Operation Dumbo Drop (1995) - full transcript

(TRUMPETS)

(MEN SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(ELEPHANT WHIMPERS)

(CHUCKLES)

- (GIGGLING)
- (FATHER SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)

(INDISTINCT)

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE)

(EXPLODING)

(MEN SHOUTING)



♪ Oh, walk that walk ♪

♪ Come on, talk that talk ♪

♪ Come on, tell me, baby ♪

♪ Come on, tell me ♪
♪ that you love me ♪

♪ 'Cause I love that talk ♪

DOYLE: On your feet!

I'm Doyle. You're my ride.

Let's go.

♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪

Captain Doyle, sir.

Straight approach to the LZ is out.

Beaucoup NVA.

We're gonna have to take
the scenic route.

(RADIO TUNING)



♪ Hey ♪

♪ Well, my temperature's risin' ♪

♪ And my feet on the floor ♪

♪ 20 people knockin' ♪

♪ 'Cause they're wantin' ♪
♪ some more ♪

♪ Let me in, baby ♪
♪ I don't know what you've got ♪

♪ But you'd better take it easy ♪
♪ this place is hot ♪

♪ I'm so glad we made it ♪

♪ So glad we made it ♪

♪ You gotta gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' ♪
♪ every day ♪

♪ Well, I feel so good ♪
♪ everything is sounding hot ♪

♪ You better take it easy ♪
♪ 'cause the place is on fire ♪

♪ Been a hard day ♪
♪ and I don't know what to do ♪

♪ Wait a minute, baby ♪
♪ it could happen to you ♪

♪ And I'm ♪
♪ so glad we made it ♪

♪ So glad we made it ♪

♪ You gotta gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' every day ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

2:00.

(GUNSHOTS)

Old Grandpa Charlie's got a 51.

GUNNER: He's down there every day,
hopin' and waitin'.

Couldn't hit the broad side of a…

Whoo!

Bye-bye, Charlie!

Bye, Charlie. Whoo!

♪ You better take it easy ♪
♪ 'cause the place is on fire ♪

♪ Been a hard day ♪
♪ nothin' went too good ♪

♪ Now I'm gonna relax, honey ♪

Hey!

Got another?

♪ Hey, hey, so glad we made it ♪

♪ You gotta gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme gimme some lovin' ♪

♪ Gimme some lovin' ♪

Thanks for the ride.

(VOMITING)

JHON: Bad rat? Rat here no good.

Make people sick. Stick to snake.

No! No, thanks.

- You Captain Doyle?
- Yeah.

I'm Jhon.

Where's Captain Cahill?

Up trail, but you rest.

We eat, then go.

I'll wait for you at the top.

Try it with a 60-pound pack.

(PANTING)

(PANTING)

(EXHALING HEAVILY)

Not your fault, huh?

You not used to air up high.

Uh-huh.

You know Captain Sam?

Uh-uh. I know of him.

Where I'm from,
everybody knows of him.

He's a legend. So where is he?

(INDISTINCT)

- Cahill.
- Sam right there.

- Where? Which hut? Where is he?
- No, no. Sam right there.

Cahill?

DOYLE: Captain Samuel Cahill,
Sog-op 39?

Hello?

Stop.

(SLURPING)

(SIGHS)

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

You're the guest of honor.

Um…

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Took you longer than expected.

We're waiting for you.

Have a little trouble on the hill?

(SCOFFS)

Um… They always have
a wine ceremony

to celebrate the arrival
of an important visitor.

CAHILL: Of course,
they'd have a wine ceremony

to celebrate the arrival of Tuesday.

(CAHILL LAUGHING)

It's numpai, rice wine.

It tastes like a combination
of sugar water and vomit.

It's a little early in the day
to be hammered, isn't it?

You have to drink it. All of it.

CAHILL: And whatever you do,
don't spit it out.

It's an incredible insult to the chief.

(INDISTINCT)

(CHOKING)

(CHUCKLES)

(GAGGING)

(SLURPING)

(LAUGHING)

(COUGHS)

If that's it, maybe we could go…

Not quite. You have to meet Po.

- Po.
- ALL: Po, Po, Po.

- Po?
- Yeah.

- He's a village elder or what?
- Kind of.

Here he comes.

Don't turn around, and close your eyes.

Po wanna touch your face.

Excuse me?

You don't want to insult Po.

CAHILL: It's worse than
spitting out the wine.

Close your eyes.

Close my eyes.

- (TRUMPETING)
- Whoa!

(ALL LAUGHING)

(TRUMPETS)

This is serious NVA territory, Captain.

They know the Montagnard
are helping us,

so they come around here all the time

looking for any excuse to give 'em hell.

Rule number one. Don't give them one.

That's why you couldn't fly here directly.

Why I only come here when it's safe.

And rule number two?

Never forget rule number one.

I think I can remember that.

I leave here Saturday.
That gives me a week to get you ready.

Oh, I'm prepared, Captain.
I can do the job.

And how you gonna do it? By the book?

There's a better way?

(SIGHS)

Look. I got a few things to tie up.

Jhon'll show you around
and answer any questions.

Captain, I didn't come here
for a village tour.

My orders are to go to the trail.

You don't start movin' the big stuff
until after midnight.

Until then, Captain Doyle,

I suggest you start
getting to know this village.

These people have been the difference
between life and death for me.

What's that?

The forest gave us so much,

we pay tribute for protection
of the good spirits.

DOYLE: So, she's not just a big pet?

No, no. We use elephants.

My father, his father,
his father, forever.

War drive elephant south.

Dak Nhe lucky to have one.
Dak Nhe are blessed.

I'm happy for you.

- (CHILDREN GIGGLING)
- Look, let's…

- Let's go see the trail.
- Sam say we go later.

Yeah, I know, but you're gonna
be working for me now, right?

Forget Sam. Where's the trail?

I forget.

Candy you got?

No, no. Get… No. No candy. Get away.

Please. Candy. I share.

CHILDREN: Candy! Candy!

Candy! Candy! Candy!

All right, all right, all right.

I only have one.

Understand? One.

One… Hey!

(LAUGHING)

Oh, this is great.

DOYLE: That's it?

CAHILL: Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Disappointed? I was.

I expected something
a little bit more established.

That's the beauty of it.

You call in an air strike,
blow the heck out of it,

and they move it.

They use it to supply an entire army.

It never stops.

Oh, look at that.

DOYLE: Shoulder-fire
surface-to-air missiles.

Whoa.

Second set of SA-7s
we've seen come south this week.

Really?

(BABY FUSSING)

(SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE)

(SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(WOMAN SOBBING)

(WOMAN WHIMPERING)

(GUNSHOTS)

(VILLAGERS SOBBING)

You bring bad spirit!

It wasn't my fault!

- (STUTTERING) Doyle!
- It wasn't my fault!

The kid took the candy.

He stole the candy, and then he ran off.

It wasn't…

Okay, it was my fault. It was my fault.

I'm sorry about the elephant.

DOYLE: If I could bring him
back to life, I would.

