my neighborhood as I can.

You're traveling in country? Alone?

Yeah. That's right.

(sighing) Understood.

As you were.

As you were.

- Ah, h-he seems like an okay guy.
- He's not.

Did he just have a stroke?

Nah, nah, nah. Don't you get it?

He thinks
your man Don Ho here is a "tourist."

Mmm.

What do you mean? I am a tourist.

- Tourist is what we call CIA.
- CIA? Get the hell outta here.

Man, who else but CIA
would be headed up-country,

dressed like they're going on a golf trip?

(chuckles) No, Erickson's right.

The military brass does not like
to mix it up with CIA.

Yeah, that's the quickest way
to get your ass reassigned

to combat patrol.

You're kidding me. He thinks I'm CIA?
Like James Bond?

(Chickie giggles)

(all chuckle)

Well, in that case…

{"Je Veux Te Graver Dans Ma Vie"
by Johnny Hallyday playing}

(all laughing)

Yeah, come on!

- Chickie: Reynolds is over there.
- Yeah.

Duggan's up here somewhere and Pappas is...

He's right around the ammo dump,
right here.

So… I mean,
what's my plan of attack, I guess?

How much time you got?

Forty-seven hours.

Oof. It's gonna be tight.

What if he starts up here with Duggan
and then hustles down to, uh…

- Reynolds. Yeah.
- …Reynolds.

And then… (clears throat)
…back down to Pappas?

Why? I don't understand.
How come I just can't go see Pappas first?

'Cause I can practically see his base
from here.

Nah, Baby-Face is right.

Pappas might be the closest,
but he is furthest in time.

Long Binh's the biggest ammo dump
in this country.

They'll be doing background checks.

Ask about your high school girlfriend,
count your hemorrhoids...

Christ, it would take Westmore land
half a day to get in there.

- Go see Duggan and then the other guy…
- Reynolds.

…and if you're still alive
and you have time,

then you can hit Pappas on the way back.

That's right. How you getting there?

I don't know. I figured I'd hitchhike.

(chuckles)
What? You... You don't have a plan?

Are you kidding me?

How would I have a plan?

It's not like you can hire a tour bus
out here. Can you?

- Oh, Jesus Christ.
- I don't know.

- W... (scoffs)
- What if he caught a plane to LZ Jane?

Go airplane?

How's he gonna do that? He ain't military.

Wait, wait. Why can't I just hitchhike?
Isn't there still roads?

I don't know if it's hit the papers
back home yet,

but folks are getting their asses shot
in these parts.

Collins: Are you guys nuts?

Give me that thing.

Stop helping him.
What are you trying to do, get him killed?

(sighs)

Chickie,
you gotta get the hell out of here.

Yeah, okay. I'll get my shit.
I don't want to get you guys in trouble.

No, I mean out of 'Nam.

Yeah, I will. In a few days,
as soon as I see the other guys.

You can't be serious about this, Chick.

Come on, man, you did it.
You got me hammered in Vietnam,

and I'm sure we're gonna have a lot
of laughs about this forever.

Let's quit while we're ahead, huh?

I didn't come all this way just to quit
after one night.

What am I supposed to do? Let you
go out there like a babe in Toyland

and get your brains blown out
like Knopf did?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You're worrying way too much.

I'm not gonna be fighting no one,
I'm just deliverin' beers.

You don't get it, do you, Chick?
This isn't a John Wayne movie, all right?

Where you know who the good guys are
and the bad guys are.

This is guerrilla warfare,

and they can come at you from anywhere,
at any time.

Bringing beers into a fucking war zone?
That's a bat shit crazy idea.

I mean, you didn't really think
you can pull this off, did you?

But why the hell you think
I came all the way to 'Nam?

I don't know, Chick! You lost a bet,
you're runnin' from the cops,

you knocked someone up...
I-I can't figure it out!

Chickie, even if you wanted to do this,
there's no way for you to get around.

The only non-military people
who can travel the country

are the press.

Well, where are they?
I'll go talk to them.

They're at the Hotel Caravelle,

but they're not gonna help you.
You're a civilian.

I'm an American civilian.
I'm one of them, you know?

No... No, you're not.
You're nothing like them. (sighs)

I think you're forgetting
who you're talking to, yeah?

It's me, Chickie.

Look, you just guard the ships, okay?
I'll handle the press.

(vendors speaking Vietnamese)

(speaks Vietnamese)

Whoa! No, thank you. (chuckles) It's okay.

- (scooter hoots)
- Whoa!

Thank you. Thanks.

You American?

Yeah. Yeah.

You from Oklahoma?

No. New York.

Near Oklahoma?

No, not really. Not even close, actually.

Like Oklahoma! Good movie.

Yeah. Good football too.

MacRae, great actor.

Oh. Gordon MacRae. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, he is. He's very good. Very good.

Hey, um, do you know
where the Caravelle Hotel is around here?

Two down, on left.

- Safe to walk.
- Okay.

Hey, Oklahoma?

Thanks a lot!

(cars hooting)

(elevator dings)

(smooth jazz playing on speakers)

(exhales deeply)

Oh. Hello.
My name is Hien. How may I help you?

A whiskey soda, please.

Whiskey soda on the way.

(speaks French)

Boy, this is one hell of a place
to watch a war from, right? (chuckles)

War, it's far. But managed here in Saigon.

Hey, do you know where I can find any
of the reporter guys around here?

Press? Throw dart, hit press guy.

Right. Hey, thank you.

(speaks Vietnamese)

(newscaster presenting on TV)

(sighs)

Chickie: Hey, how's it going?

I'm American.

And I find an attitude of confidence
and growing optimism.

It prevails all over the country.

This is bullshit. Are you hearing this?

Westmoreland's saying there's a feeling
of optimism all over Vietnam

and that the Communists are running
for the hills.

Finish up your drinks, chaps.
Time to go home.

(sighs)

A number of South Vietnamese living
in areas

under government protection tonight
has grown by more than a million

since January of last year.

