15 September 1994

william J. Perry,
secretary of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington. DC 20301
Dear Mr. Secretary,
. Enclosed is a copy of a recent column from Stars and Stripes
which may have already come to your attention.
. I am well—acquainted with former Navy Secretary James Webb's
Fields of Fire as well as his other books. Reading these bOOkS
one cannot help but be deeply impressed with this man's love of
country and his all—abiding honesty.
. Our Navy instilled in him a lifetime dedication of total
integrity both to himself and to others; the Marine Corps honed
these values most magnificently.
' ’ For as long as I can remember, almost all books, film, tele—
Vision, etc. have portrayed war and those we ask to fight our wars
in a somewhat romantic manner —— men and women of high ideals who
manage to rise above mankind's lapses.
As we, individually and as a nation, try to find the paths
to peace, I believe that we must fully understand the consequences
of not finding those paths. War is ugly, horrifying —— you know
the words better than I. We must begin to understand all of the
aspects of people killing people before we make the decisions
that will render war forever unacceptable.
Let us be reminded that very often war does cause men's rage
to overcome reason; let us continue to show the forgetful ones
among us the horror of it all.
From my point of view, the scenes in which rage overcomes
reason tend really to emphasize the rule rather than the exception.
"...the acts of bravery and dedication that the Marines displayed
throughout the war in Vietnam... " are a tribute to the Navy, the
Marines and our Country's search for peace.
Towards the goal of history not repeating itself, Mr. Secre—
tary, I sincerely hope that you will reconsider your department's
refusal to assist in filming Webb's book. Please help to make
it possible for an honest man to tell an honest story.
Thank you for your time. My very best regards,

AZAeésiae/ x4§k2145t%/—\
Rosalie Benson
735 Huntington Court
Martinez, California 94553

cc: President Bill Clinton

Former Secretary James Webb
Senator Dianne Feinstein
aafnr Rarhnra anr
 -".ic:1tic Stars and StriFJE-“n' 21
Silencer put on ‘Fields of Fire’
Slnpes Senlor Wrtter
he Defense Department has dcnied 3.1mm
l Webb support in making a movie of Ills master»
fuj 'Nam
r novel, “Fields of Fire." and I'm
mm- to read of this. It is the best fiction work of [ht-
war. written by an honest man out of manned and
detonated experience
‘ ‘ my view, ranks wtth "The Red
war does to men. en
Webb 11 years ago. before he was it briefly sewing
secretary of the Navy. the one thing that signified
him was a searing attest .
Evert though wrongs were committed by our pea
plc 1n that war, brutish behavior toward innocents
and suspected hostiles. Webb never believed we
in being
rifle platoon in Quang Nam
Fondtt and Benjamin Spark led I Grad: churns
Webb was hit twins and medically discharged —
camehomstobcmflonnflyadumdbypnce
Atti;t:GL 1994
OPINION
~igns and tasked if he was a doper or a baby killer. It lilt-titlly mt \IL‘II‘mEnIS time would not forgive.
was a l ’ ' ‘ ’ an ‘ " ‘ Fonda Wm tt frequent target. Webb quoted h"
who wanted to make a life at The Life — lavishly and ltberally.
”She lllilillltllll‘t FOWS weren‘t tortured - and
R 5 Mountain in the Revolutionary War, she's sur .1 (no! . .. same ol those things she said are
c Civil War. both World Wars. any just so loulislt “
war that required efficient 1nd dedicated hands. But “l-‘tolds of Fire" is still Webb‘s best. and it
l){‘l’ll('Ll one Ii e. ebb chose another. He became it had limo trklllfl for it, A thoughtful if harrowing
a cnurtrnnttt spokesman for the unjustly damned. a film 31 this bfl‘lk had to be math
grillcrtltiun nf disdained veterans. Ht: trained at I was wrong.
‘ ol. served as minority counsel- 'ehb WE'I'll tn Vietnam. Former enemies gave him
' s mtnjttee porous-sit: e and.
2]]: from Marin C. E.
y othcr d
'se n vour nrps, your country and yo
mt rm pxpnriunte in . r 1-H
' ‘ttrn —— .1 ml: among tigers, led by a
Only tin» Dvlense Department said no. telling
asphalt slreel kid who sees him as a dart Webb in .1 letter that the scenes in which ragt-
iidlljlll'}' and heaps him with contempt and disdain.
overrldus It'ihtlfl ”wi obscure the acts of bravery
" I: dltit: scenes at cmciatjngjy authentic, and dudimtinn that the arines displayed through-
‘ddul’ battered with relentless r ' — out the war In 'IklflflN."
p053 This nit-am nn loan of heltcopters. weapons and
:1 dead. other anthem-r trapping-5 -— nu “Fields of Fire" on
This was an told with agonizing honesty, of the film.
kindthat never makesan onestmanpo It] r, 1 wanted to we not only those honest scenes. but
Webb was airy secretary, but not for long — the one where the college boy goes back to the
demolished a lot of his predecessor‘s policies. telling
campus. and is droguonetl into an anti—war rally —
a pro ootballer named Na McCall he uldand breaks loose to tell demonstrators they have
work for the Navy or the Raiders. never bot . counterfeit compassion for the suffering Viemamese
Fina d hulls, Webb bucked Defense Secre- and want only [0 shield themselves from the draft.
uodAm Webb“ It was Welsh. talking through his character — and
talking honestly.
I hope that like Francis Ford Coppola and Stanley
m Kubrick. Webb can find our e nee elsewhere
pamotit: hornpipe and he handed dorm banal in- and an honest film will he made at last. i honestly
dictments on war protesten. simply by quoting them hope so ior an honest man
 MEMORANDUM FOR COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (ACTING)
SUBJECT: Request for Production Assistance for Feature Motion
Picture "Fields of Fire”
“awn- "in-no”
nu.mgr—u...- ,

_ Ihis is in response to your memorandum of 12 January 1994,

that we reconsider
1n Which you pursuasively and eloquently asked
our deCision to decline military assistance for the feature
”Fields of
m9t10n picture adaptation of the James Webb novel

é Fire-" unfortunately. I cannot fulfill your request.

wm

I accept without hesitation your assertions regarding the

benefit of the novel to professional Marine military education,
or its realism in depicting the conditions that Marines endured
during the Vietnam war. These considerations must, however, be
they appear
ancillary to our review of the military portrayals as
for
solely in the script itself, in light of our criteria
support.

Our decision whether or not to authorize military assistance

of the people
is based partly on the accuracy and authenticity
and events depicted. But the principal requirement of the script
is that it benefit recruiting, retention, and the public's
understanding of the military. In the script “Fields of Fire,"
fragging, substance abuse,
Marines commit grievous wrongdoings:
home. These acts
executing Viet Cong, and burning a villager‘s
unreported. None
are depicted as commonplace and nearly all go
result in judicial action.
theater your
The majority of viewers will not bring to the The
experience, perspective, and background.
or Mr. Webb's
of the military or the
audience, with little or no knowledge
not only that these
Vietnam war, is very likely to conclude
routinel y, but also that they represent
tragic events occurred
forces when placed under the
the typical behavior of our military opinion
duress of combat. For many viewers, this unfortunate
by the knowledge that the film
would be significantly reinforced
offic ial DoD suppo rt.
recei ved
that the script adequately meets
Therefore, I do not believe
The only other avenue to military
the criteria for support. .
granting an exception to DOD
production assistance lies in . Although I recognize
policy. This I do not intend to pursue that are also
y, and the loyalty
the valorous acts, the braver . ently outweigh the
these. do not suffici
portrayed in the script,
with the film.
negative factors assoc1'ated
 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
OFFICE OF INFORMATION
WASHINGTON, D C 2035071200 IN REPLY REFER so

14 Jan 1994

From: Chief of Information

To: SpeCIal Assistant for Audiovisual, Office of the Assistant
to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs

Sub]: Motion Picture "Fields of Fire“

Ref: (8) CHINFO ltr dtd 19 Nov 93

(b) CMC ltr dtd 12 Jan 94

1. Reference (a) stated the Department of the Navy (DON) position proposed
support in a case-by-case basis of subject film production. Reference (b) is a
request for reconsideration, in response to disapproval of official support by the
Department of Defense (DOD).

2. In view of comments in reference ([3), DoN desires to reiterate that there is no

DoN objection to limited official support (i.e. each individual aspect of support
be considered on a case basis). Reference (b) is sound rationale for this
recommendation. There is no objection to Don personnel on authorized leave
participating in the production at international locations, pending any necessary
to
State Department approval. However, any utilization in or transportation
Vietnam of equipment or units of the DoN for the sole purpose of this
production should not be permitted.
000 instructions,
3. Approval of support by 000 will entail waiver of current
and DoN recognizes that requirement.
*‘L‘

MQL—n—k
KENDELL PEASE
 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES
MAFHNE CORPS
WASHINGTON. DC 20380-0001
m reFPLr REVEFI TO

5720
PA
I2 JANHB4
MEMORANDUM TO THE ASSIST
ANT TO THE SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE
FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Sub]: REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION ASSISTA
NCE FOR FEATURE MOTION
PICTURE FIELDS OF
FIRE

During October 1993 the Marine Corps reviewed a script for

the motion picture currently under
production by former Secretary
of the Navy James Webb based on his
novel, Fields of Fire. '
portions of his screenplay contained
unflattering portrayals of
some Marines, we felt that it was
a vivid and historically
accurate account of the extraordinarily
adverse circumstances
under which infantry Marines fought in Vietnam,
and we interposed
no objections to DoD support. Subsequently, your Specia
A551stant (Audiovisual) declined assistance based
on an assertion
that support of the project would be tantamount to
Department of
Defense acceptance of the criminal acts of some
of the
characters.

Having given the matter careful consideration, I request that

you re-evaluate the Department’s position on supporting this
production. The novel Fields of Fire has been on the
Commandant's reading list for professional military education for
several years and is generally acknowledged by Marine Vietnam
veterans as the most genuine fictional account of the war. I'm
convinced that James Webb, who fought gallantly as a Marine
officer in Vietnam and was severely wounded, is committed to
producing a motion picture that is a fair and authentic, if
unvarnished, portrayal of Marines who served in that conflict.
Because the Vietnam war is a dark chapter in our nation’s history
that many Americans would just as soon forget, the valor and
sacrifice of those who fought there have been obscured by popular
culture. The Department of Defense, by supporting the film,
would aid Mr. Webb in producing the most faithful cinematic
portrayal to date of those heroic veterans. It is not a pretty
story, but it is one that needs to be told. I urge you to
reconsider approving Mr. Webb's request for a551stance without
demanding substantive changes to the scri

R
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Acting

Copy to:
The Honorable James H. Webb, Jr.
CHINFO
 #WEBBENTERPRrsss m, mmmm 82,_
(703) 5222710 Arlington, Virginia 2209

JAMES W593, Fae—smear

27 December 1993

Mr. Philip M. Strub

Special Assistant. Audiovisual
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
Washington, DC. 20301-1400

Dear Mr. Strub:

This responds to your letter of 15 December, in which you indicated that the
Department of Defense declines to assist in the production of the teature film FIELDS OF
FIRE, based on my novel of the same name.

It should not surprise you that I take deep exception to your characterization of the
script, particularly your conclusion with respect to certain negative but historically accurate
events that "these seemingly commonplace acts will obscure the acts of bravery and
dedication that the marines displayed throughout the war in Vietnam." The very reason
I wrote the novel and am working on the film project is that this obscurity has been
ongoing since the late I960’s, and needs to be reversed. But it can only be reversed by
an honest depiction of events that juxtaposes such acts alongside the heroism and
dedication which took place every day. I believe I made that distinction successfully in
the novel, and I believe I am doing that in the film. It appears to me that what you are
really saying is that when it comes to Vietnam. DOD will support only sterile documenta-
ries, or feature films that amount to nothing more than dishonest propaganda.

I believe it unnecessary to justify my motivations, but I don’t know of any other

American who has received the Iron Mike award, the John Russell leadership award, and
the Denig award, all for displaying traits the Marine Corps itself holds dear, and for
articulating the Marine Corps to the public at large. The logic in your letter reminds me
of when the Naval Academy attempted to ban my novel A SENSE OF HONOR, which
prompted Herman Wouk to write me that in the book I had "sent the Navy 3 Valentine it
would never understand." It also reminds me of when the Navy refused to assist in the
production of AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN -- only Pat Coulter, then the Marine
Corps liaison to Hollywood, realized that the project would help, not hurt, the overall
image of the armed forces. A larger mind would similarly realize not only the potential of

1
 FIELDS, but the guarantee inherent in my
participation.

I am also mindful that the Marine Corps itself ushed ye hard throu hout the late
[970 s and the IQBO’s to see FIELDS OF FIRE made) into
a teafire film, as gid numerous
former marines both In and out of government. The book has been mandatory
reading
[n the Marine Corps for years, and is the most frequently cited piece of American literature
In COHBQG Ceurses on the Vietnam war. Furthermore, the Commandant personally
expressed hls SUPPort for the project in two separate meetings, and in two letters.
Indicating that the _Corps would be eager to support" the project. One wonders what has
changed to make It now unacceptable in the eyes of certain peopie in the Department of
Defense or perhaps the Navy.

Please advise me of the exact implications of your letter denying DOD assistance
to the project. Also, I would appreciate your defining for me the "substantive changes"
to the script that In your View would be necessary to bring about full DOD cooperation.

Sincerely,
. . p
\m 1:» r
-
flames H. w%tib, Jr.

cc: The Commandant of the Marine Corps

 OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON.D_C. 20301-1400

i-UCAFFAWS
15 December. 1993
Mr. James H. Webb, Jr.
President, Webb Enterp
rises
1209 N. Nash St., Suite
827
Arlington, VA 22209

Dear Mr. Webb:

As we discussed during our telephone conversatio

n on
December 3rd, the Department of Defense hereby declines to assist
in the production of the feature motion picture “Fields
of Fire,"
based on the 10 July 1993 version of the script. The story is a
gripping depiction of Marines fighting under horrific combat
conditions during the war in Vietnam. We understand that to
portray these circumstances as realistically as possible,
it's
necessary to dramatize both the good and the bad in human nature
that the war brought out among the combatants.

The Marines, under extreme pressure and frustration caused

by the deadly and confusing nature of the war, react
committing egregious acts such as fragging (Page 59), using
illegal drugs (Page 98 and elsewhere}, executing suspected Viet
Cong (Page 94), and burning a villager's ”hootch“ (Page 80).
Our concern is that these kinds of frequent, seemingly
commonplace acts will obscure the acts of bravery and dedication
that the Marines displayed throughout the war in Vietnam.

That these kinds of criminal activities actually took place

is a matter of record. But by providing official support to the
film, the Marines and the Department of Defense would be tacitly
accepting them as everyday, yet regrettable, aspects of combat.
In "Fields of Fire,“ only the killing of the suspected Viet Cong
is investigated, after overcoming the great reluctance of the
regimental legal officer. The script would have to be changed to
reflect that the vast majority of military personnel actively and
effectively support the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

If you would consider making substantive changes to the

script, we would be willing to discus them with you. Otherwise,
I hope that we can work together on a future project of mutual
benefit.

Sincerely,

CC:

it
HQMC/PA
CHINFO (OI-01}
 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
OFFICE OF INFORMATION
WASHINGTON. o :2 203501200 (N REF,” perm .0

19 November 1993

From: Chief of Information

To: Special Assistant for Audiovisual, Office of the Assistant
to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs

Subj: MOTION PICTURE "FIELDS OF FIRE"

Ref: (3) OATSD(PA)!SAAV ltr dtd 1 Nov 93
1. As requested by reference (a), this office has reviewed the script of subject
film, on behalf of the Secretary of the Navy.

2. We fully concur that no support by DoDl'DoN be approved for production

segments within Vietnam, nor should DoN assets or personnel be transported
outside their immediate operatinglbase areas specifically to support the
production of this film.

3. Full and unlimited support should not be approved for this production at this
time. However, the Navy Department has no objection to consideration of
limited support, and welcomes further coordination with the Defense
Department and production company to determine specifically what ultimately
will be approved.

‘4“
KENDELL PEASE
Rear Admirai, US. Navy
 *—_—_——

10:29*93 “3347 13703 695 745“ Huur

‘ Pi' @nul

DEPARTMENTOFTHENAVY
”E‘DOUJ‘RYERS UNITED STMES MARINE corms
ZNAVYANNEX {gt-fig REFER :0
wnsammou on 2n3307177s
HA
acflfirmm
MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Attn: Special Assistant (Audiovisual}

Subj: REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE FOR FEATURE MOTION

PICTURE "FIELDS OF FIRE"

The Marine Corps has reviewea the script for Eiglgs of Fire
and interposes no objection to 000 support-

The screenplay is a vivid and historically accurate

s
portrayal of some of the extraordinary adverse circumstance
under which infantry Marines fought in Vietnam.
DOD approval, the Marine Corps is prepared to
Subject to
n 5410.16 and
provide support in accordance with DoD Instructio
filming consistent with
such other considerations for location
n.
DOD guidance as may be unique to this productio
for this production will be
The Marine Corps project officer
rt, Marine Corps Public Affairs
Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Broecke
Angeles at 310—5?5—7272.
Office, Los

Mam
J. M. SHDTWELL
Director of Public Affairs

Copy to:
HQMC (PAM)
MCPAO LA
 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
WASHINGTON. DC. 20380-0001 m REPLY nerea To
57 00
PA
4 AUG1393

Mr. James Webb

1290 N. Nash Street
Suite 827
Arlington, VA 22209

Dear Mr. Webb:

procggflizglfMUNdY has asked me to write you concerning the

motion picture
Version of F?r requesting military support for the
t _l$lQ§_2§_E;£§. It's my understanding that you want
CH-465 as
w2133139103! Marines as extras and may want to use USMC

. Military assistance to commercial motion picture productions

is governed by Department of Defense Instruction 5410.16 (I can
provide you a copy if you like). Its guidelines call for the
the shooting script
project's producer to provide four copies of
l, Room
to Mr. Philip M. Strub, Special Assistant for Audiovisua
. Your cover
2E789, The Pentagon, Washington, DC, 20301—1400
screenplay content
letter should provide a brief description of requirements. DoD
and a preliminary list of anticipated militaryn and distribution
will not process the request until a productioay that is
screenpl
company are tied to the project. The had a director's or
that has already
submitted has to be a script
My

studio's review.
and staff it to the
Mr. Strub will review the script
Corps in this case, that would
agencies, including the Marine Determining supportability
an intere st in the produc tion.
have s that is based on whether the
is a somewhat subjective proces ys the U.S. military, whether
portra
script accurately and fairly ation value,
the
and whether
public inform
it has recruiting or approval is
support is feasible. If support is approved (and
preject officer
script reviSions), a DOD
sometimes contingent on tance .l At that
inate military as51s
will be assigned to coord ts list so that we
finalise the requiremen
point you would need to witho ut inter feren ce with
be provided
can determine what can requirements. DoD part1c1pation can be
operational or training nted by oper ation al conSiderations.
if warra
withdrawn at any time
ns
considering filming portio
d said that you were ns
Preliminary discu551o
emg g {oca tion in Vietnam. iCip atio n byt 'n
that approval of part
of tfign gggi
with Mr. Strub indicate U.S. militarytequépglgot
enlo;atic
members or use of
American service kely given the current
sta :to
high ly unli ra are
Vietnam is U.S. military airc mend you
t nation.
relations with ' tha to fly into ‘ Vietnam. I recom
ermitted that would
t1
te loca tion for those scenes
rna
Sgfigigeryafi alte y partiCipat ion.
involve v.5. militar
PI hope the bureaucratic

Sincerely,

944W
J. M. SHOTWELL
COLONEL, U.S. MARINE CORPS
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

' Mr. Strub}

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FIELDS OF FIRE

reali:?i::1Tr. Web? may have rery accurately and

in Vietnam {zporttayed how life was for combat infantrymen
National r lore is no perceived benefit to the Navy or the
u ’ Defense from the portrayal of the Vietnam War as it
15 presented in this screenplay of "Fields of Fire."

The earlier film ”Platoon" highlighted many of the same

negative aspects of the Vietnam War. The dramatic
compreSSion by that film of the Vietnam War into a ninetyn
minute experience, highlightnd types of incidents that were
in reality relatively infrequent. "Platoon" gave the
qppearance to the audience that brutality by American
troops, the murder of non—combatants and widespread drug use
were commonplace Lhroughcut the war. "Fields of Fire,” no
matter how accurate in the retelling of specific incidents,
will inescapably give the same impression to viewing
abdiences.

This script is unsupportable in its present form for

the following (among other) specific reasons:

— The "fragging" of a Marine by another Marine (pg.

59).
- A member of a Marine patrol setting fire to a
occupied Vietnamese but for no reason than frustration (pg.
80).

— The murder by a Marine patrol of two suspected Viet

Cong after two Marines were found to have been murdered and
buried (pg. 95).

— The use of negative racial terms that, while

not acceptable in today's
historically accurate, are
multicultural environment.
again, may
— A variety of sexual references that,
times, but that conflict with
reflect the reality of the
current policies regarding sexual conduct.

g (pg. 98)
A scene containing a Marine masturbatin

(pgs 14, 71, 93).

- Instances of drug use by Marines
y.
Continuous, unrelenting non—stop profanit

ay is not
Navy Department support for this screenpl
recommended.
 O F FICE OF THE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20301-1400

tFL“: AFFAIRS

; 1 now 1593
MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF
OF INFORMATION
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

SUBJECT: . . .
g§quest for Military ASSistance to Feature Motion
icture "Fields of Fire“

ié.V:Sb::: zlildsee from the attached script and correspondence,

adaptation : e to Pr0v1de military assistance for the screen
intends WEbb's
MI'.James
Fir e. n Mr. oWebb Vietnam war novel “Fields of
to produce most of the film in Vietnam.
2. Ihe Marine Corps poses no objection to supporting the picture
and 15 prepared to provide assistance in accordance with DoD
P011C¥ and guidance. Because of the state of diplomatic
relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in particular
the trade embargo, there is no possibility of authorizing
military production assistance in that country. That includes
the utilization of off-duty military personnel as extras.

3. We would like to give the Secretary of the Navy the

opportunity to review both the script's depiction of members of
the Naval Service and the specific forms of support that Mr. Webb
is requesting before making our final determination. We would
appreciate receiving your response by 15 November.

M. Strub
Assistant for Audiovisual

Attachments:
As stated

CC:
HQMC-PA
 OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 203014400

UBLIC AFFAIRS
2! SEP 1393
MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTOR
OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
HEADQUARTERS , U . S . MARINE”. CORPS

SUBJE CT : Sequest for Production

' Assistance for Feature Motion
icture "Fields of Fire"

. We've
u , received ' Mr - James Webb’s 10 Jul y 1993 verSion
' of the
:ggigganFlelds of Fire," along with his request for Marine Corps
m t' ce in the production of the Webb Enterprises feature
0 ion picture. Please review the script and the support request
and recommend whether or not we should authorize the support.
including any suggestions you have for changes to the script. We
would appreciate having your response by 8 October.

“1 Assistant (Audiovisual)

Attachments:
As stated
 ‘Il
'rU
FAX MEMORANDUM
Total number of pages: 8

Date: Monday, October 18, 1993 (well after normal SCLLIFing hou:

From: LtCol Jerry Broeekert, Marine Corps Public Attairs Offico, /{L,,.
Lo: Angeies *‘f a
Phone: 310—575-7272
FAX: 310—575-7274

To: Mr. Phil Stmb, 0!\SD(PA)(SAAV)

Phone: 703-695-2936
FAX. 703-695‘1149

St' Fields" Of Fire

Plll!‘

Attached BLIND COPY for you. Included an: ("..|.-,;-..,. 1‘31". . .

m} u:- :Punsc Would lll'u‘ [r1 Ll'i‘QL‘U-a with you.
 EMORANDUH FOR THE OFFICE op THE ASSISTANT To THE SECRFTARE OF
DEEPER-151:" FOP PUBLIC AFFAIRS
SpeCial Assistant (Audiovisual)

UBJECT‘ Réquest for Production Assistance tor Feature Votllr

Picture “Fields of Fire"

The Marine Corps has reviewed the script for ,Fléflrlts 'r,’ ..e-
Ind recomends approval of 000 support. Although the prevalent 3:"
'c

illegal and immoral activity by Marinas throughout the ucc= —

[fragqing, drug use, violence against civilians) could adverae‘»
mpaot the impression of today's Marines by the viewing publiz. iv
reel that the screenplay is a vivid and historically econ at
vha
rtrayal of the extraordinarily adverse circumstances under
nfantry Marines fought in Vietnam. Further, it‘s unlikely that
Kr. Wlbh would agree to change script to the degree necessary .
conform to the way we would like to see the majority 0!‘ PI-Exr'i'f'lfif.
portrayed.

We have no objection to having active dut; Marina Ufllurfs.

participate in filming Fields 9§_Ei£§ as extras in their .' ;*
time and will make an effort to provide CH-ae ;_m;- -
x: r..-
operational and logistical considerations permit.
DoD guidance concerning Mr. Webb's desire to file :r flV
the other Southeast Asian scenarios he mentions in Mi b .‘,~\_
‘ .‘EII-_

.
Marine Corps project officer for this productior mill be
Colonel Jerry BrOfigert, (310) 575-7272.
.1
14
‘31: Hr. thb,

It's
. a pleas u:‘ - - .
Ireed m princlnl: ‘
:01 me to mzorm you that the Meg-:1 m: 301125 3‘:
0 Support the filming ot EIEId§<
A rent fl§ F‘“
farming; whergeifi ‘ .
Of COOL’d lnation
1:16 corps air E scenes involving lies ahead for L15 3-5
actiVe duty volunteurw F“- 4"“
I"I'Laxzirt‘at
faasibll Marin 88craft will,on
on lgcatl be in
filmed. While 1 navy: no or.\,-ei:‘C-‘C”“'
Vietnam, poiiticaliy
it Might W“
er '5 h an ' the
The -S.
Participation
will of the Marine carps in am: "-'3“"1t"“"'
have to be worked
Prouqh the Departmen
ts Of Defense and State
out. diplomatically
.
I know this is a labor of love for You -— love
pu:_count1;y. 01' your Corps,
and your fellow Marines.
pnmg this story to the I wish you great 5‘43”“;
American people. m

Sincerely.
 I] On .
S ave to (iggfivitfiérlnes but rather belle-xe-
’ in a fOCCurred in Vietna 15’ the admission in this
. .
film it will m' As we even discuss ed it. .1
ttflUOHS to look out f0reature
the Corps‘ . appCur. regardless of Webb's
mor‘iplace. Image, that these activities were

didn't mention Webb’ - .

. S likellh00d ‘0 -
tsa rove
ijthtijtps ' beCaUSe
not :iorlpt of Whatcilvange the script~-we shouldn't approve
4t you meant but] ebb may or may not do. I realize
that
y. The personality "Jim W b .. Could see that it could be interpreted
discussed in formal
rrcspondence as being an ise b ShOuld not be should
sue for SUPPOTI; it be based on the merits
fthe script.
.
wouldn’. t dismiss M aflnes as ex . . . _
cluded in the DoD Instruction tras because the pmmmm m that are

ouldn’ ' - _
tive issue at DoD and
appears to be a sensi
eniifn m” that List that
y_ W] resolve. AS we deVelop the 130].) Requirements
in: that them
.
.wnll resolve itself. We should let it stay a DOD, not Marine Corps, issue. tn
Marine Corps) will
DOD 5 “3590““ to Webb, they'll address that. We (the
work off of DoD guidance.
in paragraph 3 of
With some wordsmithing, [tried to convey the above issues
my proposed memo to Phil.