We no want you. You go!

- No, wait.
- Fine!

I never intended to work
for them in the first place.

- Maybe you can.
- Maybe I can what?

(SIGHS) The tradition here is
that at high noon

on the last day of Wapasat,

the new moon festival,

the king of fire enters on top
of the village elephant.

Now we have to do it by Friday.
That's pushin' it.

Wait. Do what by Friday?

Duan, I give you my word

that when the king of fire enters
the village this Wapasat,

he will not do so on his own feet.

He is going to get you a new elephant.

(CHUCKLES)

I am not getting them an elephant.
No, no.

These people have
risked their lives helping us.

Well, then let's get them a tractor.

A tractor would last
eight minutes in that big…

Well, then don't get them anything.

Oh, come on!
What are you talkin' about?

You've been in the jungle too long!

- What about you?
- Will you both shut up?

The village provides important support
for operations in the region.

If we don't get them an elephant
by Friday afternoon,

we lose the village.

We don't need the village.
It's as simple as that.

(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING)

Well, maybe we don't need the village,

but then again, maybe we do.

I think we err on the side
of caution this time, Captain Doyle.

You two go out
and get them their elephant.

We'll need some men, sir.
Five should do it.

You get two.

PEDERSON: Two of the very best
and brightest I can borrow.

Now get out of here.

Whatever you do, don't embarrass me.

Don't worry, sir.

Now, hold on a second.

Aren't we forgetting something?

Who's gonna lead
this delightful little operation?

- I am.
- I am.

Well, I'm sure you both
have very good reasons.

Thing is, I really don't care.

So odds or evens?

- One…
- Evens.

…two, three.

(GRUNTS)

♪ You'se a son of a gun ♪

♪ Oh, baby ♪

♪ You'se a son of a gun ♪

Spec-4 Ashford?

No, sir. He's in the hooch.

Ashford!

Haul your butt out here!

Sir? He ain't comin' out.

Why is that, Red?

Well, he's short seven days.

Goes back to the world next Monday.

This man is taking no chances.

He ain't even come out
of his hooch for two days.

Troop.

ASHFORD:
Grenade! Oh, that's really funny.

Who's the hilarious son of a…

(CHUCKLES) My mistake.

Pack your gear and be ready
to move out at 1300 hours.

You've been reassigned.

This is some kind of joke, right?

It's a joke, all right.

You can't reassign me.

Sir, I'm catching
the freedom bird in seven days.

168 hours.

I'm so short.

- I'm so short…
- 1300 hours, Ashford.

(MUSIC PLAYING)
♪ Dang me, dang me ♪

♪ They ought to take a rope and hang me ♪

♪ High from the highest tree ♪

♪ Woman, would you weep for me? ♪

(SIGHS)

Oh, man! Dang it.

Spec-5 Farley?

Yes, sir!

So what's the mission, sir?
Unless you can't tell me,

like if we're operatin'
on a need-to-know basis.

- We are, and you don't.
- Yes, sir.

Where you from, Farley?

Iowa, sir.
Or as my Uncle Fergus likes to put it,

I owe a hell of a lot of money
on them farm loans.

He doesn't say much about it since
the thresher accident.

My mom likes to say
you can hardly tell anything happened

unless you get up real close,
but I beg to differ. (CHUCKLES)

You been on a farm?

Yes, sir. My daddy owns a dairy farm,

seein' as I bein' from the Corn State.

So you've had experience with animals.

Yes, sir. (LAUGHS)
Just none of 'em good.

I don't know what it is,
animals just don't seem to like me.

Never have, probably never will.

And that didn't make life easier
growin' up on a farm. Tell you that.

Shoot, one of the main reasons
why I joined the army in the first place.

Get away from all the dang animals.
(CHUCKLES)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Gilman, hey, I need
25 submariners at 300 per. Okay?

Gilman, may I remind you I have friends

with absolutely no regard
for the sanctity of human life, okay?

I say the word, I have your head in a bag
on my desk tomorrow morning.

Hang on. General, it's done.

425 per.

Pleasure doing business with you, sir.

Yes, sir, and give my regards
to your lovely wife and daughter.

I didn't mean anything by that, sir.
I just…

Sir, I got, I gotta go.
I got a call on the other line.

- All right, thank you.
- (CLICKS)

Gilman, so where were we?

I think I had your head in a bag.

350? Done.

All right. Send them to General
John Richardson in Da Nang, please.

Thanks, pal.
And, oh, by the way, Gilman?

I'd still let somebody taste your food.

(MACHINE WHIRRING)

(WHIRRING STOPS)

I thought you were dead.

You mean you hoped I was dead.

What can I do for you guys?
(CLEARS THROAT)

You're a requisitions officer.
Well, we require something.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(SCOFFS)

Not even funny.

We need an elephant by tomorrow.

Or you don't think you can do it?

Oh, please.

Spare me the "I-dare-you" crap, Cahill.

Everybody knows I can get anything
anywhere anytime.

Just so happens I'm startin'
five days of R and R.

This time tomorrow, I'll be sittin'
on a beach in Hawaii, my friend.

You're getting us the elephant.

Or what?

You gonna still try to hold that business
with the 64th over my head?

Come on. So the pork was a little off.

A little off?

I know men who spent a week
on the latrine because of that pork.

(SIGHS) It's old news, Cahill.

I got too many friends in high places

to go down for something
small-time like that, now.

Oh, I know other things
about you, Poole.

Let me tell you something, Cahill.

There isn't anything you know

that's gonna keep me
from gettin' on that plane to Honolulu.

DOYLE: 180 miles
in the middle of a war.

CAHILL: We can get a truck,
drive it up close to Dak Nhe.

That'll take about three days.

And another day to walk it in.

We'll get there by Friday.

Actually, I was thinking more along
the lines of air travel.

I lined up a cargo plane

to meet us at an airstrip
near Ban Don, okay?

We fly the elephant down
to this old CIA airstrip

about a three-hour walk from Dak Nhe,

then your Montagnard friends have their
elephant by 2:00 this afternoon,

I'm sitting on the beach in Waikiki
in time to see the sunset.

And you wanted a week!
Good job, Poole!

We're coming up on Ban Don now.

PILOT: There's no place to land
in the rice paddies.

We'll have to go to an LZ
behind the village.

It was real hot here two weeks ago.

Probably okay now.

Probably? We're gonna
land on a "probably"?

- Lock and load!
- (GUN COCKS)

(BREATHING NERVOUSLY)

Hey, this isn't that bad.

It's kind of, kind of peaceful, really.

All right, move out.

(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)

Well, Cahill, you want elephants,
I give you elephants.

Beautiful elephants,
I might add, at no extra cost.

Knowing you, Poole,

they're probably
big puppets with men inside.

Let's go.

Y B'ham?

Let me handle the negotiation.

Already talked to this guy on the radio.

Thinks he's tough,
but I'm gonna crack him like a walnut.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Oh, you're killing me.

What's the problem?
I thought you could negotiate anything.