(journalist 1)
Turn that lying asshole off.

Whoa. Hey, I don't appreciate that.

That's the President of the United States
you're talking about.

He deserves some respect.

Why?

All right, look. Look, I don't care

what you think of him personally
as a person,

but you gotta respect the Office
of the President of the United States.

I mean, look who he is.

You expect us to respect the man
who's telling the American people

we're actually winning the war?

And that we, the media,
are keeping it a secret?

If the shoe fits.

Hien.

One more time for Jesus.

So, tell me.

How did you become such an expert
on the public relations of war?

I'm not an expert,
and I never said I was one.

Thanks for the disclaimer.

Hey, mister, people back home
get their news from you guys.

And look, let's face it,
it ain't all been that positive lately.

Why should it be positive?

You don't understand why it's important

that people back home get positive news
about the war?

No. I don't.

So they don't lose hope.
It's going crazy out there, and you...

You're takin' the wind
out of everyone's sails.

You're riling up protesters, it's...

Look, I'm just saying,

you might wanna support our boys
every once in a while.

Telling the truth about this war
is being supportive of our boys.

Well, it sure don't come across that way
on my TV.

How are you supporting them?

I support 'em in... in, uh…

In, like, many ways, in...
In lots of different ways.

Yeah, that's what I figured.

Okay, for one thing, uh,

I just traveled 12,000 nautical miles
to bring all my enlisted friends a gift.

What kind of gift?

Beer. Beat that.

Beer?

They can get beer here, you know?

Yeah, but not American beer.

Yeah, but this beer came
all the way from New York. So…

Listen, the beer's not the point.

The point is that I'm trying to show them

that somebody back home
still gives a shit.

(journalist 2) Well, I give him credit.

It may be idiotic,
but it's a noble gesture.

Well then,
do you think you guys can help me out?

Listen, I need to hop a plane to LZ Jane.

You know what? I think I can swing it.

I could maybe, uh, book you a flight
out of Bien Hoa.

What's your preference?
You want like a window seat? Aisle?

Oh, I don't care.

Hey, you wanna go first-class?
Meal service?

Anything you want, kid.

(journalist 3) Sorry, buddy.

Why don't you just pack up your beer,
take it back to your frat?

Besides, they won't even let us up there.

Don't let them get to you.
You'll never win.

But they're right about one thing.

Impossible to get around
in my country right now.

Military travel only.

Military, huh?

- (soldier) Where you headed?
- Uh, I'm trying to get to… Bien…

Uh, Bien…

(stammers) The air base.

- (soldier) Ah, come in. I can take you.
- Yeah?

Thanks.

Hey, thank you!

Just go inside and up the stairs.

Hey.
Do you have a plane heading to LZ Jane?

Um…

I can get you most of the way there.
Then you're gonna have to chopper in.

Okay. Go ahead and put my name
on the manifest. It's John Donohue.

- Donohue, you said? Right.
- Donohue. Yeah. Yeah. John Donohue.

And, uh, what's your rank, sir?

Oh. I'm not military.

Well, that's gonna have to be cleared
with the captain, sir.

Okay. Uh, you can go get him.

Get him!

Captain: Yeah?

(door opens)

You the guy trying to get to LZ Jane?

Yeah. Yeah, that's right.

You're a civilian?

Yes. As far as you're concerned.

Oh, it's one of you guys.

Why didn't you say so, Private?

Put the gentleman's name
in the manifest immediately!

Yes, sir.

As soon as they're done unloading
the bodies, you can get on.

Right.

John Donohue?

No.

Um, sorry.
I must have gotten the name wrong.

Uh, Captain Dyer in Saigon instructed me
to be of assistance in any way I can.

Oh. Oh, yeah.

Oh, Dono… (chuckles) …Donohue, yeah.
But they... they call me "Chickie."

So, he told you to help me?

Yes, sir. He's my superior officer.

They shuffle me between here

and Tan Son Nhut air base,
right outside Saigon.

Habershaw, Lieutenant Habershaw. Yeah.

- Let me get that for you, Mr. Donohue.
- (chuckles) Oh. Thank you. Thank you.

(grunting) So, what can I do you for?

Well, I, uh, need a lift to LZ Jane.

Not a problem. I can have a bird
ready for you in 60 minutes.

Really?

Yeah, perfect.

Have you eaten, sir?

No, I have not.
How's the food around here?

(sighs) It'll make a turd, sir.

That sounds great.

I'd be honored to have you join me
in the Officer's Club for lunch.

A friend of mine would love to meet you.

You know what?
Thanks, Habershaw, I'm just...

After that flight, I just
don't have that much of an appetite.

- You sure?
- Yeah.

We carry the best scotch
this side of Tokyo.

The…

Chickie: So,
what department are you guys in?

Habershaw: Army transport service,
in conjunction with mortuary services.

- We move bodies.
- Mmm.

Our soldiers. KIA. In caskets.

That must be hard,

dealing with the dead all day.

I don't think about it much, sir.

I'll have plenty of time
to think about it all later.

So, any chance you can brief us a little
about what you guys are planning?

- You can trust us.
- Come on, Habershaw.

If he could trust us, he wouldn't be
a very good CIA agent. Now, would he?

Mmm. That's true.

Not that I am a CIA agent.

(all chuckle)

By the way, I wasn't
the one who told Fusco who you are.

That came from Captain Dyer in Saigon.

- I would never blow your cover.
- Mmm.

I see a lot of shit,
and it all stays right in here.

- Everything.
- Mmm.

I got a lot of shit in here.

So, come on.
Can't you give us just a hint?

You know, tell us without telling us?

All right. Let's just say…

I'm here to deliver beer to a friend.

Beer? To who?

A friend in Bravo Company. First Air Cav.

Keg?

Cans.

(exhales sharply) Wow,
that's gonna be a shit show, isn't it?

It's been a pleasure meeting you, sir.

If you and your people
ever need any help. Any help.

I mean, like, if you ever need
to get something out of here or back in,

and you need it to be under the radar,
I'm your guy.