Regarding CMC's response to Mr. Webb~

i ly his response to Webb. Although my
I would tone down considerab wish to make
as "warm" or personal as CMC may
propose d letter may not be again in a public
expect that this letter will surface
it, I do believe he shoul d
_

D01) approva l. General

.

have SecNav's revicw and

forum. Maybe after we meantime, 1 would
send a war mer , more personal note. In the
Mundy can avoid the General any
ed respouse would serve to
hope that my propos Nav or DOD don't approve support.
rassm ent if Sec
embar
letter I talk about CMC “entrusting
aph in_CMC’s proposed
In my final paragr Marines andCorp 5 to you". That‘ s exactly what the
the portrayal of our illeg al and
We’re not tell ing Webb he can‘t portray those
General is doing.
 .oral activities that are
graphy is complffled $8Cribe¢ [L w.
0n
\
[be untlt- well utter Pilllfilllau.
reall kn w ‘ ,-
we’re Dost-1:3,"? editing and post prod-Jello“ that
ly) to ghang: :nnwh
3! in e an .
en i1 ll he too late (and
not scrap the projemg'.f re Can be asgui’ydlh
1".”- wizs
like it a: dig?point. “WSW”
it scrapped because .i. .We don‘t I t if we tn to
users will Iove the puhiiz'to
It y
0 re ' '
thezhsuc and deesn't portray us well". the
other tha
‘ , t this is 1\1r. b’s diregm Ella Heartbreak Ridge}. We have to
how It 5 shot but ratli r will not
grei)n he £10118! debut and the truthtelle
xfi w 1‘ 5 cm together.
k—‘w—Ha W,“

311, Sir, that’s 111 in

k! I can‘t help bit £2; :5 I look. over this package I have on Fields of
"it‘s t~. ‘
'ke that Mr. Webb w In a line in your Proposed response to Dot)
;:
Du d agree to change the script to the degree
ssar to confo ty of
we would like to see the majori
Irinesimnrayedr? ;? the Way d in
‘
on fluid : a nerve With a Marine that serve
bmam I

my opinion, what Mr. Webb‘ will do, and the Marine Corp: is readv to
unit in Vietnam.
913011, 15 say that this IS a typical Marine Corps

Corps put the. effort into a

[much rather see Mr. We bb and the Marine
that didn‘t do drugs, didn‘t torch
avie about those of us that served knew of those activities.
Marine s but rather
ptches, and didn‘t frag fellow it (sometimes
basis, and opted not to he part of
to deal with it on a daily story ! Maybe we iiLQLlld tell
own well -bein g). Where's that
'sk to our are more to terested in portraying
script... that we
. Webb to change his majority.
nthose that were the
Use types of Marines
 if.
i
I
l

POSED MEMO T 0
. b 5
F '—Rz_cwH1L STRUB 0N F] Lu)“ '0 't-IRE
xxx a h _>

I
R TH .
r“ :ECRETARE’CglfISEEpgggHF ASSis'rANT TO mt;
Peelal Assistant (AndiovisuEi)I-IOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS

CT: Reques
. t f0rProd ' .
Motion PiCture "ESE: figgjgnce for Feature Motion

Marine C . - .
The 0’95 has revie - for 1- lds_of Pm and
commends approval of DOD 311px: the SCI‘lpt

We feel . .
historically accurate
[trayal 0f mg]? the screenplay Is a Vivid and which infantry
Xtraordmary adverse circumstances under
arines fought in Vietnam.
1
e with
The Marine Corps is prepared to provide support in accordanc
for location iiiming
;hD_ Instruction 5410.16 and such other considerations ion.
to this product
pnsrstent With DoD guidance as may be unique
for this production will he
The Marine Corps project officer ,
nt Colon el Jerry Broec kert, Marine Corps Public Affairs Office
utena
2.
Angeles at 310675-727
F”
 WSED LETFER * min: .11) “M
‘7 q PROM W L311

LMIK Webb.

I Today 1 notified the D mm m, “ m _ .

.mmends DoD appmvat :Partment 01‘ Defense I
It .
rsmnding that m . r or the filming 0f Ms of i 3
iris: .-
will now be rt
P, ec9mmendiiliOn
etafy 0f the N axy 5 Office before Dol) responds to ‘.t-:.:
M 4m H I“ I
251D Will Provide us guidance on What
locations in Soulliutr ., tho”;
istengt :33: :2;n in shooting at not. you
_ 0 rtment guidance. 'v-e H writ
and State Depa
re we can With Marines and equipment.
yum
—- love of your Corpse
1 I know this is a labor of love for you Marin: ("orp-
and your fellow Marin es. This ist he first time the uuo urute
try, and hi str‘nically
project that is as vivid
supported a Vietnam ums tanc es under \k'iui‘ "i 311.3?)t
aordinary circ
you portray the extr
ght.
Marines
t the portrayal of our s in telling
I wish you gre at success and entrusI wis h you great succes
y.
in {311mg this stor
Corps to you
merican people-
'5 story to the A
Sinutffi'ly.
:
i _
"m {703) 5222-2710 a I200 Noni: Nash Street, 8 its 82?
H
Arlington, Virginia 22209 _‘
JAMES Wises, Passes”;

24 September 1993

Mr. Philip M. Strub

Special Assistant, Audiovisual
Room 2E789 The Pentagon
Washington, DC. 20301-1400

Dear Mr. Strub:

As I mentioned to you during our recent telephone conversation

s. I am in the
process of producing and directing a feature film
presentation of my novel FIELDS OF
FIRE. I intend to make this film with a sense of dignity, scope, drama
and context that
has thus far, in my opinion. eluded Vietnam combat films. Over the past
year I have
formed a production company, organized an investment team, and begun
putting
together major talent for the protect. This letter confirms my request for Department of
Defense, and specifically Marine Corps, support for the film.

The enclosed screenplay is my personal adaptation of the novel. While some

changes from the novel are apparent -- many scenes have been eliminated, personal
interactions have been sharpened for dramatic effect, and the beginning and end of the
film takes place today rather than in 1969 -- the film is true to the spirit of the. book, which
as you may know has been taught in numerous college. literature and political science
classes, as well as being on the Commandant of the Marine Corps' reqwred reading list
for young N005 and officers.

It is my belief that this project will receive major, worldwide attention, from the
moment we begin actual production. I intend to shoot most of the film in Quang tlam
Province, Vietnam, where the fighting actually took place, and other portions in Saigon.
I have obtained the written approval of the Vietnamese government for the screenplay and
for cooperation on the film (document enclosed). This cooperation includes. the
participation of the Vietnamese military, which Will give the film unprecedented authentiotya
I have made two extensive site location weits to the An Hoa Basm, and have selecteg an
budgeted specific sites for construction and shooting. Our presentkplans are to egin
shooting in late March, l994, and to shoot for apprommately 10 wee s.
1
 —*

As one who has been intimately involved

in Vietnamese-US. relations for years,
and who does extensive work in the US. Vietnames
e community
diplomatic senSItIVItIBS invplved in this project, both in shooting the. Ifilm
am fully aware of the
request for DOD SUppon, I am also aware that our formal diplomatic
and regarding my
IS_ In a miodeof steady evolution. Before any decision status with the SFlV
is taken by DOD based on such
diplomatic criteria, ' request that you allow me a personal hearing
you and other government officials.
to discuss them with

The assistance I am requesting

could vary in structure, timing and
depending on diplomat location
ic issues. I have some specific ideas in this
discussmns with Vietnamese governme regard. based on my
nt officials and US. Marine Corps personne
will be happy to explain them in further detail l, and
if you so desire. Geographic options aside.
the assrstance I am requesting would
take the following form:
1. Marines as extras and minor actors. I would
like to use between 100 and
200 Marines for approximately two weeks of shooting
at the old An Hoa combat base,
a reconstructed "Liberty Bridge" compound, and for
wide shots of units living. patrolling
and sweeping in the Arizona Valley area of Quang
Nam. A half-dozen of these Marines
could be selected for minor speaking roles of one
or two lines.
During the filming of man Bien Phu two years ago, the
French government sent
a full battalion into Vietnam for a month. I recognize that
diplomatic relations between
France and Vietnam are more complete than our own, but
the Vietnamese inform me that
from their perspective this precedent is a workable one.
If DOD/State do not object I
could pursue it further in the coming months with respect to
actual Marine Corps units
visiting Ouang Nam.

If direct participation by a US. Marine Corps unit is not considered

workable, I
would like to recruit and select Marines from Okinawa and bring
them into Vietnam on a
leave status. As one possibility, I am informed the Marine
Corps has a "battlefield
visitation" program whereupon Marines visit historic battlefields
in groups. The An Hoa
Basin certainly should fit under such a rubric.

2. CH-46 helicopter operations. I believe that internal

and external film footage
of CH-46 operations is extremely important to the historical
credibility of the film. I would
like to shoot CH-463 in a variety of circumstances, including close-up and long
shots of
medevac operations. resupply with external netting, and troop onloading/offloading.

Given the as-yet unresolved diplomatic considerations, there

are a number of
possible alternatives for such assistance.

a. Inside Vietnam. If the US. government is supportive. it is not

out of the
question that I could negotiate the right to conduct limited helicopter operations in and
around the old An Hoa combat base. This might involve rotations from offshore,
or the

2
assignrgent Of a temporary detachment from a WesPac unit such as those that operate
out of asebo. The training inherent in such operations woutd in my opinion be of
enormous value, as would Its historical resonance.

. b. Other S.E. Asian scenarios. Elements of the film company could. as

an alternative, travel to areas of MEU operations and film helicopter activities there.

c. CONUS. .A final option would be to film helicopter activities here in

CONUS. and attempt to mix-and-match the film. This is the least advantageous option
from my perspective, clue to costs, terrain. and corporate structure.

3. Other aerial operations. Although we may have to resort to era camera

footage, I would like to discuss the possibility of filming Oil-10 Bronco activities, as well
as close air suppport missions.

The above items are general in scope, and admittedly preliminary. As our film
company and DOD discuss this project, other areas of cooperation may come to mind.
However, please consider this letter as a formal request to begin the process. I look
forward to talking to you in detail over the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Ja as H. Weéb, Jr.

ENCLOSURES
 vn- HHU Lo: nnetrra

UNITED STA
TES MARIN
E CORPS
PUBL IC AFFMHS OFFJC
E
111300 wusm
ns BOULEVARD
SUITE $01!!
LOS ANGELES
CALIFORNIA 90031

mains-1:12
F15 :93 I272
IN REPLY REFER
TO

PCP/Wps/Slzfl
Pamela Wi 15 October 1054
lliamson
Walt Disne
y Productio
50b South ne
Auena Vis
Animation ta k
Building
Burbank, 3C4
CA 9152?

Dear Pam,

AS PrOmised, I'm
:gbf. sending you a copy
1 hope that YOU of
0- for a pos can have someone Fields Of Fire. by JdmOS
sible feature read and evaluate
film producti the
on.
With the production of
of its old mold. "Splash," Disney
And with the new mana has certainly broke
think you may be ready to gement in place nOw, n out
treatment break new ground I
of the Viet Nam with the first
war. There's a generatio serious
Americans out there (coinc1de n of young
age) that ntally, now of prime
knows very little movie—goinq
naturally about Viet Nam.
curious about the I think they're
treatment war and would flock
or it. to see a decent

Webb‘s book is a beau

tiful vehicle to descr
America's history. ibe that period in
The character develo
uses to tell the story pment and conflict Webb
in Fields Of Fire would
to understand and ident enable an audience
ify with people placed
Nam. The range of Webb's charac in jeopardy in
ters is such that the ambig Viet
of our involvement in
Viet Nam is vividly portray uity
ed.
Well, as you can see I'm
realirhigh On Fields Of Fire.
compelling story that would ltfs a
make a great motion picture.
after your evaluatiOn, you 'lr
would be interested in dlSCUSS
project, please let me know. lng thls
I can certainly assure you that
the Marine Corps would
give its full cooperation
of Fields of Fire, tor the production
I can also put you in touch
who—qiiiiagsgntEd by the Sterling Lord Agency 1nwith the author,
New York.
Thank yOu for your consideration.

Sincerely.
f (P ;
{ :p' fioZLJ'
fired Peck
Major:
U‘S'
Marine Corps
Director
 FIELD F

A Screenplay by

James Webb

Based on the navel 'Flelds of Fire“

By James Webb

Second Polish
10 July 1993
 BUCK SCREEN. We hear the resonating, cymbal-like GONG of a brass bell. As the sound
recedes. a single VOICE. musical and female. begins singing the Kinh be: age. a Vietnam
language Buddhist chant.

THREE RED DOTS appear center screen A GO-MO DRUM [pins the singing voice. beating a
hollow wooden rhythm to the chant The dots BRIGHTEN. glowing. burning -

SCREEN FADES SLOWLY UP and we see that they are less sticks. held Into the air by
withered, ancient hands. TWO MORE VOICES. THEN THREE. THEN FINALLY A HOST 0F
VOICES ioin the singing girl In the chant. The camera widens. revealing an aged. shadowed
face behind the loss sticks. It is a very OLD WOMAN. and she is praying.

REVERSE. We are INT - A DAHKENED, VIETNAMESE VILLAGE HOME

From behind the Old Woman we see a FAMILY ALTAR. with pictures oi dead family members
The VOICES and GO MO DRUM are now joined by an ORCHESTRAL RENDITION of the Viet-
namese classic 'Ccn Duong Cal Ouan.‘ piayed in perfect time with the chanting. The Old
Woman piants the burning joss sticks In a sand-filled iar before the after. joins her hands In front
of her face. dips them six times before the altar. then removes three pictures from the alter.

CLOSE on each picture as she removes It They are ali young men. Two are former South
Vietnamese soldiers. One is a former Viet Cong. They are her sons. all killed in the war.

The Old Woman clutches the pictures. passing the camera and heading toward the door at her
email. rather primitive home. FOLLOW her. The MUSIC AND CHANTwe continue as she exits
the house with the pictures. She's on a mission. She turns right and leaves us.

CUT TO:

EXT - QUANG NAM VILLAGE - MORNING

The CHANTING AND MUSIC continue as the Old Woman walks down a dirt pathway surround-
ed by bushes and vegetation, heading for an open area of vast rice fields. OTHER VILLAGERS
join her. coming from their own homes. They wave and CALL to each other. exuding a mix at
excitement and reverence. They are all carrying pictures

CUT TO:

EXT - OUANG NAM RICE FIELD - MORNING

Camera is shooting up at a muddy paddy dike. framed in the background by thick treetines and
sharp blue mountains in the distance. The VILLAGERS are walking across the paddy dike. with
the same sense of anticipation. COME DOWN to the dike: what we see, as the CHANTING
AND MUSIC continue. are BARE FEEI’. Old feet. young feet. wide and hard and brown. the
mud of the dike squeezing between their toes.

CAMERA WIDENS. showing the panorama around them and then PANNING to the north untl
we see the sharp mountains of the HA1 VAN PASS above Da Nang

CUT TO:
EXT - HA! VAN PASS - MORNING

MUSIC and CHANTS continue. Now we are shooting down at a breath-taking panorama ol
ocean. paddles and mountains. and then panning the cityscape of De Nang Itself. Finally the
camera rests on a tail. white object. rising above Da Nang's landscape. Slowly ZOOM um] we
see that It Is a HUGE WHITE BUDDHA.

CUTTO:

EXT - BUDDHIST TEMPLEI DA HANG - MORNING

We‘re 0“ the ground. shooting the same Buddha trom the road that abuts the temple. We
widen and come down. panning the yard in front oi the temple and then the temple itself. More
than a thousand people are flocking to the temple and filling its yard. Most of them. like the
Old Woman who now enters the gate. are carrying pictures. The SINGING AND 60 MO
DRUMS are emanating irom inside the temple.

CUT TO:

INT - BUDDHIST TEMPLE

We are suddenly inside the NOISE and motion oi the chanting and GoMo drum and music.
shooting it from the inside out. A huge service is being held Inside the temple. Several monks
are standing before a large. central shrine area. surrounded by dozens oi bumlng loss sticks.
large icons. offerings of food and money. and a thousand pictures. stacked belore the altar.

The loss sticks make a mist In the temple. Dozens of worshippers are lighting new sticks.
praying fervently. then sticking them Into vases titled with sand. Behind them. the packed
temple is CHANTING in unison as a monk pounds the GO MO drum. The temple is so full the
worshippers are pouring out into the street.

Focus In on the pictures. panning them. Most are the faces of young men — soldiers. Some
wear the uniforms of the South Vietnamese Army. Others are Viet Cong. They mingle together.
hundreds of them. a memorial not to the war they fought but to the suffering of their country.
Finally rest on a PHOTO OF TWO AMERiCAN MARINES (Hodges and Snake). They are etltngy
and tough in their flak jackets and combat fatigues. They emanate an obvious camaraderie.

REVERSE. slowly focusing over the heads of the chanting Vietnamese to the back of the
eon.
temple. where a soft-looking. mid-forties American (GOODBICH) stands with his twantyish
Keep moving In until we have GOODRICH ECU. awash in memories. haunted by the elemental
MUSIC and the energetic chaos of the service. .

sooomce (v.o.)
Vietnam, Vietnam... i knew your mountains. I
knew your valleys. But i never knew you.

END CHANTING. ROLL TITLES AND CREDITS

CU'I’TO:
EXT - DANANG - DAWN

:bfiigié; I22”: Thfe RIVER. dotted with small sampans. The city SKYLINE. An OLD COMBAT
over rorn
heading for markets t e war. PEOPLE b u 5111 ng about on bikes and mopeds or wail-ring.
or work.

CUT TO:

EXT - DANANG AND SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE - EARLY MORNING

A series of breathtakingly beautiful shots - sharp mountains. wide rice paddies. cemeteries. dd
ruins mixed with kids and waterbuils. beaches along the seacoast. taken from many diterefl
323:“ anddangles - WW Now we're taking It from a moving car. headhg
a ma .

CUT TO:

EXT - ROAD OUTSIDE DA NANG - DAY

W. POV MOVING CAR: PEOPIE AND PLACES, showing us the heart and
soul of Vietnam. and the reminders of the war. A CROWDED MARKETPLACE. titled with
chattering VIETNAMESE. Now they turn toward the camera. startled and curious. Catch he
FACES. young and old. An OLD WOMAN points and begins CHATTERING. A DESOLATE
DIRT ROAD. passing clutches of villages. At the edge of the road ls ANOTHER OIJD WOMAN
whose left leg ls gone - no prosthesis. She is maneuvering a crutch with her left arm. and
pulling a cow with her right. THE REMAINS OF AN OLD CONCRETE BRIDGE bunt years ago
in
by American Seabees. stretching across a placidly moving river. The middle span is gone
parts of the
the water underneath we can see the shadowy outline of a RUSSIAN TANK. Other
bridge have fallen away. Nearby. on the rlverbank. is the mating hulk of an AMERICAN
AMPHIBIOUS TRACTOR.

As we drive we hear GOODRICH continue V.O.. In a flat. almost tutorial

tone.

GOODRICH two.)
Your fields were as familiar to me as the rooms
of my own home. I crept Ieariuily through your
trails at night. tought in your villas. over them.
through them. I drank at your walls. dug fox-
holes along your hedges. shared my food with
kids who filled my canteens. poured water on
me when I washed. helped me iorget we were
at war

CUT TO:
gate m
POV THE MOVING CAR. Near the road is a HUGE CEMETERY. behind a concrete
a thousand communist sotdlers' graves are
the words W. More than
Inside. each marked with a RED STAR.

QUICKLY DISSOLVE TO:

 The cemetery Is now filled with A THOUSAND UVING SOLDIERS. one ln front at each grave.
They are dressed In the varied uniforms and disguises of the North Vietnamese Army ll'ld Viet
Cong. They carry a variety of weapons — Alt-47 and SKS rifles. RPDe. B40 RPGa. 61 and 82
mm mortars. rockets. grenades, 12.7 mm machine guns. PAN THEM. They follow the ear with
their eyes. They are as old as when they were killed.

GOODRICH v.0. as we pass the cemetery and view the dissolve:

GOODRICH two.)
Within ten miles of here a hundred thousand
people died — ours. theirs, the villagers caught
In between...

CUT TO:

A GROUP OF VILLAGERS. walking along a paddy dike toward the road. stopping to stare at the
passing car. Now we understand more fully the mix of curiosity and memories In their stares.

CUT TO:

A TURNOFF IN THE ROAD. The car halls. It Is barren and abandoned here. the vegetation
scrub-like and new. '
iNT/EXT THE CAR - DAY

The Vietnamese DRIVER points up the tral.

DRIVER
n l i . | I

Another Vietnamese sitting next to the driver smiles apologetlcaliy and explain.

GUIDE
Too rough back there. No more road. You
have to walk.

CUT TO:

EXT - LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD TOWARD THE OLD COMBAT BASE - DAY

FOLLOW GOODRICH and his Iate—teenaged SON as they walk along the trail toward no
discernible destination. Goodrich Is using a cane. making his way along the rough terrain with
an artificial leg. He Is sweating profusely In the intense heat. His Son is also sweating As they
walk the Son reaches over and pets Goodrich gently on the shoulder. consoling him.

OUT TO:

EXT - THE OLD AIR STRIP. AN HOA COMBAT BASE - DAY

ioodrlch and his Son make their way over hundreds of acres of earth that has been plowed
inder. walking toward the air strip. The remains of the old combat base are empty. eerily quiet.
raises except for thousands of small. replanted tree;

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RBE‘ESE TO.

EXT — m HOA BASIN Dawn

-
I}; ageiilooklngeasnvand across a WIDE. ENDLESS RICE PADDY toward a faraway treeline.
h (“i=5 gage-going to ruse. burning away a low log. As the FOG LIFTS we REVEAL I
h; I?” HgEINED memes on line. spaced frlt'y yards apart. moving through the km
-
L” . l-oe toaard the treeiine. This Is a scene oi quiet beauty. The movements oi the Matinee
3 e 9199-11 natural. oddly at peace with their weapons and other equipment. and with their
surroundings.

A QUOTE APPEARS:

'FOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT THE VIETNAM WAR —- ON ALL SIDES.'

MUSIC CHANGES: BEGIN CCFI'. 'FORTUNATE SON'

CUT TO:

EXT - THE VILLAGE INSIDE THE THEEUNE - DAWN

THE MARINES are now ASSAULTING into the village. FIRING their weapons and SCREAMING
as they walk brisldy forward.

CLOSE on SNAKE. directing part of this assaui‘L He has a slnewy strength and is URGING
others forward. his lace intense. He's Curiously charismatic — a fifty year—old's mask of a
and determination resting on a young man's face.

THE QUOTE CONTINUES:

'AND FOR THE VILLAGEHS WHO WERE CAUGHT IN BETWEEN.‘

MUSIC FULL BLAST.

CUT TO:
also hear the
A SCREEN FILLED WITH SWIRUNG RED DUST. As MUSIC continues. we
GRINDING of truck and tank engines. and I REBEL YELL

THE DUST FILTERS OUT. revealing -

EXT - CONVOY ROAD OUTPOST - MORNING

the convoy past They
FOUR MARINES sit shirtless under poncho-liner umbrellas. watching
are on 'outpost duty.‘ smoking cigarettes and playing a card game. their llak jackets. weapons.
of them have tattoos.
Grations and canteens at their side. Their hair is a little too long. Three
lust out of high school -
Their jungle boots are bleached and scuffed. They are very young -
w hardJooking. tanned and lean. The convoy is covering them with dust. A small transistor
radio is BLARING 'Fortunate Son.‘

CUT TO:

_. __..._._m— ._-__H._.- .. —- —-
 EXT - ON A MOVING TRUCK - MORNING

SIX NEW GUYS stand in the open truck bed. staring out at the Basin's panorama as the Dome)!
heads toward An Hoa. They are pale and sweating. still wearing stateside utility uniforms and
boots. still carrying a 'stateside' layer of fat. Bulging seabags are at their test. They carry "0
weapons and wear no flak jackets or helmets. They are in various stages at misery and
apprehension.

TIGHT on WilJ. GOODFIICH. He's a little fleshier than the others. and much more afraid. He
has an Open. Inteillgent face. wire-rimmed glasses. and a self~mocking smfle. Even now he's
mocking his own fear. as if he has come to Vietnam on a dare. He WAVES nervousiy at the
outpost Marines.

CUT TO:
EXT - THE OUTPOST - MORNING

One of the Marines sees Goodrich wave and nonchalantly gives him the finger.

CUT TO:
EXT - ON THE TRUCK- MORNING

Goodrich shrugs. looking at the others as it to apologlze. A kinetic, dangerous-looking black

(WILD MAN) scoffs at Goodrich.

WIlJD MAN
Shes-it. Homecoming king.

BOB HODGES quietly measures both Wild Man and Goodrich. then dismisses them and
is slim but
surveys the terrain. He wears second Iieutenant‘s bars on his stateside militias. He
very muscular. a serious young Kentuckien who keeps his emotions hidden. He's waited his
whole life to do this. and despite his unease is very self-assured. Now he POINTS —

EXT - POV THE TRUCK - MORNING

spiraling
Less than a mile away we see RED SMOKE curiing upward. and a CHAS helicopter
down into a landing zone. A Marine patrol has been under lire and is now in a perimeter.
running a medevac. As the helicopter nears the L2 we hear AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE
erupt. Some of It is coming this way.

EXT - ON THE TRUCK - MORNING

Now they peer
The new Marines are lying flat in the bed as stray rounds POP overhead.
from the firefight Each lace
toward the rear of the column as the convoy plows forward. away
Man seems
registers a different reaction: Goodrich nears nausea. Hodges is discerning. Wild
ecstatic.

WILD MAN
Bucide tor a fat man‘s assl Whoa. tor you
dust!
 A YOUNG BLACK MARINE lays back. lighting a cigarette and nodding toward Wild Man.

YOUNG BLACK MARINE

Stay away from me. man. You crazy as shit.
WILD MAN
Heyyy. Show ‘ern what you got. Blood.
CUT TO:

EXT - AN HOA COMBAT BASE - MORNING

Near the spot where Goodrich stood with his son in the opening scene. Now It is REVERBER'
.ATING with NOISE and MOTION. An ARTILLERY MISSION goes out from a nearby sector.
Salty troops saunter along wooden pallet-box walkways and next to the road. Jeeps W
mechanical 'muies' pass to and fro. carrying supplies and personnel.

The CONVOY. minus Its tanks and amphibious tractors. CHURNS into the base. WM 0'0"“
at dust. It passes a SIGN:

WELQQME TQ AN HQA
LITTLE DIEN §IEN PHu.

CUT TO:
EXT — IN FRONT OF REGIMENTAL COMMAND BUNKER - MORNING

HODGES stands amid a dozen new arrivais. all at them red with the dust. surveying his
surroundings. He looks up at a LARGE WOODEN BOARD. on urn-rich a hundred “bush hets'
have been nailed.

As Hodges stares. at tanned SEFIGEANT walks up to him from across the road.
SERGEANT ANDERSON
Sergeant Malor don‘t like bush hats In the Hear.
You Lieutenant Hodges?

HODGES
How‘d you know

SERGEANT ANDERSON
{WWI
Name's on your seabag. Sergeant Anderson.
Delta company. Major Otto wants you.

Hodges begins following Anderson across the road. toward a collection at terns.
HODGES
Otto?
 SERGEANT ANDERSON
Battalion x-O. He always briefs the new Lieu—
tenants. He's on his third tour. Gone s little
My, I think. No disrespect Intended.
As the walk,
running for cot;-h ear the FIEW'ING of a large four-propeilor aircraft immediately Marines start

SERGEANT ANDERSON (cor-It'd}

Fuck me blind!

the weightsprints
Anderson of his seabag.
toward a nearb y dit oh and lumps In. Hodges {allows him. limping along under

HODGES, in the ditch. The REW’iNG has grown louder.

HODGES
What's goin‘ on?

SERGEANT ANDERSON
C-one-thirty‘s been trying to get outa here for
two months.

CUT TO:

EXT - THE AN HOA AIRSTHIP DAY

-
tend.
A 0-130 Cargo aircraft is at one end of the strip. tumlng around before it begins to

CUT TO:

EXT - BACK IN THE DITCH - DAY

122-miiiirneter rockets
As the REWING continues w e hear the WHISTLING sound of a dozen impact throughout the
CHUNCHING
and the THUNKS of 32-millirneter mortars. followed by the BANGS of artillery.
cringe in the ditch. Now comes the tinny
base. Hodges and Anderson
SERGEANT ANDERSON (oer-It'd)
That's us.

HODGES
How can you teli?

SERGEANT ANDERSON
Swish—boom is comin' in Boom-swish ls going
out.

CUT TO:
 EXT - AN HOA AtR STRIP - DAY

’ As the 0-130 begins to taxi the air strip is pummeled with e ebotube mortar BARRAGE the!
walks across the top of the plane. blowing a hole
in one wing.

CUT TO:

EXT - BACK N THE DITCH - DAY

The REWING sound stops. A SlFlEN signals 'ell-cieer.‘ Anderson steps out at the ditch u I
nothing has happened.

SERGEANT ANDERSON
Kiss my ass. they hit It again.

FOLLOW as they enter one area of tents. They walk down pallet-board walkways P63 I “9":
FIRST BATTAUON. TWENTY-FIFTH MARINES. WE COUNT THE MEAT. To their fl'Ol'It com I
SCREAM.

MARINE (o.s.}
They got the Gunny!

Hodges stares to the front. then stops walking for a second. locking down.

POV HODGES. At his feet is a SEVERED HAND. the wedding ring still perfectly in place.
MOVE UP. A tent has been shattered by a rocket.

HODGES. Quiet. solemn. unafraid. taking it all in.

CUT TO:

iNT - MAJOR O'lTO'S TENT

MAJOR OTTO sits behind a small field desk in the musky heat. studying Hodges’_ record book
as Hodges stands at a loose attention In front at him. He is tough-looking. seemingly hunter-
iess. His head is shaved almost to the scalp. His right loreamt Is curved and shiny from an old
bullet wound. He speaks. almost to himself.

OTTO
Robert E. Lee Hodges. B-A. East Kermiolq
State. Top ten percent. the Basic School. Vol-
unteer infantry. volunteer Vietnam. The red-
neck mafia strikes egaln. .

Hodges grins. taking this as a compliment.

HODGES
The only war we not

Otto pulls out a cigarette and lights It. Now he offers one to Hodges.

10
 HODGES {cont‘d
Bad '0' your mind. air. )
W OTTO
0"? about It. vou see how dead the Gui-my
was?

Ono closes Hodges‘ record book

and studies him.

0W0 (cont‘d)
You like An Hoe?

HODGES
No. sir.