I can with leverage.
Problem is we don't have any.

He doesn't care if he sells
the elephant or not.

We don't make his price,
he blows the deal.

What's his price?

Problem number two.
He wants 60,000 piasters.

The requisition form Captain Doyle
gave me is only good for 50, so…

That's it? Hell, 10,000 piasters.

That's only about 150 bucks.

We can raise that between us.

No. You tell him 50,000
is our final offer.

We can do it.

Private funds can't be used
for an official purchase

as per regulations. It's also an order.

Understood? Tell him.

(POOLE SIGHS)

I get it. It's a perfect way out for you.

You blow the deal,
and the mission is over.

It's what you wanted from the beginning.

We're going back to the LZ
and call for a ride.

Let's go.

DOYLE: Poole, let's move it.

Okay, 50,000.

You're quite a negotiator, Doyle.

Gracious sir, perhaps now
we could go to the river

and pick our elephant.

River? 50,000 no get elephant in river.

50,000 get you Bo-Tat.

Bo-Tat!

(BO-TAT ROARS)

Uh-oh.

(TRUMPETS)

(BOTH GROANING)

(GIVES COMMANDS IN VIETNAMESE)

(CHILDREN LAUGH)

Bo-Tat is she, not he.

Boy is Linh. Boy go with Bo-Tat.

What? No, boy no go with Bo-Tat.

Y B'HAM: Boy go with Bo-Tat.

We're going to a village far away.
I'm sure Linh's family…

Y B'HAM: Boy has no family. All killed.

In the war?

No. Hit by falling star.

Yes, in war.

Which side?

Y B'HAM: It matter?

I think it's better if the boy stays here.

Y B'HAM: He not belong here.
From north, not our people.

CAHILL: We might as well take him
with us.

No, no. We are not taking a kid with us.

CAHILL: He'll be my responsibility.

- DOYLE: No, Captain.
- All right.

Anyone else here know
how to work an elephant?

I was in love with a fat woman once,
but she never listened to me.

Oh. Mr. Y B'ham, you must know
how to work an elephant, right, sir?

I live with elephants all my life.
I learn nothing?

Is this guy sarcastic, or is it just me?

(BO-TAT SNORTS)

(GIVES COMMANDS IN VIETNAMESE)

Great. Would you like
to come with us, sir?

20,000 piasters.

- Deal.
- Good job, Doyle.

I think Mr. Y B'ham
would be a wonderful choice.

- Just one problem.
- What?

He doesn't stare into space
because he's a wise old soul.

He does it because he's blind as a bat.

Y B'ham not blind. Y B'ham can…

Y B'ham is blind.

10,000 piasters?

FARLEY: It's a nice view.
ASHFORD: What nice view?

All I can see is an elephant's butt.

(CAHILL SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Parlez-vous francais?

DOYLE: Any luck?

I tried Vietnamese, Cambodian, French,
and three dialects of Jeh.

Keep an eye on him.

He's on an elephant. He's hard to miss.

You know what I mean.

We don't know which side
killed his family.

It could've been us.
He might hate Americans.

We don't know, and until we do,
he can't be trusted.

- CAHILL: Doyle.
- He right. Linh can't be trusted.

Linh not trust Americans.
Americans not trust Linh.

Everything's number one, a-okay.

Uh, that elephant just came along
to say good-bye, right?

You're not actually thinking
of putting that on my plane?

What's the problem?

What's the problem? (LAUGHS)

It's an elephant.

Yeah, but, Major…

No, no, no. You see, you cannot put
an elephant on an airplane.

Suppose it starts to panic
and starts moving around?

MAJOR: I lose trim,
the plane goes down.

We all buy the farm.

That's important, what he just said.

- I…
- No, no, no.

It's not getting aboard the plane
unless it's dead.

Now, I'd be happy to oblige…

(COCKS GUN) If you've all grown
too attached to it.

No!

Linh, it's okay.

No one's gonna shoot Bo-Tat.

Doyle.

Poole.

Do you have a package
for a Dr. David Poole, DVM, on board?

Yeah, I do.

Here we go, gentlemen.
Animal tranquilizer.

She won't move an inch.

Bo-Tat's gonna take a big nap-nap.

Hey, nice try, but I don't care.

See, my orders say nothing
about lifting an elephant.

Gentlemen, you have a good war.

Ahem, Major,
maybe you should read this.

Okay?

This operation's top-secret.

That's why you never heard anything
about our large mammal friend there.

As a matter of fact, if anybody asks,
you're moving a shipment of tuna.

- Tuna?
- Tuna.

Moving an elephant.

What elephant?

You got 10 minutes.

Gentlemen, I'm responsible for anything
that goes onto that cargo hold.

SOLDIER: Now, if that thing
even twitches,

you're gonna see an elephant fly.

(LAUGHS) Hey, that's funny.

(ALL LAUGHING)

All right, yeah. What's with the letter?

John Westmoreland. Top priority.
Got eight left.

POOLE: Now, (CLEARS THROAT)
couldn't get elephant tranquilizer

'cause the only place
that has it is the London Zoo.

It would take too long to ship, so…

- And what's that?
- Water buffalo tranquilizer.

It's not as strong, but my vet guy says

you just give her a little bit more,
it should work.

My word.

I guess we give her one now,
and then we give her…

One later if she needs it.

Well, how are we supposed to get her
to swallow one of these?

Well, ahem, actually, according to this,
she's not supposed to swallow it.

(LAUGHS)

Well, Dr. David Poole…

Oh, no, no, no, no.

I told… I said I would
help you guys out,

but putting my hand up an elephant's
ass was never part of the deal, no.

(INHALES DEEPLY)

- On three?
- Oh, no.

Please, please, please, please.
Okay, what do you have?

- Evens.
- Okay.

One, two, three.

Oh.

(LAUGHS)

(TRUMPETS)

DOYLE: Don't you move,
you big suitcase.

- (LAUGHING)
- (BO-TAT PASSES WIND)

- (TRUMPETS)
- POOLE: Oh, that's horrible.

(LAUGHTER)

You weird.

(CHUCKLES)

Good thinking, Poole.

Well, come on, let's go.

Let's get her on the plane
before this stuff kicks in.

Come on, come on.

Linh thought you joking.

Bo-Tat not get on plane.

- Excuse me?
- (TRUMPETS)

Bo-Tat no like be in plane.

How often does she fly?

Bo-Tat no like plane.

The kid's right. Let's get a truck.

The plane is here.
We're taking the plane.

Bo-Tat no like plane.

- Kid…
- I'll handle it.

Well, then handle it.

Hurry up. She goes down out here,
you'll never get her inside.

- Linh…
- You nice American?

LINH: You think you number one?

You number 10. You all number 10.

Cahill!

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(MUFFLED) Bo-Tat…

- Let's go, come on.
- (BO-TAT GRUNTING)

(MUFFLED PROTESTS)

Heads up.

LINH: You number 10.
CAHILL: Tell her to lie down.

What'd you do to Bo-Tat?