Good to know.

- Can I ask you a question, sir?
- Shoot.

If someone wanted to do what you do,

how does one go about
getting noticed by Langley?

- Langley?
- Headquarters.

(stammers)
How do the big boys at the CIA find you?

Just be a good soldier and a good person.

(chuckles) Oh, I am, sir.
If it's not asking too much,

do you think you could maybe
put in a positive word for me?

Which helicopter am I getting in?

- Straight ahead.
- Ah, okay.

So, you think you could?
Put in a good word?

Okay, sure.

Thank you, sir. I very much appreciate it.

Do you need my name and company?

No, we'll find you.

It. Gill Habershaw. 528 Support Battalion.

That'll make it easier.

- Who the hell is this guy?
- (soldier) I don't know.

- I'm looking for Rick Duggan.
- Who?

Rick Duggan.

- You got orders?
- No.

Let me see your papers.

I don't have any.

No orders, no papers. Mission classified?

Goddamn it! They never tell me shit.

Call Duggan in from the ambush post.

Tell him he's got a visitor.

What's your name, sir?

Uh, just call him in.
I kind of wanna surprise him.

(radio operator 1)
Romeo-45, this is Romeo-06, over.

Duggan: This is Romeo-45.

Duggan, report to TOC ASAP, over.

Duggan: Right now?

That's 200 meters,
and our situation's hot. Over.

Right now.

Duggan: While it's still light out? Over.

(radio operator 1)
That's affirmative. Out.

He's on his way.

Okay. Uh… Uh… That's good.

- (zipper opens)
- This is good.

Okay. I'm gonna hide here.
And you guys cover me with this.

No.

Okay.

(grunts)

(gunfire in distance)

- (panting)
- (gunfire continues)

(panting continues)

- You wanted to see me, Sarge?
- (sergeant) No.

Ta-da. (laughs)

(pants) Chickie?

- What are you doing here?
- I brung you beer.

Wh-Wh... Who are you with?

I'm with you.

(sighs) Seriously, Chickie,
what the hell are you doing here? Really.

(chuckles)
Me and all the fellas were sitting around

talking about what we could do
to bring your spirits up.

And then, bang! It hit us. Bring you
a beer. So, I brought you a beer.

- You dumb shit!
- (grunts) What?

You almost got me killed out there!

Wait a minute, Duggan. You mean
to tell me this asshole's a civilian?

Yeah. Yes, Sarge.

Is he nuts?

I don't know. Chickie, are you nuts?

What? No.

- You're delivering beer in a battle zone?
- Yeah, so? It's fine.

I just came from seeing Collins.
He didn't mind.

You found Collins?

Yeah.

(sighs) It was easy.
He was right next to my ship in Saigon.

After this, I'm going to visit Reynolds
and Pappas.

By the way, a lady tried to sell me
a snake on the way over here.

- You think this is funny? Huh?
- What?

- It's not funny at all!
- I don't think it's funny, okay!

I'm not doing this for laughs, Ricky!

I'm doing it for you, for all you guys.

This is a goddamn war, Donohue.
You shouldn't be here.

Chickie, get back to your boat right now.

Forget about the other guys.
You can buy 'em a beer when they get home.

This is serious shit out here.

Yeah, I know.

No. No, obviously you don't,
or you wouldn't be here!

You keep on this stupid beer run,
there's a 99% chance you're going tits up.

Sarge, can we get
a… (stammers) …egg beater in tonight

and, you know, scoot him out of here?

It's too dangerous.
Nothing's flying till morning.

So what am I supposed to do with him?

Hell if I know. He's yours now.
Take him with you.

What... I'm on ambush post, sir.

Your problem, Duggan!

(gunfire continues in distance)

You want a taste of Vietnam?

You're about to get it. Grab your shit.

(sighs)

- Grab your shit!
- I am.

Hey.

Thanks.

- What's this for?
- To shoot the bad guys, dodo.

If it looks like
you're gonna be taken for prisoner,

shoot yourself
or they'll torture you for info.

For info? Hold on. I don't have any info.

They don't know that, asshole!

Okay, geez. A bit edgy.

Ah, no. Bad idea, Sarge.

He's got a better chance
of shooting one of us than one of them.

W-What are you talking about?
I know guns. I was in the military.

- Where'd you serve?
- Massachusetts.

Yeah, give me that.

Are you ready?

I guess. What are we doing?

We're gonna run for our lives.

(gunfire)

(grunting, panting)

(panting continues)

All right.

- We're halfway home.
- Halfway?

On the count of three, follow me. One...

Wait, wait, wait.

- What?
- Let's go back.

Just as bad going back
as it is going forward.

Then let's just stay here.

Here? We're in no-man's-land.

So? I'm okay with that.

We gotta keep going.

(whimpers)
Can't we just call a tank or something?

Tank... There's no goddamn tanks out here.

(groans) All right. On the count of three.

- One, two, three.
- (whimpering)

(gunfire continues)

(breathing heavily)

Chickie: Oh, shit! (pants)

- (pants) Oh, God. Oh, shit.
- (rapid gunfire)

- All I could think about…
- (panting, coughs)

…"What if these are
the last moment of your life?"

And all I could think was,

"I hope they're aiming at the asshole…"
(panting) "…in the checkered shirt."

(muffled explosion)

- (exclaims)
- Relax, relax.

One of your beers just exploded.

- (panting, whimpering)
- Just a beer. Just a beer.

(sighs)

(insects chirping)

Duggan, where's the Starlight scope?
We got a lot of movement on the perimeter.

What's going on? Are we okay?

NVA are out there moving around.

- NVA?
- Probably just passing by.

But if they attack,
boogie on back to the line post.

Okay. The line post is…

- Duggan: Back where we came from.
- Yeah. Yeah, you're right.

Tell them to turn on the lights.
Let's see what's out there.

India-26, this is Romeo-45.

We need illumination
forward of our position. Over.

