The Yellow Birds

Subtitles by explosiveskull

The war tried to kill us in the spring.

And the summer.

It tried to kill us every day.

It didn't explain itself.

It didn't tell us why it brought us there

or what it wanted.

It just took.

It killed some of us before we knew we were dead.

Pretty soon it was hard to tell who was alive

and who was just a ghost.

We lost Murph somewhere in there.

Not really sure when.

Even before we lost him, he was gone.

I wish the truth were different than what I remembered.

I wish I could find an order that made sense.

Conceal and carry, baby.

Conceal and carry.

It's gonna take courage to win this war.

Definitely.

She's into you, Murph.

Nah.

- You like her? - No.

Go dance with her.

I can't.

Whatever.

I'm not a good dancer.

So just dance.

Hi!

Hi! Where you going?

Hi, sorry.

He'll get to it. He's shy.

Yeah.

You're embarrassing me.

You're embarrassing yourself, dude.

Come on.

Come on!

Yeah, baby.

Fucking move!

Now move! Move!

- Incoming! - Move!

Fucking move, go!

Oh, shit!

All right, let's go!

Guys, guys...

That was pretty close, huh?

Yellow bird on a window sill.

Yellow bird on a window sill.

Pretty little beak and a pretty little tail.

Pretty little beak

and a pretty little tail.

Check your racks.

There you go, Morgan!

Hey, man.

You from Virginia?

I'm from Richmond.

Well, just outside Richmond.

My name's Murphy.

Yeah, I know.

Oh, yeah.

Somebody told me you're from Virginia.

Really?

Then why'd you ask?

Privates.

Get your asses up here.

Now, you boys seriously need to unfuck yourselves.

You hear me?

None of you people get it.

Now, Murphy, show me something.

Firing mine, rapidly quick.

Your turn, Private.

Murphy.

How tall are you?

5'7".

5'7" what?

- Just 5'7". - 5'7", Sergeant.

5'7", Sergeant, sir.

You fast?

Yes, Sergeant.

All right, little man.

When the time comes I need somebody to run for me,

I'm gonna ask you.

Till then, I want you to get in Bartle here's back pocket

and I want you to stay there.

Understand?

Yes, sir.

Get your shit, get a rack near Bartle.

- You got that, Bartle? - What, sir?

You got a new girlfriend to keep you company.

Then I crushed his pretty yellow head.

- Is that your mom? - Huh?

Oh, yeah.

You jumped right in, didn't you?

Into what?

This.

Oh, yeah.

Well, it's just something I'm getting

under my belt, you know?

My dad was in the Marines before he went to college.

I don't know if he, like wanted me to join up

- or anything, but... - Mm-hm.

I guess I just wanted to do something good

before I do whatever else it is I'm gonna do.

I think I'm gonna go to UVA after this and study history.

History of what?

I don't know. I just like history.

What about you?

Uhh, I almost went to school.

But then...

I didn't.

I just wound up fucking around and...

And not really doing much of anything.

So why'd you join up?

Thing to do. I don't know if it felt like

a good thing, but...

It felt like a thing.

Is it too late to, I don't know, take it back?

- Come home? - Ma.

Ma, it's done.

It's done. Okay?

Okay. Let's just have a nice talk.

- Which base is it, again? Can I come see you? - I don't know.

I don't know if they let us have visitors at the base,

so I gotta find out.

- Well, I'd love to come. - Yeah.

Oh, and your friends have been asking after you.

Especially that uh...

What's-her-name? You know, the one I never liked?

Hey, man, look.

It's just me.

Come check this out.

I gotta go, Ma.

I'll write, okay?

Okay, we'll...

Hey, Sarge, you got an extra razor?

You don't got your own?

I never needed one before.

So how come you need one now?

I think I wanna shave my head.

Go get some clippers before you waste one of my razors.

That's what I told him.

You seriously never shaved before?

No, sir.

How old are you?

18.

Just turned last week.

And you?

20.

Fuck.

Look, you guys are my guys, right?

I ain't supposed to be telling anyone this,

but our AO just came down this morning from on high.

We're gonna be shipping out.

All right, you guys are gonna be seeing some shit real soon.

It's gonna be a goat-fuck.

A what?

A goat-fuck.

So starting now, you guys have to promise to do what I say.

Yeah, sure thing, Sarge.

No, fuck that.

Don't give me that shit.

No sure thing this time.

Promise you'll do what I say every fucking time.

- Yes, sir, we'll do what you say. - I promise.

All right now. Look, there's some folks who go to this war

and never pull a trigger.

That ain't gonna be you guys.

They're gonna kill the fuck out of some of us.

We're gonna kill the fuck out of some of them.

That's just the way it's gonna go.

Now listen, you stick with me, you do what I say,

I'll take care of you.

All right?

Yes, sir.

I always take care of my guys.

Hey, Bartle?

Why do you think Sarge treats us like he does?

Like what?

You know, like...

Like special.

It's not special, it's just...

He knows he can count on us.

How's he know a thing like that?

Look, man, we're gonna be fine.

Okay?

We just gotta watch each other's backs, that's all.

Yeah, I got your back.

Okay, good.

Now go to fucking sleep or I'm gonna kick the shit

out of you.

Shit, Bartle, you okay?

Yeah, I'm good.

- Were you asleep? - No.

Roger that. I'm coming up.

Third Platoon, on your feet!