OTTO
You get back from the bush you'll love It.
Otto rubs 'his damaged arm. torcing Hodges to look at It. A leep HUMBLES p851
wide the
tent. sending in a curtain of dust.

orro (cont'd)
Got this three years ago. three miles away.
Three years. three miles. Know What I mean?
This war murders the little guys. Platoon com-
manders. squad leaders. You hit the shit
you're on your own. Your company command-
er can talk to you on the radio. Your battalion
commander won't have a clue. Fuck regiment,
you‘ll never even see 'em. It's your bare ass
out there, dangling the ball. You got an eighty
percent chance of getting hit. You know that?

HODGES
My Dad was killed In World War Two.

OTTO
You make It sound like a family tradition.

HODGES. making light oi It, anxious to get out at here.

HODGES
Fighting is. air. Dying‘a optimal.

OTI’O
What're you. some kind of hard as?

of Hodgea' face.
Otto holds his scarred arrn In front

11
 OT‘IO {corn'd}
This ain't Ouantlco You go wild out than,
Lieutenant Eat shit and dia. every ulnking
day No tents. no barbed wits. no hot IDOG
Duad people, gut: In the goddamn dirt. mm-
bla fucking civilian: You go numb to II but
you fall in love with it Ktww what I msan?
HODGES, puzzlad but unshnken.

HODGES
Not really, alt

OTTO
Never mind. You look mady to ma.

Hodaus reaches tha tent flap, and 0110 can! to him.

OTTO (cot-It'd)
Lieutenant -—

HODGES
Yen. Ilf?

OTTO, a little embarrassed at his outburst Ha flands and shaken Hodgas' hind.

OTTO
Take care at your man. You're aJi they“ gcl.

CUT TO:

lN‘r - GP TENT - NIGHT

thought Ho's wearing lung!- mime:
HODGES, lying on a cot. staring up at the ceiling In deep
now, and I/ing on a camouflage poncho liner.

Saran-ant Anderson I'rfts the tent flap and enters the torn.
SERGEANT ANDERSON
Sir, the company’s In contact. You can I0. I
from the roof.

horn I ml on tho
n as sits up at the tent. staring into the darkness. Ho grab: his trouser:
wait and puts them on. Then he SCREAMS. puliing thorn all Iglh.
ROAGHEB are cruwiing ll out
POV ANDERSON, from a flashiigh‘t beam: Dozens oi HUGE
ott. Anduson is 1:q
Hodges“ legs and crotch as he tries to knock them

SERGEANT ANDERSON (Md)

They tome big bucks“.

OUT TO:

12
 _7
orro (oom'd)
This ain't Ouantlco. You go wild out that
UeLrtenant. Eat shit and die. every stinking
day. No tents. no barbed wlre. no ha” -
Dead people. guts In the goddamn din. misali-
_ ble fucking clvillans. You go numb to It but
you fall in love wlth It. Know what i mean?
HODGES. puzzled but unshake
rt

HODGES
Not really. slr.

OTTO
Never mind. You look ready to me.

H°dQes reaches the tent flap. and Otto calls to hlrn.

OTTO (cont'd)
Lieutenant -

HODGES
Yes. sir?

OTTO. a little embarrassed at hls outburst. He stands and shakes Hodges‘ hand.

OTTO
Take care of your men. You‘re all they’ve got.

CUT TO:

INT - GP TENT - NlGHT

HODGES. lying on a cot. staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. He‘s wearing lungle mlltles
now. and lying on a camouflage poncho liner.

Sergeant Anderson lifts the tent flap and enters the tent.

SERGEANT ANDERSON
Sir, the compaa In contacL You can see I
from the roof.

Hodges sits up at the tent, staring into the darkness. He grabs his trousers from a mi on the
wall and puts them on. Then he SCREAMS. pulling them off agaln.

POV ANDERSON, from a flashlight beam: Dozens of HUGE ROACHES are cradling all over
Hodges' legs and crotch as he tries to knock them off. Anderson ls laughing.

SERGEANT ANDERSON (cont'd)

They some big suckers. huh?

CUT TO:

12'
 EXT — ON TOP OF A SANDBAG BUNKER - NIGHT

Anderson and Hodges sit on a bunker. staring north into the Arizona veiiey. ‘“ “‘9 distanca we
can hear muffled WHUMF'S and staccato RIFLE BURSTS. Anderson points -—

. ANDERSON
Right there. That's us. Dead“r dying Dd“—
POV HODGES AND ANDERSON. A few miles away we can see 1LLUM FLAHES dangling It'd
TRACERS careening into the sky.

REVERSE. CLOSE on HODGES. He is transfixed. The sounds of the FlFiEFlG'HT become

LOUDER and LOUDER until we -

SLAM CUT TO:

A huge EXPLOSlON. throwing din into the camera.

EXT - COMPANY PEFilMETEFi. ARIZONA VALLEY - NIGHT

FULL SCREEN an ugly square FACE (OGRE). covered with dirt and edged with blood. with l
moustache that droops around the mouth. the expression insistent. He‘s grinning. W

OGRE
Heyyy, fingkgl

PULL BACK to reveal Ogre slowly crawling. dragging two bloodsoaked legs Another grenade
EXPLODES nearby and he hugs the ground for a beat. then crawls again. Overhead com a
heavy BURST of automatic weapons fire.

OGFIE (oont‘d)
Snake! Hey, where‘s Baby Cakes?

REVERSE. Ogre is crawling toward a series of fighting holes. visible thirty feet away. SNAKE
peers over the edge of one of them.

SNAKE
Shut the fuck up.

CUT TO:

EXT - SNAKES FIGHTING HOLE - NIGHT

SNAKE peers out. He is wiry. tough. tattooed on both arms. His eyes hold an incredible
intensity - this guy is a combat genius. To his front. behind Ogre, an illumination {late bursts
Open, brightening a scraggly field. Snake screams a command.

SNAKE
We got a Marine comin' in! Tell 'em out the
iiiuml

13
 A TRIP FLARE goes off twen
1’! meters in from at him. Murmur: weapons fire BURSTS over
their head. Snake watches.
then points and speaks to two other Marines in the fighting hole.

SNAKE (confd)
That little berm over there. Put out roundsi
The two Marines FlFiE BACK as Snake dashes to
a nearby fighting hole. BULLETS chase him
33 he runs. He Jumps into the hole. where three other Marines are huddled. He
(PHONYi. taps 00°

SNAKE (oont'd)
Phony]

PHONY. a baby‘faced, tattooed killer. chews gum

and looks at Snake as it the whole thing ‘3
kind 0! cool.

PHONY
What’s Ogre doln‘?
Snake. dismissiveiy.

SN
Lookin' for Baby Cakes. Chuck a couple In
that crater. I can‘t put rounds on 'em, might hit
the LP.

Phony pulls out a grenade, still smiling. Snake bolts back toward his fighting hole. We hear a
WH UMP, then Phony CACKLING. as the NVA soldiers in the crater start a sing-song WHiNiNG.
then another WHUMF' and they are silent.

PHONY (0.5.)
Sorry bout that...
SNAKE’S FIGHTING HOLE. The illumination goes out again and It's black. Ogre is calling.

OGRE (0.5.)
Hem. snake!
Snake dashes fomard. quickly reaching Ogre and pulling him by the arms. Ogre SCREAMS.

SNAKE
' Stow it!

Snake pulls Ogre toward his fighting hole. A BURST of small arms fire comes at them. and the
Marines on the perimeter FIRE BACK. covering Snake. He lumps Into his hole. and roiis Ogre
over the top, inside the perimeter.

CLOSE ON SNAKE AND OGHE. Snake is groping In the dark. his face close to Dora's.

SNAKE (cont'd)
You dumb shit. you're med. Where you hit?

14
 I—_

ogre grins confldingly. locking

arm.

. OGRE
im 0K. Yeah. Now. where's Baby
Cal-(05?
, SNAKE
Corpsman up!

SNAKE shrapnel
pulsing ‘98"a over Ogre_
wounds. He ti D 5 one oi Ogre ‘ s trouser legs. REVEAL long asshas. doe 1:
DOC RABBIT crawls heal»r
medical kit alongside him. "y toward them. His helmet is on backwards. He drags his Unit One
Now he drops wearily into Snake‘s hole and starts patching Ogre
up.

OGRE
Hey. Doc. Go patch up Weill. man. He's all
fucked up.
A SHADOW dives, sliding up to Ogre as more BULLETS go all.
It‘s BABY CAKES - blond.
muscular. Homecoming King handsome. He speaks In a
Mississippi dram.

BABY CAKES
What you want. Ogre?

Ogre dreamiiy enjoys the mystery he has provoked. As he speaks DOC

and shoots him with morphine.
Babb“ patches him up

OGRE
Baby Cakes! There you are. man! Viteiii wants
you. He just keeps sayin‘. 'go get Baby
Cakes.’ you know, every five seconds. ‘60 get
Baby Cakes.’ Finally i said ‘alright motherfuck-
er, I'ii 99 get Baby Cakes.‘ He's all fucked Up.
man. So's Homicide.

0.5., ARTiLLEHY CRUMPS into a nearby treeiine. two dozen rounds. causing them to wince and
hug the ground. Now they hear a PROPELLOR DRIVEN AIRPLANE overhead. Snake and Baby
Cakes trade expert glances.

BABY CAKES
Spooky.

SNAKE
No. Basketball.

The sky lightens up as huge flares drop from the aircraft. They look disgustedly at each other

BABY CAKES
Basketball. Kiss my ass.

SNAKE, as Baby Cakes gathers himself.

15
 SNAKE
No. Cakes. it's too bright. man.
BABY CAKES takes off-at a dead run. A nearby [.ziaddylr dike OPENS UP with a halt-dozen AK-
478. and Baby Cakes hits the dirt. Phony's hole and CAT MAN's, one more down. RETURN
FlFiE with their M-tss‘
suppressing the enemy soldiers behind the dike. Baby Cakes takes out
again and disappears.

0G RE. looking up lazily.

OGRE
Where's Baby Cakes?
Snake pushes Ogre‘s head back down. In the distance we hear
the hollow THUNKS '1 "um"
leaving their tubes

SNAKE
Shut up...
Now the mortars land, EXPLODlNG In bursts of two as they WALK across the PeflmeteV-
dozen EXPLOSIONS. 0.5. we hear AGONIZED SCREAMS - somebody else Is hit.
“”0

SNAKE. assessing all of this. 0.3. a SHOUT -—

SHOUF
IR Ml ' I |

SNAKE, grinning delightedly.

POV SNAKE: An air strike hits a far treeiine. F4 Phantoms roiling In and a big enemy gun firing
back. TRACERS careening and BOMBS bursting In the dark.

FOCUS CLOSER. A SHADOW lumbering toward them. It's BABY CAKES. canylng anmhaf
Marine over his shoulder.

REVERSE. SNAKE, screaming anxiously. his face lit with worry and admiration.

SNAKE
Seizes!
REVERSE. The near paddy dike erupts with GUNFiFiE. dropping Baby Cakes. Snake's squad
returns fire anxiously. Baby Cakes struggles to his feet. carrying VITELIJ on one shomdet and
FiRiNG his M-ts perfunctorily at the dike with his other arm. i-ie GASPS as he runs.

BABY CAKES
Marine comin' [at

Baby Cakes dumps Weill next to a fighting hole, then looks searchine around in the dark.
frantic.

BABY CAKES (cont‘d)

Goddamn it where’s Doc?

16
 Doc Fla bbit shuffles over. looking exhausted. He immediate goes to Viteiii. Babyr Cakes leans
Over him. Snake crawis over as well. Rabbit HALF—MUMBLES to Snake as he w

RABBIT
Lieutenant's hi1. So‘s Kenovie. Flaky We“ °“
us.
5
Fucker.

ViTELLi. He‘s unconscious. His chest is soaked and his face ls pocked with shrapnel “d35-

RABBIT (oont'd)
Nothln' I can do. Can‘t even hit him with mor-
phine. It'd kill him.

BABY CAKES on his knees. pleading.

BABY CAKES
Doc! Come on. do something! Do m
Doc!

RABBiT. He's had it.

RABBIT
Look. I'm not God. OK?

Snake moves to Baby Cakes.

SNAKE
You hit. Cakes?

Baby Cakes is sagging.

BABY CAKES
Got me comin' back

Rabbit strips off Baby Cakes' flak jacket and tears his teeshirt. There's a DEEP. PULSING
THOUGH where the bullet dug along his upper shoulder. Rabbit pushes Baby Cakes onto his
face and shoots him with morphine. then begins patching him.

BABY CAKES (cont'd)

i'm on Doc. Help V'rteili. man. You hear me?
SNAKE
Where's Bagger and Homicide?

Baby Cakes is softening - the morphine is hitting him.

17
 BABY CAKES
Homicide has a ding up the side of his head-
Caughi a mass 0‘ grenades before PhonyI
cooled the crater. Bagger's UK. He was wear-
in the radio. It's blown all to shit.

SNAKE
Where are they?

Baby Cakes. drifting off Into the land of Nod.

BABY CAKES
Layin' chilly. some otd fighting hole. They be
In. first light. Wouldn‘t come back with me.
Skates...

CUT TO:

EXT - THE PERIMEI’ER - NIGHT

his watch. The
SNAKE. sitting in his fighting hole. He's fighting back ex haustlon. He checks
a chain saw.
fighting has slowed. 0.5. to his front we hear a CONTINU OUS FLATTLING. like
onto the tar treeline.
POV SNAKE. A 0-47 mounted with a gatling gun {SPOOKY} is po urlng tire
its stream of tracers looking like a wavy. irridescent hose.

up the barren hill. toward the platoon

SNAKE. He chuckles. then rises and begins walking
command post.

CUT TO:

EXT - PLATOON COMMAND POST - NIGHT

is lying almost motionless.
A mortar has hit the platoon CP dead can ter. UEUTENANT CORKY
platoon sergeant. is laying on
MUMBLlNG to himself. One leg is gone. KEFiLOVIC. the acting and battle dressings
legs are ripp ed to the crotch.
one side, talking on the radio. Both trouser
w eves to Snake. who sits down non
cover his legs. Another one is tied around his head. He
to him.

KERLOVIC
How‘s the lines?

SNAKE
Number Ten. Half my squad's gone. Vitelll’s
dead. Don't tell Baby Cakes. That new dude
Marston's got a suckln' chest We gotta get
him outa here. most risky-tick.

KEHLOVIC
Bummer. Well, we got medevacs in the air. for
emergencies. anyway.

is
 BABY CAKES
Homicide has a ding up the side of his head-
Caughi a mass 0‘ grenades before PhonyI
cooled the crater. Bagger's UK. He was wear-
in the radio. It's blown all to shit.

SNAKE
Where are they?

Baby Cakes. drifting off Into the land of Nod.

BABY CAKES
Layin' chilly. some otd fighting hole. They be
In. first light. Wouldn‘t come back with me.
Skates...

CUT TO:

EXT - THE PERIMEI’ER - NIGHT

his watch. The
SNAKE. sitting in his fighting hole. He's fighting back ex haustlon. He checks
a chain saw.
fighting has slowed. 0.5. to his front we hear a CONTINU OUS FLATTLING. like
onto the tar treeline.
POV SNAKE. A 0-47 mounted with a gatling gun {SPOOKY} is po urlng tire
its stream of tracers looking like a wavy. irridescent hose.

up the barren hill. toward the platoon

SNAKE. He chuckles. then rises and begins walking
command post.

CUT TO:

EXT - PLATOON COMMAND POST - NIGHT

is lying almost motionless.
A mortar has hit the platoon CP dead can ter. UEUTENANT CORKY
platoon sergeant. is laying on
MUMBLlNG to himself. One leg is gone. KEFiLOVIC. the acting and battle dressings
legs are ripp ed to the crotch.
one side, talking on the radio. Both trouser
w eves to Snake. who sits down non
cover his legs. Another one is tied around his head. He
to him.

KERLOVIC
How‘s the lines?

SNAKE
Number Ten. Half my squad's gone. Vitelll’s
dead. Don't tell Baby Cakes. That new dude
Marston's got a suckln' chest We gotta get
him outa here. most risky-tick.

KEHLOVIC
Bummer. Well, we got medevacs in the air. for
emergencies. anyway.

is
 SNAKE
You an Emergency?

Ker-lovic taps his head. grinning oonsplratorlally.

KERLOVIC
Head wound. What do you think?

SNAKE
You owe it to yourself. Ain‘t nobody 0‘33
gonna give a shit.

IJEUTENANT COFIKY MOANS, rubbing his crotch

SNAKE (com‘d)
What's with W
KERLOVIC
Keeps on askin' If his dick's alright. What can I
say. man? He keeps wantln‘ me to check It
out. I‘m sick enough. Look at me! What it It's
gone? I'd barf.

SNAKE
You don't need none 0' that.

Snake walks over to Lieutenant Cork‘y and sits down beside him. Gorky's lying In a pool 6
blood. his left leg half-gone.

SNAKE {cont'd}
Hey, Lieutenant. Skyin' out on us. huh?

CORKY, focusing dreamily through the morphine.

CORKY
My leg. I'm gone. If I get out. Won't be back.
though.

Corky suddenly grabs Snake by the ankle.

CORKY (cont’d) '

is my dick alright? Tell me the truth. Snake.

SNAKE
Course It Is. Unless you're hung halfway to
your anldes.

CORKY
Doesn't feel right Check It. Would you?

SNAKE, staring coolly at Corky. Finally he YANKS Corky‘s trousers down. and pours a can
of water onto his crotch. ‘

19
 fig‘

COHKY (oom'di
God. that feels — feels good.

SNAKE
Dick's fine. Lieutenant. So‘s your belie

Snake walks back to Keriov'lc. They shake their heads. oomrnlseratlng. 0.3. we HEAR Gorky.

CORKY (0.3.)
Thank you. God. hank you. God. ,

SNAKE
Where's Flaky?

KERLOVIC
Fucker beat feet when the first mortar hit down
the hill. (mysteriously) Flaky just 191m, than.
I never seen anything like it.

Snake looks toward the weeds. then creeps toward an old fighting hole about twenty/1981 MY-
Flnally he reaches in and pulls FLAKY out of the hole. Flaky ls deceptively angelic as his lace
appears.

SNAKE
You can come out now. Flaky. The boogey
man‘s gone.

FLAKY
That was some real shit

KEHLOVlC. tightening a battle dressing.

KEHLOVIC
How the fuck do you know?

Snake stands very near to Flaky -— a gesture of domination.

SNAKE
Get a casualty count. Then call Six. Tell him
we need help carryin' medevacs to the zone.
Hurry up. '

SNAKE. watching Flaky jog quickly down the hill. He's the king out here.

CUT TO:

FULL SCREEN a STROBE UGHT surrounded by blackness. flashing from the bottom ol 3 O-
ratl‘on can. in the b.g. we hear the POPS of helicopters. growing closer and LOUDER. Now
WlDEN to show -—

20
 EXT - COMPANY PERIMETER - NIGHT

The STHOEE UGHT FLASHES in the landing 2008.

A CH46 HELICOPTER settles Into the L2. stirring dust. cardboard and poncho liners upward “1
“5 ’OIOMESh- Shadow? streams of Marines carry casualties up Its teat ramp in “"9 darkness.
Far to the east we can barely make out the beginnings of dawn.

CUT TO:

EXT — PLATOON CF - FIRST Lt-rr

SNAKE sitting next to the radio In the wreckage of the platoon CP. Flaky sits near him.
monitoring the radio itself. It's absolutely quiet. In a near ville we can hear a ROOSTER
CROW. Snake checks the dawn. then tiredly lights his first clearefle- 0-3- “‘ era is a WHOOSH-
ING sound. followed by a GREEN STAR CLUSTER that breaks over the perimeter. NOW “'9
hear a grenade EXPLOSION.

SN
Homicide...

FOLLOW SNAKE as he logs dovm the hill.

REVEAL HOMlCiDE AND BAGGER, coming In from the U3. HOMiClDE is black. muscular and
tail. His left head and shoulders are soaked with blood. Bagger is also very muscular. stocky
and blond. a Georgia football player who is perennlally angry and alrald. They are waited down
with equipment. Poncho liners are wrapped around their neck like long towels. Homicide is
grinning.

HOMICIDE
Mothafuckahs. Hadda do 'em one mo' time.
man. Four in there. They all fucked up. (beat)
Vitelli?

SNAKE
K - l - A.

BAGGER
We saw Cakes go down.

Snake and several others stare silently. Bagger throws his helmet onto the ground.

BAGGER (oont'd)
i gotta get outa here.

SNAKE
Wrong. You gotta start thinkin‘ about what
kinda team leader you're gonna make.

BAGGER
i ain't any team leader.

2t
 SNAKE
Homicide's outa here. You‘re the only.I 0W '6“
in your team. Beggar.

GGER
I wouldn't make a pimple on a team leader's

SNAKE. walking away.

SNAKE
Shit, I know that.
CUT TO:

EXT - PLATOON CP - JUST AFTER DAWN

Snake sits like a king In the trash and disaster of the Platoon CF. hungfflY ““710 out 0‘ 3 G
ration can. He's tired. but at the same time almost exhilarated. He looks out on his domain -—

EOV' SNAKE: The sun is rising over brown. tended earth. fleids pockrnarked by years d
fighting. As we watch. another PLATOON heads out toward the tar treeline on a combat patrol.
in the by. we hear the familiar first words from Armed Forces radio -

RADIO VOICE
Goooo—o~o-ood 151mg. Vietnamt

SNAKE, sitting cross-legged in the dirt and eating as Flaky turns up his transistor radio. Begin
SONG: BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS: 'AND WHEN I DIE.‘

SNAKE
Fuck him. sittin‘ in Saigon. What‘s he even
know about it?

FLAKY
About what?

SNAKE
Vietnam.

TRACKlNG SHOT as SONG continues:

BAGGEH sitting next to a fighting hole, rumpled and discouraged. staring at a picture ot a
teenaged girl and a baby that he keeps in his pack. A transistor radio nan to him plays the
SONG. Next to him CANNONBALL an upbeat. handsome black who is Beggar‘s best itiend. is
chldt'ng him.

CANNONBALL
Miss your woman. huh?

BAGGEFI
l'd kill the Pope to be on top of her right no».

22
 munlDfll—l—

Goklngly)
Badger. you're sick.
Beggar checks a calendar. marking on a day.

BAGGER
There It Is. Three hundred seventeen days I
get well.

TRACK TO:

DOC RABBJT. exhausted and morose. trying to wash blood off his arms with a canteen. His
transistor also plays the SONG.

TRACK T0:

PHONY. cleaning his weapon. He smiles. looking up the barrel. We see a TATTOO: a RED
DEVIL. and 'Bgrn to Qie.‘ Next to him is CAT MAN. 3 tight-muscled. quiet Mexican. cooking Up
breakfast on a C-ration stove. Another transistor. same SONG.

TRACK TO:

ZOOM: THE PLATOON THAT'S ON PATROL seen across a wide paddy. It has reached the
treeline. lts members enter it. disappearing.

PULL BACK as the SONG ends. SNAKE. shirtless and in Tiger shone. is walking toward the
edge of the perimeter, a towel around his neck and his helmet filled with soap and shaving
gear.

CUT TO:

EXT - OUTSlDE THE PERlMEI'ER - DAY

A HALF-DOZEN MARINES stand naked in a huge bomb crater. washing themselves and
shaving. One of them winces and pulls a leech off his leg. SOUND OF HELICOPTER ROTOR
BLADES begins to permeate the otherwise still air. THEY look scum. and begin climbing out at
the bomb crater and grabbing their clothing.

NAKED MARINE
Shit...

lNT/EXT - AIRBORNE CH-46 HEUCOPTER - DAY

A DOZEN MARlNES sit along two nylon benches that run the length at the fuselage. Up trout.
a DOOR GUNNER. flak-jacketed and helmeted. peers out a side window. his machine gun at
the ready. A long belt of bullets dangles from the gun onto the floor.

HODGES. equipped with pack. helmet, flak Jacket, M16. He looks out the window ..

POV HODGES. The helicopter has TURNED into a steep bank. We see VILLAGES and
PADDlES as it spirals downward.

23
 mh

GOODFHCH. similarly equipped. He seems ready to puke. Next to him. MLD MAN looks
delighted. Wild Man elbows Goodrich, pointing out the window ll-
POV WILD MAN: We can now make out the marine perimeter below us as the helicopter
descends into the L2. Dozens of marines are visible. many dressed only in “99'
"‘0‘“ ”‘6
combat boots. most of them lying down, trying to hold their poncho liners and gear
as the
rotomash punishes them.

A SHlFlTLESS MARINE. tanned

and hard, is standing in the L2. surrounded by Initial-{Inst 0'05“
smoke from a smoke grenade. using hand signals to bring the heilcopter
191° “‘9
CUT TO:

EXT - THE COMPANY PERlMETEH -

DAY
The helicopter settles into the zone. and the dozen Marines run down the rear
ramp- ”'°" I
POWERS oft, punishing everyone again with its rotorwasn

HODGES. standing in the L2. his face turned away from the NOISY rotorwash. He‘s holding a
red nylon mail bag. Suddenly everything ls quiet. 0.5. we can hear several "3'1515‘0' radios
playing MUSIC from AFVN. Hodges looks around -

PAN the perimeter POV HODGES. A little city of 'poncho hootches' scattered in an undiscem-
lble pattern. The Marines now appear listless and uninterested In his arrival. having gone back
to cleaning weapons. writing letters. or trying 10 sleep in the boiling
with a mix of apathy and muted hostfllty.
heat. A law dance at him

CUT To:

SNAKE‘S POSITION. Snake is smoking a cigarette. cleaning his til-15. Flaky is rubbing idly
into an open 'goolr sore.’

SNAKE
What the hell you doing?

FLAKY
it's bait. Put [ally in here. see. then a tly comes
in after he ate some shit. Pretty soon i gotta
go to the hospital.

SNAKE '
You wanna go to the hospital I be glad to put
you there.

Gimme a break

SNAKE
Exactly.

Flaky looks lazily toward the L2.

24
 FLAKY
New meat. Ono‘s :1 Lieutenant

Snake doesn't even look up.

SNAKE
Maybe they'll send him to first platoon

CUT TO:

SNAKE. staring upwards. registering and then suppreS-Slnfl

his disappd'mnam
REVERSE. HODGES, smiling. standing over him. Hodges drops hls Pack- “wd'ng'
tosses him the Mail Bag. ”d I
‘
HODGES
Mail call. You must be Snake.

SNAKE. nodding as he stares at his two TATTOOS. one a twisting serpent. the other
USMC/DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR.

HODGES (oont'd)
Where you from?

Snake. self-consciously. but attempting humor.

SNAKE
Pam's Island. Me and Mother Green the War
Machine. Til death do us part.

HODGES
Hound 'em up. I wanna talk to 'ern.

Snake. unbeiievingiy.

SNAKE
We don't do that out here.

HODGES
We do now.

SNAKE
We put 'em In a cluster fuck. some sniper'e
gonna have a field day.

HODGES
i didn't ask your pennlssion.

SNAKE
One mortar round'll wipe 'em out (pointing)
You shouidn’t wear your rank out here either.
Lieutenant.

25
 Hodges fingers the second Iieutenant's bar on his flak lacks!
pocket.

. HODGES
I ll take it ofiwhen everybody knows who I am.
Round 'em up.

Snake walks down the hi". locking uneasily back over his shoulder at Hodges. who has begun
to unpack.

CUT TO:

T’tlhE PHTOON- URShaVen. In various stages of dress, holding cigarettes and canteens. staring
'8 9' "cradu'c’us'y at Hodges. who stands in front oi them. PAN them as he begins to speak.
HODGES (up)
You can call me 'lieutenant' or 'slr.‘ I care
about two things. Doing the job I'm supposed
to do. and getting you back home alive. I'm
gonna work hard on both.
HODGES. He's speaking with deceptive simplicity. Look in his face and you see he won‘t be
backed down. '

HODGES (cont'd)
I want to know everything that's bothering you.
if you ain't getting paid. it you shoulda been
promoted. tell me. Anything you tell me. I be-
lieve. You say the sky is brown. I believe It.

THE PLATOON. They‘re chuciding cynlcally.

HODGES. A small smile.

HODGES (cont’d)
You ever lie to me you're dead meat

THE PLATOON. They're taken aback

SNAKE. He kind of likes this guy.

THE PLATOON. One Marine (SPEEDY). a dark. round Texas Mexican. steps iorward. his face
serious - he's testing Hodges. The rest of the platoon holds back expectant smirks.

SPEEDY
Sir! My name is Ramirez. You can call me
Speedy or Lance Corporal.

The PLATOON laughs. Hodges is grinning gamely.

26
 SPEEDY (cot-it‘d)
Last month I'm supposed to go on H and H but
I get wounded and some fuckin' office mug
gets my trip to Bangkok! I get out of the hos-
Pital they send me back to the bush. Last
night I almost die and I nevet got to Bangkok!

. Hooees
Ill send a message to the rear -

SPEEDY
Now they put Stilt Man In my team. dude never
stops makln' fun at the way I talk. man!

BURGlE. thin. six foot three. pale and blond. ls LAUGHING and elbowing
Cannonball-
BUHGIE
Burgle, sir. Don't pay him no never mind. He's
a loser.

SPEEDY
l Lur_n you into a Burger.

BURGIE
Dude can't even read a map.

HODGES
Come see me this afternoon. I‘ll teach you

Speedy smiles brightly. He'd started off as a joke. but now he's Impressed.