(radio operator 2)
Copy that, Romeo-45. Illumination inbound.

(loud bang)

- (soldiers shouting)
- (whistle blowing)

(soldiers screaming)

(exhales sharply)

(breathes deeply)

Who's this hand job?

Hi.

He's my next-door neighbor.
He brought me a beer.

What the hell does that mean?

It means he jumped on a freight
in New York.

Came all the way out here.
Bring me a beer.

- Seriously?
- (pants) Yeah.

Wait a minute. Are you telling me
you don't have to be here,

and you're here?

Yeah.

(gunfire)

(insects chirping)

(soldier) Yo.

How many beers you bring?

A bunch.

Now would be the time to pass them out.

- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.

Busker.

Sorry, they're a little warm.

(groans) That is good.

Reynolds is dead.

What?

Got word a few days ago.

Chickie: No.

Goddamn it. (sighs)

We never saw that kid
without a smile on his face.

Yep.

Any word on Minogue?

No.

Now, let's get some sleep.

Where?

Here. What, are you expecting
a Howard Johnson's?

(chuckles)

Throw this on if it gets rainy.

You really Duggan's next-door neighbor?

Yeah.

Couple of apartments over,

but close enough to hear
his old man yelling at him.

He was a yeller.

Where you from?

Philly.

How long till you go home?

I don't really keep track anymore.

You don't wanna jinx it?

I went home after my first tour.

I didn't fit in.

So, I came back.

Twice.

I'm way more at home here.

Christ.

Come on. Time to go.

Is it over?

Yeah, you're dead.

(soldiers chattering)

That wasn't so bad.

(sighs)

Duggan: Okay, guys. We're heading out.

Chickie: Wait, hang on. Hang on.
One second. One second.

One breakfast beer, first. (groans)

- All right. All right, just one.
- Thanks.

Hey, fellas. Smile.

(shutter clicks)

- (soldier) Hey. (chuckles) Hey.
- Here you go.

- Thank you.
- This is great.

- Anyone else? Whoo.
- Oh, yeah.

Here, for your scrapbook.

- Don't peel it open for 90 seconds.
- Chickie: Got it.

Thank you, sir.

Chickie: What's he doing?

What?

Chickie: Just smoking a jay?

What if the sergeant finds out?

The sergeant probably sold it to him.

Chickie: Huh?

Duggan: Look, Chick.

Me and my guys
are happy as shit you brought us beer.

It's the first time I've seen
a couple of the ass wipes smile in weeks.

But we're going out on patrol today,
and you can't come with us.

I mean, hell,
you don't wanna come with us.

All right, there'll be choppers coming in
on the LZ in two to three hours,

once this shit clears up.

Try to grab the first one out of here.

Yeah.

Okay.

Oh, hey. I got something for you. (grunts)

(exhales sharply)

Reynolds's girlfriend
wanted me to give these to him.

Guess you could use them.

That's not a rock you're sitting on.
That's elephant shit.

- (sighs)
- VC trains them to move equipment.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Promise me you'll go right to your boat,
Chick. End it here, please.

Yeah. Yeah, okay.

And I kind of got to go anyway.
I'm running out of time.

(sergeant) Duggan, let's go.
We're moving out!

Be right there, Sarge.

Well, thanks for coming
all the way out here, Chick.

You're probably the only crazy bastard
on earth to do something like this.

- Hey, stay safe, Ricky.
- Yeah.

I'll see you back in the neighborhood.

(sighs deeply)

(grunts)

(strains)

Don't worry about him.

Every once in a while you run into a guy
who's too dumb to get killed.

(explosion)

(helicopter whirring)

- Hey, can you take me to Saigon?
- Is that where you're bringing him?

Bringing who?

(gasps)

Where's the rest of them?

(speaks Vietnamese)

- (speaks Vietnamese)
- He said, "Who?"

Listen, Charlie, I want names now.
Who's been helping you?

(speaks Vietnamese)

(speaks Vietnamese)

He says, "I don't know anything."

- Okay. Strap in!
- (groaning)

Time to see if this piece of shit can fly!

Now!

(screaming)

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey!

You've got ten seconds
or you're going out the door! I'm serious!

What the hell are you doing?

(speaks Vietnamese)

Who's been helping you?

- (interpreter speaking Vietnamese)
- (whimpering)

(speaks Vietnamese)

(interpreter)
He swears he don't know anything.

Well,
tell him he better make something up,

or he's going out!

Come on, man!
Just tell him to tell him what he wants!

(cries)

(speaking Vietnamese)

(speaking Vietnamese)

We got it!

Okay! Take her down!

(screams)

What's this? This isn't Saigon.

The hell you talking about?
Your partner told me to land at Kon Tum.

Who are you again?

- Just a tourist, like you!
- Yeah?

Who's your travel agent?

Same as yours.

I'll tell the boss you say hi.

Sorry, sir.
I can't find nothing going to Saigon.

Well, keep looking, okay?

I need to be at the harbor by 8:00 a.m.
So I need to get out by tonight.

I could ask the helicopter you came in on
if he could take you to Saigon.

No, I-I can't go on that.

Somebody blew their lunch
all over the place. It's disgusting.

What about those ones?

Oh, they're down.

Got a couple mechanics driving in
from Pleiku air base to pitch in.

We'll set you up
with a bed in the barracks,

- get you out tomorrow afternoon.
- I just told you. I have to be back...

Pleiku, do they have choppers?

Sure, it's a helicopter base.

- Well, how far is it?
- Twenty-four klicks due south.

- In American.
- About 16 miles.

- Well, can you get me a lift there?
- Not tonight, sir.

But I can get you a ride back
with the mechanics tomorrow.

- What if I walk?
- Sixteen miles?

- Yeah. I could hitch, you know. I...
- Not advisable, sir.

The VC own the night on that road.

All right. (sighs) Give me a second.
Let me see what I can do.

Thanks.

Chickie: Anything?

No, but tell you what.

I'll give you a lift
over to Pleiku myself.

