Original subtitles

[♪♪♪]

MAN: Why don't you just gun it?

[GRUNTS]

[♪♪♪]

[MAN YELLING]

Come on, I'll tell you about it.

Come on, baby! Come on!

[INDISTINCT DIALOGUE]

Oh!

[SNICKERING]

Let's go, private, move it, move it.

Move out!

The longer it takes, the wetter you get, boys.

Let's go. Let's go!

Come on, ladies!

Think it's bad now,

wait till you're sleeping in the bush tonight, boys.

Okay, listen up.

First, you get your gear stowed,

then you check the duty roster.

ANDERSON: Yeah, come on in. Show yourself.

Hey.

I just got back.

[SIGHS]

Thought I'd, uh, say hello before I faced the kids.

You okay?

Yeah.

Look here.

It's, um, still a little early.

Why don't you come in

and have a little black Jack here

and take the chill off.

Come on.

Oh, what the hell.

One last nip can't hurt me.

What? You contemplating going on the wagon or something?

Well, I figure it's about time.

It's taken me 20 years to realize

I can't hold my liquor or my stripes.

Salud.

So...how are things at home?

Just...great.

That bad, huh?

His mother didn't take it too well.

Laid it all on me.

Guess she was right, though.

Maybe I should have just told a few less lies

and been around a few more birthdays.

Pop..."should've" and "maybe" didn't kill your boy.

The war did.

Thanks for the drink.

Yeah.

Pop?

I'm sorry about your boy.

Yeah.

[THUNDER RUMBLES]

Read 'em and weep, suckers.

Aces and eights. Saw it coming, didn't you?

I'm sick of this game.

I'm sick of this whole damn place.

And someone else shuffle.

RUIZ: All right, already. Come on. I'll do it.

TAYLOR: What's the game, Ru?

RUIZ: 7-card stud. Griner, ante up.

I'm in.

Hey, Pop. Welcome back.

Thanks.

Hey, Pop...sorry about your kid.

I appreciate it.

You boys look like you got a good case of cabin fever.

How long you been holed up?

Eight days.

Eight rainy days, Pop.

No passes, no privileges, no nothing.

No explanations?

Just rumors.

Yeah.

I'm starting to feel

like a mushroom, Pop...

left in the dark, fed nothing but manure.

That sounds like army S.O.S. to me.

Must be something big coming down, huh?

I'm surprised to see you and Percell still here.

Not for long, Pop.

Gonna have to build an ark to get out of here, though.

[LAUGHS]

Well, you haven't missed anything back in the world.

The old U.S. of A. is going to hell in a handbasket.

Guys dressing up like girls...

girls acting like guys.

You get a taste of that,

it won't be two weeks you'll be looking

for that re-up sergeant.

[CHUCKLES]

Dent.

MAN: How you doing, sir?

Sir.

Lieutenant.

I understand you're short.

Due to rotate out

at the end of the month, sir.

I imagine you've had second thoughts

about making the army your career.

Pardon, sir?

It hasn't exactly been an easy tour for you,

has it, lieutenant?

You've seen a good friend of yours

blow his brains out right in front of you,

watched your girlfriend die in your arms.

Your father came over here,

told you he was dying.

Witnessed the aftermath

of the Phu An massacre.

Sir, I've never known the colonel to speak

merely for the sake of hearing his own voice.

Is there a point to this?

There's a mission.

Highly-sensitive mission.

I need to know if I can count on you to help lead it.

If you're involved, sir, I don't need to ask any details.

I'd like to be in on it.

Of course,

if the colonel

would like to reveal some of the--

At this time, the colonel would not.

Yes, sir.

That'll be all, lieutenant.

Yes, sir.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

Do powdered eggs come from powdered chickens?

[CHUCKLES WEAKLY]

Man, it's gonna be great

not to have to eat this slop no more.

Duffel bag drag. Coffee shop stop.

And...

[MAKES ENGINE NOISE]

the freedom bird.

Lighten up, Ru.

I still got a few more years left on my sentence.

Face it, Taylor. You're a lifer.

