Beachhead

Put those away.

They'll smell those all the way to Tokyo.

Twenty-five years in the Marine Corps to breed that voice of command.

Twenty-six years, son.

And still learning.

Yeah, I knew some of the guys you practiced on.

You fellas. Always kiddin'!

Major Scott wants to see you, Sarge.

Look, old-timer, don't call him Major, and don't call me Sarge.

We got trouble enough without you pointing us out to the Nips.

Ain't one war enough for you, Reynolds?

He won't fight.

We had one like that in our football team.

They never fight when they know you know about 'em.

Happy Times Three, this is control. Report. Over.

Control, this is Happy Times Three. In position. Ready to go. Over.

We scrimmage at 1100, number Three. Happy Times. Control out.

All five platoons are in position and ready to jump.

Think we can manage to sound like a division?

Thought you said I wasn't gonna go.

You're not.

If that decision has anything to do with Guadalcanal...

Fletcher, in this business,

it seems to me very little has anything to do with anything else.

Orders for your assignment came down from intelligence in Australia.

Wanna tell me now?

It's a big walk.

You, Burke, Biggerman, Reynolds.

Whatever it is, I don't need Reynolds.

Burke, Biggerman, and Reynolds came out of your Guadalcanal outfit.

They know their business.

- Look, I don't- - You look.

Ever since that Guadalcanal mess, you've been waiting for somebody

to pat you on the shoulder and say, "That's all right. "

That isn't gonna happen. You're a regular Marine and a non-com.

Fight your own battles inside and out,

but don't bring me personal troubles when I give you an order.

Yes, sir.

All right, Fletch. Let's talk to your men.

Chris!

Save your legs.

This isn't for scuttle-butt.

What you're going to hear you keep to yourselves. Understood?

You are now here.

Thirty miles... from the Island of Bougainville.

For your information, in three days,

Bougainville is going to be the target of a full-scale assault.

That's the reason for this diversionary action.

We've got six small raiding parties here.

If each raiding party can manage to be in ten places at once,

maybe we can draw down some of the Japanese troops from Bougainville.

All that is point number one.

Point number two concerns you...

and only you.

Before the Japs moved in, a French planter lived here.

His name was Bouchard. Mark that.

A few days ago, somebody calling himself Bouchard

radioed a message from this island.

He sent us the layout of the Jap minefields around Bougainville.

Your job is to find out if that message is fact or fiction.

If the message was legitimate,

the invasion convoy can act on it- save a lot of lives.

But if it's a trap...

...God help the men in those ships.

Why wouldn't it be legitimate?

A radio operator reads code, not people's minds.

Maybe the guy who signed himself Bouchard

is really Sisahamshi Bushahashi.

Maybe Bouchard is dead.

What if he is dead?

Then maybe the Japs will be expecting you.

These are things I don't know. But I know this.

Unless that message is nailed down and verified,

the convoy will follow its original plan of attack.

The slide rule boys figure that with good luck

we'll only lose 18% of the fleet in the Jap minefields.

That's a lot of dead men.

But it's better than being sucked into a trap and losing the whole works.

So, unless I get the high sign from you...

...count on 18% casualties before they even hit the beach.

But if it was Bouchard who sent that message, and he told us the truth...

...they'll sail in without losing a man.

Well, that's it.

Where do we look?

Our position is here, right on this knoll.

There's the river, the draw of the jungle,

that's the main ridge of the island.

That's your river.

There's the draw. Beyond that the jungle.

There's the main ridge of the island.

Bouchard's plantation is-or was- on the other side of that ridge.

And if we find him?

You've got your walkie-talkie.

Let us know, and we'll pass the word on to the convoy.

Code name is Happy Times.

After you find him- if you find him-

all groups will rendezvous at 0600 hours.

Supposing we're late, Major...

Mack.

There's only one pickup. The navy isn't running a shuttle bus.

In or out, up to you.

In just about an hour, our gangs will start looking for trouble.

After that, the Japs will be hunting for all of us, so you'd better get started.

It's important.

"Happy times"?

Happy, happy.

I reckon we'd better get ready to go find this Bouchard.

One thing- why did you pick me?

Scott's orders.

Like a happy Sunday in Tokyo.

We've got a different job. Our job is Bouchard.

Let Scott and his men make the noise.

How do we get by this here beach party?

Circle 'em low and fast.

Somebody pitched the first ball!

If that tank gets into action, it'll cut our Marines to pieces.

Biggerman, if we give you a cover,

do you think you can drop a grenade down the turret of that tank?

I reckon.

Go.

I thought you said we had a different job.

Things change.

- We should've taken 'em at the river. - He didn't want you to get your feet wet.

The Japs'll...

...get to a radio.

They're lookin' for us.

The way he died...

Why did he have to die that way?

The grenade made it fast.

Fast? He was burned to death!

Some day we'll have a nice, long talk about it.

You said the Nips weren't our job.

You made him die!

Shut up!

Ask him. Ask him why he changed his mind.

Yeah, Fletch. Why did you change your mind?

I called the turn as best I could.

Like the canal?

You don't belong in this war.

You oughtta be making pins for hand grenades!

Maybe.

Maybe you're right.

But right now we're looking for Bouchard.

We don't even know where we are, Fletch.

We'd better find out before night.

Scott said Bouchard's plantation was on the other side of that main ridge.

It's crazy.

If there is a plantation, if he's there, if he's alive. If! If!

If Bouchard's alive, he'd have had food and ammunition when the Japs came in.

He'd have had to hide it. He couldn't have taken it very far.

Let's find that ridge.

- Better let me handle- - Never mind!

I'm not that old.

All around us.

Wait, wait.

It's our only chance.

Walkie-talkie.

Fletcher. The scorpion...

The grenade hole. Finish it.

I just couldn't stand it-even on Burke. I thought it was gonna sting.

Finish the hole.

Fletch...

What are we doing here? Why don't we get going?

Because soon we'd be dead.

They'll stay there a while, try again later.

Sure. On roller skates.

What did all those years in the Marines do to you-burn your nerves out?

Finished.

Maybe we gave them the slip. Maybe they won't come.

They'll come.

Reynolds.

Just because you were afraid back there in the jungle...

...because you were crazy afraid...

...no reason to call yourself a coward.

Sure. Now you can become a member of the clay pigeon club.

Not clay pigeons, Sonny. Decoy.

Maybe we'll find Bouchard yet.

If we can get us three dead bodies.

Not our own.

All the times I've been scared, I figured I was lucky.

No wife, no kids. Just me.

The best way.

No. Not really.

You don't make sense.

Give yourself time. You'll figure it out.

You gave yourself a lifetime in the Marines.

What else did you figure out?

That a guy's not supposed to be lonely.

Just that.

Thanks. I'll remember.

All I can think about is getting killed.

Let 'em come!

I think they heard you.

There's your first one.

Listen.

They won't come back for a while.

Pretty soon a greased nip with a knife is gonna come sliding in here.

And I'm not waiting for him.

Burke.

We need two dead bodies.