Really?
Y-You can just leave your post like that?

Yeah. As long as I'm back
in an hour or so, I should be okay.

Oh. Amazing. Which way's your head?
I gotta take a leak.

- Last door on the left.
- Oh.

I'll meet you out front.

Thank you.

(soldier) Shit! He's running! Let's go!

(panting)

(birds chirping)

(breathing heavily)

(agent) All right. Let's get out of here.

(breathing heavily)

(vehicle departing)

(pants)

Raquel Welch is with us tonight.
Uh, pretty young lady.

- (audience member) Oh, yeah.
- Mmm?

- Yes. I'll drink to that.
- (audience laughs)

- You'll drink to that?
- (audience laughs)

- (chuckles)
- You'll drink to a... (indistinct)

You know.
"There's a tree. I'll drink to that."

What do you think, Chick?
Am I doing the right thing enlisting?

Of course you're doing
the right thing, Tommy.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I think
I'm doing the right thing too. Yeah.

But sometimes, you know…

What?

(stammers) Everything, you know.

The whole thing is...
It's... It's... It's confusing.

I mean, all the shit you hear
about what's going on over there,

and everyone's got
a different point of view.

Who does?

Like my uncle Leo.

He was a flamethrower in World War II.

Even he said he wouldn't fight in Vietnam,

because he doesn't even know
who the Nazis are over there.

There's still Nazis?

The bad guys.

Who are we even fighting, huh?

Well, that would be the Reds, the commies.

The guys who want to come over
and take over everything.

Yeah. When I was talking
to your sister's friends,

they said just the opposite thing.

They said there are no bad guys.
It's just a-a revolutionary war.

And the people we're there defending,

they don't even want us there
in the first place.

Minogue,
don't listen to my sister's friends.

I told you, sh... Columbia morons.

Hey, Tommy.

You're going over there
to defend the United States of America.

How could that possibly not be
the right thing to do?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you're right, Chick.
Yeah, you're right. You're right.

{"I'd Like to Walk Around in
Your Mind" by Vashti Bunyan playing}

(no audible dialogue)

- (mosquitoes buzzing)
- (sniffs, grunting)

You fuckin'...

(leaves rustling)

(footsteps approaching)

(leaves crunching)

- (whimpers)
- (elephants trumpeting)

No! Don't shoot!

Don't shoot! Don't shoot!
Don't shoot! Don't shoot!

(breathing heavily)

(soldier)
Chickie? Chickie fricking Donohue?

Who's that?

- It's McLoone!
- Who?

Kevin McLoone from Dyckman Street!
Jesus! What the hell are you doing here?

Loony?

You know this guy?

Yeah,
we used to play CYO basketball together.

Chickie, what the hell? Why are you...
(stammers) Am I dead?

Why are you in the middle of the jungle
in the middle of Vietnam?

Long story.
But the CIA, they're after me, man.

- But...
- They're trying to kill me.

The CI... What are you talking about?

The Central Intelligence Agency.

- (stammers) They're after me, man.
- So you came to Vietnam?

No, I came to deliver Duggan and Reynolds
and the other Inwood's guys beers.

Wai-Wai-Wait, beers?
What... What do you mean, beers?

I thought it would be nice
to bring them all beers.

But now the CIA is after me,

because I saw shit
that I wasn't supposed to see.

What did you see?

They were throwing people
out of helicopters.

- How'd you know it was CIA?
- Because I was in the chopper with them.

Wait. Y-You're CIA?

No. No, what? No, no, no, no, no.
They thought that I was one of them.

That's because a major came up to me.

He saw how I was dressed,
so I just... I went along with it.

They... For a second, it...

Then they started throwing people
out the helicopter.

And this kid, he said he could drive me
all the way to Pleiku,

like he could just leave his post.

But I knew it was bullshit. I knew
it was bullshit. He was setting me up.

There was a foot long caterpillar
climbing up my arm,

on my face, almost in my mouth.

- Okay, buddy.
- It was seriously...

Hey, take a breath.
Look, get in the Jeep, Chick.

We got to get the hell out of here
before we get killed.

- Come on.
- Okay.

(grunts) Sorry, guys.

Can you take me to Pleiku
so I can catch a chopper?

Right now we're heading to Kon Tum.

- Just a few miles up. We got to fix...
- What? No, I can't go back there.

- That's where the CIA is.
- Oh, for Christ sakes.

I have to get to my ship in Saigon
right away.

(stammers) I'm sorry, man.
We got orders. We got to get up there.

All right, fine. Then I'm out.

Hey. W...

Come on, Chick.
Please get back in the Jeep.

We'll get you back to Saigon,

and we'll make sure
the CIA doesn't get you.

No. I'm not going back to Kon Tum.

I'm not messing around, Kev.

I'm in big trouble
if I don't get my ass out of this country.

Look, man.
We don't got no choice, all right?

We got to go fix those helicopters,

and if you stay out here alone,
you're a dead man.

I'll take my chances.

- Don't be an asshole! Come on.
- No, you don't be an asshole!

You know me, Loony.
Why would I make up a story like this?

(sighs)

Please. Kev.

Mason, turn it around.

Chickie: (sighs) Thank you.

Hey, what happened to those elephants
back there?

Napalm.
It's a miracle anything survives out here.

I'm sorry about this, Kev.
I really appreciate it.

Hey, it's not every day
you get to help a secret agent in need.

(chuckles)

Hey, Chick.

I'm real sorry about Tommy Minogue.
I know how tight you guys were.

It's not over yet.
They just haven't found him.

Yeah. Okay.

Stay safe, Loony.
I'll see you back in the neighborhood.

Hey, Kev.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.

Chickie: The Drake wasn't
supposed to leave till tomorrow.

(harbormaster) Intel picked up chatter.
Enemy planning a raid.

With all that ammo on board,
we unloaded her first.

She's halfway to Manila by now.

But she can't leave.
I'm her oiler. I-I run the engine room.

Well, apparently she doesn't give a shit.

(stammers)
How... How can I catch up with it then?