[MEN CHUCKLE]

"Well, Doc, how's it going?"

"Oh, it's not bad. Thanks. Thanks.

A lot of new cases of foot fungus, though."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, listen.

"One guy had it so bad,

"foot nearly came off in his sock.

"Ooh, it was nasty.

"I got a little excited there for a while

"'cause I thought we had a case of leprosy.

"But no. Nah. Nah.

Guy was just ankle-deep in toe jam."

[BURPS]

"Gross, Doc!

My word. Men are trying to eat here."

"Well, I'm sorry."

"Why don't you just be pleasant for a change?

Just talk about something else."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Like, what's new?"

"What's new?" "Yeah." "All right."

"What about this?

'Paris Peace Talks Stall Again.'"

"That's not new."

"No?" "No."

"How about this:

'250,000 Protesters March Down Pennsylvania Avenue.'"

All SOGT members are to report

to Colonel Brewster at the TAC center ASAP.

[MEN GRUMBLING]

It's hell being popular.

BREWSTER: I've personally selected you men

as candidates

for a special highly-sensitive mission.

What you'll be doing

will require accuracy and precision,

necessitating a brief but intensive training period.

I anticipate casualties, gentlemen.

Perhaps heavy casualties.

Therefore, this mission will be on a strictly volunteer basis.

I want any man here who has any doubts

to leave now,

no questions asked.

[CLEARS THROAT]

All right.

We start training tomorrow morning

for what may be

the most important mission ever attempted in this war.

Mr. Fontaine here of the CIA

will be our intelligence liaison.

Colonel.

Gentlemen.

We also have with us, gentlemen...

an advisor

from the United States Air Force.

This is Major Rex Chapman.

Major Chapman was shot down over Hanoi,

where he spent three years as a prisoner of war

before he escaped two months ago.

Gentlemen,

Colonel Brewster has briefed me on every one of you here.

If anyone can pull off this plan,

I believe it's you.

You men are going to raid a prisoner-of-war camp

deep in North Vietnam.

Your mission...

is to bring home...

38 American POWs.

[MEN MURMURING]

[SAM THE SHAM AND THE PHARAOHS' "WOOLLY BULLY" PLAYING]

♪ Matty told Hatty 'Bout a thing she saw ♪

♪ Had two big horns ♪

♪ And a woolly jaw ♪

♪ Woolly bully ♪

MAN: I want those targets set up near the obstacle course.

Team Viking will land inside the walls.

♪ Hatty told Matty ♪

♪ "Let's don't take no chance" ♪

♪ "Let's not be L-7 ♪

♪ Come and learn to dance" ♪

♪ Woolly bully ♪

♪ Woolly bully ♪

♪ Woolly bully ♪

♪ Woolly bully, woolly bully ♪

Watch it now, watch it, watch it, watch it.

MAN: He'll hit the guard tower!

MAN 2: The guy's crazy, man. MAN 3: Whoo!

Have Lieutenant McKay report to me

as soon as he's on the ground.

[SONG CONTINUES IN DISTANCE]

With all due respect, sir,

I was practicing low-level flying, as ordered.

I didn't order you to blast rock 'n' roll

while on test flights, McKay.

No, sir.

But you did order me to install those speakers, sir.

So I could communicate with the men on the ground

during their training.

Yes, sir.

I just thought I'd try out the speakers, sir.

I guess I got a little carried away.

And were your test results satisfactory?

Oh, yes, sir.

Those 10-inch woofers really--

Kick out the sound, sir.

Then there won't be any need

for any further testing, now, will there?

No, sir.

Sir, I'm taking this training

very seriously.

If I was disruptive, well...

it won't happen again, sir.

That's right, McKay.

It won't happen again.

CHAPMAN: Guard tower's on the north wall...

30 feet high.

Has machine guns and searchlights.

Communications room is here.

There are three separate entrances

into the cellblock:

Here, here... and here.

Two to six prisoners per cell.

All the prisoners suffer from primary malnutrition,

and many don't even weigh 120 pounds.

