Uncommon Valor

Wait a minute, he ain't dead. He ain't dead, damn it.

Let's go. Let's go...

- Frank! - Get up.

Come on, Frank.

Jesus. Let's get the hell outta here.

Frank! Frank!

Frank!

Frank!

Hey, come back. Come back, goddamn it. Don't leave!

But on this joyous day, one sobering question, one

haunting question remains.

Are they all back?

Still listed as "missing in action" are 2,500 American men.

Are any of them still being held prisoner?

For the families of those men, the Vietnamese war will never be over

until that question is answered.

We're waiting for the first POW to emerge from the plane,

all of America waiting, and in particular his family is waiting.

We'll be seeing these heroes emerging momentarily.

We're waiting now for... On this momentous day,

the end of the war officially for them, this day, March the 7th, 1973.

The first one coming off now.

He looks a little thin, but considering what he's been through, he looks fine.

I'm sure he looks even better to his family, he's approaching them now.

We're waiting now for others to be coming off.

And there's the official reunion, the war is over for him.

For other American families, the agonizing will continue

till they find out the fate of their missing sons.

Daddy.

Daddy.

I'm scared. Can I sleep with you tonight?

Colonel Rhodes, I sympathize, but what can we do?

I don't want sympathy, I want help finding my son.

- There's nothing I can do. - Look.

There are 2,500 men unaccounted for.

We've had 400 sightings of Americans held captive.

I've heard the numbers. I've told you, I can't do anything.

That's all I ever heard in Washington.

Nobody could do anything. That's why I came here.

You didn't hear this from me,

but there are men in Bangkok who claim they've seen American POWs in Laos.

I suggest I put you in contact with them.

I think my son is being held in Laos.

But I need proof. Get my son's signature on the back of this picture.

Get my son to write his name on that, all right?

If I get your son's name here, I want lots of money.

Yeah, ok.

Hey, you. You take look.

Yes.

No.

Ok.

Hey.

Oh boy, there's that old Colonel MIA again.

- Senator. - Hello.

- How are you? - Fine.

- Nice to see you. - And you.

Sorry I've no time today. But call my office, I'll be happy to talk to you.

- Thank you. - I'm sorry.

I'm glad you could come. I can't help with your son.

I must find food for these new refugees. Go talk to that guy, he'll help you.

- Good luck. - Thank you very much.

That's your boy. He's a prisoner in a camp in Laos. I smuggled it out.

I know my son's being held in northern Laos, but I need to know where.

I need a thorough recon of the area.

That's tough, but I can go into Laos. Hell, I can go into north Vietnam.

I've been there before, I've got the connections.

But it takes a lot of money.

- Don. - How are you, Jason?

Good. What do you have for me?

If they find out about this, they'll retire me like they retired you.

Yeah, ok.

I suppose someone could call this treason.

No, thanks.

It's a prison camp in Laos.

Look at the paddy dykes.

There's your proof, Jason. There's your proof, one, one, one.

Now go get your boy.

All right, now where was I?

Blaster, tell us about the time that big wave at sunset nearly got you.

Come on, I must've told you that story a thousand times.

- I don't remember how I lied last time. - It doesn't matter, it's still bitchin'.

All right, all right.

As you know, the surf on the north shore comes up real fast.

You're out there, having a good time, then it happens.

A life-threatening experience.

- And then? - Yeah, what happened?

This photo was taken somewhere near where Frank is being held.

I'm not saying Frank is one of them, but those two are Americans.

They're tall. The average Vietnamese man is about 5 ft. 215.

- They are Americans. - And that's supposed to be Frank?

That is Frank. I've bought too many fakes over the last ten years.

That definitely is Frank.

- He's spent ten years in that shithole? - Listen, Frank is alive, Stanley.

You got that? My son is alive. Look at this.

That's a high-altitude photo taken from an SR-71.

Look at that closely.

See, right here in the paddy dykes.

The three lines there.

One, one, one.

That's your old LRRP team designation.

First Battalion, Eleventh Infantry, Recon Team Arizona, see?

- Plain as day. - Here?