How fast can you swim?

This ain't funny, man.

(stammers) Can you call the ship
or something and just tell them to stop?

No, I can't, man.

(scoffs) Just... Just give me a break.

I'm... I'm a civilian,
and I just need to get out of this war.

Well, you're gonna find out
it's a lot harder to get out of a war

than it is to get into one.

My suggestion, go to your plan B.

(sighs) I don't have a plan B.

Well, off the top of my head,
I'd say you're borked.

(sighs)

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

New York. Happy New Year.

Aw, thanks.
You're about a month too late, but...

No. Tonight Tét eve. Vietnam New Year.

(speaks French)

Ah. Right. Well, hey, happy New Year.

Hey. (stammers)
Which way's the US Embassy from here?

Right around the corner. Cannot miss.

What corner?

Come on. I show you.
Nobody listen me here anyway.

Oi! (speaks Vietnamese)

After war, I visit Oklahoma.

Really?

Well, I doubt there's a direct flight
from here to Oklahoma,

so, why don't you stop over in New York,
and I'll buy you a beer?

Okay. New York people nice? Friendly?

Oh, the best.

Just don't look them in the eye
on the sidewalk,

or you might have to fight them.

(traffic officer) There your embassy.

Thank you.

(stammers) Hey, hey.
What... What New York street you live on?

You serious? You're really coming?

Unless you... you not serious?

(laughs) No, I'm serious.
Yeah, I'm more serious than you.

Hey, here's my address.

And this is my phone number. (chuckles)
Give me a call. This is great.

You can stay with me and my family.

You'll meet my dad.
He's a real ballbuster. You'll like him.

I'm Chickie, by the way.

Hieu.

- Hieu. Nice to meet you. Thank you.
- Thank you, Chickie.

Thank you.

See you in New York.

Chickie: See you there.

(embassy worker) Name.

Donohue. John Donohue.
I'm American, I'm a merchant mariner.

My ship, the Drake, left early.
Something about chatter.

Anyways, it took off without me,
so I'm in a real jam here.

You're right here. I got a file on you.

Oh, great.

The captain of the Drake
left a message for you.

And…

The captain said if you're not dead,
he'll take you back on the ship

if you can catch up with it.

(chuckles) Well, I'm not dead. So…

(embassy worker) Not dead.

So... So, sorry. Hold on. What's going on?
How do I catch up with it?

You sit.

(sighs)

I can get you on a flight
out of Bien Hoa Air Base to Manila

tomorrow night at 1900.

(sighs) Thank you. Thank you.

Come by tomorrow morning after 10:00,
and I'll have your papers.

Tomorrow morning after 10:00.

You're the greatest. Thank you.

Uh, hey. Do you mind if I lay down
just for 20 more minutes?

Then I'll be out of your hair, I swear.

Great. Thank you.

(grunts)

(firecrackers exploding)

(newscaster)
For the first time in five years,

firecrackers are ringing in
the Lunar New Year.

The South Vietnamese Government have…

I hope you have a safe trip back home.

How'd you know I was leaving?

Hien: Everyone leaves Saigon.

First the Chinese, then the French.
Next, the Americans.

After we fix it up, someone else comes,
knocks it back down.

You really need to bone up
on your American history, fella.

Every country America goes to war with,

we leave it in better shape
than we found it.

But don't take my word for it,
just ask the Germans and the Japs.

If the Americans aren't winning,

then why would Hanoi
call for a cease-fire?

Maybe it's not a cease-fire.
Maybe the enemy just ran out of bullets.

I think you're wrong, Arthur.
I think this is the real deal.

The first steps
towards legitimate peace talks.

I believe this country wants
what you Americans want.

I would hope so.

I mean, half the people in the city
we saved from bombed-out villages.

We opened our doors to them

when they were running away
from the commies.

Maybe they weren't running away
from the commies.

Maybe they were just running
from the bombs.

Well, well,
the blustering beer boy is back.

I agree with him.

They might smile at us,
but they sure as shit don't want us here.

Maybe the cease-fire will make them happy.

Cease-fire.
Wh-When does this cease-fire start?

Three days ago.
There's a truce through New Year's.

Well, someone forgot to tell that
to the people living up in the woods.

(journalist) What are you talking about?

They're still fighting like crazy
up north.

- Where'd you hear that?
- I didn't hear it.

I saw it.

I was up in the mountains at LZ Jane
with the First Air Cav.

Rubbish. They haven't let
non-military personnel up there in weeks.

That may be true,

but they didn't mention that
when I was up there.

Let me see that.

You silly twat. You're serious.

Yeah.

Hey, kid.
What did you say your name was again?

Chickie. Chickie Donohue.

Hien, Chickie Donohue is drinking on me.
All night.

At the same time, Chick,
I see 100 villagers killed

and only ten guns recovered.

I know someone, one of our guys,
got trigger happy.

And I got to report that story too.

But see, that's the stuff
that the press can't get enough of.

That's all you guys report.
That's what pisses me off.

It's not the whole story.

I don't know. Maybe... maybe if some
of you guys lost as many friends as I had,

you'd feel a little differently.

Those names behind the bar…

That's the names of the journalists
who've been killed so far.

Friends of mine.
Friends of everyone in this room.

(sighs)

But then why do you guys
just report the bad stuff?

That's what we hear back home.

I mean, doesn't that hurt us?
Like, as a country?

The truth? The truth hurts us? No.

The truth doesn't hurt us. It's the lies.

The lies and the conspiracy to distort
the truth, that's what hurts America.

You've seen the soldiers
we've got out here.

They're just kids.
Good kids being patriots.

Doing what their country asks.
And I want the truth told for them.

The people running this war,
they're not patriots.

They're politicians.
And they deal in the currency of lies.

And if the lies continue,

they're just gonna keep
sending boys out here to be killed

to justify the boys
who already got killed.

And every GI that dies…

Is what, 50, 60 Vietnamese?

And they're not soldiers.

They're moms and dads.
Children. Little babies.