They suffer from malaria, scurvy, dysentery,

tuberculosis and broken bones.

[INHALES SHARPLY]

This...

isolated building...

is the interrogation hut.

We called it "The Nut House"...

for reasons I don't think I need to explain.

The whole room is painted green.

The walls...

the ceiling...

the floor...

[CLEARS THROAT]

Something they learned from hospitals.

Green hides the blood.

They'd tie our arms...

so tight...

that the cord would cut right through the wrist,

right to the bone.

[SIGHS]

Hell, you didn't bleed...

because your circulation was cut off.

And they'd hang us there.

They'd hang the prisoners there like that...

for hours...

sometimes days.

They used to revive us with electricity.

We called it "The Bell Telephone Hour."

They'd hook up a field telephone

to various parts of our bodies...

And...

You okay, major?

[SOFTLY] Excuse me...just a minute.

All right, there's only enough room

to land one chopper inside the prison,

Since we don't know how thick the walls are,

we can't blow them.

We're gonna have to scale 'em.

I want you up and over in 10 seconds.

Percell... you lead off.

MAN: All right, show 'em how it's done, Percell.

MAN 2: All right, Danny.

MAN 3: Get 'em, Percell.

All right, let's go!

MEN: Go, Percell. Come on, Percell!

Piece of cake. Move it, move it.

Get up there. Up and over.

Yeah!

MAN: Taylor!

BREWSTER: Come on, Taylor!

[MEN SHOUTING ENCOURAGEMENT]

Come on!

Yeah. Whoo!

Yeah!

BREWSTER: Come on, Pop. You can do this.

Come on, Pop. Come on, Pop, do it.

Come on, Pop. Pop, come on. Get up.

MEN: Push, Pop! Push!

Come on, Pop! Come on, Pop!

[PANTING]

You got to do a lot better than that, Scarlet.

It might help if you picked

a more realistic time, colonel.

You count.

MEN: All right. Go, C .O., go!

Come on, colonel.

All right, C.O.

Come on, colonel. Come on, colonel.

[MEN APPLAUDING]

Nine-point-five.

Any questions?

All right, next up.

[MEN CHEERING]

Okay, many of the prisoners will be too weak

to make it to the choppers on their own.

We're gonna have to carry them.

The object of this course is to complete it in 30 seconds,

carrying a 120-pound dummy.

I'll take the lead.

I want you men to follow.

MEN: Go, colonel! Go, Brewster!

You can do it! You can do it!

Go, Taylor!

[MEN SHOUTING]

Go, Fontaine!

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

Dig, dig, dig!

Ru, go baby Ru!

Come on, Ruiz.

Thirty-four.

Thirty-three-five.

Thirty-seven.

Come on, Ruiz. Come on! Pick 'em up.

Pick 'em up! Thirty-six.

Thirty-two!

MEN: Come on, Pop!

Come on, Pop. Get up, man, come on!

BREWSTER: Come on, Scarlet, let's go!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

Thirty-seven.

Come on, Scarlet. That's 39.

Come on. Pick 'em up!

Pick 'em up!

Okay, one more time, everybody.

Let's get back in line. We do it again.

[MEN GROANING]

Rough out there today.

Gonna get a lot rougher.

At least no one was shooting at us.

You gonna be all right?

Oh, I'll make it.

Why do you bother, Pop?

You could sit this one out.

So could you, short-timer.

Why not?

Ah, something to go home with, I guess.

You know, if we could really bring these flyboys out,

we wouldn't have to give 'em back.

It wouldn't be like fighting for a piece of land

that we got to give back

to Charlie the next day.

Yep.

Accomplishing something in this war

would be unique.

But you could buy it on this mission, Ru.

I know.

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

And my freedom bird could crash on the way home too.

I'm willing to take that chance.

What's your excuse, Pop?

I'm a soldier, boy... a stone lifer.

Besides, you strong young bucks

could use my smarts when it hits the fan.

You are something else.

No. No.

Just never knew when it was time to leave the party.

[BOTH CHUCKLING]

[PUSHING BULLETS OUT]

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Come.