Tell her to lie down
so she doesn't hurt herself.

(SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)

TKO. (CHUCKLES)

(SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)
What'd you do?

She's okay, Linh. She's not dead.

You killed everything.
You killed everything.

- Hey, hey, hey!
- LINH: You killed Bo-Tat.

- She's not dead.
- You killed Bo-Tat.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

You make it die. You killed Bo-Tat.

You killed Bo-Tat.

(BO-TAT GROANS)

CAHILL: She's fine.

She's just sleeping.

♪ Your love, lifting me higher ♪

♪ Than I've ever been lifted before ♪

♪ So keep it up ♪

♪ Quench my desire ♪

♪ And I'll be at your side, forever more ♪

♪ You know your love ♪
♪ your love keeps lifting me ♪

♪ Keep on lifting ♪

H.A., what's the first thing
you're gonna do when you get home?

- (CHUCKLES)
- First thing?

Hug my mom and give her a big kiss.

Second thing.

Second thing? Get her some Kleenex.

ASHFORD: She gonna be bawling
her eyes out.

So what about you, Captain? What's
waiting for you back in the world?

Uh…

A hammer.

My brother's got a roofing company
in Fort Lauderdale.

CAHILL: Wants me to be
a part of that. I can't wait.

Been dressed in green too long.
Time to get a real life.

(GROANS)

Hey, hey, hey, hey,
what are you kissing? What is that?

Oh. (SCOFFS) It's nothing.

Come on, what is it?

It's stupid. It's, uh…

When I first got to 'nam,

I was in the main administration
building in Da Nang,

feeling scared and
nervous like we all do

and thinking about home.

Was walking past this Coke machine,

a bottle of Coke just dropped down,

so…

Drank that bottle of coke
and kept the cap for luck.

So has it worked?

Well, I don't really
believe in that stuff,

but, you know, two years
without a scratch. Who knows?

I'll… I'll buy it.

POOLE: Nah, man, I couldn't.

(CHUCKLES) Come on, uh…
$20. I'll buy it.

Keep your money, man. I…

Uh… $40.

Well, hell, if it means
that much to you, I mean…

He just got it off the bottle
he's been drinking.

Captain, Major wants a word with you.

Hey, Farley, look at this
great big beautiful beast.

How can you not like
something like that?

FARLEY: Well, sir, I tell you…

(GROANS)

Yeah?

Yeah, we got a nasty headwind.

Give baby the other dose, Captain.

Poole,

we have to give
the elephant the second pill.

Farley had a little run-in
with the second pill, Captain.

Well, how much longer will she stay out?

One of these things is supposed to
knock out a water buffalo for six hours.

And Bo-Tat's about the size
of three water buffaloes…

How much longer do we have, Poole?

We got another hour, easy.

Okay.

(THUMPING)

(BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

I, uh…

I was using the metric system.

(BO-TAT GROWLS)

(BO-TAT GROWLS)

Tell me you did that.

(GRUNTS)

DOYLE: Whoa!

(GRUNTING)

It's awake!

What was your first clue?

Dump it.

(ALL YELLING)

(LINH SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

- Whoa!
- Grab him.

(GRUNTS) Bo-Tat!

Come on, come on, come on, come on!

(ALL YELLING)

(GROWLS)

Ahhh! (GRUNTS)

(BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

(ASHFORD SCREAMING)

(TRUMPETS)

(LINH SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

DOYLE: Hey, hit the button!
Hit the button!

Get back there and shoot it!

- Shut it!
- We're gonna die!

(GRUNTS)

(GUN COCKS)

No!

Hey!

(GRUNTING)

(GRUNTS)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Back in the pit, pilot boy.

All right.

(PEASANTS SHOUTING
IN VIETNAMESE)

(TRUMPETS)

LINH: Bo-Tat! Bo-Tat!

Bo-Tat! Bo-Tat! Bo-Tat!

Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey!

Wait! Wait a minute!

You can't leave me here!

Hey! Hey!

I'm going to call LBJ!

I knew it! Argh!

Argh!

Guys?

Guys? Wait up!

(TRUMPETS)

Stop!

- No, no, no.
- Bo-Tat scared. Bo-Tat need me!

Yeah, well, all I need is for you
to run off and get lost.

- Let me go!
- CAHILL: Doyle, let him go.

If I let him go, we might never see him
or the elephant again.

Well, if you don't let him go,
you'll never see Bo-Tat again.

That's for sure.

I'll go with him.

All right.

FARLEY: Come on.
Yep. There we go.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Bo-Tat understand American.

Bo-Tat, we're going to take you
to a beautiful land high in the mountains

where you'll be loved and respected.

Where the air is cold and fresh

and the water is cool and sweet.

It's the land where
you came from, Bo-Tat.

It's where you belong.

Come with me.

(BO-TAT GROWLING SOFTLY)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

DOYLE: We're about here,

which means we're not that far
from Tuy Hoa, maybe about 10 miles.

We can get there tomorrow
and get ourselves a truck.

An elephant on a truck for 150 miles
in the middle of a war.

Piece of cake.

POOLE: Gilman, you know
those solid gold dog tags?

They're yours. All you got to do
is get me out of here.

Argh! Man, I just can't
spend the night in here.

- Just send…
- DOYLE: Poole!

- Poole!
- Hang on a second…

Poole! Give me that!
What are you doing?

Rustling up some
accommodations, Captain.

I can have beer and steak

and, and padded cots here
in like, half an hour.

Maybe even some ice cream.

And then, I figured, since you guys
don't really need me anymore,

I could sort of head back with the pilot.

If all the enemy within five miles doesn't
already know we're here,

they sure as hell will
when a Huey lands.

Come on, give me a break, will you?
I got you the elephant.

I'm supposed to be sitting
on a beach right now

worried about my tan line, not out here
in Booneyville worrying about snakes.

BOTH: Snakes?

You're right, Poole.
You shouldn't be here.

Give me the radio.

I'll call General Richardson.

I'm sure he can get you reassigned.

Break out rations, gentlemen.
This is home tonight.

I'll bet you wish you had
your lucky bottle cap now,

don't you, you smart ass?

(INDISTINCT)

LINH: What you doing?

H.A. is going home soon, Linh.

He wants good luck to make sure
he gets there safe.

You want good luck?

Don't tell me, you have
an ancient Vietnamese bottle cap

you're willing to sell me.

Linh not sell anything.

Here, elephant is good luck.

You want good luck, you touch Bo-Tat.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah, right.

So what's bad luck?

Um, don't whistle in dark.

Snake will come out and bite you.

Snakes?

It get worse.

- Yeah?
- If you see owl at night,

someone in your family die.

Wow. So that's the worst?

- LINH: No.
- No?

Owl nothing compared to crow.

You see crow any time,
that very, very bad luck.

So what happens when you see a crow?

I tell you, if you see a big black bird,

you run away.

You know what?

This country's really beautiful.

I mean, I am shocked.

Yeah, it is great, isn't it?

- Kind of reminds me of home.
- Oh, yeah?