(gunfire in distance)

You sure got
some weird fireworks out here.

That ain't fireworks, man.
They're tracer rounds.

- (explosion)
- (speaks French)

- (speaks French)
- (porter speaks French)

- (glass shatters)
- (patrons screaming)

- Where you going?
- The embassy.

- I'm going with you.
- No, it's too dangerous.

Hey, I need to get my papers
or I can't fly out tomorrow!

(journalist speaks Vietnamese)

(taxi driver)
C-C-C-Come on. (speaking Vietnamese)

Chickie: Wait, wait!

It could be VC.

(pedestrians shouting)

(soldier 1 speaks Vietnamese)

- (journalist) No, don't shoot.
- Don't move.

Don't shoot. (speaks Vietnamese)

(speaks Vietnamese)

(speaks Vietnamese)

(breathing heavily) Yeah.

(grunts)

- Hey!
- (soldier 2) Whoa! (speaks Vietnamese)

(speaks Vietnamese) Wait, yeah?

(speaking Vietnamese)

(breathes heavily)

Both of us.

(speaking Vietnamese)

- (gunshots)
- (speaks Vietnamese)

- Ah, yeah?
- Go! Go!

(journalist) Come on.

Soldier, what's the word?

Saigon's under attack.

Viet Cong are everywhere.
They got half of Cho Lon.

We got to get to the embassy.

Forget it. There's fighting on every block
and Charlie has the embassy!

- That's not possible.
- (soldier 3) Let's move!

Hey! Hey!
Can you get us closer to the embassy?

No, I told you.
Get your asses out of here before you...

(grunts)

(shutter clicks)

(journalist) Chick!

(gunfire)

(shutter clicking)

(panting, grunting)

(soldiers shouting)

- (breathing heavily)
- (gunfire continues)

(groans)

(yelps)

(breathing raggedly)

(rumbling)

Oklahoma?

Oklahoma!

Hieu! Hieu!

Chickie! Get out of the street!

(journalist) He's dead! Move!

(gunfire continues)

(explosion)

(groans)

Chickie: No.

(speaks Vietnamese)

(speaks Vietnamese)

You okay?

Yeah.

Don't forget to breathe. (panting)

(muffled explosion)

I had this coming.

(panting continues)

You know, when I was a kid,

if I did something wrong
like lie to my mother or,

you know, sneak into the teacher's office
to steal the test answers,

hocking candy, or whatever…

God always found a way
to make me pay for it, you know?

Like, I'd make an error in the big game,
or I'd break my leg or something.

I'm telling you, man.
I never got away with nothing. Nothing.

First time I had sex, I got crabs.

She blamed me.

Smuggling beer into a war zone…

That's not the smartest thing
I've ever heard of.

It's certainly not the worst either.

(sighs)

(yawns)

(shutter clicks)

Hey, Chick.

Let's go see
what the world looks like today. Come on.

(civilians shouting)

(shutter clicking)

Coates, you were right.
The cease-fire was bullshit.

NVA came in with 80,000 troops.
Attacked over 100 cities and towns.

How did they get in here?

VC sappers blew the wall open.

That wall?

Our guys blew that out.
After the VC was already in here.

The military just briefed us.
The VC blew it open and piled in.

Uh, the military must be mistaken.

- I saw it with my own...
- (explosion)

Oh, God. Please tell me
we didn't drop an atomic bomb.

No. Someone just blew
the ammo dump at Long Binh.

- Shit.
- Where are you going?

I got a friend in Long Binh!
I got to get over there!

You don't even know how to get there.

I'll follow the mushroom cloud!

Chickie,
they're not gonna let you in. All right?

They will if I'm with you!

This one's got keys.
I'm going. Are you coming?

Push over. Come on. Push over. Hold that.

Chickie: I'm telling you,

I watched one of our tanks pull up
and blast a hole in that wall.

I believe you.

Well, then why would the military say
that it was the VC?

There's a lot of wars going on in Vietnam.
Most of all, the public relations one.

The enemy blasting a hole
in the wall is an easier sell

than some kind of VC inside job, you know?

Whoa. Hold it, cowboy. Identification.

Arthur Coates. Look magazine.

(guard) All right. They're clear.

(soldiers shouting)

(soldier 1)
Just get anything. Get over here and help.

(ambulance siren wailing)

- (radio chatter)
- (fire alarm ringing)

(soldier 2 shouting)

I'm gonna look for my friend!

Coates: Hey.

Put this around your neck.
Anybody asks you, just say you're press.

(vehicle hooting)

- Hey! Bobby Pappas. Uh, you know him?
- No.

- New York kid. New York kid.
- No, I'm sorry.

Do you know where I can find Bobby Pappas?

No idea, man.
A lot of hurt people out here.

- Well, is there an infirmary somewhere?
- Yeah, building 8.

(soldier 3) There you go.

(soldier 4)
They're gonna take good care of you.

(soldier 5 groans)

(soldier 6 coughs)

(nurse) What are you doing?

I'm just looking for a friend.

- You can't be in here.
- It's okay. I'm with the press.

You think being with the press
makes it okay?

Get the hell out of here.

Come on. Give me a break, please.

I've come all the way from New York
to look for a friend.

He might have just got killed.

Just trying to find out
if he's alive or not.

What's his name?

Bobby! Holy shit. Thank God.

Really? They had to flatten
my entire base to get you to visit me?

Goddamn, it's good to see you.

Heard a rumor you were coming.
Bringing beer or some shit.

Yeah.

How you doing? You okay?

I'm still alive. Better than nothing.

You shouldn't be here, Chick.
It's not safe.

Don't worry,
I got a flight out of Bien Hoa tonight.

I don't got any papers,
but I'm sure I can weasel my way on.

There are no flights out of Bien Hoa.
VC torched the place.

Then where can I fly out?

You can't. The whole country's
grounded for commercial air.

Only military's allowed in and out.

- For how long?
- Who knows?

Hey.

It's just a little thank you
from everybody back home.