[DOOR OPENS]

You up to having a few words with the local pariah?

Sit down, Doc.

What can I do for you?

They, uh...

They brought in that medic y'all are training with.

His leg's broken in three places.

He's not gonna be going on your mission.

And?

And, um...

he's pretty sedated,

and he blabbed a few things.

Okay, look, I...I know

that y'all are training

for a night helicopter assault

on a POW camp in North Vietnam.

Well, then you also know I couldn't talk about it.

I could help.

You know, some of those prisoners

are gonna be in pretty bad shape.

Even if there were such a mission, Doc,

not only could I not talk about it,

but I couldn't do anything for you.

You know, I don't think

that you listen to me, L.T.

I really want to go on this mission.

That's not the point, Doc.

What is the point?

The point is,

that on a helicopter assault, you need maximum firepower.

That means every man has to be a walking arsenal.

That means everybody has to be willing to kill someone.

Okay...yeah.

Yeah, the point's coming very clear now.

I guess that basically what you're saying

is that only killers get to save lives here.

Is that it?

You call it like you see it.

Ah...this place sucks.

MAN: Hey! Watch it!

That's right. It sucks.

These are the latest photos

from the Blackbirds and the drones.

Notice this camp,

two klicks south of the prison.

Might be a hundred NVA there.

We're gonna have to di di

before the little suckers wake up.

How long have you had these photographs?

A week.

I'd like to get some more recent ones,

but we don't want to tip our hand with flyovers.

No sensors either.

They would've been great.

The techies glue real Mexican bedbugs

to phonograph needles

that are hooked to a vibrating crystal

that's wired to a little transmitter.

The bugs go loco if they sense

a human being within 200 yards.

We just sit back, listen and count the bodies.

Let's get something straight.

The CIA isn't my favorite organization.

And I don't like your harebrained ideas.

But you need me.

Up to a point.

And I can take all the help I can get.

But this mission is about rescuing human beings

whose lives are in grave danger.

It's not a trip to an amusement park.

Am I making myself clear?

Loud and clear, colonel.

Lima-Charlie.

That'll be all, Fontaine.

Thank you, sir.

[GUNFIRE]

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

Ahh!

Ahh!

That was good shooting, Fontaine.

You got 'em all.

That's my style.

Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out.

You boys will get there.

This one's gonna go down in the history books.

Enough glory to cover everybody.

You know, Fontaine, you worry me.

You love this stuff too much.

I don't see you leaving.

I got a job to do, Fontaine.

When this job is over, I'm goin' on home.

I got better things to do with my life.

Like what?

I don't know.

Maybe going to a movie,

sitting around the dinner table with the family,

crawling between the sheets with somebody I love.

Wait a minute. I forgot.

You love this much more than you do sex, don't you?

Cleaner.

If you do it right,

you don't have to talk to anybody afterwards.

You don't give a damn about these prisoners, do you?

Or the fact some of these boys might die

trying to get 'em free?

War is a contact sport, Anderson.

No pain, no gain.

I've done my part and made this mission solid.

That's all that matters.

Well, let me tell you something, Fontaine,

just between you and me.

You do something stupid, get one of my people hurt,

you're gonna answer to me.

That's the God's honest truth.

BREWSTER: If you need me,

I'll be at my quarters, major.

Yes, colonel.

Sarge?

What?

Hey, you got a minute?

What can I do for you, Percell?

Come on now, Sarge.

Don't get all worked up over that nard-o.

I don't know, Percell.

It's just that...

if something he does gets one of y'all hurt,

I don't know what I'm gonna do.

Sarge, it'll never happen.

Not with you around.

You've always been there for us.

That's my job.

Yeah. Listen...

I wanted to make sure

that I thanked you before I left.

You know, I'm never gonna forget this place.

Don't think that I'm running out on you

'cause I'm going home, okay?

Well, hell, no, Percell. That'd never happen.

Look here. You done your share.

You've done more than your share,

so you just get on out of here.

You go on home and... give yourself a life.