SPEEDY
You really do that. sir?

HODGES
Sure. But If my woman calls. I'm out: here.

THE PLATOON, laughing, pretty well won over.

SNAKE, smiling at Hodges with a gmdging respect.

CUT TO:

EXT - PLATOON CP - DAY

Hodges, walking back to the platoon CF as Goodrich and Wild Man follow him. Snake looks
up from writing a letter.

HODGES
These two are yours.

27
 Snake stands as Hodges departs. He peers tor a beat into each man's face. They are a study
In complete contrasts.

S
Follow me_

THE THREE. walking toward the it hti rl Goodrich took 3

around. spooksd_ 9 ng holes. Wild Man starts labbe ng.

WILD MAN
Lurch named me Wild Man.

SNAKE
Lurch don't name nothing. We already had a
Wild Man. He got shot.

WILD MAN. rapping. showing off.

WILD MAN
i don‘t give a shit, you hear what I'm sayin'?
Call me Black is God to Women. Hey. I like
that. “Black is God to Women. you got the
ambush tonight. Black is God -

Snake cuts him off.

SNAKE
I get it, OK? Why’d Lurch say you're Wild
Man?

WILD MAN
l was gonna shoot him. I called him — Isl-168.
He wouldn‘t go.

They reach the fighting holes, and halt. Snake looks at Wild Man with new respect.

SNAKE
Why‘d you call Lurch? He‘s a good dude.
Used to be a grunt.

WILD MAN
Pulled some lame shit, man! Treat me like a
slave. just cause he runs workin' parties.
Called me a boy. I say. 'you see a boy. you
shoot him down.’ Anyway. it's cool. He apolo-
glzed.

Snake. to Goodrich.

SNAKE
He really do that?

28
 GOODFIICH. comically.

GOODHICH
Oh. yeah.

SNAKE
0K. you're Wild Man. But you pull that out
here I‘ll kick your ass.

W'LD MAN. grinning.

MLD MAN
Hey, man, I'm so ready there oughta be three
ofrne.

SNAKE
You go on down to Beggar‘s hole. He needs
you.
As Wild Man departs. Snake considers Goodrich. who Is looking around like a chlld a: his first
circus.

SNAKE (oom'd)
What you famous for?

Goodrich. with a frightened but humorous demeanor.

GOODRICH
Lately? Poor judgment.

SNAKE
What‘s yOur name, man?

GOODRICH
Will Goodrich. You know. like the blimp?

SNAKE
You W like a blimp. You the dude Flaky was
talkin’ about? I never met anybody went to
Harvard. What you doin' out here?

GOODRICH
i wish I knew.

SNAKE
No. really.

GOODRIOH
Let's just say I failed philosophy.

SNAKE
Then you got drafted?

29
 Goodrich laughs miserably.

N Th GOODRICH
0-
Band By said the V'd 9 ut me in the Marine

Snake‘s laughing now. too.

SNAKE
The hand?
GOODRICH
The recruiter had a very golden tongue. Actu-
ally i'rn quite good. I play French Horn.

SNAKE
You gotta be about three kinds 0' weird.

Snake eyes Goodrich shrewdly.

SNAKE (cont'd)
Yeah. my man was gonna hide out the war
playin' his pretty french horn, than go back
home and run for congress - the Harvard Ma-
rine. huh? Someday we're gonna see old Sen-
ator Goodrich. talkin' up the war.

GOODFIICH
Seriously. That's not me.

SNAKE
0K. Senator. Get on down to Speedrs teen-L

Goodrich starts walking toward Speedy’s hole. Snake caiis after him.

SNAKE (cont'd)
Hey. Senator.

Goodrich halts, turning toward Snake.

SNAKE (oont'd)
You're not a CID. are you?

Goodrich. confused.
GOODRICH
I'm sonY? What do you mean?

SNAKE
0'0.

30
 ——————

GOODFHCH
I don't even know
VIII-rat you mean.
SNAKE. scrutinizing Goodri
ch.

SNAKE
Somethln' about you's mg,
man.
CUT TO:

EXT - COMPANY PERIM

EI’ER - DUSK
saggDRigi-i. eitting next to a
pile 0t gear. eating a C—ration meal.
y. urgie checks his watch Burgia and Speed? sit
and standS. pointing toward
“‘9 fighting holes.
BURGIE
Gettin' dark. Make like a mole and get In your
hole.

Goodrich grabs his flak Jacket and weapon.

following Burgie.

GOODRICH
Burgle. what‘s a CID?

BURGIE
Criminal investigator. Turns dudes In for stuff.
Speedy drops into a second fighting hoie.

SPEEDY
We don’t like CIDs.

BUHGIE
Phony does 'ern.

GOODRICH
Does 'em‘?

SPEEDY
Yeah. Boom boom.

GOODRICH, sitting in the fighting hole. staring into the gathering darkness. He's lonely and
afraid.

BEGIN MUSIC: THE GO-MO AND CHANTING.

CUT TO:

EXT - WIDE RICE PADDY - DAY

THREE VIETNAMESE KIDS sitting on the backs of waterbuils. watching in the distance. The
waterbuiis RAIL. their nostrils flaring.

31
 REVERSE Far in the distance. we can see a Marine column oomlng out of a treating.

REVERSE AGAIN “‘9 kids ”'99 the waterbulls toward a nearby village.
KID ON WATEBULL
K! H K
CUT TO:

EXT - PHU PHONG VILLAGE my

-
SEEU ITHE FACE OF A YOUNG VIETNAMESE MAN. His eyes are wild. adrenallzed. He‘s
OTIS-laElgg‘ and breathing hard. PULL BACK He's laying behlnd a paddy dike with FIFTEEN
S. all clutching AK-47 rifles. He utters a COMMAND and they run wildly across a rice
paddy toward a nearby [greatne-
HT - AN HOA BASIN - MORNING

AERIAL SHOT: SWEEPING PANORAMA of the Arizona Valley with its wide paddles. wooded
I’k'JQeIIr‘Ies and clusters of villages. COME IN on a HALF-MILE COLUMN oi burdened Marines.
struggling across a paddy and heading up the side of a hill. As they move up the hlll. the
SIXTEEN Vret Cong soldiers race unseen across the paddy from Its other end.

CUT TO:

EXT - PHU PHONG VILLAGE - DAY

LOOKING UP: The COLUMN OF MARINES flies slowly past us. sweating heavily under the sun.
Each Marine looks down, into the camera as he passes.

REVERSE. A VIETNAMESE WOMAN squats on a mud porch. under a straw thatch. looking UP
into the camera as she clutches TWO NAKED, SHAVED-HEADED INFANTS to her. She's
chewing beteinut and staring solemnly at the column as it passes.

THE COLUMN. BAGGER walks past, and drops her a pack oi C-ratlon cigarettes. We
recognize SNAKE's SQUAD. GOODRICH goes by. red and struggling.

GOODRICH
Where are we?

BURGIE — he's a clown.

BURGIE
The gook Riviera. Uke Junior Year Abroad.
huh Senator?

SPEEDY, following.

SPEEDY
He forgot his bathing suit.

32
 THE VIETNAMESE WOMAN. clutching her Children and watching the ta! oi the column ascend
the hill. Finally she takes the cigarettes.

END GO-MO AND CHANTING.

CUT TO:

MONTAGE: THE COMPANY SEWING UP ITS PERIMETER

BEGIN MUSIC: STEAM. 'KISS HIM GOOD BYE‘

EXT - TOP OF PHU PHONG VILLAGE - DAY

THE FACES of VILLAGERS. watching lntentiy.

REVERSE. THE PLATOON sweeps 'on Iine' through the village. weamns 3‘ me
gun tearns in trace, moving with expert precision as they pass hedges. clumps dmad“ mam
hwcm'
stench-fined waterbull pens. and staring VILLAGEFIS. They stop on the '3' ”99' W°”°°m"“
the rest of the valley. then begin making their perimeter as the rest of the Company ““3 '1
behind them.

CUT TO:

EXT - PHU PHONG VILLAGE - DAY

SNAKE and HODGES. walking along an edge of the perimeter and POINTING to CAT MAN.
SPEEDY and BAGGER. telling them where to put their positions.

CUT T0:

000 RABBIT and FLAKY. erecting poncho hootches near a waterbuii pen. the WATERBULL
stomping and swaying, threatening them. and VILLAGERS watching somberly nearby.

CUT TO:

BAGGER and WILD MAN, sweating heavily as they dig fighting holes. CALLING to each other
and teasing.

BAGGER
You see that new dude Senator‘s radio? God
damn that's a good radio. Hey. Senator. you
get biown away i get your radio. huh?

WILD MAN
No. man! i come in with the dude. That be
my radio.

REVERSE. Goodrich, digging a hole with a new transistor radio next to him. playing the SONG.
Lis teases back.

GOODFIICH
Me and this radio are both going home.

33
 CUT TO:

MORTARMEN setting up a 60-millirneter mortar.

CUT TO:

ECU. THE COMEANY GUNNY. First we see his eyes. WIDEN to show hls head as he hdd! I
pair of manual clippers cutting hls hair. WIDEN FURTHER to show he‘s reading 5 “3“" 3' “3
does so. WIDEN FULL to show him sitting on a wooden ammo-box placed over a straddle
trench, making a call of nature.

CUT TO:

CANNONEALL. PHONY. BAGGER and another BLACK MARINE (SMI I W) sitting on an edge ‘1
terraced dli‘l, moving side to side, shoulder-bumping close. In time Wflh the MUSIC‘
A "Emma
radio Is at their feet. They are smiling. lost In the rhythm

HODGES walks by. looking the other way. then NOTICES them and stares curiouSW-

BAGGEFI‘ immediately stops, self-consciously being bumped from both sides as the other three
continue to move with the MUSIC.

CUT TO:

EXT - KNOLL ON PHU PHONG - DAY

Hodges ioins Snake where he sits on a knoll. peering south toward the mountains. The veils?!
fields and ridgeiines spread out before them. MUSIC Is much quieter. coming trom another
small transistor radio.

HODGES
We gotta ambush Nam An Two tonight.

Snake, cynically smiling.

SNAKE
If we win the war‘s over.

Hodges smiles back -— a moment of understanding.

HODGES
Except tor mopping up.

Snake pulls out a map and stares at it. every now and then looking out at the fields betore him.

SNAKE
There's a little cemetery just off the speed trel.
right here. Good spot. If you don't mind slee-
pin' on top of dead people.

HODGES
I’d rather sleep on one than be one.

34
 Snake smiles, lighting a cigarette
tor Hodges, than his own. Then he reaches
Hodges' SECOND LJEUTEN war and takes
ANT‘S BAH off his flak jacket.

T SNAKE
met me. Some sni r'd a bullet hol
through that. ht
pe Put 9 '19
CUT TO:

EXT - EDGE OF PHU PHONG - DAY

Goodrich. Burgie and Speed
y stand around a concrete well. drawing water and poul'infl 3 ("9'
:23; .“egds-i‘iasmnlg. Nearby.
urg e 5 radio sits next toFIVE
his VIETNAMESE
flak jacket, theCHILDREN. slcidygand unwasm‘
SONG continuin quietly in the ho.
GOODRICH drinks thirstily from
the can that draws water out of the
He eyes the children. well. H9 “30"” “I austed-

GOODRICH
Those kids hate us.

Speedy takes the can from Goodrich and tosses it

into the well.

SPEEDY
We try to kill their papa. This whole valley VG.

Speedy pours the water over himself and Burgie grabs the can.

BUHGIE
it don‘t mean nothin'. man. The other side of
the river the kids're great. Hustle tor you. Flt
canteens, wash you. We give 'em food. gum.
cigarettes. Cool.

SPEEDY, now glaring menacingiy at the kids.

SPEEDY
Didi! Go on! Edi—rumba!
THE CHILDREN. They stare for one unfrightened beat. then walk solemnly away through the

Goodrich is filling his canteens

GOODRICH
Hey. come on. i Just feel sorry tor them.

Speedy grimaces. He's already had it with Goodrich. He takes the bucket from Goodrich Ind
hrows it back into the well.

35
 SPEEDY
Make up your mind. huh? Them
little pricka'll
do you. man! KIII you! Steal
food. grenades.
give 'ern to their old man.
No shit.

GOODRICH
None of thls is their
law.

BURGIE
It aln't got nothin' to do with
fault. It just l8—
Speedy pours the bucket oi water
over hls head. then stares solel'nl'tltl
81 50mm
SPEEDY
You ain't made for this. Senator. Frag yoursefl.
Get outa here before you fuck up .
BURGIE. smiling. hold up a GRENADE

BURGIE
Toss It out. Hold up your hand. Boom. Bye-
bye. Vietnam.

He tosses it to a surprised Goodrich.

GOODRICH. looking at the grenade. then to Burgle and Speedy. then at the KIDS. who hi“ '9'
gathered and are solemnly watching.

END SONG.

CUT TO:

EXT - ALONG A VILLAGE TRAIL - NIGHT

We're MOVING along a trail that Is choked with brush and reeds as It passes through a vllage
ut I n the ed 9 of a rice paddy. Several MARINES are In front of us.' burdened with
gonggat gargand carrgying their M-155 at the ready. We HEAR funny noises. the CLUNKING (1
equipment as it bumps against a body. the SWISHING cl trouser legs against weeds — all
magnified and eerie because of the darkness and the tear.

t' ‘ face alive wrth

OODRICH, his ..
' fear, helmet low over his eyebrows. eyes moving constantly
:53 walks. Now we hear a TERRIBLE CRASH and the CAMERA SPINS MADLY not! It Is

FULL-SCREEN THE NIGHT SKY. Suddenly eunetes FACE peers down from overhead.
helmeted and intense. He whlspers —
BURGIE
Shhh. Thefre peepln' out the treellne.

REVERSE. Goodrich has tripped over Burgie and is lying sprawled at the edge of the paddy

36
 POV GOODmCH= THE PATROL. kneeling motionless at the edge 0! the paddy. hathhidden in
a "a“ “'3 “Bar Brilliant being FIRED from An Hoe and CRUNCHING doser to us.
F r
rice.
New FOUR HGURES mDVe Silently from the nearby treellne toward the patrol.
GOODHICH. gasolng with fear and raising his weapon to fire. A HAND knocks the weapon
toward the ground —

BUHGIE. still very Intense.

BUFIGIE
Take It my. That's Cat Men.

CUT TO:

EXT ' THE EDGE OF THE PADDY - NIGHT

$2: MAN'S FlRE TEAM moves silently to where Hodges and Snake are ”139mg behind
a “3‘"

CAT MAN
Too much shit In there.

SNAKE
We wake up the dogs and waterbulis. they’ll
hear us comin' and blow us away.

HODGES
OK Stay In the paddy.

CUT To:

EXT - MIDDLE OF RICE PADDY - NIGHT

We hear CLONKS
FOLLOW THE PATROL as it moves steadily through a sea of knee—high ride.
else
of gear and the steady SWISHING of rice against legs. like windshield wipers. Everything
is silent.

The patrol reaches the edge of the cemetery. A TRAIL runs lust next to It. A hundred yards
away we see the VILLE, eerie In the darkness.

Snake starts to set a MACHINE GUN TEAM on an old grave mound nan to the tral. Nearby.
Hodges is setting in the fire teams.

Hodges stops, seeing something, squinting —

POV HODGES: A SHADOW moves in the darkened village.

HODGES. to Snake.

HODGES
Something moved.

37
 SNAKE, seeing It and Immediat
e pointing —

SNAKE
n fir n t t vii I

gifiefiFOL OPENS FIRE with a Mam-second BURST of automatic

weaons fire. Now there

HODGES. with Snake.

HODGES
You sure?
SLAM CUT TO:

THE VILLE EXPLOD ES with AUTOMATIC

WEAPONS FIRE and ROCKET PROPEUED GRE-
HADES. heading toward the
cemetery.
CUT TO:

EXT - N THE CEMETERY - NIGHT

THE PATROL pressed against old graves. RETURNING FIRE with lid-165. LAAWS.
and the
machine gun. PAN them. amidst constant FIRING from and Into the
ville.

SPEEDY
Fire de LMWI

A LAAW (one-shot bazooka) BACKBLASTS as Speedy shoots It. then EXPLODES again in the
villa, setting a hootch 0n FIRE. Speedy FIFIES another one. same thing.

HODGES has grabbed the radio handset from a cowering FLAKY. who Is hiding behind a grave.
He's got a compass in his hand.

HODGES
Roger. Six. I got contact. maybe thirty gooners
in there, give me Alpha Delta Feur-oh—seven.
direction thirty-two-hundred. danger close.
' maybe a hundred meters...

A rocket-propeiied grenade EXPLODES on the other side of the grave. Hodges winoee.
clutching the handset.

HODGES (can'd)
Maybe my meters...

CUT TO:

GOODRICH, hunkered behind a grave. holding his rifle over his head and firing it without
aiming. SNAKE crawis up to him and gets right into his face.

38
 SNAKE
it works better when you aim I.
A SHOUT —

HODGES (0.3.)
Stand by for sholl Shot out!

THE PATROL bunkers in the cemetery as we hear a metallic BANG from afar. followed
SCREECHING ROAR and by a
an EX PLOSION just on the other side 0! the cemetery. Snake
watches with new admiration
as Hodges adjusts.

HODGES (0.3.)
Roger. add fifty. tire for eflect. mm
| ‘ I
THE PATROL as ei ghteen artillery rounds EXPLODE In the village with
their ferocious SCREEO—
HING “CARS as they pass overhead. Snake and Phony nod approvingiy to each .
PHONY
Get some. Lieutenant!

SNAKE
We got us a shooter.

CUT TO:

EXT - THE CEMETERY - NIGHT

RIFLE FIRE OVERHEAD. Snake crawls to Hodges, pointing In a new direction.

SNAKE
They‘re moving on us.

HODGES
i got it.

HODGES lying on his stomach, compass in one hand and radio handset in the other. shooting
an azimuth.

CUT TO:

EXT - THE CEMETERY - NIGHT

THE PATROL lying almost comfortably in the cemetery as NEW ARTILLERY EXPLOSIONS
impact nearby. They're looking at Hodges with respect, and at each other with new confidence.

Snake and Hodges grin at each other.

SNAKE
Nice job. fit.

39
 HODGES
Great to be alive. huh?
CUT TO;
EXT - THE VILLAGE - DAWN

fewTH
aPOV MaEriEQJHfi‘l—th: .sillqulet except for the WHINE ot a dozen mosquitoes. and the SLAPS ot
81 millimeter rnortar tubeaferooster GROWS. In the distance we hear the hollow THUNKS d
geysers of dust nd 5 ""19 a 100-round barrage. Then the village ERUPTS in spewing
a smoke as a mix 0! high explosive and white phosphorus shells traverse 1!.
LEFT to HIGHT_

3115:2361? - SHANE ABOVE: THE PATROL on line. moving into the village. their M-tss an
5" loilow the assaulting line 'in trees.‘
na 9- HOGQBS. and the machine gun tearn
searching.
SNAKE. talking calmly as he walks behind the squad. His face is intense. nervous.

NAKE
Be ready. If it moves blow It away

SIDE ANGLE - CRANE ABOVE: they reach the edge ol the ville.

and running. dogs

POV the PATROL: A haze of dust and smoke. chickens SQUAWl-GNG
YELPING, no people”.
As he walks he suddenly
GOODRICH. tearfully searching, his weapon pointed forward.
STAHTLES -
in the corner at one thatch porch
POV GOODFIICH. A BLACK SHADOW moving turtlvely
IC. dropping to his knees as he fires.
Goodrich GAG S, and opens fire on FULL AUTOMAT
spraying the hootch.
a BURST into the village as they hlt the ground.
Now the WHOLE PATROL open 5 up, firing
S and the DOGS.
Then all is silent. except for the CHICKEN
h.
SNAKE crawls forward, calling to Goodric

SNAKE
Whatta ya got. Senator?

rd.
GOODRICH. staring fearfully forwa
GOODBICH
o.
In that hootch. Black palarnas. ldunn
o

h.
SNAKE. edging toward the hootc
sums
W

40
 Now Snake FlFlES a round into the hootch. A WOMAN‘S VOICE suddenly crles om.

MAMASAN (0.3.)
Dung lal lgm on lam gn tgl khgng him 319.119
M-
SNAKE (oont'd)
It's a mamasen.

THE PATROL sags with relief. Hodges stands

HODGES
Move up. Watch out.

THE PATROL rushes forward. moving to the far edge of the ville. We FOLLOW SNAKE and
GOODHlCH as in the bog. we hear other Marines SHOUTlNG to villagers and tossing GHE-
NADES into family bunkers.

SHOUTS (0.5.)
Lei day! Lal day! Fire In the hole! Get over
here. motherfuckerl

MAMASAN
SNAKE and GOODRICH ln the hootch. They move to a comer. where a WOUNDED
She ls
is lying. weeping, clutching a bleeding shoulder. Her teeth are blackened lrom belelnut.
MUMBUNG incomprehensible Vietnamese.

SNAKE cuts her off as if he were speaking to a small child.

SNAKE
Dung Igll What you expect. crawlln' out your
bunker like that? You know.
Lucky old bitch. you oughta be dead. no shit!
blood.
GOODHICH. kneeling next to her. mortified. She‘s crouched next to a pool ol

GOODRICH
I'm sorry. Really!

He reaches out to try and help her but she CRINGES. mumbling rapidly to him in Vietnamese.

Snake nudges Goodrich with a boot.

SNAKE
She knows the rules. Firefight in here last
night? Anyway. she gets a free ride to the
hospital. courtesy of Mother Green.

GOODRICH. mentally broken by this. almost crying.

GOODFlICH
l was scared. It was crazy to shoot like that...

41
 SNAKE. contemptuously.

SNAKE
Gimme a break...
88:55:;rIron-I another comer of the hootch. where he is searching
through pots. pans. mtflna.

SPEEDY
Senator cryin' again?
Snake, walking away toward the rest
of the villa.

SNAKE
Look twice you're dead. man. It's them or us.
And that ain't any choice at all.

BEGIN MUSIC: ZOMBIES. 'TIME OF THE SEASON' (Or 60440?)

MONTAGE AS MUSIC PLAYS: THE PATROL SEARCHING THE VILLE AND THEN RETURNING
TO PHU PHONG

EXT — THE VILLE - MORNING

PHONY. ceremonlaiiy chucking a grenade into a family bunker. waiting tor its EXPLOSION. and
then jumping Inside.

CUT TO:

BAGGEFI. coming out of another bunker with a large pair of blue-striped shorts, which he puts
on, to the delight of CANNONBALL and WILD MAN, who are searching through matting.
baskets and underneath thatch.

CUT TO:

CAT MAN and HODGES, standing In front of a wispy-bearded. eiectric-eyed OLD MAN who is
showing them his Identification card and making wavy gestures in the air. indicating bombs
failing off of airplanes and EXPLODING on the ground.

CUT TO: _

SNAKE and BURGIE. foiiowing BLOOD TRAILS and discovering FOUR FRESH GRAVES at the
edge of the villa. Snake scrapes the dirt with his boot. REVEAUNG a DEAD ENEMY SOLDIER.

CUT TO: .

iJTTLE KIDS. watching shyly. without smiles. from behind thatch porches and vegetation

CUT TO:
out (1
000 RABBIT. gently patching up the WOUNDED LADY as GOODRICH makes a stretcher
an old parachute and a bamboo pain.

42
 CUT TO:

EXT - WIDE PADDY BELOW PHU PHONG FOUR

- DAY

lggaZAgagLraI? across the Daddy. heading for the Inbase of Phu Phong Four’s hill. They are
ea Y a hundred meters between men. their middle. Goodrich and Burgie
carry the wounoso WOMAN on a home made stretcher.
SNAKE and HODGES. calling to each other. fully comtonabre now. two parts
machine.
0' "‘° ‘3'“

GOODHICH‘ morose, firing at the wounded woman. He can‘t take much more at thls r881“!-
END MUSIC.

FADE TO BLACK

FADE UP TO:

EXT ~ ARlZONA VALLEY - DAY

A VlETAME SE BOY riding a waterbull as It stands in a wide rice paddy. WiDEN to show three
or four such children. WIDEN FURTHER. moving behind them to show a Marine patrol passing
them as it glides gracefully into a treeline.

CUT TO:

EXT - ARIZONA VALLEY - DAY

A VIETNAMESE FARMER. working in a scraggly field with a hoe. He looks up.

FOLLOW his eyes into a treeline. past primitive thatch hootches where women and babies squat
quietly on dirt porches. The patrol passes them. Somebody drops the women some c-rations.

CUT To:

EXT - ARlZONA VALLEY - DAY

oi
THE PATROL reaches a river. As the Marines begin wading toward the other side. several
them let out loud. joyous SCREAMS - whoops and rebel yells.

CUT TO:

AERIAL sr-ror: The LIBERTY earners COMBAT BASE, a narrow hill lined with dilapidated
On one and ot the
sandbag bunkers and sagging GP tents gone red irorn the constant dust.
iow concrete
hill are a DOZEN ARTILLERY PIECES. The compound is up the hill irom the
bridge and the SONG THU BON river.
weapons held over
lN THE RIVER: A column of Marines is wading across it. heavily burdened.
their heads. waist and neckdeep as they walk out of the Arizona valley.

CUT TO:

43
 m..." ”a...” _ um

21.153:mealtime;"st-war ...... ~60 ... .. .. ....,....

looking down the hill toward the. river. si-ireemsdlg
..
rgeiestzfidbag bunker. hands on his hips.

AUSTIN
We had the Old Corps. then we had the New
Corps. What's thls, the fuckin' M?
23:33:33. Below. the COMPANY is humping its way across the Bridge and up the hill
have been Ompound. THEY are Wet. filthy. ragged. somewhat long-haired. Their uniforms
sk' shinCUSlomlze-d by months In the bush - boots blonded by water and sun. sleeveless
TH“; I 5. bandanas. headbands. slogans and insults written on helmets and flak iaokets.
OF CHfire also olownmg around. teasing each other. happy to be out of the Arizona A GROUP
LURE”, '5 9”?n thEm. swarming In and out oi the column, helping to carry their
DECks and asking them for cigarettes or gum.

THE COMPANY COLUMN. We see all the FAMILIAR FACES as Hodges' platoon humps up the
hill. A month has Passed. Hodges and Goodrich are now leaned out and deeply tanned.
SNAKE talks excitedly to Hodges as the CHILDREN swarm around them.

SNAKE
it don't get any better than this. Ueutenant. At
least not out here.

BURGIE hears that —

BURGIE
Two months in the Arizona. we rate It.

SPEEDY. agreeing.

SPEEDY
There It is. How many dudes walked In there
walkln' gig?

BEGIN SONG: HOLUES, ”HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BHOTHER'

CUT TO:

EXT - lN FRONT OF THE UBERTY BRIDGE CHAPEL - DAY

TELEPHOTO LONG SHOT looking down from the compound at the road that goes tothe
bridge. and then the panorama of river. valley and mountains. SLOWLY WIDEN and PULL
BACK until we see the edge of the compound. then the chapel. then most at the COMPANY.
still wet and filthy. sitting In the dirt next to the chapel.
unshaven
A DOZEN RIFLES are stuck, bayonet-first. into the dirt Behind each stands a dirty.
d
Marine, holding a helmet. Behind them Is a uniformed CHAPLAIN. holding a Bible. In lront

44
 the rifles. most of the COMPANY sits.

“1 "‘9 b9- We can hear someone begin reading the NAMES. After each name is read. a Marine
steps forward and puts the HELMET on the butt
oi the FIIFLE.

zfizégevcno‘n’o 5mm 'n_fr0r]l of the rifles. as the SONG continues and we also hear
:etaohee:
nd th
'°' 9 see "‘9 d'fierlns expressions at GOODRICH. HODGES. to MAN. eunote.
thSJ: ‘ heSal‘~:-¢\_KE ls standing in the rear oi the crowd.
looking angry and some

VOICE (0.5.)
Corporal Anthony Vitelll.

AT THEcontinues
VOICE RIFLES. _A distrau 9 ht BAGGER steps forward and places a helmeI onto one ““9-
m

VOICE (o.s.) (oom‘d)

Private Philip Marston.

CAT MAN steps forward and places a helmet on the next rifle.

SNAKE, still at the rear of the crowd. He turns around and shuffles oft as the service continues-

CUT TO:

INT - A TROOP TENT

SNAKE lies on a out in the darkness of the otherwise empty tent. smoking a cigarette and
staring moodily at the ceiling.

END SONG.

CUT TO:

EXT - NEAR THE LIBEFITY BRIDGE CHAPEL - DAY

The ceremony has ended. As the troops file away, SERGEANT AUSTIN now approaches
Hodges, flak jacket zippered, helmet buckled. looking totally out of place.

AUSTIN
lJeuienant Hodges? Staff Sergeant Austin.
Base Defense NCO here.

Hodges Inspects Austin. noting the SPITSHINED BOOTS and the ZIPPERED FLAK JACKET. as
Austin surveys the scraggly Marines who are now leaving the memorial service. speaking with
contempt.

AUSTIN (oont'd)
I report to the Colonel. Your platoon's under
our jurisdiction.

45
 HODGES
My platoon's under my lurlajicfion,
AUSTIN, Ignoring him.

AUSTIN
You're assigned to us. Get used to It Colonel
3"" QOnna like the way these clowns are styled
out. lieutenant. He's gonna be all over your
young ass,

HODGES
They just spent two months In a meat grinder.