They got a lot of rice paddies
in Cornpone, Iowa, do they, Farley?

Oh, no, that's Arkansas.

- I just meant…
- You meant what?

Tell me exactly what you meant.

Tell me exactly
what it is about this place

that reminds you of home, huh?

What is it?
The spirit-crushing humidity?

The disease-bearing insects?
Or is it the special feeling

that comes from the knowledge
that at any given moment,

a sniper's bullet could come spiraling
towards your forehead?

POOLE: Is that it?

Poole, I'm getting this weird feeling
you don't like it here.

What's wrong with you?

I love it. Everybody loves it.

Bet you're the only American in Vietnam

who would rather be someplace else.
Enough.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

(PEASANTS SHOUTING)

Hey! Hey, come on! Give me…

Oh!

Let's keep moving.

Where are you going? Hey!

They're going to help.

For the love of…
Cahill, don't get me wrong.

I would like nothing more than to skip

through the countryside,
doing good deeds,

but we don't have the time.

We have to get a truck, remember?

It won't take long.

Besides, we might even
get something out of it.

(ALL SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Maybe they'll give you the stump.

(SIGHS)

You go play good Samaritan, I'm going
to go to the road and do our job, okay?

Go. Go play. Go play.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(ALL SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Bye, now.

DOYLE: Where is everyone?

They'll be back in a minute.

Big stump.

CAHILL: America won something today,

and we didn't even have
to shoot anyone.

Oh, yeah? Well, we lost two hours,

and we still don't
have ourselves a truck, so…

Yeah. How about an old diesel
with a 16-foot flatbed?

You think that ought to do?

(HORN HONKS)

(CHEERING)

One of our developing agencies
gave them a truck.

But they rarely can afford gas,

so they gave it to us for pulling
out the stump.

(TRUMPETS)

♪ Hang on, sloopy ♪
♪ sloopy, hang on ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Give it to me ♪

So how long you had Bo-Tat?

Forever. She belong father.

Huh. What happened to your father?

He die.

Well, how'd that happen?

Do you think it was our side?

I don't know.

I hope not.

♪ Hang on, sloopy ♪

♪ Sloopy, hang on ♪

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

♪ Hang on, sloopy ♪

♪ Sloopy, hang on ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Hang on, sloopy ♪

♪ Sloopy, hang on ♪

♪ Hang on, sloopy ♪

♪ Sloopy, hang on ♪

We got a leaky radiator.
I'll try to patch it.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Poole, I speak the language.

It's a joke.

Anymore joking, I'll call you know who.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(TRUMPETS)

Hey, stop!

Bo-Tat need move.

- (GROANS)
- LINH: Food. Water.

She hungry.

She thirsty.

Now!

All right. All right.

All right, H.A., Farley,

take her down to that fountain there
and give her some water.

We'll give her food when we get it.

Ah! Oh… Bo-Tat!

Jeez, what you been eating, baby?

(PEOPLE SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

One… One minute?

ASHFORD: Drink up, Bo-Tat,

we don't want to stay over.

One moment?

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(BICYCLE BELL RINGING)

FARLEY: Okay, I'm sorry.

(TRUMPETS)

Hey, Farley, where's she goin'?

Oh, no.

Captain Doyle! Captain Cahill!

Help.

(CHUCKLES)

- (PANICKED SHOUTING)
- (TRUMPETING)

LINH: Bo-Tat! Bo-Tat!

(YELLING IN VIETNAMESE)

Linh, stop that elephant!

- ASHFORD: Come back here!
- (TRUMPETS)

(SCREAMING)

(EXCLAIMS IN VIETNAMESE)

- (SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)
- Stop! Just stop!

- Excuse me.
- Watch out for the elephant!

Ah!

Whoa!

FARLEY: Oh, man!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

(ARGUING IN VIETNAMESE)

Hey, um, sorry about your chickens.

Linh, we need to turn
the elephant back this way.

We need to bring it back…

We need to bring
the elephant back this way.

FARLEY: Turn him around
and bring him…

Hey. Hey! Hey!

- Whoa. Whoa… Whoa!
- H.A.!

Help!

We gotta go this way!

- (PEOPLE YELLING)
- (CRASHING)

(YELLS)

(BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

Let's go.

Wait, we haven't even done the…

(TRUMPETING)

Oh, my God.

(GRUNTS)

(GROANS)

Let's go.

- ♪ You better think ♪
- ♪ Think ♪

♪ Think about what ♪
♪ you're trying to do to me ♪

- ♪ Think ♪
- ♪ Think, think ♪

♪ Let your mind go, let yourself be free ♪

♪ Let's go back, let's go back ♪

♪ Let's go way on to way back when ♪

♪ I didn't even know you ♪

♪ You couldn't have been ♪
♪ too much more than 10 ♪

♪ Just a child ♪

♪ I ain't no psychiatrist ♪

♪ I ain't no doctor with degrees ♪

♪ But it don't take too much IQ ♪

♪ To see what you're doin' to me ♪

- ♪ You better think ♪
- ♪ Think ♪

♪ Think about what you're ♪
♪ tryin' to do to me, yeah ♪

♪ Think, think ♪

♪ Let your mind go, let yourself be free ♪

♪ Oh, freedom ♪

♪ Give me your hand. ♪

Come on!

Wait up!

Come on! Captain, slow down!

- ♪ Freedom ♪
- ♪ Freedom ♪

- (TIRES SCREECHING)
- ♪ Freedom ♪

- Hurry! Hurry!
- Come on, Farley!

Ah!

(CHUCKLING)

Ew. Go. Go!

Whoa… Ugh!

(LAUGHTER)

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

That doesn't sound very good.

I know. We don't have time to stop.

If they weren't after us before,
they will be now.

That guy at the feed depot
wasn't the only NVA.

They try to blend in but they all got
that same damn haircut.

(ENGINE DIES)

(HISSING)

CAHILL: Oh.

Hey, where's he goin'?

- DOYLE: Poole, where you going?
- Saigon.

Get back here.

Poole, do you want me
to call General Richardson?

Yeah, Cahill. Yeah, I do.

Okay? Call General Richardson.

Let me get him
on the line here for you, okay?

Because I am sick and tired…
(GRUNTS)

I…

That's it. I've had it, okay?

Okay, I was on a plane
that almost crashed,

I came this close to being killed
by an angry mob,

and now… Look at my uniform.

It's covered in elephant crap.

So, if you think
that I really give a damn

whether or not you call
General Richardson

and tell him
that I slept with his wife…

DOYLE: Huh?

Oh!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on.

You slept with the wife
of General "Kill 'em all

"and let God sort it out" Richardson?

I thought it was his daughter.

Oh, yeah. He would have
been fine with that.

(CAHILL LAUGHS)

First off, Poole, Saigon's the other way.

Second, the nearest town
in any direction

is Hau Bon, which is 30 miles upstream.

And third, the only hope in hell you have

of getting out of here alive
is to stay with us.

(BIRDS WARBLING)

DOYLE: It's cooked.