Just make sure you got a thick steak

and a couple cold beers in your refrigerator

for me when I get back.

You think you may pay me a visit, Sarge?

Percell, you just never know where I might end up.

Well, all right then.

My home's always open for you.

[GASPING]

[COCKS GUN]

[PANTING] I don't know.

Major...Chapman, Rex.

[GUNSHOT]

[GROANS]

[SIGHS]

Evening, colonel.

Major Chapman.

Midnight stroll?

Well...

Something like that.

Well, I guess I got too accustomed

to sleeping on concrete.

Mattress makes me feel like I'm smothering.

[SIGHING] Well...

they tell me I'm having a hard time reacclimating.

It takes a while, major.

[SIGHS]

I still have dreams

about my own little hellhole in Korea.

In mine, they're hurting my buddies,

and I can't do anything about it.

I guess some things

you can never put completely behind you.

No, you can't.

That's why we're going on this mission.

Yeah.

I can't think of anything lonelier

than being a POW, major.

Yeah.

I started talking to the animals...

[CHUCKLES]

The rats. Even the insects.

Anything for company.

Got so I actually welcomed them biting and chewing on me.

They were the only thing

that reminded me I was alive.

I guess I'd rather be in pain than...

feel nothing at all.

I think that's called a commitment to living, major.

Yeah.

Bring 'em home, colonel.

Bring 'em home.

[SNIFFLES]

[SIGHS]

Good morning, and good news.

We're ready.

The weather's ready.

And I think we can assume

that the prisoners are ready.

All right, men...

We know how to do our jobs.

Let's head north!

MAN: Yes, sir.

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

Good luck. Good luck to you.

My prayers are with you.

Give 'em hell, guys.

Come on now. Good luck.

All right, sir, give 'em hell.

Colonel. Yeah.

I'm praying for you.

You do that.

Give 'em hell.

McKAY: Hey, Bossiter, take the stick.

Welcome aboard, gentlemen.

You picked a beautiful day to fly to North Vietnam,

a land of beauty and intrigue.

Today, we'll be flying at 14 feet,

and after a short stopover in Laos for refueling,

we do expect a little turbulence,

so fasten those seat belts, and let's boogie!

[♪♪♪]

GRINER: Good Lord. What are they?

Branch office of the company.

MAN: All right.

Let's give 'em a hand with that fuel.

You look good with a black face, Ru.

Maybe I'll keep it on back in the world.

It'd help you out with the ladies.

[LAUGHS]

I'm gonna miss your ugly mug, man.

Me too, Taylor.

That is, if they don't grease us tonight.

Shut up, Ru.

You bring your own bad luck.

Besides, I'm too pretty to die.

Yeah.

Come to think of it, so am I.

What are you gonna do, Ru?

I mean, really?

I don't know, Taylor.

I really don't, man.

It's not like I ever had a real job,

you know?

You're good with a machine gun.

Oh, yeah, a lot of good

that's gonna do me back there.

Yeah.

I got a long hitch ahead of me.

You'll get a nut-job discharge

before no time.

You get a call some night,

you'll know it happened.

I'll be there to pick you up.

[♪♪♪]

This is it.

Objective in sight.

Go-Go Birds, hang loose till we tell you to come on in.

[GUNS FIRING]

Hang tough. We're going in smoking.

[INDISTINCT YELLING]

[GUNFIRE]

All right, Scarlet, like the old days,

we touch down, we hit the ground running.

[DRAWLING] Like a scalded dog.

Let's go! Let's go!

[CRIES OUT]

[LOUD GUNFIRE]

[GRUNTS]

[GUNFIRE, SCREAMS]

Get to the cable room!

[GUNS FIRING]

Pop, Eddie, Zemke, Stockton, secure the area!

We're gonna have visitors soon.

Griner, Fontaine, come with me.

[RINGING]

[SPEAKING VIETNAMESE]

[SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE]

[GROANS]

[SPEAKS VIETNAMESE, BLOWS WHISTLE]

[WHISTLE CONTINUES BLOWING]

[MEN SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE]

[KLAXON BLARING]

[BLARING]

Come on, Fontaine!