AUSTIN '
That‘s what they're paid tor. Wars hall. 31:.

HODGES
Yeah. but combat‘s a bitch. Case you didn‘t
notice.

AUSTIN
(arroganfly)
You give 'em a crutch and they'll use It. Lieu-
tenant. They need discipline. And we're gonna
start with the way they look.

Austin sees Hodges growing angry.

AUSTIN (cont'd)
Colonel‘s orders...

HODGES
They keep their weapons spotless, Sergeant.
You listen to me. No spitshined boot ever won
a war.

AUSTIN. stiffening.

AUSTIN .
Colonel ordered me to look at the Lieutenant's
men. The last platoon I found unset. the Lieu-
tenant was relieved. -

Hodges stands very close to Austin.

HODGES
What'd they do. send hlm to Vietnam?

Austin. stiflly.

46
 AUSTIN
I don’t make this shit up. Lieutenant. I work
for
the Colond

HODGES
My men work for me. You fuck with 'ern you're
Donna find that out.
AUSTIN. stiffiy walking away.

HODGES. watching him go. There‘s a

problem here...
CUT To:
INT - TROOP TENT

A HUGE. fiED-HEADED MARINE (WATERBULL) walks up to Snake‘s cot and leans over Snake.
KlSS’NG “"17 IOUdiy on the ear. As Snake struggles to push Waterbull away. the rest oi the
SQUAD LAUGHS and APPLAUDS. Finally Snake breaks free. laughing.

SNAKE
Waterbuill Thought you died of the Clap.
Waterbuil sits on the cot across from Snake's.

WATERBULL
Damn near did. Took shots tor two weeks

Waterbuli pulls out a stack of pictures. holding one for Snake to see.

WATEFtBULL (cont'd)
My wife.

Snake starts laughing, holding the picture.

SNAKE
Naahhhhi

THE PICTURE. A pretty Thai girl. sitting on a bed with no clothes on.

WATERBULL
Yeahhh. We're not really married. lmean.
rna meg. She lust wouldn't screw unless I more
n'ed her. it's a religion or somethin‘.

PHONY, WILD MAN and CAT MAN gather around. staring also. Waterbull reminisoes.

WATER BULL (oont'd)

Softest boobs. Quit Iaughin' at me. Tell me
you wouldn't marry that.

47
 SNAKE
i go to Bangkok I'm gonna many her. too.

WATERBULL surveys the tent.

WATERBULL
How's Hodges?

Several Marines answer.

PHONY
Dude can shoot some shit.

WILD MAN
Ain't afraid of My.

CAT MAN
Got a girlfriend on Okinawa. Maybe you can
trade pictures or somethin'.

SNAKE
Easy. Cat Man. That's a real girl friend he's
got.

WATERBULL
You like this BUY?

SNAKE. noncommltal but revealing a lot —

SNAKE
You'll see. This is Wild Man. He's yours. You
got Bagger‘s team.

WATEFIBULL
Crybaby. Where is he?

There is a COMMOTION at the other end of the tent They all stare that way to see -

AUSTIN, entering. having tossed several packs off of the cots onto the floor. He's still wearing
a zipped-up flak jacket and a buckled helmet. He looks at them as it he is a Drill Instaor.

AUSTIN
Tighten up time. girls

Austin walks over to where BURGIE. CANNONBALL and BAGGEH are playing cards on a out.
He stares malevolently.

AUSTIN (cont’d)
What're you three up to?

Burgie. nonchalantly. almost ignoring him.

48
 BURGIE
We‘re buildin' a nuclear bomb. It's how you
end the war. See. we put all the Vietnamese
on boats. Then we nuke Vietnam. Than we
slnk the boats.
The Marines in the tent HOWL

AUSTIN
You're gonna be plckln' up trash at the Da
Nang brig if you don't watch your mouth.

SEVERAL COTS AWAY. PHONY stands up and peers toward the sky. mocking
Austin.

PHONY
This dude say he can get me to Da Nang? Tell
me who to kill. man. 51W!
THE SQUAD continues to LAUGH.

SNAKE makes his way across the tent. an attempt to head ofi further trouble. He speaks In
conciliatory tones.

SNAKE
What you need. man?

AUSTIN
Who - are - you?

SNAKE
These are my people. Who are mu?

AUSTlN
l’rn Staff Sergeant Austin. I work for the Col
nel. And you shithgads just uncorked a world
of hurt.

QUICK PAN of the SQUAD. They've all stopped what they were doing and are staring at Austin
in nauseous disbelief. Now they STAND at a semblance of 'attentlon.‘

AUSTlN glares at them. He's on a roll.

AUSTIN (cont'd)
Shaves. Right now.

Snake meets Austin's eyes. paneling his seriousness.

SNAKE
Shaves. Right. Sarge.

49
 AUSTIN
And by tomorrow I want to see skin on the
sides of every head In this tent

SNAKE
Skin.

AUSTIN
Whitewalls. There's a cook barber just me
the wire.

Austin walks slowly over to Wild Man.

AUSTIN (oont'di
You

Austin oorfiInues
:‘fiavAN- staring back, defiance welllng up Inside him. He doesn‘t answer.

AUSTIN (cont‘d)
When you make corporal you rate growln' a
moustache. Shave It off.

Austin points to Wild Man's flak jacket, then to several others.

AUSTIN (cont'd)
This shit you got scribbled on your list: jack-
ets? Scribble it off. Un-fucking military. gins.
We gotta square you away.

Austin now strolls toward Phony.

AUSTIN (cont‘d)
You're a regular clown. huh? You dress like
one. ‘00.

A88. and 11' DON'T MEAN A

PHONY'S FLAK JACKET. on his cot: He's written KISS MY
GODDAMN THING on the back of it.

AUSTIN (cont'd)
Get rid 0' that

PHONY, smiling angelicaily.

PHONY
OK. Sarge.

entrance. The Squad

’hony picks up the flak jacket and THROWS It toward the tents
AUGHS. Austin grows furious.

50
5“,-— .__,__

AUSTIN
You're dOWTI. sweetheart. What's your name?
PHONY
Phony.

AUSTIN
N0! your goddamn nickname. like you all speak
to each other In some ioui tuckin' 93131 Your
Marine Corps name!

PHONY
lJiiihten up, Sarge. We're gonna make you
look like John Wayne. Pretty soon you'll be a
Gunny.
AUSTIN. glaring, almost speechless. His eyes FOCUS -

On PHONY'S SKIWY SHIRT. A HUGE GAFIGOYLE has been custom-drawn on the iron! at L

AUSTIN
Take off that sitv shin.

PHONY
I ain't got another one.

Austin reaches up and TEARS the skiwy shirt off of Phony. ripping It DOWNWARD and then
OUTWAFID.

AUSTIN
Come see me. I'll get you a new one.

PHONY, for the first time displaying a flash of deep anger.

PHONY
You don‘t rate doin' that. You shouldn‘ta done
that.

AUSTIN
What you think this is, reform school? One
more word from you and you're m Marine.

Austin starts walking toward the tent's door. He nods to Snake.

AUSTIN (cont'd)
You come with me.

take begins following Austin, communicating with the others through his cynical glance.

SNAKE
Right

51
 DIM all: final Il‘ all]. [FIB B

REVERSE. THE SQUAD Is still in a state at shock.

PHONY, holding the pieces

of hi s skiw-y shin. staring toward the tent's door. He's lust decided
to blow Austin away.

CUTTO:

EXT — EDGE OF THE LIBERTY BRIDGE PEFtIMET

ER - DAY
Snake and Austin stand on to
P of a sandbag bunker at the edge of the perimeter. next to a 106
mm recollless rifle. Austin po
ints toward the bottom oi the hill, on the other side of 100 yards ‘3'
concertina and barbed wire.

AUSTIN
Your squad's got the LP out there. Every
night. One fire team.
SNAKE, peering incredulousiy.

SNAKE
Where?

AUSTIN
Out there. Where you can cover the ridge.

SNAKE
Why put four guys on the other side at a hun-
dred meters of wire? How they gonna get
back if we get hit?

AUSTIN, peering stonily at Snake.

AUSTIN
They'll walk

SNAKE. resisting.

SNAKE
They'd have to fly. You think this up yourself?

AUSTIN
We had enough mouth! This came from the
Colonel. i didn't ask if you liked it. I told you
to do it.

SNAKE
The Colonel thinks this is so cool. let him do it.

.USTIN, seething.

52
 AUSTIN
You're on report.

SNAKE
new
AUSTIN
Refusing to face the enemy. I'm gonna
you so goddamn high — string

' SNAKE
I m not refusin‘ to face anybody! HOW many
gooks mu killed lately?
AUSTIN
insubordination. Add that on the charge sheet.

SNAKE
I wanna see Lieutenant Hodges.

AUSTIN
You aren‘t seeing anybody.

SNAKE
Oh no. Sarge. I got my rights. This is yo
basic 'request mast.‘

CUT TO:

EXT - LIBERTY BRIDGE COMPOUND - DAY '

SNAKE. HODGES and AUSTIN stand near the chapel. Hodges. having listened to them both.
shrugs. '

HODGES
Snake's right.

AUSTIN
(arrogantiy)
How long you been In Wetnam. Lieutenant. a
month? Between the Colonel and me we got
four years of combat.

HODGES
Qompgr? Supervising trash pickups and see-
Ing who's got their boots shined?

AUSTIN
You’re assigned to us. and that's your assign-
ment. End of story.

1995, serenely.

53
 HODGES
I don’t take orders from
a Sergeant.
AUSTIN, grinning. know
ing he‘s won.

AUSTIN
Then the lieutenant should
take It up with the

SNAKE and HODGES- “Wing at each other and agreeing.

CUT TO:

EXT — OUTSlDE THE LIBERT

Y BRlDGE COMMAND BUNKER
- DAY
Hodges exits the comm
and bunker. S nake is anxiously waiting outside.
together. shoulder-bu They begin walking
mping close.

SNAKE
What'd he ear?

Hodges, cynically.

HODGES
Basically or ilteraJlY?
Hodges pulls out a cigarette and Snake lights lt tor hlrn.

SNAKE
Ah. what the hell.

HODGES
(sarcastically)
They did it in Korea.

SNAKE
Did we win Korea?

HODGES
Colonel did. All by himseii.

CUT TO:

EXT - BANK OF THE THU BON RIVER - DAY

THE SOUAD'S COMBAT GEAR lies in piles on the rlverbank. Only SPEEDY is out oi the
water - he's sitting on his helmet with his rifle across his lap. providin9 security. In the 13.9.. w
can hear the others FHOUCKlNG in the river.

lN THE HlVER. THE SQUAD is swimming and bathing. Some are drinking right item the rivet
itself. BURGlE sits naked in the current. shaving as he holds a tiny mirror in tront oi his lace.
SNAKE leans into the current. absently washing his hair with a bar of soap. They ALL new hi

54
 dose haircuts.

SNAKE
Look what you gotta crawl through.

POV SNAKE The compound up the hill is isolated behind a sea of ooncenina and barbed wire.
WILD MAN.Inalmost
waistdeep dwarfed b y WATEFIBULL, slaps BAGGEH on the back as the three stand
the water.

WILD MAN
Done it twice, man! Stop Worryln'. Won‘t
change a goddamn thing.

WATEHBULL
We gonna sweat an u= out here after two
months in the Arizona?

BAGGER
Hey. Anything you get me out 0!. i'rn for.

CANNONBALL wades toward them. smiling and chlding.

CANNONBALL
You just pissed ‘cause It‘s Austin.

Phony, with his false angelic smile.

PHONY
Well, Austin's gotta go. Boom boom.

fringe. Now he stares at Phony with

GOODHICH has been bathing alone. on the outer
uneasiness.

GOODHICH
What do you mean?

Phony, delicately.

PHONY
Gonna make my man a hero. '

GOODRICH
i still don't understand.

SNAKE, eyeing the two shrewdly.

SNAKE
Ain’t nothing to understand.

AGGER, with comical. false hope -

55
 fl

BAGGER
Put Senator out there. I crave his radio.
CUTTO:

BtT — EDGE OF LlBEFtTY BRIDGE COMPOUND NIGHT

-
A concsnrm a GATE siowi' Y swings Open. barely visible in the darkness. moan to show a
MAfilNE holding it open — SNAKE

Sex/ease; euaGIE, SPEEDY. GOODFllCH. and

5mm walk slowly through the 03‘9- 5"“
BPS ea: 'QUY on the shoulder as theypass him. They are fullY burdened " poncho Iml
around I eIr necks, LAAWs and bandoleers ed
of ammo strapped around them. M455 on
one hand. SPEEDY also carries In
a maze radio.
THEY begin walking down a road. SPEEDY talks
quietly Into the ”db ham“
SPEEDY
Three. Three Charlie. Be advised we're leavin‘
the wire.

RADIO (v.o.}
Roger that. I read you loud and clear. Out.

SNAKE. holding the gate. watching them go. His face holds a sense of foreboding.

EXT — OUTSIDE THE WiRE - NIGHT

FOLLOW the Fire Team as it moves along the edge of the wire. through a field of sawgrass.
We hear the SCHAPlNG of sawgrass on their legs. and the CLUNKING of weapons and
bandoleers against their bodies.

They reach a dry streambed and turn right. following It toward a treellne. Finally. withom
command, they stop, and spread out their poncho liners over the grass.

THE FlFiE TEAM, laying in the grass. peering forward. Goodrich and Burgle have already taken
off their helmets. Smitty is drinking from a canteen. Speedy takes out some mosquito repellent
and rubs it in as they peer forward.

REVERSE. The TREEUNE looms before them. seventy meters away.

SPEEDY checks his watch.

SPEEDY
ill take first watch. Smitty second. Burgie third.
Senator fourth. Get some sleep.

GOODHlCl-l, his face into the poncho liner. SLAPPING mosquitoes and iittuliy dozing. A FOOT-
LONG CENTlPEDE crawls down his neck and drops near his face. it's bigger than his hard.
He panics, stifling a scream as he tosses it away.

56
 Igfiffiifigggifingfifég'”Snag,”- THE SCREEN now DISSOLVES lN mo our
MOVEMENTS OF Noam VIErNAMEss saggggnlcr: s DOZING FACE. mo THE NIGHT
”ward mm frynfi-riDHZREAMS.. MAMASANS. BABYSANS. WATERBULLS and DOGS creeping
THE INTEHMJ
t.ONG-HA In ED STUDENf‘g-Otfl. ash-fitted treeiine. wanting revenue; BEARDED HIPPIES and
LP- THE MAMASAN h h a I-iarvard Square. laughing at him as he waiks by dressed tor the
' e s at, ”3'5““: an angry fist as she lays In a pool oi bl
THE NORTH
garb of the InralnE-LEQEAESE SOLDIERS: Some In uniform. others almost stripped down in the
sapper battalrons.‘ moving through the darkness In column.
GOODRI CH '8 FACE: Dozing. frettu

All the white we hear the RADIO CHECKS. flat and distant
-

RADIO (v.o.)
Three Qhariig Three Charlie Three h rIl
i5 Three, Threg Three. II ygg'rg giw
your hangggt gnge, if ngt key It MW
tinderstam ygg'rg all eggurg, the 3 me l§ twat];
m-twg hgngrfl (been. twenty two thirn {M}-
twn thr h r

CUT T0:

GOODRICH'S FACE. fully awake, startled and very frighten ed. In the treeiine we can hear the
CLANGiNG of several entrenchlng tools. and the singsong of VIETNAMESE MEN TALKING.
The GO-MO MUSIC stops
He's WHISPER-
SPEEDY. clutching the radio handset to his mouth, peering Intentiyr Iorward.
ING.

SPEEDY
We got noises out here! Sounds like some-
body diggin' in. right at the edge of the treeiinei
That's mgst affirm! Maybe fifty meters away.
OK. OK!
right next to him
ipeedy reaches over and wakes Burg'ie. holding his head down and moving
5 he taiks.

SPEEDY (cont‘d) .
Gooks. No noise.

RGiE, his eyes horrified.

BURGIE
That's somethin' big or they wouidn‘t be diggin'
It In. You ask for mortars?

EDY, resignediy.

57
 SPEEDY
We‘re too close_

BURGIE
We‘re fucked.
THE TEAM watches ho
Insists,“ CLANGING of $3351: There are MUFFLED LAUGHINGS from the trench.
and the
GOODRlCH turns. lookin
g back toward the perim
eter
from
POV the dismr
GOOD RIccH. its
' an isolated Island, rat up
the man. As he
e. and then the hill ERUPT S with the horse and watch es “'9 “93' ’3“ cums
flash of explosions
SLAM CUT TO:
EXT - THE BFHDGE COMP
OUND - NIGHT

:N AV':MNCHE 0F EXPLOSIONS as more than a hundred mortar rounds Impac‘i “hm “'9‘“!

THE. WIRE: A STREAM OF NVA SAPPERS runs through the wire.

At their front. successive
Soldiers
BLAST holes in the wire with bangalore torpedoes. As
they break Into the compound.
TWO SOLDlERS toss SATCHEL CHARGES into bunkers on the
left and right. wiping
NVA SOLDIERS jump into the bunkers. standing on top of dead Marines. and begin them om.
FIRING
toward the other bunkers. A FLAME THROWER ER UPTS. then ceases when the soldier firing
it
is shot dead. The Enemy Soldiers fan left and right into the compound and disappear.

THE BUNKERS. SUCCESSIVE SHOTS from several bunkers. showing the Marines fighting
back, but also showing the confusion.

THE SAPPERS. A TEAM tosses several satchel charges Into the chapel. DEMOUSHING It.
RED TRACERS seek them as they scatter inside the perimeter.

CUT TO:

EXT - THE STREAMBED - NIGHT

'HE FlRE TEAM lies flat against the ground. Overhead. e HEAVY CAUBER MACHINE GUN
'asts the compound.

IT TO:

F- THE BRlDGE COMPOUND - NIGHT

l THE BUNKERS as the Marines regain control. A STEADY STREAM of tire goes Into the
occupied bunkers, killing the NVA soldiers Inside. The HEAVY CALIBER GUN ripe
teed.

l0: 5

58
 EXT/iNT ~ A BUNKER - NIGHT
CAT MAN, PHO
NY. CANNONBALL and BIG MAC (new guy)
MONBALL fires his M-79 stand inside the bunker. -
Grenade launch er out into the wire,
others tire then M-tBs. and
huddle as the HEAVY CALIBE dropping an NVA SOLDIER. The
R GUN tips the perimeter.
CAT MAN squints.
points his weapon,
then holds an arm
up.

CAT MAN
Hold your fire. it's Austin
.
POV THE BUNKER. AUS
TIN dashes toward them. hits the aroun
again. entering the bunker
. d ‘0' a “’3‘- M" 6“
PHONY. popping his cum and grinning.

_ PHONY
Nice slide. Sarge. John Wayne be proud
0' ya.
AUSTIN. adrenaiized. He kneels on the floor of the bunker.
catching his breath.
AUSTIN
How you Marines holding up?

PHONY
OK. The gooks in them bunkers been waxed.
Rest of 'em're over there.

AUSTIN
Thefre even/Where!

An EXPLOSION on the road. nearby.

AUSTIN (cont'd)
See?

PHONY
That was a mortar. Sarge.

Austin giowers at Phony. then heads off toward the next bunker. He takes five steps
and then
dives to the ground, checking his front.

PHONY. stiii smiiing, hoiding a grenade. He quietly lifts the spoon oft of it and TOSSES
it In a
perfect arch.

AUSTIN stands up and the grenade EXPLODES. dropping him.

PHONY, never having iost his smile.

PHONY
W!

59
 :—

CUT To:

an - THE STREAMBED -
NIGHT
THE TEAM. lying in
the streambed as th
behind H EAW MACHiNE GUN rt 5 bullets overhead-
them comes a FRIENDLY Now
top of them and then e
in front at thigh-rm 9
BARRAGE‘ Mortars IMPACT behind
them. "any on
SPEEDY whispers furt'rv
ely Into the handset.

SPEEDY
Cease fire. cease fie. goddamn
it! The mor-
tars! Three Charlie! rli ! You're blowln' us
away out here! We‘re too dose! (beat)
Em

SPEEDY. as the team

watches him.

SPEEDY (cont'd)
He says it's for our own good.

BUHGIE
Lucky us.
CUT TO:

EXT - BRIDGE COMPOUND - NIGHT

HODGES crawls up to the wounded Austin. who is cufled into a little bail. HEAVY FIGHTING
still rages less than a hundred yards away. Austin writhes In deep
pain.

AUSTIN
Goddamn, Lieutenant. i never heard a fucldn‘
thing.

Hodges starts pulling Austin toward a bunker.

HODGES
Take it easy. Sarge. We gotta get you 3 Doc.

Austin, oddly melodramatic as he clutches his bleeding Stomach.

AUSTIN
How’s the LP?

HODGES. still pulling. Wild Man and Bagger now come out to help as the HEAVY MACHINE
GUN cuts loose again.

HODGES
Ask the Colonel.

CUT TO: _

60
 EXT - THE STREAMBED - NIGHT

THE TEAM. face down as the HEAVY

talking on the radio. He's Incredulo MACHINE GUN cuts loose over their head. Speedy:
us

SPEEDY
You crazy? Wait a minute
. Fuck you man.
wait out.
SPEEDY, looking at
the others with resign
ation.

SPEEDY (cont'd)
We gotta move. Th ey're puttin'
eight-inches
on the gun. and we're too
close.
The HEAVY MACHINE GUN
bursts overhead again.

SMFITY
l ain' movin' nowhere. man.

BURGIE. defeatediy.

BURGIE
Ever see an elght-lncher land? We‘re moving.
GOODRICH. shaking with tear.

GOODHICH
Where?

SPEEDY
Two hundred meters left or right, he said. Two
hundred fuckin' meters.

BUHGIE
it ain't gonna work.

Speedy looks both ways. than decides. He speaks into the radio handset again.

SPEEDY
This is Three-Chadie. We're movin' left. Give
us fifteen minutes. We're crawlin'.

Now he nods to Goodrich.

SPEEDY (cont'd)
Get goin'. Senator. Stay low.

Goodrich hesitates. starting to fold his poncho liner. Burgle now PUSHES him iorward.

BURGIE
Move it

61
 THE TEAM. crawling down
the streambed — Goodrich .Bur
GLIN opens up again and l . S y and Smitty. THE HEAVY
they all go flat for a beat.
then bggfin am
An illumination flare POPS e hove
them. BRIGHTENING the sky. They freeze. Another
POPS. and ANOTHER. one

GOODHICH. very still. looking

upward. his face filled with fear
CUTTO:

EXT - THE BRIDGE COMP

OUND - NIGHT
On a point bunker a 106
. . mm RECO rqss
MEMBER lies dead nearby. Suddenly they RIFLE TEAM watches to the front. One TEAM
spring into action.

TEAM MEMBER #1
Four of 'em down there!

They crank the gun. carefully aiming

It —

TEAM MEMBER #2
Fire the 1115!

A SERGEANT looks over from nearby, holding a radio handset.

SERGEANT
1

FULL SCREEN the EXPLOSION of the 106. a horrible RED BELCH of backblast matched by
another RED BELCH on the other end.

SLAM CUT TO:

EXT - THE STREAMBED - NIGHT

GOODRlCH, crawling rapidly. There's a HUSH behind him. like a minisecond 0! hell. then he
hears the EXPLOSlON and lays flat. Now he looks behind him. His face becomes horrified.

POV GOODRlCH. SMITTY and SPEEDY are lying dead. caught in mid-cram. MOVE SLOWLY
FORWARD. past BLOODSOAKED LEGS. to BURGIE. He's bleeding to death. but smllng
hopefully at Goodrich.

BURGIE
Senator. Hey. Gimmea hand. huh?

Dodn'ch hesitates for a beat. then crawls back to Burgie. The HEAVY MACHINE GUN goes all
ain. He reaches Burgie, and parts the sawgrass to see his BLOODSOAKED LEGS.

*ODRiCH vomlts. Burgle talks pleadingly, ooaxindy.

BURGIE (cont'd)
it's all cold. Patch me up. OK? Help me. man.

62
 Goodrich crawls down to the lifeless Speedy and tries the radio.
It's dead. shot full at holes.
59'9“? BUF‘PS 8' Stream of blood and calls to Goodrich from ten feet away.
BURGIE (com'd)
Help me. Senator. l'm dying.
An ElGHT~lNCH ARTILLERY ROUND
Goodrich crawls next to explodes nearby. covering them with dirt and debris.
Burgie's face

GOODFIICH
You're 0K Hold It down

BURGIE
AW. Buddhist Priest Help me. man! Help me.
help me,

ANOTHER EIGHT INCH ROUND explodes.

More dirt and debris.

GOODRICH
You need a Doc.

Burgie. sleepiiy but afraid.

BURGIE
Get me one. Can't you stop it?

ANOTHER EIGHT INCHER. Goodrich eyes Burgie with helplessness and self-hatred

eooomcrl
1 gm!
BUHGIE, crying softly.

BURGIE ' .
l'm gonna die. Oh. don't leave me Senator.
l’m only nineteen. Help me. man. help me.

GOODFilCH’S FACE. crying too, from fear and helplessness.

And now from ABOVE Goodrich as he puts his hands into Burgies many wounds. pushing.
probing, totally overwhelmed by the magnitude of the bleeding and the impossibility oi stopping
it. He is GAGGING. SOBBlNG. thrusting his hands into Burgie as the iiie seeps out oi him.

BUHGiE. weakly. dying.

BURGIE (cont'd)
Help me, help me. help me. help m.

BUT TO:

63
 m - LIBERTY BRIDGE
COMPOUND - EARLY
MORNING
CRANE SH OT : TRACK the perimeter. torn apart
after
a night's fighting. The CHAPE
3'}???nSsicrgomegearzimmsriv:malmgjmguag BUNKERS are also destroyed. INL THE
‘3

many almost naked .. rs.
THE MES S HAU— A GUNNERY
SOLDIER runs out. still chewi
the wire.
a RED D EAD WA. some bi own to prace.
SERGEANT sleepily opens up the doorway and an WA
ng food. The startled Gunny SHOOTS the WA as he runs toward

A TRUCK and a ME CAI

bodies as If they werceH:aNslh.
MULE are moving along the edge
at the estimate“ 0°“a
TH E CONCERTINA GATE. SNAKE swings it open. with a quiet.
remembering WWW-
REVERSE. THE PLATOON. a
xhausted from the night's fighting. shuffles siowiy down the din
road. A RADIO BLARES OUT

RAD 10
GOOoo-oo-ood Momlng Vietnam!
HODGES, in the column. bristles with anger.

HODGES
Bagger. knock off the sounds!

BAGGEFI. with Goodrich's radio. it goes immediately quiet.

POV THE BRIDGE COMPOUND. The platoon files down the road. It passes a break in the
barbed wire. where a DOZEN NVA SOLDIERS lie dead. as If they were fish caught In a net.
Now it turns right. into the field. Below, the river shimmers with sun rise .

CUT TO:

EXT - THE STREAMBED - EARLY MORNING

THE PLATOON moves toward us. We HEAR the insistent BUZZING of hundreds oi files.
Finally the platoon halts. standing Just before the camera. WILD MAN is on point. He stares for
a beat. The FLIES are everywhere. Wild Man swipes at them.

WILD MAN
Senator's OK He made It!

REVERSE. SLOWLY PAN. as the FLIES BUZZ. from SMlTiY. to SPEEDY. to BURGIE. all lying
lead on scabs of blood. GOODRICH sits numbiy next to Burgle. oblivious to the tiles and not
raking at the other Platoon Members. He speaks humbly.

GOODRICH
Leave me alone.

64
I
: Snake moves
water. 6 forward.
rich drinksputtin a he ad on Goodrich - s si'iouider and uttering him a cameen
thirstgiiy. oi

GOODRICH (oom'd
God. I'm so fucked up. )

SNAKE
Put It cuts your mind. man

GOODFIICH
Pi“ " M of my new
Goodrich stands shakil , the
as he peers again at Burgie. He logs ten teat.
pulling at his trousers. than $233.25 his Stomach

THE PLATOON. watching silently as we hear the sounds or DIARRHEA and then RETCHING.
-
GOODRICH. now [ on his knees
i . his tr 0U
' sers dropped. RETCHING. He turns and locks 81 U E

GOODRICH
Get out of here. You want to see me cnfl
There. You happy?

Snake moves to him again. Goodrich pushes him away.

GOODFiICH (oont'd)
Get away from me.

SNAKE
You need to get some chow inside you. catch
some Z's.

still SOB-
In the b.g. we hear an AMPHIBIOUS TRACTOR grinding toward them. Goodrich.
BiNG, turns toward the sound.
supervise the
POV GOODfiiCi-l. The Amphtrac pulls up nearby. its engines IDLING. HODGES
r-"iatoon as it loads Burgie, Speedy and Smitty into the amphtrao.
is the
iOODRiCi-i begins walking. He retrie ves his poncho liner from the LP site. Nearby
EAW MACHINE GUN. now tilted am id a rubble of earth. SEVERAL
NVA SOLDIERS lie dead
ound it

and stops. staring at

w Goodrich is back on the road. He TOSSES his rifle into the weeds.
A VOiCE speaks from behind him.

