One Man's Hero

Join the army! Become an American citizen.

...about this for a long time, paddy.

You're doing this not just for yourself,

but for your family.

We're more than grateful to you, lad.

You're making your mother and I mighty proud.

Here we are, son. Right there.

Step right up. So you wanna enlist?

Yes.

Sign here.

Go on.

Now you can all become U.S. citizens.

Here's your first week's pay.

God bless you, son.

Welcome to the U.S. Army. Come with me.

I'll get you started over here.

Join the army. Become an American citizen.

Sign up over here.

That's a song now.

Well, well, well.

You'll help us, sarge.

You were all duly charged.

You infracted the rules, boyos.

Dust on a brass buckle warrants days in the cage?

Being Irish, that's the infraction, Riley.

The bloody brits gave us more quarter than your corporal Bledsoe.

I'm Irish, Brian.

So are half the men in this man's army.

Aye, but not fresh off the boat.

It's because we're catholic.

The captain say I no go to mass.

I no go to mass?

I tell him I got to go.

He throw me in here.

Feldwebel, John Riley.

You know what that means in German army?

Field wife.

The feldwebel takes care of his men.

You fought against Napoleon, Schultz,

long before you wore the blue.

Rules and regulations.

How many times do I have to pound it into your heads?

Impartially delivered.

Not one law for those barefoot, peckerwood yanks

and another for the likes of us.

You're an Irishman and a catholic, John Riley, just like us.

And our sergeant, to boot.

There's injustice here, John.

You'll do for us, sarge. You've all we've got.

Oh, paddy. Be a soldier, boyo.

Come.

Permission to go to mass, sir?

Them's Mexican churches, sir.

Consorting with the enemy, I call it.

Papist, more like it. You know,

the only trouble with those potato-famine clods in the calaboose,

their only allegiance goes to Rome.

Permission to go to mass, sir?

Think of your future, man.

You are this close to being an officer and a gentleman.

And what have you in common

with those traitors running from the British?

Um,

one man's hero is another man's traitor, I reckon, sir.

The pass is yours, sergeant.

I'll even forget where you're going, for the moment.

10 paces apart.

Space them all.

10.

All right, we haven't got all night. Let's go.

Sergeant?

Pick it up.

Is this the Mark, sir?

Right there, that's good.

What's going on, sergeant?

You tell me, corporal.

I'll handle this. Easy now.

This here is sergeant Riley, an Irish fellow like us.

He'll not be betrayin' us for sneakin' off to mass.

Desertion's more like it.

I saw the U.S. Cavalry horses outside

and all of you are wearing the uniform of the infantry.

He's no man of Erin.

You all saw the cartwheels.

He's here to spy for his masters.

They're after making slaves of us Irish wearing the blue.

Where'd the priest go?

To pray

for the souls of the men that you consigned to hell.

Your own men, sergeant Riley.

Let me help them pray.

Ready, captain.

Let the punishment begin.

Say your prayers, men.

Let the bastards hear ye.

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the lord is with thee.

"Blessed art thou amongst women

"and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

"Holy Mary, mother of god, pray for us sinners now

Tell your men to stand to, captain,

corporal.

You'd best stand to like he said, sir.

Feldwebel.

Begging the captain's pardon, sir,

but you're conducting an illegal punishment detail here.

Traitor. Mutineer.

All men, at the rest.

Your gun, captain.

Thank you.

Mount up.

Now, lads, you see the power of a simple prayer?

Ask and you shall receive.

Uh, no.

You Irish bastards!

You're all dead men!

You're all dead, all of you!

Welcome to Mexico.

We need rest.

Bad place to hole up.

My men stop here.

You can do what you want with yours.

The nuevo Leon Ridge is up there,

hooking into the Sierra madre,

curving to the north and the west.

We could ride along those high lines,

west to new Mexico, even California.

Aye, Mexico might give you sanctuary.

How do you know the army isn't after us right now?

Nah. The army can't cross the border.

Unless we're at war already.

And to the east, the ocean port of VeraCruz.

We could ship from there to some place of sanctuary, John.

Aye.

It's time for you boys to decide.

us?

Hmm.

What about you? I'm regular army.

I got you off the lashing wheel and away.

I'll face a.w.o.l. A couple of days in a pokey.

With captain Gaine after your hide?

Colonel Lacey will intervene.

And the same goes for any of you

that want to come back with me.

Seamus?

Don't worry, paddy. We're not going back.

What if Lacey's been killed and Gaine is still in charge?

Can you guarantee us to be free of the lash then?

Me,

I've had my taste of the freedom

those bluebelly officers offer the likes of us Irish.

Right. Then you'll be making for VeraCruz.

Ah,

and the chance to sail before the mast of a neutral nation.

You never give up, do you?

He is not our enemy.

Or our friend. Just a deserter.

Some say that of you.

I fight for a cause.

So do I.

Saving this one's life is mine.

So indulge me.

Only as long as it amuses me.

Sir.

Captain Gaine.

I trust things went well while we were away.

I'm ready with my full report, sir.

We don't have time for that now.

Then it's war.

It begins. Fort Texas is under siege.

5th infantry is to join general Taylor. We march to relieve them.

Good. Time we gave them chili-gobblers what for.

There's very little pleasure in that prospect, captain.

No. No, sir. What I meant to say was--

I want lieutenant John Riley to join the confabulation.

Get him.

Sergeant Riley, sir.

General Taylor said he sent Riley's field commission papers

down here weeks ago.

I expected you to make it official while I was away.

Can't commission a man who's deserted, colonel.

How's that, boy?

It's grand, James. Thanks.

Yeah, it's good. Danka.

You know, I think I dreamt about you last night.

No, you had, uh, pesadillas.

Bad dreams.

Anyway, thanks for the shave.

Jesus.

She shaved me side-whiskers.

Do you always treat her like that?

The question is, how will I treat you?

Well, we'll be on our way as soon as I can walk.

Strange how men have a tendency

to fall in love with their nurses.

Huh?

I'm glad you recognize gold when you see it

even if it's not yours.

And you sentenced 5 of Riley's men to the whip. Why?

Ain't it obvious, sir?

Consorting with the enemy.