For what?

For what? F-For this. For all this. F...

For putting yourself on the line for us.

And a goddamn beer's
supposed to make it all okay?

Ah.

(sighs) Listen, Chickie, all right.
I got a ton of shit to do.

Okay, we got to find a place for you
to lay low before you get yourself killed.

Do the phones still work around here?

Okay. Can you just say that for me
one more time?

Tan Son Nhut.

Okay, great. Thanks.
Yeah, I will be there. Thank you.

Is there any way that you can
get me a ride to Tan Son Nhut?

Why?

Because I got a connection there,
and he can help me out.

(sighs)

- (scoffs) Yeah, sure.
- Thanks.

(newscaster)
Commander General William Westmore land

described the embassy attack
as a Viet Cong defeat.

In my opinion, this is diversionary,
uh, to his, uh, main efforts,

which, uh, he had planned
to take place in Quang Tri province.

Chickie: "Diversionary"?

They didn't just attack the embassy,
they attacked the whole damn city!

"Diversionary."

Chickie. Come on. Let's go.

(soldiers shouting)

(shutter clicks)

- Chickie: Hey, let's go.
- What?

- I got us a way out.
- A way out of where?

Vietnam. I called a friend.
He's pulling some strings for us.

I don't need to get out of Vietnam.

What? What are you talking about?

I'm a war correspondent, Chick.

This is a war. Somebody's got to be here
to see what's going on.

Well, yeah. I get that. I get that,
but this is just for a few days.

You can come back
as soon as things cool down.

Pappas: Chickie, let's go.

Don't be dumb, Arthur.
This ain't a war no more.

It's mass murder.

That's what war is, Chick.
It's one giant crime scene.

Pappas: Come on, Chickie. Let's go.
I got to get back here. I got a job to do.

Hey, take care of yourself.

You too, Arthur.

Hey, when you get home, do me a favor.

Take a bath.

(shutter clicks)

This will get you to Manila, sir.
Then you're on your own.

Thanks, Habershaw.
This is most appreciated.

Well, we're all on the same team.
At least, I'd like to be.

Uh,
I hope you'll let Langley know about this.

- Langley?
- Headquarters.

Right. Right, I will.
Actually, I'm gonna write him a letter.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Look, Habershaw, um, I got to come clean.

I'm not CIA.

Yeah, right.

No, really. I'm not.

You're not?

No.

So…

What are you?

I'm nothing.

(chuckles)

You guys are the fucking best.

(chuckles)

I don't even want to know.

Thanks, Pappy. I appreciate
you taking care of me out here.

- I'll see you back in the neighborhood.
- Yeah, of course.

You got a good heart, Chickie.
It's your brain that I'm worried about.

(chuckles)

This life's just a crap shoot, huh?

And assholes like you and me live,
while Reynolds and Minogue die.

Mate, Tommy could still turn up.

He's... He's gone, Chick.

Tommy, they... they found him.

You sure?

Yeah.

(engine whirring)

(car hooting)

No way! Chickie! (laughs)

Get your ass over here. (laughs)

Hey. (laughs)

Hey, look who it is.

- Chickie?
- Chickie!

- Hey.
- Son of a bitch, he lives.

- He came back to settle his tab.
- No.

So how was the trip?
You must have had a ball.

A ball? He was in a war, for Christ sake.
It must have been hell.

Uh... Yeah. I mean, it must have been hell.

And if you ever want to talk about it,
ever, I'm here for you.

And if you don't, I won't.

Jesus Christ.
You flip-flopping son of a bitch.

(friends laugh)

- I missed you.
- (chuckles)

You, um... You hear about Tommy?

The kid died a hero.

So how was it, Chick? Really.

Yeah, are we kicking ass and taking names?

No.

What? Well, what do you mean? (chuckles)

I mean, it's tough to make sense
of anything over there.

Well, that's what war is.
It's a-a messy business.

Yeah. Yeah, but Colonel, all due respect…
(stammers) …this is different.

It's…

It's chaotic.

They all are. But it's a controlled chaos.

Not this time.
The chaos over there isn't under control.

It's not under control at all.

Look, I know our granddads and our dads,

they went over to Europe
to save the world.

And... And I would put today's guys
up there with them any day.

And I mean any day.

But I... I'm not so sure
we're saving the world this time.

Well, right or wrong,
it sounds like you need a drink.

Chickie, grab a stool. First one's on me.

- Maybe the first couple.
- (friends chuckle)

Thanks. (inhales sharply)
But I got to go do something first.

(door closes)

- (sighs)
- (knocks)

Chickie.

I'm sorry I couldn't
get these to him, Mrs. Minogue.

- It's okay.
- (inhales deeply)

I'm proud of you
for going over there, Chickie.

No one else would do that.

(sighs) It was pointless.

It didn't help no one.

It helped us. Everyone in In wood.

It felt good knowing that someone
was over there, checking on our boys.

Take these.

Tommy would want you to have them.

No.

I'm the one who talked Tommy into going.

What? N-No, he wanted to go.

No, he didn't.

I knew Tommy was scared. Everyone knew.

So, I talked him into it.

(voice cracks) I don't know why.
I didn't want him to be afraid.

But I should have let him be afraid.
(sobs)

(sniffles)
I should have let him listen to himself

instead of listening to me.

(Chickie crying, sniffling)

(whimpers) I'm sorry.

(sobs)

(sighs)

- (protestor 1) Yeah, I think so.
- (protestor 2) I can...

Guys.

Hey.

Hey.

Do you know what you've put us through?

We've been worried sick.
Don't ever do something like that again.

I won't.

So did you give them their stupid beers,

or did you drink 'em all
before you got there?

They got the stupid beers.

Well, I'm sure it meant a lot to them.

(sighs)

You okay?

Got to change a few things up.

Such as?

(inhales deeply)

A little less drinking.
A little more thinking.

(both chuckle)

You really gonna quit drinking?

I said "less drinking".

(chuckles)

I saved the last one for you.