The Best Years of Our Lives

Your attention, please.

Announcing the departure of American Airlines westbound Flight 9.

Flight 9 now loading at Gate 3 for immediate departure.

Yes, sir? - You got anything going to Boone City?

Boone City, three daily flights, but there's no space available.

- Would you care to make a reservation? - Yes, I would.

- Your name, please? - Derry. D-E-R-R-Y. Fred.

How long will it be?

We can probably get you on Flight 37 on the 19th.

The 19th? See, listen, I can't wait that long.

I just got back from oversea. I wanna get home.

I'm sorry. There's a waiting list.

My secretary made arrangements to have my tickets here.

My name is Gibbons. George H. Gibbons.

- Yes, they're right here. - Thank you.

- May we weigh your baggage, please? - Yes, uh, excuse me.

- Put them right there, please. - Sorry.

You might try the ATC, Captain.

ATC, where are they?

Out the terminal to your right and across the field.

Thanks.

You have 16 pounds excess baggage, Mr. Gibbons.

Oh, that's all right. How much is it?

Right-o, sir.

At ease, men.

Flight 93. Flight 93. For Denver, San Francisco and Seattle.

That flight has been canceled until further notice.

Yeah. - You got anything for Detroit?

- Nope, how about Cleveland? - Cleveland?

Okay.

- Fill this out. - Guess I'm going to Cleveland.

-It's a nice town. - Yeah, but Detroit's where I live.

Sarge, what's the chances of a ride to Boone City?

You got orders?

- Sure. - Okay.

I haven't got anything now, but fill this out, I'll call you if anything comes up.

Okay, I guess I'll wait.

Guys, I need a couple of men to give me a hand with this out to a plane.

- Okay. - Hey, come on. Let's go.

Let's go, huh?

I bet this thing weighs a ton.

What's the matter, sailor? Tired or something?

Okay, let's go. Out this way.

Fellas, take it easy down the stairs.

Got it? Yeah.

There you go. Hey, look out, fellas.

- Take it easy going down the stairs. Oh, my aching back.

Derry.

- Derry. Captain Fred Derry. Oh! Coming.

- Parrish. Homer Parrish. Here.

- You Derry? - Yeah.

- Parrish? Right.

Got a call from Baseops. There's a B-17 taking off for Boone City.

You'll have a long ride. She's making a lot of stops.

You'll get there tomorrow. That suit you?

- Sure, that's swell. - Okay, sign here.

Boy, it sure is great to be going home.

- Here you go, sailor. - Sign on the dotted...

I'll do it for you.

What's the matter? Think I can't spell my own name?

No, I-- I just thought that...

I know, sarge. Thanks.

Hey, Joe. You better hurry up out there, because she's taking off soon.

Right, thanks. Come on, sailor.

- Where's your stuff? - Right here.

Excuse us, corporal.

- Boone City your home, sailor? - Yes, sir, captain.

Forget the rank, chum. I'm out.

- Whereabouts do you live in Boone? - Over on West 17th Street.

- You know where Jackson High is? - Sure.

- Go ahead. - Well, it's just a couple of blocks past it.

- Hi, sarge. - How are you?

My name's Fred Derry. Al Stephenson.

- And this is Homer... What is it, Homer? - Parrish.

- Glad to know you. - Glad to know you, sarge.

- You from Boone too? - Yeah, sure I am.

- How long since you've been home? - Oh, a couple of centuries.

We'll sit in the radio compartment until the takeoff...

...then we'll get in the nose and get a nice view of the good old U.S.A.

Okay.

Boy, oh, boy. Hey, look at that. Look at those automobiles down there.

You can see them so plain, you can even see the people in them.

Yeah, looks like we're flying by road map.

- Is this your first ride in one of these? - Heh, yeah, this is my first plane ride.

I saw plenty of flying, all right.

I was on a CV. That's a flattop.

But I never knew things looked so pretty from up here.

Sure is beautiful.

I never thought so. This used to be my office.

- Bombardier, weren't you? - Yeah.

That's where the bombsight was.