What are we gonna do, Captain?

We wait.

Things come along when you need 'em.

My motto's "Have a little faith."

Yeah, well, my motto is
"Explosives and plenty of 'em."

Load the truck with all the claymores
and grenades we've got.

String one of the claymores
trigger wires to the door.

NVA comes along,
goes to open the door, kaboom.

If we're lucky, it might even
take out the bridge.

Lucky for who?

The people around here
use this bridge every day.

That's enough already.
We're in a war here,

in case you don't remember.

If you're right about the NVA
being after us,

they're gonna be coming down that road
for one reason and one reason only.

To kill us.

Their lives are my responsibility,

so excuse me
if I don't get all choked up

at the thought of disrupting
some local peasant's daily commute.

How do you know the NVAs
gonna be the first ones here?

What if it's a bunch of school kids
who are goin' home?

You ever think about that? No!

Why? Because guys like you
don't think things through!

Me? What about you?

You've got five people and an elephant
risking their lives

so you can go home
with a clear conscience.

You're afraid when you're up on the roof
with your brother in Fort Lauderdale

and you're lookin' back over
your sparkling military career,

you're not gonna like what you see!

You're afraid Vietnam's gonna wipe out
everything you did before,

so you want to do
one good thing before you go.

Which is great.

But your one good thing isn't pulling
a kid out of a burning building

or diving on a grenade. It's this!

And because it's this,
it means it involves us!

But you didn't think about that, did you?

No!

Why? Because guys like you
don't think things through!

(GRUNTS)

(GASPING FOR BREATH)

- Hey, come on, sirs, break it up.
- (BOTH GRUNTING)

Break it up, sirs.

Ahhh!

- Oh, God!
- Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

- Pull me up!
- Give me your hand. Give me your hand.

- Give me your hand.
- Pull him in!

(PANTING)

You okay?

Whew!

Okay?

Yep.

I'm real happy about my decision
to stick with you guys.

Uh, at the risk of rekindling hostilities,

what do we do now?

Like I said, have a little faith.

(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING)

(WOMAN SINGING IN ITALIAN)

(GODDARD SINGING
ALONG IN ITALIAN)

(SINGING IN ITALIAN)

Ha ha ha ha

(LAUGHING)

Is that my ears, or has your singing
actually gotten worse?

GODDARD: Must be your ears.
It was already as bad as it could be!

DOYLE: Have a little faith, my eye.

You knew this boat was coming.

My first tour, I was stationed at Hau Bon.

Every Wednesday afternoon,

Monsieur Goddard and
the Marie Antoinette would drop in.

He gave us the best intelligence
on the location of the VC we ever got.

- (CHUCKLES)
- What… What can I say? I love America.

Yeah. Hey.

(CAHILL CHUCKLES)

You gave the VC their best intelligence
on our location, too.

(LAUGHING)

I can't help it, you know.
I love everybody.

Would anyone like some wine here?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Wine? No!

What is this, the opening
of an art gallery?

No. This is a war.

The Green Beret motto
is "Free the oppressed,"

not "Eat, drink, and be merry."

Yeah, now it is.

Oh.

What did I do? What did I do?

I should be on
some high-priority mission

with a group of crack commandos.

Instead, I'm in an episode
of McHale's Navy,

starring Dumbo, Mr. French,
and the Three Stooges!

(DIFFERENT OPERA PLAYING)

Ðứng lại.

- That mean stop.
- Ðứng lại?

Ði. That mean go.

Ði?

You try.

Ði!

(BO-TAT GROANS)

(STAMMERS)

Ðứng lại!

Good.

You know two of three
most important words for elephant.

What's the third?

- (SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)
- Huh?

It means get off me.

(CHUCKLES)

Poole.

Can you get more of that
water buffalo tranquilizer?

You really enjoyed that,
didn't you, Doyle?

Linh was right.

You are weird.

- Poole.
- POOLE: Yeah, yeah.

- As much as you want.
- Okay.

We get off past Hau Bon tonight.

Tomorrow we take one of these trails

which, God willing,
isn't in enemy hands,

over one of these ridges,
down into Pleiku.

Friday morning we fly Bo-Tat
to the airstrip near the village.

By noon we walk her in.

- Piece of cake.
- (EXPLOSION)

Get down!

DOYLE: Stay down!
Everyone stay down!

(RAPID GUNFIRE)

Farley. Hold your fire.
They're out of range.

They're gonna have us in five rounds.

I know this. I'm artillery.

Give them a moving target. Zigzag.

Keep moving.

(TRUMPETS)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(GRUNTING)

Linh, what's wrong with Bo-Tat?

She hurt here.

Oh, sh…

Oh, no, she's seasick.

(GROANS)

Look out. She's gonna blow!

Ew!

(GURGLING GROAN)

(SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)

Years from now my kid's gonna ask me,

"Daddy, what's the worst thing
you saw in the war?"

After this, there's no contest.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Can't you get this tub to go any faster?

You are going to sink my boat.

Maybe not.

Gilman, who would I actually know
that could get me your head in a bag?

It was a joke, pal.

Yeah, I was kidding.

I love you, man. Like a brother.

What are you, nuts? Where am I
gonna find a Triumph Spitfire

in the middle of Vietnam,
you rotten little rat?

I… Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I apologize.

Okay. All right, you got it.

Just patch me through
to firebase Cheo Reo now, okay?

And direct to artillery.

I don't have time
for channels or anything.

Okay. He's puttin' me through.

Son of a… Heh, heh.
Right here. Hang on.

Uh… Yeah.

We're on the Song Ba River
being pursued by NVA in a boat.

What? Yeah, this is Hotel Alpha.

Who's this? Barney?

Hey, Barney, what's up, man?
What you doin'…

- H.A.! H.A.!
- I'm sorry.

Uh, Cheo Reo, we
need your help pronto.

Request fire mission and expedite.

Call for battery fire at grid coordinates,

Bravo Romeo 354, 1105 niner.

Fire one marking round.

(MISSILE WHISTLING)

(LAUGHTER)

Barney, that was perfect, man!

No, it wasn't perfect. It almost hit us!

Give him the coordinates.

Captain, we're moving.
Those coordinates are gonna be perfect.

- Right about…
- Better be right.

Fire for effect!

- Better be right.
- Now.

(SOLDIERS LAUGHING)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Ha!

- Whoo!
- Whoa!

Yeah!

Hey, hey. I'm gonna start callin' you

The Brown Bomber! (LAUGHING)

You wanna try it on?

(CHUCKLES)

I found a place where
we can spend the night.

(INSECTS AND BIRDS WARBLING)

(LEAVES CRUMPLING
UNDER FOOTSTEPS)

FARLEY: Hey, sir, what is this place?

An ancient temple.

Buddhist?

Actually, it's Tam Giáo

A little Buddhism,
a little Confucianism, and a little Tao.

(ROLLING THUNDER)

What's with all the elephants?

The elephant is the God in Tam Giáo.

Not a god.

Father of God.