Right there, yes.

Mr. Rhodes, that's three lines in the ground, it could be anything.

You know it isn't though, don't you?

That's a message from my son.

You know that.

Hello.

Hi.

- Mrs. Wilkes? - Yeah, that's right.

I'm Jason Rhodes, I phoned this morning.

I know who you are.

Listen, my husband doesn't want to talk to you.

- I phoned this morning, he said he did. - Not any more.

Why don't you just do me a favor and go away?

- Not till I see your husband. - You have got no right to be here.

It's taken me ten years to get that war out of his head.

Looks like it's still in his head.

Oh, that's very deep.

Where were you all the days he just sat and stared at the walls?

- Hey, Wilkes. - Goddamn you!

Why send your wife? Don't you have the guts to talk to me?

Leave him alone.

My son needs you.

At least have the decency to look at our photos and hear us out.

- Please don't. - Wilkesy.

I'll handle this now.

I don't like your tactics.

- But I'll listen because of Frank. - Ok.

- Blaster. - Wilkesy.

- Why didn't you stay in touch, man? - I don't know. Why didn't you?

I don't know. It's weird, ain't it?

How'd they find you?

I don't know. Came looking for me and found me. And we found you.

- Thanks a lot, Blaster. - It's good to see you, man.

There are compounds all over northern Laos.

There are choppers we left behind. We'll use them to get into the camp.

They're used all the time, so they should be fairly well maintained...

Excuse me, please.

You going out?

- It's a little early, isn't it? - Well, I want to make happy hour.

You wanna come along?

- No, I think I'll stay home tonight. - No kidding.

- What the hell does that mean? - It means no kidding.

- I just don't feel like going out. - You never do.

- Please, sit. He never feels like it. - That's not true.

Every night he just looks through his telescope and listens to that crap.

That "crap" is George Gershwin.

Whatever. It's like I'm not even here.

It's like nothing's here. He's like a little turtle, hiding in his shell.

Look at him. He hasn't taken off those sunglasses in six years.

I don't believe...

I've given up trying to figure him out.

Maybe you should take him back to Vietnam.

He sure as hell doesn't give a damn about anything here.

- It was very nice meeting you, Colonel. - Nice meeting you.

If he did go, how much would he be paid?

Nothing in dollars.

I haven't flown a helicopter in a long time. I'd probably get somebody killed.

There's a lot of unfinished business over there, Major Johnson.

Not mine.

Is this the distinguished Flying Cross?

- Yeah. - How'd you get that?

- Pulling a thud pilot out of Laos. - There must've been more to it.

Not really.

Tell me about it, I'd like to hear it.

I got him out after a lot of good people went down trying.

It was a hell of a day.

We'd already lost a real good man named Hendricks.

A couple of F-4 jocks, even Sandy Lolitte.

- I lost a lot of good friends. - How many?

I don't remember. It just seemed like everybody.

You lost eleven men and nine aircraft.

You were shot down and volunteered to go back. Why?

- If you know all that, you tell me. - Why?

- It was my job. - Why?

We had to. We couldn't let good men die for nothing.

That's exactly why we're going back now.

Wait a minute. Back up.

You can't lay that kind of guilt on me.

I'm sorry, but the answer is no.

What do you want from me?

I run half this hospital, Colonel. I lead a good life here.

I'm off to Bermuda next week, not off to some fantasy war.

I cannot save the goddamn world, Colonel.

At ease, Major.

- MacGregor oil. - Mr. MacGregor, please.

- Mr. MacGregor's office. - Is he in? It's Jason Rhodes.

- Hold the line, please. - Jason, how's it going?

- It's on. - How many?

- Three. - Only three?

A couple said no. One of the chopper pilots.

- Can you do it with two? - I'll do it with one if I have to.

- I've come too far to turn back now. - Is there any more I can do?

Just keep the cash coming. Somehow I'll get our boys back.

What about Sailor?

I've tracked him down in Houston, I'm going there now.

By the way, the replica POW camp is finished and ready for you.

- Great. - Keep in touch.

All right. I'll talk to you.