I spent a lot of time on my knees up there.

- Praying? - Heh, yeah, that too.

- Cigarette, Homer? - Thanks. It's all right, I can get it.

Here, I've got a match, captain.

Thanks.

- Thank you. - Anybody superstitious?

- No, no, go ahead. - Well, I am.

Boy, you ought to see me open a bottle of beer.

- Well, then you got nothing to worry about. Thanks.

I guess you saw a lot of action.

No, I didn't see much of the war. I mean, the way you fellas did.

You trying to kid the Army?

No, I was stationed in the repair shop below decks.

Oh, I was in plenty of battles.

But I never saw a Jap or heard a shell coming at me.

When we were sunk, all I know is there was a lot of fire and explosions.

And I was ordered topsides and overboard, and I was burned.

When I came to, I was on a cruiser and my hands were off.

After that, I had it easy.

- Easy? - That's what I said.

They took care of me fine.

They trained me to use these things.

I can dial telephones, I can drive a car, I can even put nickels in a jukebox.

I'm all right. But, uh...

But what, sailor?

Well...

Well, you see, I've got a girl.

She knows what happened to you, doesn't she?

Sure. They all know.

But they don't know what these things look like.

- What's your girl's name, Homer? - Wilma.

She and I went to high school together.

- I bet Wilma's a swell girl. - She is.

And it'll be all right, sailor. You wait and see.

Yeah. Wait and see.

Wilma's only a kid.

She's never seen anything like these hooks.

Say, heh, wait till I get home and tell the folks about this trip.

I'm the first one in my family that ever rode in an aeroplane.

- Hey, Al. - Yeah?

You remember what it felt like when you went overseas?

As well as I remember my own name.

I feel the same way now.

Only more so.

I know what you mean.

Just nervous out of the service, l guess,heh.

The thing that scares me most is that everybody's gonna try to rehabilitate me.

All I want's a good job, a mild future...

...and a house big enough for me and my wife.

Give me that much and I'm rehabilitated like that.

I'd say that's not too much to ask.

You married, Al?

- Yep. - How long?

Twenty years.

Twenty years?

Heh, holy smoke.

We didn't even have 20 days before I went over.

I married a girl I met when I was in training in Texas.

You and your wife will have a chance to get acquainted, huh?

Yeah, heh.

I wonder how Homer will make out with that girl of his.

Wilma.

I hope Wilma is a swell girl.

The old hometown hasn't changed much.

No.

There's the golf course.

People are playing golf.

Just as if nothing had ever happened.

Hey, there's Jackson High football field.

Boy, I sure would like to have a dollar for every forward pass I threw down there.

Good old Jackson High.

- Hey, that must be the new airport. - Yeah, we're turning into it now.

Holy smoke.

I never knew there were so many planes.

And they're junking them.

What? No.

Boy,oh,boy.

What we could have done with those in '43.

Yeah, I'll bet.

Some of them look brand new. From the factory to the scrapheap.

That's all they're good for now.

We gotta get out of the nose while he sets her down.

Hey, look, there's the ballpark.

Say, how are the Beavers doing this season?

Uh, they're in sixth place.

Still in second division.

- Hey, there's Butch's Place. - Butch's?

- Who's that? - Gosh, Butch has got himself a neon sign.

- Have you ever been to Butch's? - No.

Oh, Butch Engle that runs it, he's my uncle. Swell guy.

Only the family don't think he's respectable because he sells liquor.

- That's the best joint in town. - We'll have to get together there.

Swell.

This is my street.

Fifteen, 17.

It's the fourth house from here.

I wonder if Wilma's home.

Say, how about the three of us going back to Butch's Place?

We'll have a couple of drinks and then we can go home.

You're home now, kid.

- Well, so long. So long, Homer.

Where next? - Just a minute, bud.

It's Homer! Momma! Momma! Daddy! It's Homer! Homer's here!

Wilma! Wilma! Homer's here!

Wilma, come on over!

Oh.

Oh, Homer.

My boy. on, darling.

It's good to see you. Oh, oh.