This is a rescue!

We're Americans. This is a rescue!

[GROANS]

Go.

Come on.

[GUNFIRE]

I'll check the other cellblock.

Stand back. We're Americans.

We're coming in!

It's clear. Move it!

Empty!

L.T., it's empty!

Nobody home, L.T.

Where the hell are they?

[RATS SQUEAKING]

Damn.

Not a thing happening, Sarge.

Something's wrong here. Come on!

[SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE]

[SPEAKING VIETNAMESE]

This little gook bastard says

they moved the prisoners two days ago.

I think he's lying.

It's a dry hole. Let's get out of here.

Where are the Americans? I know they're here.

Let's get out of here now, Fontaine! Now!

[NECK SNAPS]

Nothing.

Let's get the hell out of here.

[SPEAKING VIETNAMESE]

Here they come.

Fontaine!

Sarge, they need us outside.

All right, get out there.

I'm going after him.

[GUNFIRE]

Pop! Ugh!

Griner, you okay?

Uh. Yeah.

All right, head for the chopper.

I'll check on Goldman.

Colonel?

Colonel?

I can't see!

Colonel?

[GUNFIRE]

Here they come.

[SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE]

Where's Anderson?

He went after Fontaine.

They're here. I know they're here.

ANDERSON: Fontaine!

Fontaine! There's nobody here.

We're getting out of here.

No! It was my intelligence.

I know they're here.

Fontaine!

There's nobody here. We are leaving.

Just hold on. They're coming!

Colonel? Col--

[GUNFIRE]

Ow!

Griner's down, L.T.!

Go! Go!

Guys! I'm here! Let's go!

Come on! Get up! Get up!

Let's go!

We got to go!

This bird may not fly! Let's go!

Go! Get up! Get up!

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

MAN: Look out!

[GUNFIRE]

Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!

Ah! Ah!

I'm hit! I'm hit!

Pete, take the controls!

Ah! I can't see! God. God.

God. God.

I can't see.

[GRINER GROANING]

Scarlet! Scarlet!

What do you say, colonel?

Let's get the hell out of here.

No, not me. I'm done.

Nah, buddy. Not yet, you aren't. Come on!

Get him in there.

Ah!

[GRUNTS]

[GROANS]

How's Scarlet?

Circling the drain.

Come on! Breathe!

Do it, Pop! Do it!

Come on, baby.

Come on!

Do it! Do it!

Colonel?

Colonel!

The men?

Well, we lost Zemke,

but everyone else made it back all right.

[EXHALES]

How's Scarlet?

Scarlet got shot up pretty bad.

We're going to medevac him out to Japan along with McKay.

Private Griner was blinded.

No POWs.

No, sir.

Hell of a price.

Yeah.

Hell of a war.

Sorry about the men, Zeke.

You deserve better than this.

So do you, Pop.

Hell, you look like 20 miles of bad road.

I feel like 200.

I'm gonna try to get you some sergeant's stripes.

Hey...that ought to to impress the hell

out of the nurses at the soldiers' home.

The army's gonna miss you, Pop.

Well, I'm sure I'll miss her.

She's a hell of a mistress, Zeke.

Hey, you gonna be all right?

I'll make it.

Always have.

So long, Pop.

See you.

Here you go.

I can't change what happened.

I just want you to know that I'm...

I'm proud to have known you.

And I'm gonna miss you.

That's all.

Doc.

I'm gonna miss you too.

Thanks.

Take care of yourself.

You too, man.

You're a good man, Hockenbury.

You don't belong here.

Yeah.

Go home.

Despite what you may be thinking,

you accomplished much in your mission...

which was to help American prisoners of war.

The worst thing about being prisoner

is feeling utterly alone and forgotten.

American POWs

will hear about this mission.

It was too big of an operation for them not to hear about it.

And when they do,

they'll know

they're not forgotten.

They'll know that we tried very hard to bring them home.

For all of them...

I thank you.

And I salute you.

Gentlemen.

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]