HODGES (as)
Pick it up.

DRiED
lrlch turns and stares at Hodges. who now is iace-to-iace. Sweat is melting
ID on his arms. causing him to drip RED from his hands and fingers.

65
 GOODmCH
I'm In flag,
Hodges. unemoflonaily.

HODGES
You‘re in Vietnam. Get used to I,

GOODFIICH
YOU love It. don't you. Ueutenant? Take a
Japanese Qirtiriend on the way In. Kill. bleed
[die- You know why? You've got nothing to
ive for. You and the rest of them
This is the
best you‘ll ever do.
HODGES
Pick up your rifle or I'm gonna kick
your 333.
Goodrich walks over and picks
up the rifle.

HODGES (oont'd)
He bled to death. didn‘t he?

GOODFIICH. stunned at the unspoken allegation.

GOODHICH
There was nothing i could do.

HODGES
You didn’t even try. Don't come crying to me.

GOODRICH
I did. I tried. I hate It here. I hate mu.

HODGES
i don't give a shit who or what you hate. Just
do what I tell you. And stay out of my way.

GOODRICH .
There's nothing I'd like more than to be m
out of your way. '

HODGES holds a grenade in front of Goodrich, then presses it into his hand

HODGES
Try this

DODHlCH, fingering it tentatively as Hodges walks away.

T TO:

66
 5x1- - DOWNTOWN SAIGON DAY

-
-
Establishi ng shot showlng the center of Saigon outside the Flex Hotel. The streets are filled
with cars, motorbikes and xi chlos.
A "‘9’loan servicemen
wetnamese women. street are common. intennixed with beautiful
beggars and an occasional
limousine
CUT TO:

EXT - ROOF OF HEX HOTEL, SNGON _ EVENING

A MILITARY BRIEFING OFF

briefing for that day's 'Five 'OCEECfsiedslgore than a dozen REPORTERS. finishing his news

T . BRIEFING OFFICER
1hPE-ats basically it. gents. An average week. as
k' ”95 90. Two hundred seventeen Americans
riled, one thousand fifty seven wounded. one
thousand nine hundred forty two confirmed
enemy dead. Isolated incidents throughout the
C9Umf'y. some heavy pockets of action in Tey
Nlnh and Ouang Nam Provinces. We'll have
follow~up briefings tomorrow at zero-nine hun-
dred. and helicopter packages available on
request. Questions?

THE REPORTERS. 'One raises his hand to ask a question. but a fellow reporter knocks N8
hand down. The Briefing Officer wearily turns his back and the Reporters 313“ ‘0 “3"“
FOLLOW two of them as they walk around the edge of the Hotel root and then head to the
elevator - the one who raised his hand, who is a veteran reporter. and the one who knocked
the hand down. who Is new.

REPORTER #1
Don’t ask him questions. He'd just give you
some lying military bullshit. I‘ve got contacts
here who can get you a real story. The truth.
We even got friends on the other side.

REPORTER #2
What about the helicopter trip? We never been
to the bush.

REPORTER #1
All they'd do is give you a dog and pony show!
Besides. hey man, people die out there! Take
a shower and shave. Then we're gonna smoke
some grass and chase some very fine pussy.

REPORTER #2
A war correspondent must continually sacrifice.

REPORTER #1
That’s why we get hazardous duty pay.

67
 *
annhfih

The “”9 Reporters flap each other

on the back as the elevator doors
close on them
mix
BEGIN SONG: YOUNG
In mm this music BEGINDS
BLOO
-OETEIG'
'
I'EOGETH EH'. Periodically the GO-MO mo CHAN'I'iNC-i
CUT TO:

EXT - OUTER EDGE OF LIBER

TY enrooe COMPOUND - DAY

it. 53
THE COMPANY
ea“ eddeeed eeeeeee eeee-deeeee
“513' convoy road. walking a column of two's on
both sides 0'
HODG
each ES and
other. SN géflw Commun
Goog icating with Intimate precision as they POINT
- Visibly ahenated. iooking at the two with ioathing. and CALL‘O
CUT TO:

EXT - PHU NHUAN THREE

- DAY
At the edge of a village, THE PLATO
Paddyi A HUNDRED ENEMY SOLDIERS UN is ASSAULTING toward an open rice paddy. In the
civiiian costumes. THE PLATO
are running away. dressed in a mix of military and
ON reaches the edge of the paddy
SHOOTING at the fleeing soldiers and takes up tiring positions.
, several of whom fall dead or wounded in
the paddy.
HODGES. directing fire as he we
Iks behind the row of prone Marines. He reaches GOODFilGi-i.
who is not firing his weapon.

HODGES
Put out rounds. Hurry up!

GOODRICH
Those are kids.

HODGES
- i ain't got time to argue with you. Open up!

On the verge of disrespect. Goodrich fires his rifle without aiming. He mutters. glancing at
Hodges. who has moved on.

GOODFliCH
At your command. 0. mighty Mars.

THE PLATOON rises, ready to enter the paddy, and a HEAVY VOLUME OF RETURN FIRE
mines at them from a near ridge line. THE PLATOON immediately hits the ground again.

LAKY, horrified as one enemy BULLET shoots the radio handset right out of his hand. ripping
hole in his palm. Doc Rabbit is crawling over to him, helmet on backwards. ready with a
title dressing.

iDGES. lying flat, his face pushed into the dirt He looks over at Goodrich. who is new
depishiy returning fire.

68
 CUT TO:

EXT - cu BAN FOUR . nay

SHOOT FR
distance
BEACON “06235922.? IzEI PLATOON- 58! In on a sandy ridge. looking forward. in the
_ more than two dgFtUDE H JET drop from the sky and sceeecH
treeIine. PAST. A
9" 500 pound bombs - EXPLODES on top oi a populated

GOODRICH. wincing. on
the verge of nausea
Pov THE PLATOON. N ow the field
VILLAGEFIS. making th between them and the village
fills with DOZENS OF
9" Way tovvard them
CUT TO:

HODGE
who Dan
and ha»:talk
:anfiiggglfiA‘flFEggggisfigfigw
.
antmatedly ' wa'k‘m into the field and talking with
. -pointing and gesturingLL the Villagers.
DED VI AGEFIS on makeshift stretchers Hodges
.
CUT TO:
a F(-31.i-st—AIgFiél'ELICOPTEI-‘i. settling Into
the zone and evacuating the wounded
. , in the dust we can see the OTHER Villagers- M h
VILLAGER
S walking back toward their village.
carrying a booty of several boxes
of C-rations.
GOODFIICH. watching them walk away. confused
and demorailzed.

CUT TO:

EXT - A VILLAGE PEFllMETER - DAY

A RErUFiNlNG PATROL brings THREE WOUNDED NVA SOLDIERS back into the perimeter.
They've been hit by napalm. but are still ambulatory. They're blinded. scorched and peeling.
like split hot dogs. WILD MAN walks over and puts an arm around one of them as Beggar
takes his picture.

GOODFIICH. watching. condemning.

CUT TO:

EXT - SQUAD FIGHTING HOLE - NIGHT

GOODFtiCi-i sits alone In a fighting hole. feet dangling over the edge. grenades stacked on a
dirt parapet In front, M-16 on his lap. In the distance. a half-dozen little circles of iLLUMINA-
TION FLARES and POPUPS hang In the air far in front of him. red and white and green washing
his face with iight.

0.5. we can hear the WAlIJNG of a teenaged gill - a PIERCING. ANGUISHED SCREAM. filled
with intense pain.

Viid Man sits down next to Goodrich. They stare toward the scream. haunted by I.

69
 WILD
Fuckln'lFounh of July.
breakin security all Look at that. Dudes
over the place.
GOODFNCH
The)? know where we are anyway.
lble sound. God. what a

. WILD MAN
I! s that glrl with the
broken head.
GOODRICH
We should've mede
vacked her.
WILD MAN
She was already in the hospita
can do. It's Just a broken l. Nothln' they
head. you know
Can'! she shut her mouth and Ilve With
'1?
GOODRICH
That all you care about
?
WILD MAN
Hell. we didn’t do It.

GOODRICH
Somebody did.

WILD MAN
Somebody. Who the fuck ls Somebody?
You
go find him, huh? Then you tell hlrn put her
head back on. OK?

Wild Man stands and walks slowly away.

WILD MAN (cont'd)

Ughlen up, man. You're making me nervous.

GOODRICH'S FACE, moody, contemplative. DISSOLVE T0:

BURGIE, smlllng whlmslcally, pleading as he's dying.

BURGIE
Aw, Buddhist Priest. Help me. man. Help me.
help me, help me...

DISSOLVE TO:

GOODHICH. holding a grenade. He straightens the pin. pulls ll out. than

reconsldars and put:
I! back

END SONG.

70
 CUT TO:
EXT - COMPANY
PERlMETEFl - DAY
:n5:4: 25:03:
35; I-Sdl:‘1"i'LES Into
d r ,m the landing zone,
Its rotomash whip
and trash.
bent Over. as the A HALF-DOZEN BURDENED MARINES UP mm“)
oo , en stand. plno
helicopter POWERS run down “3
“'3'
rigs-agmg i-rfgmfo MARINES -
oenE . orne or them. are
looking around as the
nervous NEW GUYS. Others In the perimeter
"3W
But also we see BABY “ ‘° W"
ms and
Short .
BABYs CAK
andES
boots . Ogre
carry ing a follow ; ha 9 . walks up to
red mail a shirtless CP MARINE
dressed onl Y

BABY CAKE
Where‘s third plato S
on?
CUT TO:

EXT - THlFlD PLAT

OON LINES - DAY

GOODHJCH sits on his

POncho
a HUCKUS behind him and turnsliner, cleanin 9 his weapon.
to see _
He‘s now deeply tanned. He hears

POV GOODFHCH. BABY CAKES is

walking quickly. trying to get away from a downlng OGRE.

BABY CAKES
Get away from me.

Baby Cakes and Ogre reach Goodrich's fighting hole. Baby Cakes
looks around unbelievlngly.
BABY CAKES
ms is third platoon? Where is everybody?
Where's Snake?

Goodrich points.

GOODRICH
in that hootch.

BABY CAKES saunters over to a low poncho hootch. under'which

Snake ls napping in the
midday heat. Reaching it. he tosses his helmet onto Snake s back.

SNAKE immediately JUMPS out of the hootch. ready to fight Seeing Baby Cakes.
he strides
warmiy and throws the helmet into Baby Cakes’ stomach. it bounces ofi harmlessly.

SNAKE
Baby Cakes!

Snake then notices the goofiiy grinning OGRE, who is stoned.

'71
 —__

SNAKE (cont'd)
Ogre? What they do. empty
out the rear?

BABY CAKES
Never rnind. Just keep
this non-hacking. undef-
achievin . one-way son
of a bitch out of my
sight

Ogre. grinning dreamny, as [If Baby Cakes were

1 less.

OGRE
it‘s his own tam

BABY CAKES
EVG'Y time I‘m around him I get In trouble.
Gets me shot. gets me the clap.
gets me writ.
ten up. gets me sent back to the
bush from the
skating-est lob in the rear...

Ogre, philosophically.

OGRE
Dude won't accept responsibility tor nothlnil-

OTHER SQUAD MEMBERS have seen the two returning Marines and
are now gathering.
forming an appreciative. encouraging audience. Snake guffaws. teasing Ogre.

SNAKE
You never done a wrong thing In your tile. have
you. Ogre?

BABY CAKES is warming up, especially now that there's an audience.

BABY CAKES
i get shot. they send me to Cam Ranh Ba .
Ogre takes a little shrap-metai. makes it all the
way to Japan. Gets a three month vacation
while we're out here fightin' the war - -

OGRE. laughing gooflly.

OGRE
Who you been fightin' in the company me!
room?

BABY CAKES
i told you. shut up. So he starts tellin' me
about all the girls he laid in Da Neng. Took
him three days to find the convoy after his
vacation in Japan.

72
 complete misery - they're both ,7 ._ -rww. may vanes ngnrs a cigarette.
acting. u I tn

BABY CAKES (oorrt'd)

So i trade away my mall
room job to go to
Mme Warfare School. Da
Nang he takes me to
some skiwy house. i get
a gid smells like the
rag and off a skunk —

OGRE
Y0U said you were horny _
BABY CAKES
I trade away my mailroom
job for three more
months In the Ill-Eh! Tell me about
horny!
OGRE
So anyway we got caught. And here we are.

BABY CAKES
Oh. no. We get written up by some
boot MP
who‘ll never even see an NVA, thrown
out of
Mine Warfare school for violating CUHBW.
| OOt
the ciap. then i’m busted back to PFC. And
am here we are.

BABY CAKES wresties OGRE to the ground as the SQUAD CHEERS. Then he rubs his fist hard
into the top of Ogre's head. Ogre HOWLS.

BABY CAKES (oont'd)

But what are friends for. right?

SNAKE, smiling as he watches his two good friends wrestie. The rest or the Squad starts
departing.

SNAKE
You got a team again. Cakes. Take Ogre -

BABY CAKES
Oh. no, i told you -

SNAKE
Don’t start again. Ogre's OK In the bush.

BABY CAKES
Got me shot.

OGRE
That was your own damn tam.

BABY CAKES
OK. OK.

73
 —‘fi
“HE.

SNAKE
And you got Senator and Cornbre
ad.
s BABY CAKES
enator's that Harva I
rd dude ri ht? T
he's got an I . 0 . about
one- ' .g i would
op says
‘I
howtotaik toti'iemafir'tw
n “an
Snake. growing serious
.

SN AKE
You talk real
straight. cause he‘s a fake- (beet)
He let Burgie bleed
to death.
I BABY CAKE
heard about that. Why you giving him to
me?
SNAKE
Cause he needs adult supervision. And I don't
W3”! you bored. Dude knows everything.
Don't do shit except he talks,
but God he talks.
You re gonna come away a genius,
Cakes.
BABY CAKES. holding his gear.

BABY CAKES
How 'bout comin' away gum.

SONG: OCR, 'RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE“

CUT TO:

EXT - THE COMPANY PEHIMETER - DAY

FOLLOW OGRE and BABY CAKES. now having changed into Tiger shorts. as they walk
shirtless around the Squad area, renewing old friendships. A LARGE PEACE SYMBOL hangs
on Ogre’s neck. along with his dog tags. CANNONBALL and BAGGER greet them loyidiy. then
inspect their recent scars -

CLOSE ON THE SCARS: The DEEP THOUGH In Baby Cakes' back where the billet hit him.
the MULTiPLE GASHES that cover the back of Ogre‘s legs. The Two are proud oi the scars.
They smiie and joke as they display them _

CANNONBALL
Man, i never seen shit like that night. Dudes
droppin' everwhere. Ogre oomln' in. Cakes
goin‘ out.

' OGRE
Bagger hidln' in a hole.

'74
 BAGGEH
Fuck John Wayne. My kid needs me. man
-__‘___‘_H‘_

THEY lk -
BULL "gooagfiéflggfigfig ggghflawno cards with PHONY. CAT MAN and WATER.
RADIO. HODG ES walks up to them and 3:52;“ naarby. writing letters. listelning to the
king around with them as w .
They stop near GOODRICH.
semi-hopefw smile. He‘s watching the two. and the reception they’re mosh-ring. will-n a

S OGRE
nake says you know Science. shit like flat...
CUT TO:

arr THE COMPANY PERIMETER — LATE AFTERN

OON
-
35:?!l cgrgging. Ell: illQUAD puts on Its jungle
utility uniforms and begins preparing its night
m; i y. h an. Bagger and Cannonball have gathered near Baby
are co ers ng as t ey put Cakes‘ team. and
on flak Jackets and check their weapons and ammunition.

BABY CAKES
i missed you guys. No shit. it's like i
belong
out here.

CANNONBALL teasing.

CANNONBALL
So you're gonna be a liter.

BABY CAKES
um. Ninety seven days I'm a goner.

PHONY — a rare moment of introspection.

PHONY
i never had a home in my life til I came here.

WILD MAN
Kinda like college. huh, Senator? Sit around
the frat house plannin' parties. tokin' up. Huh?

GOODFNCH, off to one side. He's cynical but shy. too.

GOODHICH
No it's like Russian Roulette. Senseiess. You
aren't excused ti the gun goes off in your lace
and a new player steps in to take your place.
So you never stop passing around the gun.

iFlE. looking quizzically at BABY CAKES.

75
 GE NEAR FOOTBALL Is

9 NIL” SHIN G SHOTS ' face .58“ “than

LAND ~ DAY
EsT’ggcheS- 03'9“” watcmm‘ WIDENlésTfiEwgaqa" CL
T

Ipe' .
LATOON §SE u“ '3
T0:
9: “an” va“past«MM “mung
WLMGE TRNL ‘ DAY
TO N now kne'els or sfls
along th
°"
m551;” hot.and "‘9’! “3 sweating '33a m' 3" “he?
50“,5”; are drink'n g thirstll y from their “Wege
a . thelr flak Inga“ ’Bclng
. Must 0‘' 53131mt u
MAKE walks back and kneel
s next to nga
5 “Wm m um“
SNAKE
Cat Man‘s got
something In Ihe um

an”
‘

96 , FURTHER UP THE TRAIL - DAY

MAN is kneeling just off the trail, facing a clum
AT . . p of tree .
5 nd kneel DBSlde hlfl'I. Now Cat Man poim
him 3
s ”mines and Snake ”Rpm
CAT MAN
The banana trees.

HODGES. intense but perplexed.

HODGES
What?

CAT MAN
the
Somebody ate the stalks. been Iaylng on
leaves. Number ten.
 H
OK. Checkobgis

face deep red from the “an

flit? Ah, UemPH

It don't "saffm- Pfiep
e m ”Way-"3 out P
‘n'fil'q 05
‘ D
kB-
m“ ““1
! .5 995- ‘0 snfl
”L Put . em HODGE
on "no.1“
90.

103
091 TH E TEA”- — DAY
T .

9‘ LATOON as n
@3w
"5
We weapons
FULL- AUTOM. AT '0 WEA "d “5],, The y me ur
$t 91119 3‘1.
HSTS OF
T“Whirl: ”‘9 weeds. disappearing FONS Open up to theIt Itm
5:09
5. THE PLATOON Is F. With
LAUNCHEERTURNWG FIRE
iii THE ' :39 GRENADE . at the hootch a hea
5 "‘5 11' Th
”who '0’ “asua 'es‘ 3'9 “m any. ns behimCannon
' Heeeesfiwume. ",3 line dBALL
‘ HODGES mam
Assault to the riverb
ank . M I -
i
TOON rises from the weeds and Walk
wea
rds ' pa st the 0| d Hootch. to5 th“WOW.
‘-

.VH5 PM
gaging” “WtheVa.rwerbank.
weep At they kneel. looking [midrbankManon-ted
There Is “01$?am$3“
' B

old hootch. near the be“aha clump. NW he smu 35. calling to the
BIG WC is back at the
others.

BIG MAC

paves MAC. A MARINE coaps AMMUNITION aox lies halt-buried in the am new“
banana dump.

handle. and straightens up ..

BiG MAC leans over, grabs the ammunition box's
with fire. black with smoke. brown with dust.
AHUGE EXPLOSION fills the screen. orange
MAC fall to the earth — part oi his flak iacket. the
band
When the dust settles. PIECES OF BIG
dhis rifle. a shredded helmet.

squiflinfi ”00d-
PHONY. SCHEAMiNG, one arm dangling and

77
 Doc! noNY

0“” Ph°”’- DUShInu hi m to

J ”was t

«atom 8‘
We!abbnmom
m
Doc R
ma) n .
PHD

"W
“3 up to P
I .
r'l'l't'l
gag-5'8”“. now calls —
m.
CH]
BABY
8' behi M him On
' S
9!w“ that9 5 a hunt]
fla r” “00kg “a."

the don,“
E3 THE PLATOON at
“Val-ha I’lk‘s
W
a 44095 9d
. M551- - WNL .

rfv ba
Ffio n taward . the 9" nk, f
H'ages behind
“ . LEhim hadSTOR
asta by
h'm' When he [9:5 K his
Into the air. QBroW anmrgdio 0mm
r.«5- hng or Er
pr by tra' '3 ”my
DES
5'— 0Wnd MOT'ON' HODGES' flying ‘9"
feet. then Ia ”ding In a heap
'
“the": he “33 mm, on m.
watching from Phony‘s side. GRIMACING
RK Who lies
5 .v'l ' sgepptng over STO . dead in let. Ha Rs running 1%
WEE
the3rd
f m
rwerbed.to They're
’5 me“and”: bOdY-
Stork sstill taking ' "roam
1hen he 9098 back M
TALKS tIt'jtefiat ga'ow.tone
andFIRE
5 as h and ea
‘ tow Wars in."
S' h SNAKE

h _ WW9 hit two' traps

figs 1n the“3:11am om
'9 and
MW
The MEEIWM
_' 9 flat two K'I'A'S.
3

OUT TO:
97- NEAR THE HEDGEROW - DAY
HODGES, staring dreamny up as 000 RABBIT hns him' with a m 0, mm - Rabbits
he worm
dripping sweat into Hodges' face as

Snake crawfs over to Hodges

SNAKE
on e um:
They got a hospttal or somethin'
g their did!
Island out there. They're makin
across the rivet.

HODGES
Gettln' any?
78
 SNMCE
‘ Guns drop; .

HOD .
Put some 3,185:
a other
sentimental”-

' :-
.w‘ ' _ SNAKE
You re the shower
com get yOu'. 335-0 Hedwig-3

FINN
G “55 abated Cat Ma” We“ks up to “her; HOG
99s

manly quiet. 59hlnd the

RB ‘5 ”mom m, PM"? at ill Mg
"3 Hey. Doc.
PHONY
gimme a
matter. it don 't mnxther mom“ fl don-1
HODGES
Who's hit?

SNAKE
§L°£kn§mi§mgflii1:52:33:
SPY“m 9“
I mess, bandaQEd' d‘Sheve'E'd' dope"
HODGES
H: be back

5W5. shy and embarrassed " he's "m a sappy

guy.
SNAKE
You’re my best friend.

WT T0:

EXT - SMALL FIELD NEAR THE TRAIL - DAY

FULL SCREEN a CH-46 HELICOPTER POWERING upward through a PINK HAZE tram the
smoke grenade that marked the L2. Dust and debris SW18]. In Its rotawash. m

PULL BACK to show THE PLATOON In a tight pefimetifif-e‘figggfi from the 0mm
a mbbywnd m
being punished by Its dirt-filled wind. They are MW .
him. ofleflnfl
sWE. He watches the helicopter POWER away. 38W Ca kes sits down he)“ ‘0
him a Cigarette.

79
 r0‘
9" FOOTBALL 15W“) V'U-AGES . DAY
5.: MUS‘C'" THE GO-MO AND c IN
‘5‘,
,,. ra’ .
W“ e ‘ It
, 0N. save carrying th
'5 ptfirso Red and demoraliza: WBaDOns and uq a
:el'mOk . mum" at nu Ber“ Urn 9'
. s uattin
the" porthes m “I
'
we . sseces
e;a hIJfiGEfiihr-aqemotign‘lnen l
ma, .xmeeenm
Eted the; 3‘s u r to .
, Ks. We"???
53185 at“ a Q of ames
aw thatch He
Eidefwmnge W'-of “°°°- hem"9 M
he: I? “are
gee c one
Fuck you.
3 W1 ”8 2‘99“t we9°?- than
‘WpfilCHe shaking his head, watching With disgust
L?
how the Platoon crossin
MOE” $931118 and yet another vfllagg: fig?! stream and a “lid
age Just burneel. ECU.- He pulls a M151 $13!,s COME BASKSaM bar, head; 1
:5 ”as all the disappearing Platoon. “00 from hls mfilager ‘ngm W yet
‘ Splts‘ Mar linking

MTG:

m. HOSPlTAL LANDING PAD . DAY

1
ASH-46 HELICOPTER settles onto the pad. Three ? 0' STRETcHEFI BEAREHS run Moths
mm: wash and carry the casualties off, back toward

CUT TO:

INT- HOSPITAL WARD

HODGES. lying under blue sh eels. drawn from loss ol blood and tagged for translt to Japan
to a NURSE
He‘sstan'ng across the ward. F OLLOW hls gaze and reveal PHONY. talking
trying to stale.
PHONY, looking up at the Nurse. who's 03a a clip board and

NURSE
re GOING home
You'll be fine, Carporal. You

80
 bony for the first 2|
Py from her. "'13 reveal
5"” 5 ufls 8law!
Hf” p | p
HOW (coma)
. ‘11:: 1 gm 3 '“ckin
NURSE
Just calm dmm- YOu‘r
a
0 CU Phony's faca I! r -
Hf 5 1.0e","
has on [T
Y begun to Consider_ WW3 me term,- he
1‘; n he
E PHO
Look at me.
you. you b k a
like that! Youeam 3°63“ In Fuck
gonna grow :8
Don-1 who "he
SE she's hard as nails a new
H I "In?
a” NU
Corpsman!
as he watches a
Corpsman hold
,5!“ Demo .
Phony d

rifle as Dtlous m hlrn as

his
PHONY (0.3
Fuck you. man! Lem.)
l me go. °°ck8uokan

Is A
;sw SONG: BEE GEES, ' T RTED A JOKE-
fiomy FADE UP TO:
EXT. CAMP HANSEN. OHNAWA - DAY _

NMAHY BUS pulls up In front of a row of ONE-STORY MILITARY BARRACKS. then ran;

”1.5
1 OVER'. QAMP HAN§EN. QKINAWA, §IX WEEK§ L553

WT T0:

Wm THE BUS - DAY “mes turns bask to the passenger; m

WEDHWER. a salty Corporal dress ed In stateside u! .
as.

81
 B-O-Q DR! VER
' Wt:
gentlemen Otto
303,8 [he

" ,95. TRAN SIE

Jr 2355 NT OFFICERS
”f, s dO’W” from the 0U
r bus. dre
step ring MO full rows S.
of _In his 8
glyg-C
. r AHRE 9d- HOUQBS stares up the hill
at ~an.” him.
43’3' UPI
" .
: Hopi—Eg THE OFFICER S
on their way into US, a
Vietnam Sloan bun
oof 5NA

r0:
HE OFFICERS' CLUB
¢A T
III“ the Cl
ub. walki
655
.nD . enterasnd. shuffleboard gaslowty throu h
ng
me
:10"
I s. staringgataHgarrIe r
Wo es' rt . N
T05

THE OFFICERS. CLUB BA"

WT— 'n at B
09555. :3338 the a ras the SONGe
bourbon an mane t es from
d holds out a "Va band
t H9 his glass for
Hwy
I0558125595 that one down' another. A 3
a
:HIS OWN
FACE in the minor behin
e'siaoking a FANESE WO d the bar. In
MAN (MITSUKO) thro the mirror
ugh
Where the MUSIC - is coming from . H gas melts.the don
smiling withI a!
Sin in
rt fear- He rises from his chair and
and!” walks toward

OUT TO:

m. OFFICER 8' CLUB DINING ROOM I

' ed ta with a THREE PIECE BAN D behind her. d them

H are
In front of
mUKO
dozens Is on a occ
of tables. ra LC115$:a S: Ma rine officers. mostly young. who are eating at rin ng um

'“a!
ODGES rstanding
n9. just Inside the door. watch I ng her. Hlsfaceisfilledwlthmmom

' 9 '

ved.
AUDIENCE as she s ngs, She’s good and they‘re lonely. Their eyes am star
1
82
 MITSU
Not yo“ o K0

I need toHoDGES.

MITSU
No can do! K0
, than arc“
951“") his face
5 {NW ”‘1 the r
You Say MITS UKo (M. aware or the
four months. u “a“
y 3
HODGES be Ck R the R.
I got htL

100“5 up- confu sed.

5n?
MITSUKO
No understand 'hIL'

sens his tie and m Than he M

unbunons his top
“3:31:03 shlrt butto
35" UGLY SCARS °" ”5 ”Ed“ 5‘33") and Upper back mm
HODG Es
: his no]! down
GASPa"
I'm on my Way back.

MITSUKO
Wetnam?

HODGES
Yeah. I don't feel
good about It.

.
“flsugiénens W’I' h love and concern. She
resframs her emotion . starts to touch him. then
mom s looks arOund the dimng
_
MITSUKO
You come my house maybe ten—thirty. OK?

HODGES, smiling almost shyiy.

HODGEs
I love you.

LJUDGES walks out of the room. Focus past him to see the STARING FACES 01 other 0mm
Icllon.
“china him with Jealousy and susp

83
 £f .- VILLAGE oK-‘NAWA _
NIGHT

:' I . w:
m5 i5
5‘“. r9’1 55'
a}?! On the
_ Sidewalk s are
S
1» 06 Oak nke they want t
rneY’ EVERAI
1'1"
‘9
'Eubte, They 890
' rf' .
J r0 9551’. KIN VI
.'-' fl QU’Er ST
LLAGE ‘ NIGHT
9»: 35 a small apartmen
t bUHdin
{85 door and waits a
flags 0“ me t g a be
5.'u' ns and MITSUKO fills bee ' r'3"‘t“'snglsr 1
00,0 595 her.
a Wea n9
'
FOLLOW them i
I 3 l'
map; gmbfier M0“ Now we See offitosh e r bright RI
hadron In
5-98 wk?” bythe bed. making love.
fling 0“ HADOWS m
*.
0'”
. r0:
MITSUKO'S
APARTMEN
T

. Mflsupfo has thro

g'sfi‘efiodges ,5 nakedklérym her kimono
rgg face-down, ove r
W5 chief the CORD-U dozin geghw‘iar
s and
CARS than fa" doWn his“ his h Gad On"N
her “Is .1 the head
- MlTsuKo
'
Hove you. "Inseam"a him “‘1 h"
mges' his eyes still Claw
am his head On her
lap

HODGES
I wanna marry you.