In beginning, elephant were white,

and they fly in the air
with the clouds and the rain.

One day, elephant fly down
and go into side of Queen Maya.

While she sleep and dream.

She have baby.

Prince Siddhartha,
the Gautama Buddha.

Elephant, father of God.

(TRUMPETS)

(THUNDER)

ASHFORD: Linh, that story
you told was great.

I… I loved the bit
about the flying elephants.

Uh, just one thing, though.

It might be better
if you started, "In the beginning,

"all elephants were black."

All right, this is our only option.

We have to take this trail
over this pass into Pleiku.

Is the pass secure?

(CLICKS TONGUE) I don't know.

We could find out at this village

unless you think
five Americans and an elephant

waltzing into town
might arouse suspicion.

Hmm. Not at all.

We could send in Linh.
No one would suspect him.

No, we can't do that.

- Why not?
- You know why.

We can't take that chance.

(SIGHS)

- I got it.
- Wait.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

Doesn't matter to me
who killed your family.

I imagine it doesn't
matter to you, either.

VC killed mother and sister.

But Linh not know who killed father.

Linh and father going home.

LINH: There was big light.

Everything happened fast.

People yell, shoot gun.
Father hold Linh tight.

Bo-Tat run.

They shoot Bo-Tat.

Father and Linh land apart.

Father get up, run to Linh, and fall down.

(GUNSHOT)

He shot.

Linh not move.

Bo-Tat save Linh.

Men shoot Bo-Tat more times.

Bo-Tat no stop for many miles.

(GUNFIRE CONTINUES)

Bo-Tat save me.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Were you hurt?

You said you couldn't move.

(SOBBING) No, I said I not move
because I too scared.

Father die because
I not help him. I scared.

No, no, Linh, that's not why.

Yes, I scared!

Of course, you were scared.

I'd be scared. Anyone would be scared.

Linh.

- It wasn't your fault.
- Who fault?

People.

People far away, Linh.

People who've never been here.

Linh no understand.

How did you get to Ban Don?

American take Linh.

Said take Linh back
to mountains someday.

Never did. Lie to Linh.

I'm gonna take you
back to the mountains, Linh.

I promise you.

Linh father was a good father.

Number one father.

I'm sure he was.

(WHISPERING) I'm sure he was.

(BIRDS WARBLING)

(WHISPERING IN VIETNAMESE)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Yeah.

Oh, man, I just went to go take a whiz.

I didn't want to desecrate the temple.

Forget about it. It's done.

He probably went
to get some food or something.

Whatever the reason,
they're gonna find out

we're here pretty damn soon.

He's just a kid.

I know. I have to go get him.

I'll get the elephant to Pleiku
and we'll meet you there.

Excuse me, guys, uno momento.

But how are we gonna
move old Bo here, huh?

Linh taught Farley the basic commands.

No, he didn't.

Okay, sir, he did, but…

Take someone with you.

I screwed up. I'll go.

(CROW CAWING)

Th… That's funny.
My… My legs don't work.

POOLE: Ah, hell. I'll go.

Kid's got my watch.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE)

Okay, do the foot. Get…
Get her to do the foot and get up.

- Let's go.
- (TRUMPETS)

- Come on.
- I don't… I don't know that one.

- All right.
- Can you guys give me hand?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here,
take the gun. Take the gun.

Put your foot on my leg.

- Okay. One…
- Do you wanna jump in?

- On three, H.A.
- One, two, three.

(GRUNTING)

Okay, come on.

- Okay, I'm up. I'm up.
- Good job. Good job. Okay.

I don't know about this, sir.

(BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

I guess that means she's ready.

- I think she's mad.
- DOYLE: Come on.

This way. Take us around the village.

Farley, this way.

He didn't teach me how to turn.

Then stop her.

- Okay, okay. Uh… Ði!
- (BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

I mean… I mean, dee d'ng. D'ng.

- Dai!
- Farley!

FARLEY: Ugh!

- Tell my mom I love her!
- (BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

(WHISPERING) Stop!

(BO-TAT TRUMPETING)

Stop, darn it, you crazy animal!

(MAN SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

Oh!

(GRUNTING)

Whoa! Ahhh!

Bo-Tat?

(LINH SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)

Farley, you are a driver.

(CHUCKLES)

(SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)

(GIGGLING)

Sam.

- You all right? Huh?
- Yeah.

They worked him over pretty good.

He hit me this many.

So, when I tell him
you in Hau Bon, he believe.

You told him we were in Hau Bon?

Kid, why did you come here?

You want to find out if trail okay.

But Linh is the only one who can ask.

Before Linh caught,
Linh find out trail okay.

You trust Linh now?

Yeah.

I trust Linh now.

You guys do this hug a lot.

(LAUGHS)

- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
- Bo-Tat!

- No!
- (TRUMPETS)

♪ Yee-hoo! ♪

♪ Aow! Walk that walk ♪

♪ Come on, talk that talk ♪

♪ Come on, tell me, baby ♪

♪ Come on, tell me that you love me ♪

Canceled?

What do you mean
the mission is canceled?

Turns out Doyle was right.

We don't need the village.

While you two were off on safari,

the Ho Chi Minh Trail moved again,

and intelligence estimates are
it's gonna stay where it is.

The village is of
no further strategic interest.

"No further strategic interest"?

Major Pederson, sir, we're so close.

Let us finish what we started.

- We just have to fly the elephant to…
- To where, Cahill?

To that old CIA airstrip
near the village?

The NVA blew
the heck out of it three days ago.

You have no place to land your elephant.

The airstrip's gone.

End of mission!

What about Linh and Bo-Tat?

Who?

The boy and the elephant, sir.

Well, you ship them back to
where you picked them up.

Where are you going?

I can't tell you.

Why not?

'Cause if I tell you,
you'll try to stop me.

If you don't try to stop me,
you'll be court-martialed.

The mission's been canceled.

I have a feeling the Captain's
gonna ignore that.

What are you gonna do,
steal a truck from the motor pool?

- If that's what it takes.
- Oh, hell!

If we're gonna steal a truck,
we might as well steal a plane.

What?

You worried because there's no airstrip?

We don't need one.

Remember when
we first went to Pederson

and I said, "Let's get them a tractor"?

What if we had?

How would we have gotten a tractor in?

Tractors don't need airstrips.

- Poole.
- Yeah?

- Okay, we're gonna need parachutes…
- We?

POOLE: Yeah, Captain.

We.

H.A., Farley, are you in?

Yeah.

Okay.

You take one step toward Dak Nhe
with that elephant,

you can kiss your sweet
military career good-bye.

Yeah, well, maybe we all need to do
one good thing before we go.

(PEOPLE TALKING IN VIETNAMESE)

(FIRE CRACKLING)

Easy. Easy now, easy.

(GRUNTS)

- Hey!
- Shh!

(WHISPERING IN VIETNAMESE)

(MECHANICAL WHIRRING)

This is insane. Bo-Tat's not a tractor.

Poole, did we just hear a heartfelt
human emotion come out of you?

