USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

- (ALARM BLARING) - Fire!

Fire!

- 11:00! - 11:00!

- Fire! - Fire!

Fighter plane to the bow!

- 12:00! 12:00! Fire! 12:00! 12:00!

- Brace for impact! - Brace for impact!

- Damage report! Damage report!

Fire party to the bow. Fire party to the bow.

Damage report now!

(LIGHTER CLICKS, FILM PROJECTOR WHIRRING)

Japs blew the crap out of us at Pearl Harbor.

We cowboyed up, turned the tables on them.

Ain't a whole lot of quit in them either.

Gave as good as they got. Iwo Jima, Okinawa.

- Where's this all going? - Mainland ground invasion's

only going to stretch this war out even longer.

Truman's in his third month as President.

Honeymoon's about over.

America wants this war to end and quickly.

Jesus, are you talking about the atomic bomb?

Send a message loud and clear.

Drop it right on Hiroshima, military target.

Ostensibly, yes.

But you'll kill every man, woman, and child,

not to mention the radioactive fallout.

Even if the bomb works,

and there's no guarantee that it will,

you can't fly it to Japan.

We motorboat the son of a bitch. The Tinian, Philippine Sea.

With all due respect,

we know their Navy's stretched thin,

but the Japanese will spot a fleet.

Not a fleet. No escorts.

One ship, a fast ship.

Alone, unprotected.

That's a damn suicide mission.

But if it works...

they're heroes.

Who do you have in mind?

"There will always be war

until we kill off our own species.

The difference between us and them

is that we want to do our duty and then go home.

The man who flew his kamikaze plane into the bow of our ship

knew he wasn't going home.

He was on a suicide mission

using his body as ammunition.

God help all of us when we face an enemy like that."

"In a few days it's my birthday.

My best gift would be just to see you again,

my dear Louise."

Yeah.

- Paul? - Sir.

Can you please get this off to Western Union?

Aye aye, sir.

So you been sweet on this girl

since the fourth grade and you ain't asked her out yet?

You don't get it.

A sophisticated debutante like her, hell,

you wouldn't know what I mean.

You have to prove yourself.

That's why I got to get that promotion...

What, so she wouldn't like you without a promotion?

While you're plotting and planning,

you know what's happening out there?

Life! So live it, my friend.

Holy smokes!

Daddyo's got big pockets.

(DOORBELL RINGS, DOOR OPENS)

Brian Smithwick.

Judge Bazemore. How are you, sir?

This here is my friend Mike.

Hell of a place you got here, sir.

I was telling my boy Bama, it's like that movie,

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Oh, forget it. Mike D'Antonio.

Good to meet you.

He's from New York, sir.

Brian, why don't you step into my office?

There's a gentleman there who would like to meet you.

Alonso, show Mike up to the parlor,

and tell those girls to turn down that racket.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING, WOMAN LAUGHING)

Brian, Is it true we might be finally invading Japan?

Well, that has been the rumor now for a while, sir.

They don't really tell us much.

I've heard we have crippled the Japanese Imperial Navy.

Well...

Much in large part to the men of the USS Indianapolis.

Hear, hear!

Do you think the war's going to continue, son?

I don't really know, sir.

Do you have a son in the military?

Heavens no, son. He's got money in steel.

That's right, war is good for business,

and business is good for America.

- We're proud of you, son. - Thank you, sir.

- (UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING) - Five, six, seven, eight!

You girls ready?

Hey, could use a little help over here!

No, no, you go ahead and make a fool of yourself.

I'm fine right here.

Your friend is teaching the dance society girls

the latest dance craze from New York.

Not bad, huh?

Whoo!

He's a gas.

All right, I want to close on the ranks

of a damn Rolls-Royce, all right?

She's the crown jewel of the Navy!

Good job. Good job.

Okay, we're gonna get this boat looking brand-spanking new!

Let them Japs know they didn't hurt nobody!

They didn't do nothing to us, okay?

Good job, sailors!

No holes in my shoes, and no holes in my boat!

Hey, it's going to take two surgeons six hours

to get my size-10 boot out of your ass

if you don't get a move on, FNG.

Means "friggin' new guy."

- Sir. - Carry on.

Congratulations, McWhorter. I heard the news.

- A boy right? - Can't wait to meet him.

He's nine pounds and 13 ounces of romping-stomping dynamite.

And the wife's fine, too.

Outstanding. How we doing here?

The Japs put a pretty big hole in the ship,

but the big guns are fine, sir.

Sir? Lieutenant Standish reporting for duty again, sir.

Ready to turn these sailors

into a lean, mean fighting machine.

And may I say, my father, Admiral Percy Standish,

- sends his regards. - (WHISTLE BLOWS)

All hands stand by. All hands, stand by.

Looks like you got the damage from that Zero

- repaired pretty quickly. - Yes, sir.

We finished it today.

The fact that you lost only nine men

is a solid testament to you and your crew.

Nine too many.

Ready to get out there again, Captain?

Admiral, I have nine new officers

and 250 new enlisted men,

but we will press through workup and be ready for sea.

This way, this way.

Captain, President Truman has chosen you

to lead a highly classified mission.

This is not a combat mission.

You will carry two pieces of highly classified cargo

to Tinian at best speed

stopping only at Pearl Harbor to refuel.

You leave tomorrow.

Where do we pick up our escort?

Charlie, this mission could save millions of American lives.

It is top-secret.

There'll be no escort.

Does this have something to do with the Manhattan Project?

Open that tomorrow after you've weighed anchor.

As of 0500 tomorrow,

this ship is under the direct command

of the President of the United States.

Good luck, Captain.

Get your butt outta my seat.

Excuse me. Sorry.

Look, look, look it, that's that cracker

that's been messing with you.

You told everybody you was gonna whup his ass.

What you gonna do?

What? Hey. It's still a diamond.

I'll get her a better one when I can afford it.

It's not about the damn ring.

I can't believe you're about to pop the question

in front of the judge.

You even thought about this? You've known her three months.

I thought y'all were just having fun.

Oh, yeah, we're having lots of fun.

Besides, when you ever known me to be scared of a judge?

You miss 100 percent...

Of the shots that you don't take, yeah, I know.

(MELLOW CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Just don't forget to call them "sir" and "ma'am," all right?

Hey, you're gonna be our best man.

Mama, mama, yeah, there we are.

You have no shot. No shot.

Double or nothing. Double or nothing!

I'm telling you, kamikaze planes

coming down from everywhere, you know?

And I'm firing back, see? I'm like...

There's planes coming...

Hot damn, Sanchez, you're cooking with gas!

Tame your horses! I'm coming! I'm coming!

- Next round's on you... - (RETCHES)

How's a young fella gonna know how much he can drink

unless he knows how much he can't?

It's 1945.

Our ship is docked in San Francisco for repairs.

The streets are alive, and the sailors...