MITSUKO
My dad don't like Amerlcam

HODGES
So who asked him?

HITSUKO, afmost sadly.

MITSUKO
When you come back!

HODGES
I dunno.

84
 i15 ”“9"
fl. 51.9a Up at her anot at the

I dm'; LI

”demand Nu.
' reaches UP and hdds her "tly.
4455
HODGES
They need "to.
MITsuxo
They need you?
HoDGEs
"
9-“ OUT TO:
' mt”- ON GO NO! ISLAND DAY
-
..17 ' flat on a trail flanked b
,HtFL firooN lays
. ._ B ULLETS pass overhead _ the
Y high Walls of
WHUMP
Views
. as If they Were In ‘
gar
a Int-19min! firefight 10
r31
thetr
nd WILD MAN cmuc h toGather
[1.
gfififigacigarette and lights
3;:
BAGGER _
They can't bring us up there. We'll
get log In
the grasa

. ”an drinks from his canteen. absent

ly measuring the last tew drops Inside
$.55 man before. almost resigned. » k. He's um

WILD MAN
”'51 P‘atoon‘fl handle n.
BAGGEH
First platoon couldn't fight their way out of l
thick fog and you know I.

MEEFIGHT intensifies into a CACOPHONY of 800 MS and CRACKS.

BAGGEH (com’d)
Oh. this shlt Is had. We go: point next.
WILD MAN
Bigger. you gettin' flaky on me?
85
 BAG
Hey. fuck JOSER
Gettin' Set up tofiyae. who w
5 humor. um °wn
, Geno.” p "9 Banger Out at

q
" up

2:2,“o ‘NILD

our
her.
md'q “mam“ ‘° eat 1m ibc
BAG '1 I
l aln't got mil-E?kae
p Want
Shit WI "a [at Sena,“
or a fatY°U
skat'ingfigge” aln‘t“as? no “din YOU
man's
C‘morL hi
10: um“ Up.
lv

H
N; HEUCOPTER POWERING
W aim the ”no" a grenade the“ b'ouemfilwfiy' “MW up W
t1‘“ I “Mt am

I. dad a

W"
ML ON GO N0: ISLAND . my
. UAD files 510M)! Past a small Clearin In
’“Zfip casually
rm spider “0'95 “me!"
FIRES they held
has M-16 on 1h:
Into two of p333 3.“ F0“
eWant DEAD IwA SOLDIERS
of the
m Man the bodies‘ FULL Amcgmpany As they lay In
mm MAN Mme. 9"
Motherfuckers dead WI?

:3 aces AS THEY PASS: CAT MAN, 0395'

“E a,CANNONBALL. GOODFIICH. and savemaffifiéfii smwm MAN.
mafi
msmflififl, baked brown and thin. 3- They are ham rm.

MTG:

m-WLLAGE ON GO NOI ISLAND - AFTERNOON

H-JDE SHOT. THE COMPANY files slowiy across a vast wasteland of and. weeds and m
Wearing a trail that cuts along the edge of a blown-out village

0.085 ON THE POINT OF THE COLUMN. CAT MAN ls walking point. As he walkshehoks
maran old bomb crater. then halts.

CAT MAN
Hoid It up.
“THAN, standing and lookina- Snake
1°“ ”m

86
 SNM‘E
“'8'“ 00% Cat Man?
CAT Ma”
Bomb.

f MAN' A 250 pound BOMB

"98 hall‘s“

.
«1' nod ding to his RADIO OPERATOR
r” k5.
' ‘“L! $955

5 back to Car Man.

.435!
CAT MAN
H9 9011a dig a ”We and
We gotta move the comm a Charge 1:
“any 0m. hu “dart
SNAKE
OK. Leave sol-he Sacumy

w SIOMY [095 toward the “Wheel;

4‘ £NGINEER no
m from "19 rear d the Golllnm
yam! . s
SNAKE MO ”8 Wu ‘0

Cakes! You and Ogre Sta

Engineer “til he blows thatyl back here with the

W Cakes and 09"? “'3'“ "9 ”he °""°’S- Oars ours a new has
on l
OGHE
Just like Mine Watfare School, huh?

BABY CAKES
How would I knovf? You got me
tlvown out

gab}! Cakes. Ogre a nd the Engineer head toward the bomb as THE COMPANY moves
toward,
game blast area.

WT TO:

EXT-IN THE MIDDLE OF A SAWGRASS FIELD -AF|’ERNOON F

. Snake
HESOUAD sits on a trail surrounded by sawgrsass. “fig-sad cheeks his mm mm
by 816.
behind them comes 3 DOUBLE EXPLOSION - MALL

SNAKE
That didn't sound rlaht
M5" for a couple of beats. Snake stands. P‘ID‘H‘IW down 1'19 "‘l

37
 SNAKE
Something-8 wr (cont-u}
OHO‘

‘jrfi‘ EDGE 0F THE VILLAGE . LATE

3
.- I: “N
moves GIU mMydown the "an o0N

y;‘1 saufakes'
as” Ogre, and ”‘9 Enginagfgmwau
8 '° none. a“t!
5"
- 381 UP securim
Hurry up]
My Into a tight pefimeler CAN
quit:
.mfive dY- ' NONB
W CANNONBALL
They was only two ”was“
ALL
m;
‘Now a. he
“it. w. M.
5 near the-bomb. noting Wher
.flxneeémes up wrth GREEN Hagase fl“, Engines, ha
255.811“ ' “flaking Mdunzodh
Ir
SNAKE "but be. “0 M. .1
l
Somenlsody hit 9"" With a Wh
arenad
seco ary Off that engineers
902d.“ gm I
5' bag
WILD M
That couldn'ta killed
all an.“ 0! 'Orn.

SNAKE
Prob'ly blew the Engin
eer all
Cakes and Ogre, no way.
out, out 'em up a little Mighg‘: .
bit. flocked em

5000 HIGH. stunned and afraid.

GOODRICH
They're P-O-Ws?

WAN calls to them from fifteen feet away.

CAT MAN
It's the Engineer. Snake. He Is an iuckad up.

WE, intense. deeply upset

SNAKE

mesa. looking around. totally spook“!-

88
 BAG
Another “Duff
:

1"

3* SNAKE
The man "93"?
died for We n: - H

We
Into can 't find
a trap “st”“1! There's n San“
0
900d our ”3° Baby Cakes 3.3%
"a“? KICKS G ood’
no h in the 355, th
on stands Vary 6035 to him
k
SNAKE
what you do. ”d" tell you. Thar.

fl THE EOGE OF THE VILLAGE

- FIH'EEN MINUTES LATER
WOMEN—L tips his helmet to the back
of his head.

CANNONBALL
Nothln'. Man. it‘s too
dark

ME deciding.

SNAKE -
We'fl come back at first ugh.

WE SOUAD, moving quickly down the tml.

OUT TO:

i"MFMSHENT HEADQUARTERS. OKINAWA SONNEL 0mm I

W55. dressed In Juno’s utflities. walks up tags 3min famfllax 3min. the PER
WWWHHQ Major who nonetheless greets ‘3

89
 "“3. re
us 0‘” his card from a file I:
”On-[Ina la mu
‘4 How 3 Mflsuko?

8 [mfg ma ”'5s-

-
2” Just fine,Ho
313358
MAJOR
330w her Dad_
e sham Idol?He‘s
! k kamheronnt

Ho You pul‘Ght
I love hot DGES
“5 a?
,0, smiles 893’"-
an.“1' I k hMAJOH

(beat). Ive gm an Open? rm“ 0k!

as officer. They Want 30:3
2“ 8 "Win
preferably WOUndw'
ne with
1 Bela]
your tour on Okinawag
lwd You ukflomf'hghm

995 Batches his breath, totally taken aback. He's

“ad 3. .
9‘0“
"Wm duty -
' emu, duh
MAJOR (com‘d ”Mm

W355- His face now emanates

an Incurabie sadness.
HODGES
Maybe later. Maybe
I could
n't live with myself If I didn' write you lcoud.
t go back. :lr.
mmsone: NEIL DIAMOND, 'UNTIL [rs TIME Foa You 10 so-
M TO:

59- SHRINE AT NAM! N0 UE - DAY

msux - 5- hand, takes him ps of the ancient shrine. Before Its aim
fifis$§Emeher head. and primup the 3‘9
‘5 5““ "mm pram
she looks custom
“"13 secret, hopeful smle.

90
 "-7 , "used 0
4555 9a mg at him proudly_
.w 00“
“NAM” S
J 0’ “lama
. r59” lay "We a
l" .
10' GE DANG E HALL
r“hf "‘1 (Ilsa
.— [TsUKO dancing On
“If .M wanS Who glance u a not» with
Klna "C0111;Una dole"
[*LSN wok bl? at 8 u
459‘
, r0-'
"Jugsul‘ols BEDROOM
‘if Mllsu ko lie on her fut an In ‘he .
and 's nestled on his dark. 8
fiesgmw. she ShOUIdeL He‘ 3
u”- in
l looks at him with a sense of dread,
o
M MlTSUKo
i want your baby,

-
gainst ' , kissing his ch est a
hlm ”so
'lE moves a _ en ti Y. more with sa d ”988 t k. He
:5 her my Q han mash“
"dkerchlaf
“1 nab.

J1M3:
T N3 TERMINAL. KADENA AFB
.fi '
#09555 sitting on the floor. his head agains
. . . t the wail a 5
win? back into Vietnam. He s fingering the handkerchlgltlimtflu’gifi hash Wiles,
no.
”we “EWENANT sits next to him, draws m“ a Cigarette.
and shliy asks him a question
YOUNG UEUTENANT
What's it like to get shot at?

HODGES
Depends on whether they miss.

WI T0:

W-WLLAGE ON GO NOi ISLAND - FIRST UGHT

loiFHOM THE BOMB CHATEH where Baby Cakes afieafifgfifl'w 9&1k down“
can WWW
W9 tht! Weeds. A light HAZE tops the weeds. lnt CROWS- suddenly SEVEN S
s““70“!“l and SHUFFLINGS of first light A “’5'”
91
 ”1'”
m 1': BAGGEE' Edna: quickly tow
«OHIO ' BALE CAT “ZEN“. “As
£5”
"3:00 2mm
SNAKE
- and 0
“N
ING them . As they
090% ,t about forty, Va
g. FO’MN'THE PATROL hav 00I km: :t Vflle‘
ar
.565 W685]! find logs imam the 0m
sh" U” art?
the hOOICh.
Snake ' ”at
“a
. .a
d'vflfirlrda
SNAKE ( at
They weren't he ramming;rd}"in?! the
©q
CANNON
He ain't old-iook B
ing, It's like he

BAGGER
Look at
she's goher. H
t boats. come she ai -
No mmaS
good enou gh ’0' a:;E% an
? “ill?
be» 0 No! a“
W 335 mm: rd and takes her hands She
H face. tak ing
‘Jyfls" Br bard 0‘ her hands ag
ain [Mills “19"” Na

' and ““8 “:13?“aL “W! at

WILD MAN
she ain't even
him I...
got a callua

Wfld Man "0W 9‘”I s her lips apart

W“ WILD MAN (oom‘d)
Her teeth are white!
betel nut. She's an She ain't even Chewed
NVA nurse or semmhh
:
them 8 PICTURE of Baby
Cakes, and Inslmcts Dan,
wm
SNAKE
’ ' peared right out
he disap here
’ last
ISLLel-Lim and another guy.
Ask em Win!
happened.

31 IRANSLATES. The Man and Woman sh mg .

MAN
Kh i.

I know vim“! " happened ht here!

r19 Dan tram
“MN SPEAKS RAPIDLY In Vietnamese. WM” his hands UP'

92
 a" “[73 the man, and CURSE
y. S hlrn In
d ”Dreaming
V hard "m“ adrenalin
' ”i
:5 SNAKE
They Vcl Dan?

oW'Y to the Man, ’nSDectin

4r edgy-.65 terrmed now, bm hOlcts get“: "Ten to

r 5' °° a
r“?I “a h

o i SNAKE
an “5‘ knows

you'd know tOo' man. You grew up

. “11h
finch
WE grabs the Man and pushes him to the ground
a- .

who:
{HEPATROL' in a frenzy - you can feel their growing
rage .1
and. is!P and taking
0b
. the slats out Baring the
of it, searching throu a
8
it off.
neither: lighting

WT TO:

MAN, looking down at the ground. dreading what he ls seeing.

CAT MAN
Somebody bring a shovel!

iflERSE. in a sweet potato field are 1W0 DIPS. the earth sagging from the settling altar: at
iinight's rain. WiDEN to snow Cat Man standing in front at I.
the$121513?game?“ Den
F5 PATROL gathers in the potato field. forming a circle around
shovel. They
.m.“ "‘9 TWO Vietnamese over. Goodrich carries a
”5‘0“ among them is electric
93
 [he shovel from G°°drich and
ӣ95 CA THRUST
T MAN 8 l
Dig. at "My

ri
eyeing "‘9 ”"9 cans "3”?» Ha felons
4i ' VIETNAME ‘9a
J Emmet _ SE MAN .

odes- H’ TTING the man With

,hlflflé‘ Man is breathing harcL the “Wall K1
"9“ CAT
r n. H
I ' hI Dig
ks up the Shovel . ’ I
A«1:::0My pic
N0““ BAGGER ”Hades,now bl
Duncfifiding [Tom
a the Manthfid. a
Fucker! You think We‘re blind?

510M}, rising. begins to dig

d u
VEL scrape s the earth. First BABY C Sa
.9 :5'40m In then' flak Iackeza 33999; EAL _and Caryn;bal M then QGR
.‘v‘d-IfiSII‘n-‘BJ’ turn him over to FIEV Ea

' in his forehead. His e Ves 31m a ‘

1W HOLE have he“ Maw an.

‘a‘wfioodmh
. and Wild Ma" "fl Ogre. turning him m-
( BULLET HOLE in the forehe
ad. Eyes gone. 0 .
“flEHHe’s grinning.
'6 are S PEACE SYMBOL ‘3 3"" aroma
.flffifaUI' silence. SNAKE ls breathing heavily,
looking at the Man. He speaks mm
d!-
SNAKE
You motherfucker. You place of shit.

EMAN begins BABBUNG. looking over at Dan and than at the Woman Dan listen. a”
wing heavily, enraged.

He sa VC nag-has: O are. Bab3! Cakes. maka

DAN
him bgry. He say he not VG. He say mebha
Mamasan V0.

94
 needy nauseous. 'Ooks u
1310“ 3 D from
31a
‘D
Go ”‘19
No. Snake. ODRICH m °ura

w grabbed the Man by hl

gl‘asrggisfing Man closer and ”trier tilt, and la Du
31: “III I al’tl
#155 BAGGEH he Man-3 gauzh 1%
Take a good [00 k '3 in ”flour“ he.

l0“ a few feet away.

YOU no after that.’ "Memeart w
9 Him I
3th“
We: I.

.1;
r GOODRICH
We don't know
who did
We
- the Woman toward Baby Cakeg
. pushing
NW
CAT MAN
Yeah. we do. It
Senator? d‘m llorhe» You. does It
GOODRICH
Not enough to kill
civilians

WILD MAN
They ain't clvlllans_ fucker!

mm"- with a condemning smile.

O S CANNONBALL
l' enator. So goo-cod. sosmart. H '
like to kill. You kill Burgle. Sat on youfgefln'
watch the man dle. Maybe you only Ilka to kll
marines.

Soul-lat stands and walks way. toward the hootch.

GOODRICH
I can't dothls. Leave meoutdl
tom with grlel, tear 30d WW
Inside. oLLEY 0F “BE
EmlCH walking to the hootch and then kne ellng
" *9 hear the Man BABBIJNG and the Wmn SHRIEK. then a V

95
 walks Up from behind . H 3.8 b.-
SNAKE
S
{‘4 saddle up”

0:
I'Tf
E 5966 OF THE VILLAGE _ “URN 1NC
5*
.MUSIC AND cm,” AG.”
l iN TH5 go-MO
a!“ Ne
N.
“55 CRATE heads 8'
H Ogre on makeshift s‘rmgrtrQOL
T

0M My ha the
an I
Man and the Wom
5h OW the
“he iace a "a1. a,
iligfflaffigs and 09 re. Win in the Bub,
55

pGO'MO MUSIC AND CHANTING

”DE"

E UP TO:
r
_ AN Hon COMBAT BASE DAY
-
TE .LJNED ROAD AM
leads dawn a hill
IOWard the
TROOPS demfifim m On the
3445-5 Ending. and STRE 8 OF airstrip “In 309
' BTRDOP S
UP the road-
s m" “V" mm
HSE- HODGES stands at the t0pinof the hill . Grinning with
WE ascend the hill. He beglns Waik 9 Ward M a“"ciiaauion a h,
Hoops
iy up the hill, his
GGER, walking morose “fie held by the barrel over his War He
nizes Hodges and brighten
s.
recog

BAGGEH
The Lieutenant!

working a crowd - slapping backs Mm hm

HODGES wades into them like a politician
grinning and joking.
SNAKE
somebody.
I never been so glad to see

HODGES
You guys look like shit.
WILD MAN
We men, through shil-
'
CANNONBAU-ppenin. Ueutenanl?
er e It is. W hat's ha
Th
96
 ”0
GO‘ a lentfu'DG Es
or
I move Om "no Hi?"~12e
UUUBs. 1.hr
miserable and unbeliwng‘ _
m0 H.
GOODRI
'0 23% we
5000
Three daYS. gust
all

rt “3W" ”gen-'9' ”P the hill. Cat Man

as “an
W” CAT to ”was. a
Glad my“? £25? at:
"9
HODGES
Bummer. I heard

a ALL. with a teasing lack NONE

cl“NO“
CAN
Hey. Lleutenant. Show
Us Yu' “can.
EY m um mm
H0055ESndP””5 ‘7‘" “is 5k“? Shirt and proudly
tease him. models his
other. 80ers as TH
TO:

aim . COMMUNITY SHOWERS. AN Ho». . DAY

rrlT

rHE SQUAD moves into a roam with about twenty shower; me to a “an. alr
- “W
0025:1503 flTh
the
Marines- They rotate through. Wetting down and than mfiflfim urn
ey are LAUGH
. ING and JOKING
of as they bathe prepeny
months. for the llratlma h

OUTS’DE SUPPLY CLERKS

washed Jungle militias.
“and amid a pile of clothes. and hand each clean Hanna :1 and
GUT TO:
FIRST
EXT-AN HOA. NEAR THE COMPANY TENTS - DAY .
:3; m by
ll-lE COMPANY (about a hundred twenty marines) has gathered for a cookout!
' as severa I M arines cooklr.hamburgers and hot
dogs 0v
NT su ervrses h
BEER ls every mra. THE SQUAD
”small drurr‘t: in half. MUSIC mixes In the a the MUSIC saparates. and to do
together at first, eating and drinking, their sp irlts hlg h. Then I

l lhr m l l in
mammal n
DIRECTOR'S NOTE: W will Int rtwln th f l
Mum" darknggs {all}. DNIGHTH

BEGWSONG: WILSON Prcxrsrr. .-N THE MI

 of BLACK MARINES dan
A 9:11: each other. CANNONBA
,fl EZT I’Ve. “We d
pi nc H
; CREDENCE C as baa Hum"
- ”king beer 3 nd
SONG LEAHW y. 'aDDI. some Sec
WHITES
fi afififms- sta :h$";Afi
SNAKE.n them mow” AL '8 AD Moon RISING.
' £3009
s 8c sns
- alone nearby a ?” Ql
. mares it: MANZE h;cTune, drinka beer nd
. Ying 1") 9d against a 50mg 590F011
NEW SONG“ TAMMY WYNETTE. ‘STAND av em a “Wine ::35} hard" "mm. y
MOTHER GROUP oF WHITEs d . YOUR MAN'
A 5653: have gathered and . Ornl Ba I 9d b
BA
are drinking be; the
and REDNEC KsOmcll
Including. Ho DGES and
MIX THE SONGS AND 805 Nes 'NTo A SW: becoming
R
END SONGS. ””3 ”Shel-Ia
CUT To:

FIT _ COMPANY ARE

A - NIGHT
Hodges is walking, sem
Sign i-drunk alo
' e. Curious. he
opens the 'doorngand
a din
_ findsroad.
BAGgégissigglfi
MOQO 9. N Insid
ding e a “W
a picture 0! his

HODGES
Sorry 'bout that.
Bagger looks out. drunk and embar
rassed.
BAGGEH
"'5 0K. Lieutenant.
Bagger fixes himself. mumbling.

BAGGEH (oom‘d)
It ain't like I‘m cheatin'. I mean. It's a picture of
her. you know. Damn. I been here so long!
593 a shiner I get a hard-on. She wouldn't
cheat on me. I know the Kama Sutra. NI fifty
seven positions...

.
”Odges. commiserating
HODGES
out of practice,”
You might be a lflfle
AGGER forge;
a bike. You never
Nah h'sallke ddln'

Bagger. deeply 1’°”b'°d' 98

 r01
at“ “EsmsNTAL HEADQUARTERS An
I ’ :c: 'I'LL BE HOME AN HOA‘DAY
H warks alone alon
D“ ‘0 UCOPTEH. 9 d‘" 'on
a wmd a

ooDRJCH . T he HEUCOPTER fii gem“ him like

“99"- 0.; h.
- 33
Fovne d It. CLOSE on the hallcopter neg!“ °"1 the was!
ne' "[N519r The other FOUR haVe be - EIGHT MARINE? mountalns drag I
' n
rich shfvers with fear as he are hanglnfl fromgthg :Lafim
Goad front of one. Walks. He pa
slaps 8:14:50! hlgh bur-[kera- Finally I,"

ASIGN: REGIMENTAL LE A F .

END MUSIC
CUT TO:

M- THE BUNKER

GOODRICH
I'd like to see the legal m.

COHPOFIAL
Do you have an appointment?

GOODRICH
There isn‘t time [or [hat We rnove out for the
Arizona tomorrow.

CORPORAL
What's It about?
300081014
I can’t tell you

The Corporal ls becomlna “swmd m

It's Impor-
a” 63.339”, how do I know
If y -_
99
 tam BnOUQI-I to but

G the
Take my 30%):3; “our“?
mm. a slim.
£52“: Goodrich.
youn a omcar lust 0m u
r“ 'nfl ’
5rd! law “hon.

OUT TO!

L you;
It. I've_a o“
fifties “SIGHH'Iaaninandu
ofigure out my Obliga tm my hr

THE CAPTAIN. sardonically,

CAPTAIN
MaYDGYOUOUahttogoseeacl-aplahm
GOODRICH
Sorry. But the bush Is like Dante's Inferno.
Everything's screwed up. So how can any of It
make sense?

CAPTAIN
Dante's mm? W! do you want me to do.
makelfluflo
oolGH
or.
idn’tsaeamurd
Justteflguald

CUT TO:
100
 fl, ts 5'0v along a Pallet
5nd He lights a ct
I»\
II”
t‘5 at”
twigchgs the ooMPANY
I'd
Qa’ene- take what. In
HQ TENT
r69 .
T05

HITEH packs Ianguldly In

tfiffi wks “uh exaggerated artrhe
t brig: “the ta
U55 Jocks at Snake with Defining awe a: B
UGS

5095 rises. moving to Shake

. r
cggarette. and lights It for him

Cross. th balls like that

how mad he walk?
lt hurt Top. too. We got
shtt-faced the night we
heard. You and him was pretty
tight. huh? I'll
bet Go Not was the biggest bummer you
ever
saw. Bet you're glad you're getting short.
How many days YOU 90"
SNAKE
Few-59W"- M I “kw

3
Sggfiofl you takea low PISS YOU'
You’re You gonna get a rear lob? " "“33
your plane-
words will have.
SNAKE, reveting ln‘the tmpad "‘9
SNAKE amt.
Nan I'm 00““
101
 BUGS
m? What [he
MP's In Da Nanfl. the]! tag? I rhea
were” In sage: em 10:;-
r -
Egowgwhggord for that. ygufiot Q Ma
. ‘ 10b?
ha
Corporal and COM bat mam only 9mm
SNAKE
I'm gonna stay here

y SUV”-

,5 ”w"
5".” In th e 92:68
'1? 0h
people like you ' “'0". you we
doin' over heranlunlizafle Emmi?“
M.“

-
Ma laughing ironically.
5
B SNAKE
“93- This ain't a
Get me the pa fly NmCEBn's fal
pars and Show N tale, OK?
ma When to
GUT TO:

M - HEGJMENTAL LEGAL OFFICER-s BUNKER

' is sitting.
GoodriCh ‘ In the metal c hat r. exhausted from hm
5mg behind his field desk, furioUsly smoking his pipe ”Units:3:213?m CAPTAIN ts
i996" pad filled with notes and scrutinizing Goodrich 9°" “who his

CAPTAIN
Let me get a few things straight First. you
didn't participate. and In fact were not at the
scene when it took place. You didn't even see
the incident You - and I quote roughly .. '33:
on the porch. and heard the woman scream
Then I heard shete'

GOODRICH
That's dam
CAPT N r own statement. you did not
Nu
s
the alleged killing
599
99
00“:1301183)?“

' h.
Goodrrc startled- GOODHlaj'ailaged’? Iknawthey
 didn't See a mu

thm
.
g ha ”F3123:' wereD
1,53%
sun
a “Gabon? vs a knfle - n
?e%::::n§ ?‘°6:~
.ch 15 HOW dISQUSted.
fl Sin haunt?

GOODRI
Did Ma CH
lain. mas“ have a knll‘s.
CA
Who killed PT
mgr:
Scout?. DO - Was ll the Vim
over him? YO" realizs
we have ":23“ t
GOODHI'CH
snake gave the Orde
rs.
NOW “.5 the ca
ptain who's
disgusted.

CAPTAIN
What does ll: take to
quell your goddamn
science? Best frien con-
ds murdered Ilka than
Hasn't there been enoug
h tragedy? If they did
km the people they‘ll ham to
Ilve wllh lL

GOODRlGH
Boys will be boys. huh. 08mm?

- ° Gmrkh

WW” eta statement Put In

OK. ele mg}: 90:31:”: an Article Thirty-two
everythmg' I
lnm?st
than M .
Jdn'ch picks “P the pen
sale“ a this
0“ r#:2t mid happen '0 "1°
Jen «I 103
 W seems Irritated. as
If he‘s 11
no
Jr! “ally fi
(1" UUr
CAP I
,1" Hi get you N G
I) N
want. Isn't :3?“ “the bush
but
or! Ipoking: up from his Writing. I':
w
'3!
.49!” ' GOO 1° ””9 his 0:: Ch
5’ You can do tH

W CAPTAIN ”the Noam

8 d0 ll far DUI,
CI
COUDIS Of days 10
Us all the u
"I my Office. 9*" Clearance."is.5'33
pH’GH’ now furiously Writing :a

GOODH:
my older 1mm - My Dad-3
. a
{H5 CAPTAIN. nodding With certainty '“War. 89'.

CA
You did disPT»
play: cari
”190W. Shall we 88?? ain 460%m
WT TO:

N. EDGE OF AN HOA Pen

man-n -AFn-:RNO0N
snake walks aimlessly alon
g the dirt road,
carry! his M46
front is a SANDBAG
BUNKER. Goodrich is
“msgm Its Mfghlnm 9 a cigarette. To his
9 ln
out Into the mar-ruins.
snake climbs on top of
the bunker and alts next to
Goodrich. He offers Goodr
ich a cigarette.
SNAKE
HOW: it W
. continues to stare westward. Snake smokes his own
$0063? ::::g”:£gar1’ggzfloumm are at this moment
C gare r
both peaceful and boauuhl.
'

sMKEfOOflrd)
u' iikeibeen here forever. Like this iswhersl
W35
W [oaks My agaI'L
Goodrich glances 8‘ SM”
SNAKE i°°“""’
thinfl against You' for Burgle. Senator.
{got ll
knows what to do all the "’9-
NOW

104
 ptBin now seems irritated. as If he's n
c: Iy ii
"II 98! NN UUr Ed 80%
Want. .3,“ of the T Out
hat'g

oopfi’CH'
lookin u
g p from “'3 Wma "1““ You
6 ‘ Who to h

You CanGOODFHCH hls sachet-mm at the

do than
New.
N
r can 1‘t
s
in my Offioe Y3 to get ”Ragga“ take a
. a" can
GoopfilCH, now furlougy “Thing Work

I can helioyoDRICH
my older $3"- MY Dad's a lawer. 50':
'
THE CAPTAI N. nodding Wm, E my

You did displaNy':

th . shall we a???“ - ”my ”I“
“9"
CUT TO:

EXT EDGE OF AN HOA PERIMETEH

- AFTERNOO N
-
Snake walks aimlessly along the dirt road ca
' a SANDBAG BUNKER. (500t
from us . is sltting rode nu
hisItsms
rrslingon sum‘gfltfllztgigefiu1:1:2

Snake climbs on top of the bunker and sits next to Goodrich. He offers Goodrich a cigarene

SNAKE
How's It going?

to stare westward. Snake smokes his own

Gaflrich takes the cig aretie. but continuesare at this moment both peaceiui and beautiiu.
mou ntalns
cigarette. staring also. The far
SNAKE (cont'd)
forever. Like this is were I
It's likel been here
was meant to be.

looks away sash

s at Snake. then
Goodrich glance )
SNAKE (could Senator.
hi against you for Burgie.
$31,331,235 what to do all the tlme.
104
 1
if

GOODRI
EM?. That
. CH
3 pew .