Yeah, it was. I feel bad for her.

Don't tell anybody I said that,
okay, you guys?

POOLE: It's top secret, okay?

So top secret, we're not
even getting clearance

from the tower. Radio's silenced
and nobody knows anything.

As a matter of fact,
this never happened.

(SOLDIERS SHOUTING)

- Sir, they've stolen a 123 out of Pleiku.
- When?

- About five minutes ago, sir.
- Damn it!

Get on the radio
and tell 'em to get back.

That whole area is jammed
with NVA anti-aircraft.

Yes, sir.

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

CAHILL: Don't be nervous, Poole.

I just never have jumped before.

Well, neither has she.
Does she look nervous?

(BO-TAT GRUNTS)

All right, listen up.

Bo-Tat and the crate are on a static line.

Now, the drogue will trigger
the parachute to open

the second she's out of the plane.

Now, you three are gonna
jump before Bo-Tat.

Free fall for a count
of 10, and then pull.

Okay? Got it?

We want to make sure
you don't get tangled

in Bo-Tat's lines going down.

And we want you to be clear
of our large friend before she lands.

Now, Captain Cahill and I
are gonna stay on board

until Bo-Tat gets off.

Once she's off, we're gonna go, okay?

CAHILL: Any questions?

Linh get one?

Well, no, Linh.

You have to stay on the plane.

Well, maybe he… Linh could take mine,

and, uh, I could, um,
stay on the plane. I mean…

But Linh go with Bo-Tat.

I'm sorry, Linh.
It's too dangerous. You can't.

You promised you take Linh
and Bo-Tat home to mountain.

You will go home.

You'll see Bo-Tat in a day or two.

But first you have to go back to the base
with the pilot. There's no…

You lie! You lie!

Hey.

Hey, you're right.

I did say I'll get you home, and I will.

I'll stay with you on the plane.

I'll get you to the mountains.

I'll get you back to Bo-Tat.

You just can't go with her now.

- (EXPLOSION)
- Oh! Whoa! Whoa!

Here comes another one!

- Oh!
- (TRUMPETS)

(GRUNTING)

Take us down below the radar.

This isn't a fighter.
This is a cargo plane.

Do it!

Ahhh! Ahhh!

You can't drop from this altitude.

We'll go back up when
we get closer to the village.

DOYLE: No, now.

Do it now! Now!

(GUNFIRE)

(GUNFIRE CONTINUES)

(TRUMPETS LOUDLY)

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

- Ah, jeez!
- Looks like we're all gonna be jumping.

Can you get us in over the village?

One pass, then we bail.

We're going now!

Get ready.

(WIND WHOOSHING)

(BO-TAT GRUNTS)

Change of plans, Linh.

PILOT: We're coming in on the village!

I'll be right down.

Stand by!

Ready?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

Go! Go! Go!

I… I can't go, guys.
I… I left something back inside.

I gotta… I can't do this.

I'm an office guy, man.
I work in an office behind a desk!

(ALL SCREAMING AND LAUGHING)

ASHFORD: Isn't this great, Chief?

It's moving!

FARLEY: Isn't this fun, Poole?

(ALL SCREAMING AND SHOUTING)

ASHFORD: That was great!

- No!
- Bo-Tat!

(TRUMPETS)

Hold on tight.

(GRUNTING)

LINH: Ahhh!

(BO-TAT WAILS)

CAHILL: Hold on!

(GRUNTING)

- Ah!
- (GRUNTING)

- Get it!
- Go!

(BO-TAT WAILS)

Hold on, Bo-Tat. Hold on.

I'll get you.

(GRUNTS)

Oh!

(TRUMPETING)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Whoo!

- Yeah!
- Thank God!

(LAUGHS)

(GRUNTS)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

(SHOUTING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

(SHOUTING AND CHATTERING)

POOLE: Please, God,
get me through this.

I'll never lie again. Please. Uh. Oh!

Hoo! Whoo-hoo-hoo.

FARLEY: Whoo!

Farley, you're dead. Swear to God.

I'm gonna kill you.

ASHFORD: Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Whoa! Whoa! Ahhh! Ahhh!

- (LAUGHING)
- Linh like hug. Hug good.

(CHEERING)

CAHILL: Be careful. Be careful.

Keep everybody back.
All right. Very good.

(WHISTLING AND CHEERING)

Is she okay?

Everything number one a-okay!

Hey, where's H.A.?

Get me a ladder!

DOYLE: Back her up, Linh!

Come on, sweetheart. We gotta
get you ready for the ceremony.

Good girl.

Uh-oh.

(GUNFIRE)

(GUNFIRE CONTINUES)

Ugh!

(WOMAN SCREAMING)

Drop your weapons!

(WEAPONS DROPPING)

You bring elephant very far.

Very admirable.

I congratulate you.

Too bad you go to all this trouble

for nothing.

(CAWING)

Bird, if I were you,
I'd get the hell out of here.

(CLICKS)

Elephant going to die.

(VILLAGERS SCREAMING)

Drop your guns! Drop your guns!
Drop… Drop 'em!

(BO-TAT WAILING)

(GRUNTING)

(VILLAGERS CHEERING)

(SPEAKING VIETNAMESE)

Roger, Whiskey Tango. Over.

Crossbow-6 out.

What did he say?

Well, the good news
is that capturing Nguyen

and his men has made you a hero.

And the bad?

Recon photos are indicating

that the trail has moved
back this way again.

Pederson wants you to stay.

(SIGHS)

(SMACKS LIPS)

That is bad news.

(CHUCKLING)

I have to go now, Linh.

You not like it here.

I love it here.

I love this place more than
any place I've ever been.

You not like Linh.

You know that's not true.

Then why you go?

Just like you had
to go where you belong,

I have to go where I belong.

(CRYING)

You forget Linh?

When I forget how to breathe.

Take her easy, Linh.

Safe trip home.

- Oh, thank you.
- Good luck.

Thank you.

Hey, hope to be in special forces too,
one day, sir.

Thanks. Good job, soldier.

Thanks.

Captain.

- Ever need anything…
- Okay.

(BO-TAT TRUMPETS)

Yeah.

Sam.

When you're standing on a roof
with your brother in Fort Lauderdale,

I think you're gonna like the view.

(CHILDREN WHISPERING
IN NATIVE LANGUAGE)

You watch Bo-Tat?

Yeah. I'll watch Bo-Tat.

Have fun.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING
AND GIGGLING)

- (TRUMPETING)
- (GASPS)

CLIFF EDWARDS: The horsefly.

I seen a dragonfly. I seen a housefly.

(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)

EDWARDS: See,
I seen all that, too.

EDWARDS: (SINGING) ♪ I seen a peanut ♪
♪ stand, and heard a rubber band ♪

♪ I seen a needle that winked its eye ♪

♪ But I be done seen about everything ♪

♪ When I see a elephant fly ♪

JIM CARMICHAEL: ♪ With the wind. ♪

CHORUS: ♪ When I see an elephant fly ♪

(LAUGHING)