SNAKE
Perve 8:
YOU 9:: th' ' I ““9“ my dicti
mg ab”
got a lh'mg abom cm las.‘ and0mm
Marines that's OK. I
0051)! om the,“ ' ‘3 Dunne be
leading the way, Doctor 8 . Who yOu Want

556W SONG: THE WHO

. 'BABA O'RILEY' {TEENAGE
WASTELAND)
Goodrich jumps off the bunker, age a
after him. PW ddled. and begins quickly walking aw” Snake can:

SHAPE (cont'd)
Noon tomorrow. Senator, your fat Ilttle feet on
the convoy road! Hak jacket. helmet. M-‘IS,
three bandoleers of ammo. fo'ur grenades. two
LAAWS. two popups. four canteens. three boot-
es of C-rats. and I don‘t give a shit. mm
vnrin l'f

CUT TO:
M - COMPANY TENT5
PFBPE'FM:
UAD as It makes Its final
TRACK CLOSE on the so as he finishes deanlnfl '-
WILD MAN. ”35s
ulna “’5 ”“5 oading up his 'blooper bag.‘
wFPW off h
is M-79 mum” and I
CANNONBALL
105
 BafiGEfi- loading bullets into
hls
00655 and SNA "Baez:
geek points. KE’ 1! p spread “as “m“ a char oer Hulda.
GoODFtiCH. writing a len eon them
an I: Got.
going ove
r the route
RADIO OPERA and the k 3!
4“ 31' and I
TOR- purring
CAT MAN and TWO 0T RG25 be
HER S. its rise in and oomu
kneulno befor cting
e P a rattle che
CUT TO: ck.
'- RlEST as he
EXT ROAD NEAR Co Preys.
MPANY r
-
THE COMPANY 90 Urs Ems, AN HOA cougar ease noon
combat gear. WILD MAfrom
the tents i
'ecting out.' GOOD HIGH and CA
and eAg NEHnto
NEfLthe
Il-Ngroad, "'"n
re AG ITE
gear-
HODGES and SNA KE form the Flame" Tiémmimégim
NE; in M
e ROVERTED' hee 1:I ng to themselves.
In three ranks. mov y. ap “9 and
ing from man to man
cUT T0: as the cheek

EXT - ALONG THE y

CONVOY ROAD DAY
A CO L UMN OF
OPEN-BEDDED
toward Liberty Bridge, TRUCKS joins
the rear oi the convoy. hauling
the Company
ON THE TRUCKS.
road. it begins to $311365): and SNAKE
sit next to each other as the trucks move
' slang the
Y 9”" Ponchos over themselves and sit oblivious to the downpom.
OP [933E113EEESKIDA! the intersection where
the road turns toward Liberty Bridge. DOZEN
8 have gathered. Some oi them are Aneurees. others S
burned by napalm. They smile a have been
nd CALL to the Marines. who tease back and throw them
and C-ration cigarettes. gum

ON THE TRUCKS. HODGES looks moodriy out into the nearby paddles.

POV THE TRUCKS. They pass a FOUR-MAN OUTPOST. and than another. The Marines on the _
outposts are huddled under ponchos In the rain. listening to music and smoking cigarettes.
They look at the convoy without expression.

ON THE TRUCKS. GOODRICH looks out at the outpost. He can't help himsett. He WAVES.
a poncho gives Goodrich the
TH E OUTPOST' A grizzled' hollow-eyed MARINE underneath
fingen
at Goodrich. elbowing BAGGER.
. WILD MAN mlrks
ON THE TRUCKS
 truck
this be the 3| ' Be"L
H 9?. he! Ct "k
°°d 50m. a“ ”msgmw'lfi
. allbno
8“” LA UGHING. hi 8 faCe Washed by
the Mn
My
WI LD M . , I
Motherfuckln. qj‘con
tud)

M 70' "Wm.
IT BF‘HD

GONVOY plows throu '1

rs: oomPANY. DOZEnogh': n"3'Cldle u the
it?” of the road. AF"MES lump gupound st
"la n.“ I 099a long 8

ENo SONG.
”‘5 and mun In thmflhéwfi“
MAKE wants up to Hod es
5 119d With ITIUd and 900813?a his rifle ha
5943 etely Soakad . HJar-:0“ because at the In
5 3W3! cluarette '3 ’ "a" ”ready
SNAKE
Where to, Uelflenam?
Hope ES. equally soaked. checking ms
Watch.
W HODGES
e not seven hours. Over
there I guesa
cuT TO:

EXT - LIBERTY BRIDGE COMPOUND - NIGHT

THE COMPANY
. . sitting packed In a mud clearing about the size of a ba k tball
the pertmeter an ILLUMINATION ROUND POPS and floats down. creatlnsg ean wcfiguurfawom
ponchos that shIne from the rain.
the rain. sitting miseran In the mud. waning. They fightwet
PAN THEM, crinld y wet from
om C-ration tins. or dale-
cigarettes. nibe fr
awakening a dozing SNAKE.
HODGES cree ps among ”’9
”5195'
HODGES
It’s time. Sadd" "9'

OUT TO:

107
 THU Bohr RIVER N'GHT

-
MpANY. fordlng the m
“4% foams Othfif. going Chest :21" the da

”"1 wATER: SNAKES S k deap’ :fls‘irgam at

0 AD 3"
THE gently form-1rd ' h is mastic 56 War burdfiheu
Ic- no their hands~ man stretchiw h
”‘1 ring In
°"" One
30 i in 0 against
marsh commufll
TO-' “she hl 8 mouth"‘8 cu rrent.
N18 Now HODGEs.
_ THE ARIZONA VALLEY
' HT
HE C oMPANY walks la bcmcmsl

sigma bomb craters and ”Okegtihéouuh terrain s as

Eusmnfi branche 3 no the": chew

h 0‘ :e rsgboufi).0 Sta
5NAKE
,3: ”es '" the ohm?- Matting braken terrain mmmuni
' eating gummy to

EXT . A HIZONA VAHEYV'U-AGE.F,

THE COMPANY moves throU
- Doe
- wide
the edge of a mile ah “Owngm Village
. Pad:
-
borders the paddy.

SNAKE'S SQUAD, may]

y. They
begin same
as the sky begi
Etta“; than was am
an old trench um

‘5 they set in they Cd'eggvlgt::1:e "em” 3‘ “19 'odes oi the padd ‘3' THEY in wet. moaned.
mp.
CUT TO:

EXT - THE TRENCH DAWN

-
SE: :gtéfis- :f-Z'nrglnagrsflingwwrume mosounozs. 0.5. we begin to hear the comm»
Now faraway we also heaftfat:IlgngfirflageéFuTTNmegiaieW awakens and adrenaizes them.
steady rhythm of HEAVY MACHINE GUNS.
i
K . THEY ISM“. elem. to new sounds._ the

HODGES creeps toward where SNAKE is sitting. As he moves, aTRAIL on: RATS 9.03333 his
path. He reaches Snake and they peer together into the paddy.
HODGEs
The sweep hli something big.

g THE PLATOON at the

THE TREELINE. A MIST begins to lift. revealin . RUMBLES and
REVERSE SHOT. rNT0 ering intensely into the paddy. 0.3.. the BOOMS
edgeof the treeiine.
w e intense , now met with HEAVY ENEMY RETUR
N FiRE.
gropemor
MACHINE GUNS louder.
AND CHANTING. sloMy growing
-MO MUSIC
BEGIN 8.6., GO
continues to "it Two hu ndred meters away. a treeiine bends
TOOQALTSENBSEEDS OF NVA SOLDIERS running from the treeiine toward them.
POV THE PM
. REV 108
toward t hem
 away from the Marines
i had
rt"" 5 PADD v. LOOKIN G UP_. HUNDRED Ck ed them '1-
$.n- E
S 0F N“!A s a other we '
TREEUN I SNAKE and OL‘DIER
HE ‘eving. HOD S funnl
$35: uni-79“ GEs a n0 Deep In a “ate u
tea
SNAKE HG d the plaice” lhel
y ShIL I r was We all]
Es. now screaming a
096 "‘5 era
mob.
n nrHODGES
58W SHOT: HUNDREDS OF '
A . i r NV
Iffi'gsang:1orvnnogogg imam: 1831:?s In mb:
T
9851 EHUP TS frorn ”9 In
severaj "Salinas from the west-33k 0 br 9d “TEE:
are in the pad
dles and
UNFIRE tram end bioc eep
w THE RICE PADDY, BLOCKING k.‘
p130ed in the mid_ dle ofsa oorme
iCA
FORggSEEI N
the
bUfialo staUP:mM”U
JDREDS op NVA SOL
N THE TREELINE, WIDE DIERS. as It the camera
were
snor THE
sees and We:
pd SusTAiNED. Joined wit COMPANY.
ham_ ““se
‘" esaw
W e a 'MAD MOMENT' mr m nd r r -
’fi
mg the Paddy With builemmAnhO
,IN THE PADDY: THE Vt-fio grotto BIUQZNEEQ overh
NVA SOLD! eed.
ioOking for a breakout. They headn‘afigfggfgglfiflna
dead or wounded, the others running.
HODGE as S.
radio helying flat air
directs on strikes.
the ground as G
UNFIRE oomes In over his head. talking on the
PRC-25

HODGES
Roger. Hostage Tiger. I say again. tour hundred
WA in the open, packs and weapons. We
woke up a regiment out here! We got air pan-
els marking our 'pos.‘ You identity. Will direct.
aver.
5,-
. PADDY: JET FIGHTERS roll in. their engines SCREAMING.
THE TREEUNE ACROSS THE
SNAKE AND NAP
dropping ioad after load of
10 BRONCO circles. wagging its wings at the Marines and
N THE AiFi OVERH EA” The W-ng
her treeiine. W MiNiGUNS and ROCKETS-
then diving into anot
RODEO, his new radio operator. and
ODGES. handing the handset back to
'HE PLATOON' H9 Platoon
wen YELUNG ‘0 th

109
 Ho

MP AMY rises fro m as [renc

elements 'in t
race-hes atncl was
{”5 6:5“ other
rrd" 0T: THE COMPANY
98 In: D
8we9
_ moving Wl‘lh t
same s, ”“9 euro
{we 5 0F DEAD NVA 83°LD'ER
ZEN eellne YELLIN s °‘” Brenda‘heva
tr I GI weamns'gaLgy hotel-ll: as II'I :1 paddy
Ina ”he to ““‘w'
ankl
”9e In
p Water
' look the
at
3ecll-Ierl
“3 They '“aepon.
To: “'31" past
. EDGE OF TREEUNE _ MGRNIMQI

55998 Suddenly a ond ednext to Ba ch

NVA dlerogher, Wea us
amen both Wild
miss” ' Ma“ '"stincrivew Cfin as :5 flats ten fzél t
a War
triad“ loklng new
0‘ the °UslytoInc"
elr {Tugtiéleflmyt. ng “13m
' 5 0845
me3’ wash the dead $0Idler. taklno hi 9
Weanon

BAGGER
Just don't go dyln‘ on me Blood

OUT TO:

EXT ARIZONA VALLEY VILLAGE - MORNING

-
THE COMPANY sweeps . into a clrcul ar village that 5115 like a Isl W‘
the rest of the treelrne by one tree-covered pathway. Next 13th:":am: giggle camellia}D
mama
The treeline bends around the cemetery. then continues
SQUAD as they move through the village. set up securlty. and then Stan
FOLLOW SNAKE'S h the vlllage. The
MORE DEAD NVA SOLDIERS lle scattered throug We
eds ct OTHER UNITS FlGHl’lNG.
searching it. DOZE NS
gers are gon e. In the distance we can hear the
villa
RAINING again.
check poem
walks past hlm to
! 0 Snake as he
HODGES CALLS
HODGES
treallna over them
movement in that
In It

CUT TO:
 120'“ VALLEY VILLAGE - DAY
5, up to GOODFIICH.
" +5 2?}; face.
‘llr’g
Mm ‘3 “lying on hi 3 back
Usted
. 015l
to "18 m”
Senator. the:

, - :1 (””5 °"' ”Mm“ Snake

a“ S
KICKS m m In the
Semlorl wake lfgom'd}

“do“ 51811185.

6
Get E (comd)
‘10 ursteamt
mOVemenL mailer. Hu
"y "D- We DO!
_ N EAR THE TREELIN
ED PATH . DAY

0 ODH’CH stands huddled

with his TEAM In
[is "calmed path. the rain. The
y are all new guys. He‘s
looklng at
GOODRICH
EV; could get
hll from five feet
up In the cem
etery. It’s no?: “We
31: cover.
His THREE TEAM MEMBERS
stare nellvely back JOJO d oubte
him

JOJO
Snake say put ll In the treellne.

GOODHICH
You want 10 walk In there?

EXT - THE CEMETERY - DAY

old mounds. walklng parallel to the treellne. Another ls to their

THE TEAM moves slowly a mongAll three treellnes are now less than fifty yards away. formlng II
nt.
right. Another Is to their fro
'U' around them

MUSIC AGAIN.
BEGIN GO-MO
GOODRIGH. totally
top behind some old mounds.
cemetery the? 5
At the far end of the g at the "Odin”-
lookin
spooked now,
GOODFIICH
. Let's go
This is too far

ring slralght ahead.

wflh fear. sta
C. frozen
NEW MA
111
 N
SOMethingEfwno'tAc

oTION. a WHIRL
W M the othe r Way. 5513a
rims 0' acta . GOOD H
I tu

oaks New M '

, :flfihem. LosingaEI: $1: dOWn, Won

fi':f‘°°hgo"lfifm
.70 he has been 512-: - ”‘33.
mod“ OODRICH. __ m'”°beh‘$'
Pm-Xgeloward hlm, ”:2: 3:303 head
‘31
°besm
09k [110‘ ' . Llllet h
5 up to Sea :13 deanng on mefitfiafi all:
| ng ”Om theLODE with “18
EACOPHONY OF BULLErSpapl I
0M T01 "d ExPLosuobac"
N8. °' his helm“ °' ‘ he
mat. Now buuet. the
is gunfightgc
a

E"r . OT HER 8'05 OF THE THEELINE

EVEAL. on the other
‘ AY o
:ars w'rth an innocent 33:11:01: 3 trWine: ECU
show she‘s sitting With her $28k" She doesn't my: "me Old Who had waved
now ho!
mad'Y- Widen further to
showc Fl aQaInst the dike amm: raga“? Going on. WIDEN 0311mm
the tea m. as OT HEFI NVA run so TOUD oi NVA soldiers. now 11a
to join thGILfIE HS flnng iron-I behind dikes on an three
'
skies d
60 Mo MUSIC 18 FULL
VOL UME NOW
-
cUT TO:

EXT . THE CEMETERY - DAY

GOODR'CH Spins- SUdden'Y and violently. than crawis, WHINING. toward a muddy old bomb
crater as the BULLEFS and ROCKETS continue overh ead. He slides Into the bomb crater and
lies on his back looking upward. And then his EYES go horribly wide.
in I. There
POV GOODRICH. His BOOT is outside the bomb crater. with his foot and ankle still
ent
is a trail of blood down the crater‘s mud embankm
his left leg; I: Is PULSING BLOOD. Han oi Ills
GOODFHCH, GASPING and heaving. holding
gone.

END GO MO MUSIC.

:UT TO:
. Y
and hits the
N OF THE AMBUSH
th VIOLENT EHUPTIO ying nearby .
KT . ARIZONA
VILLAGE
' hear a s out to Cat Man.l
s call
DA

VAKE searchingsfincgfigce
hnuy. then
ound- ' He listen
112
 MAKE under HEAVY F
[fie-'1" toward the cemetel E
e
FlH’NG as the other elemrye-ntT

CUT TO:

snake. Cannonballa
ceme‘ery- "0W
to one mound. erwe lE;at Man, Baguer
Snake “33% ;: INT M

BAeGER. ready to qult, da

Snake rigs a MAW t

Cannonball does theI er] I

3firm;quthing
Ckly kn98ls a
Wm, his figfififfi t:t‘adfirzws a heavy aunsr of return
. rne realm. lira.
Fuck swan@0d -
found?- ‘bea‘l 0K. overthetop.
Pmout

BAGGEFI. watching Canno

nball sag on top of the mound
.
BAGGER
Nol

nd ulls Cannonball back. He's hlt again. 1115 blooper bag ERUPTING
Egggtzgrmggss fixfpalefcg d cannister. Now Wild Man moves lorward
N and pulls BOTH MEN
neck. He looks at Bagge r for a beat.

WILD MAN
I don't owe you nothln.

{E SOU AD- tea! 933

wlth slde-
coveredother Ws' weepmg and vomiting. .
He thinks about It once. then runs lorwar
d alone.
JAKE. 819"“ on the
rr TO:
113
.6”r H u 98 ins“ a 1he TE“ - DAY
3:0
omen Dale
femi-conscious, Abo‘f’aohml: head
i ls “cm |
W SNAKE comes ("Vin
men 9 nto the bombfinmher
crater HER? BUR
um“ . Th
inches . “5dr ST 0F “she
AKE, now away fr
“9 his '81
Y S
Ou fuck up again?

GOO
No. it was a time...
off his bYSan
. ly takes
snake quick .
snake twasis It tlght. Then belt and ties ll
Goodrich. shake pulls ofghfiztaround Goodrich. i
C‘oarene. lightings{EnigmaTOE
?) '3
Ream's 3n
yell-flan-
You‘ll be mfigfio' Mac's dead. J53}:
GOODRICH, dreamy.

GOODHICH
It‘s all the 8a m _ .
90mm die. a We re Donna die. We're
SNAKE, te .
"39' fldrfinalized, feigning humor. Another HEAVY BURST or FIRE momma
N SNAKE
ah. They want us here . Senator. We're
the
ball. (beat) [get your radio. huh?

CUT TO:

EXT - THE CEMETERY — DAY

Snake's Squad is
HODGES with a react of a DOZEN MORE MARINES. at the bottleneck wheregrenades on each
are throwing smoke
lying in disarray. He's YELLJNG and pointing. Marines them across In groups oi
a scr son. and Hodges is sending
side of the bottleneck. making the mounds. shot.
Y FIRE. Another MARINE drops In
THREE and FOUR under HEAV
and then continues to run.
mound. crashes on the other side.
HODGES leaps over the single

BUT TO:
METERY - DAY
EXT - END OF CE
c's body.
dled near New Ma
o and Termite. hud
iODGES rea ches JoJ
114
 SNAKE
Senator's all mag;

Houses
What can I do?
SNAKE
Wait a minute. (0.8-)
CUT TO:

Ex-r - INSIDE THE BOMB

CRATER - DAY
SNAKE. Inches from
Goodrich's face, SLAPPING
him
SNAKE
Senator, wake up, man. Come
on Listen to
me. Can you lay on top oi me?

GOODRICH roiis his head from side to side.

GOODFIICH
i wish i knew. We‘re gonna die.

Snake grabs Goodrich by an arm and tests IL Now he calls to Hodges.

SNAKE
Lieutenant!

HODGES (0.3.)
l'm here!

SNAKE
When I yell have somebody catch Senator. I
got him on my back.

CUT TO:

115
 calling to m ETERY ‘ DAY
0655' 9 react . Whlch now
|

9d THE BOMB CRATEH DA

-
- Y
KE with the
SNA ' much iarGer 600d
pans hm
i . h

Here | 8%
FfiOM BEHIND. Snak .
passes GOODFIICH- :5 I998 tmln

' “9 '1- He

lN THE MOUNDS. A NEW

Goodrich and pulls him be GUY reachesi
him the m Ound.or Gow'id'l and is shot.
But now Get Man grabs
SNAKE. crawling tryin l
' 9 0 reach the Mounds.
He is STITCHED by a mm
“ gun and dies
HoDGES. staring
at Snake in horror

SNAKE, lifeless. stari

ng into the grass with
bored eyes

HODGES' preparing ‘0 Iflap after Snake. Cat Man sees It -

CAT MAN
No. Lieutenant]

HODG ES. trying to pull Snake‘s body into the mounds. He takes a BULLET through the side oi
his face. shattering his law. Cat Man pulls him back into the mounds.
GROWS
BEGIN THE GO MO MUSIC. lT GROWS PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER AS HODGES A“
PROGRESSIVELY WEAKER
mounds. bleeding through both sides of his face.
HODGES, lying on his ba“bagging him
him. as shrapnel pierces his body. THE RAIN. heavy.
nearby. leaves
EXPLOSION lands life slowly
ng him as his
washi

CUT TO:

116
 THE CEMETE
RY - DAY
'
CREE” A CH-45 HELJC
W$RWASH Whips DPTER .
,40 9F” H ts earned
_ rain
C onto"TmtheMahen
rines 3:339 In“
el Dao -“‘9 I'fltitmcs s as
ung casuamaa GU
taTot”: ter, fol
by
NFIRE Oon unuas and u
C"“N'NIONBM
INT/a1. LL HODGES. SN
THE HEUC AKE. Incl
-
OP TER . DA
Y
5.c lie
DO D E 5 to gest on the floor, sums.
RIN
:0Mmm whe re theoff the hen c Opter. 2'
bod ie5 °' SNAK de2?ad' “Thrun
e 335W CH
HT 0N THE
E H beast:n IEF YELLS at the
THREE. Go ”‘9 '8" clear. NONWOUNDED
GOODRIC
odrich r H looks lust nan
:3 will never forgh/e himsam
001’ TO: Baches “‘1 ilnd touc
hes Snake. as If he finally unde
rstands
EXT . THE CEME
TERY - DAY
HESLIC
JESVOU toOP TEOM
R PO
INC INGWE RSUNUP
DSWA
HO . RD,
CAT MAN kneels
alone In the sma
WILD MAN. ll landing zone.
YELLING iro
m behind the
mounds.
WI LD MAN
Cat Man!
MAN. He ' 5
5:; An EXPLOSnum b. crouched in
ION detonates behthe rain. whipped by rotorwash as the helicopte
mounds. ind hlm. He looks at Wild r LIFTS
Man. than M15 W the
CUT TO:

HELICOPTER. A SWIHUNG look back at the cemete the

AERIAL SHOT’EZODEEEE
helicop htin . allasthe Male
ter A??? the” a tight cirde: Cat Man
' g
groWln VIEW south toward runn the ”$33301?v
the river.ing.
am er. showmg 3y and the An Hon
combat base on the far side of the river, then the weeping panorama at the Basin halt.

CUT TO:
, EnNOON
EXT - THE '
N tand 1099:”! on the
s 01 :35,.“ filled with sorrow
6000910” 223123 ' seems .
darkened W it .? d°”d" Gowns“ ’

111
 The GOOD
the :fifi hin1 in?
ca|“(’3‘liao:ie;hl:;""fistigatntfin'i‘ads] at ”Gnu
fits SO" pats him On the back

' WWW hi "1.

swan urns

Mme:
SON
You IOllow
8a 9d
mate (1
my. I cum. “My;
He Savagoonfil
The VIETNAMESE GU "I? lfleqm
[DE a I ed him
DmGlanhas Moe.

Excuse :EIDE
90in g '0 rain- Sen-stun
arid the $J::r° lo lava. "'3
GOODHICH, now 0,”c8
e Very bad.

GOODm
Ten [here mlnmegi

GU
IDE
Yes. sir. We
'ii wait In the
van.

GoooomcH

SON
What're you doing?
GOODRICH
That bunker we sat on together? If memory
serves me. It was right over there.

Goodrich reaches the far side of the airstrip and stands in the weeds. peering at the SAME
ViEW he and Snake shared when they sat together on the bunker. He tosses something into
the grass —

A PACK OF MARLBOHOS.
remembering. In the distance we hear the DRUM oi e
GOODRiCH'S FACE. smiling whimsically,
funerai procession, sim iiar
to the GO M0 DRUM.
far In the distance. a funeral procession making its way
DRiCH wenil”!esdeeb
REVERSE OTS GOO y a man dressed in traditionai blue silk garb. MOVE iN
tradiiio .
toward us. it's colorful,
118
 5.595510”- pann
ln 1
“hangs a thousand yegrs
h; lead”. the
.4martr row thf
f In t d. if r Pom
In 3h k r ’
n
,
n. I r
5 39 RICH- He's squintin
u at some;
GOQDRICH. In hi
the fl
’48
”99;: before‘ They
'r "° "‘5“ '1"ea
:0 n to me toward him . lree
’r
st H
move wit-:8y
h the
are53
dim!
GOODRICH' watc a."d at
me £0"! “M Wh Venh" Ii"-flr'lfl
3- a
hlng. Hls so" calls COLUMN
to Milieu
'1'!“ o
-I.
80
1‘“ [EN to show the COLU
h. MN 0F
stricken Goodric MARIN ES
how stovny
t
Now PAN them. VJTELLI Drmlng a half-circle
ln Want at the awe-
“K55, OGR E. NEW MA ‘0,BIG M MARST
3M Ac. and
same
humo age
r; as HOD0g'EEURIG'E' SPEEDY
They when
peace- theyingdied.
are point Th :”;
at 600 '3‘ $t2itf§$§$' smrm. STOHK. may
' jokiBaCh other
bly at
| "0 With Bach other
_ camaraderie
are
. still vibrant and and gallows
yet oddl y u
SNAKE [teaches
_ down and picks
10 the 0 “9| up the M
3 21 I1 horas.
A5 fl 'ey talk. the He takes mg
and
Others lake cigarettes 9355931113 pack
a. Ou‘l'd
and light "‘l'BITI.
r
SNAKE
Thanke Senator.

SPEEDY
Stateside cigarettes. Numbe
r one.

GOODHICH
Have I gone ELM
OGHE
Hen, you always "9'9-
HODGES 1 rprlse An Hm
Senator. Doesn su me.
30:: So empty. Quiet Allthis, and thenwo
gulf? They gave you guys a hard time back In
the World' huh?
60093c
For a “”9“
BUHGIE
Bum“

119
 G _
Can my gala”

5&3dE
No. you're
flfisy
mCH. touching his Ou [an
5000 enlficm leg, ”"16e hm

My '89. 300°3c

SPEEDY
We been waiting, aerator

GOOD

STOHK
You We us.

Itoom
Gocn

THEY look at eac

h other for a beat.
BIG MAC slope lorw
ard.
BIG MAC
I believed. Senator. Know what
I mean? Look
around you. We died for xhle.

BABY CAKES. smiling but fighting back tears

BABY CAKES
Nobody from the squad ever called my mother.
She - still needs a llnle help. Call her. huh?
Tell her you knew me. and that I was. you
know-

remembrance.
GOODRICH, mated with
GOODRICH
The best we Md. Brave. And beeutllll.
BABY CAKES
Don‘t tell her I got the clap.

H 120
 YOU're latioDGES
Va a to
saw ma‘On
Senator. ar
oma“ '1 tall. |
HQ MT

G 3° DRI 0H
Y0“ 91"““and.
Whhr Th
One You OOLId haVa may“
Hodges. with ImenSIty_

H0
I 9W nu I wa
' N01 bel nu man-[9d- P
0 i a

whe' 8 dnotm”? ”Fl

Tell :iéw'i' dead. Find him.
a _ b3
GOODRICH -aSpecialbok Siam. II1'L 11m

SNAKE
nothing. “0 '00
tar. But this Is I se ands, fl mdfl been bu.
us! where I ended up.

GOODRICH' wanting desnenatary to make things right with Snake.

GOODFIICH
Y°” 9““ "10 your lire.
SNAKE, modestly. controlling
his own emotion

SNAKE '
I think i did some good out here. Anyway Its
gonna rain and you gotta go.

HODGES agreeing. He turns to the gathered Marina

HODGES
Saddle up. GUYS-

y. in perfect precision.
They move out. gracefull
HODGES (oont'd)
Comebackwhenyougotrnorafirne.
him He WAVES.
near tears. His son Joins
60008! OH.
at him and give him the finger.
EY are 121laugh
looking back at him. They
REVERSE. TH
 PuhiciarEGRE
Y8 con.
Sgggé
VIE TNAgnF
MESot'ETEcom
gfiagkh \
larger croWd
E wel e theadinn to“ts?
. PAN the
are now a par mixing . nera
M0l MU
procSlsG
e I m _ wga
t Of this Other, . “1"“: mambers 3p; ra now HU N .
lather m 3 d om
t
WIDE” to sho
w GOodt-ich
parked far 81a I
away. and tha
n Fund n

i r
9Ihgra 5 lh g n
rn gmorigg 1h§
§ign. Vigtna t §fill drlvg 911
m. VigtnamI 7-2”:
hgtig gag In.
Wm .ELLhQHQD
,

THE END