Army Wives (2007–2013): Season 1, Episode 5 - Independence Day - full transcript

Previously on Army Wives...

Denise, I'm sorry to tell you, Frank was
aboard the chopper that went down.

They don't know yet if Frank is
one of the missing or one of the dead.

- Dad isn't dead.
- Bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?

I know you think I hate you.
I just think you're a little lost right now.

All I can tell you is that
if they need me, I'm gone.

Sit down.

- Easy.
- Right now!

Get your wife on the phone!

He holds me responsible.

Range,
a hundred and ten meters.



After everything I did for them!

Confirming one hundred
and ten meters.

Is someone going to
tell us what the hell is going on?

I know this guy. He is a good soldier.

You completely violated protocol

and now that decision
could get my wife killed.

Is this what she would have wanted?

Good morning.

Where'd you go?

Out by the pond.
I keep seeing his face when he died.

- Replaying it over and over in my head.
- I know.

You see people die all the time.
I don't know how you do it, Michael.

Well, it never gets any easier.

I've missed you.



I've missed you, too.

Where you going?

Michael Holden asked me
to report to his office at 0900 hours.

It can't be good.

Roland,

I am sorry that you had to hear
about what happened over there

from Peter Belgrad.

I should have told you myself.
I couldn't save that girl.

As much as Peter wanted me to,
and as much as I wanted to,

it was against Army regulations.
I had no choice.

I saved my men.

You were put in a tough position.

What would you have done?

I would've tried to save her.

I knew you'd say that.

It's been 48 hours.

They must know by now
if your father's alive or not.

He's okay, Mom. I know it.
Just like Mrs. Holden was okay.

I hope so, Jeremy.

When I met your father,
I was working in an ER at Fort Bliss.

They brought him in.
He'd broken his leg and his arm.

Oh, he had to be in pain,
but he was laughing.

He'd just won a bet that he could jump
off a radio tower and live.

- You never told me that.
- Yeah.

Well, we didn't want you
getting any ideas.

Yeah, your father was pretty wild then.

He had no interest in getting married.
Just jumping out of planes.

Then he said he took one look at me,

and felt like I was
handing him back his heart,

all taped up and bandaged again.

- Your Arabic's getting better.
- Thanks.

What are you doing?

Trying to make it look worn.
They pray five times a day, you know.

Chase. Chase.

I'm not going to ask you
if you were there yesterday

with the sniper team at the hospital.

I just want you to know
that I'm proud of you.

And I love you.

- You're awake.
- I was just thinking.

Don't worry, Rox.

Let me look at you.

Are you going to
be the same man when you get back?

I will be.

- Claudia Joy. Hello.
- Hi, Roland.

I'm sorry. I should've called first.

I don't know.
I just felt compelled to come back here.

I understand. You went through a lot.

We both did.

How are you feeling?

Still processing. How about you?

You know me. I'm fine.

Really?

Well, I have to keep myself together.

I'm hosting the Fourth of July picnic
at my house.

Seventy-five people are coming.
I have centerpieces to arrange.

Why doesn't someone else
throw the picnic this year?

That's what I do.

- Excuse me. Dr. Burton?
- Yes.

I'm Sarah Belgrad,
Peter Belgrad's wife.

- Should I come back later?
- No. Please come in.

This is Claudia Joy Holden.
She was with me yesterday.

- Hi.
- Hi.

So, you were both here?

That's right.

Yeah. I just needed to see
where it happened. If that's okay.

I need to understand
what happened to my husband.

I know that sounds crazy. Crazy this...

Funny how that word sounds now.

These are his personal effects.

- Do you want to sit down?
- No, no. Thank you.

It's my fault.

I'm so sorry that this happened
to both of you.

Please, you can't blame yourself.

No, no. I appreciate that, really.
But I should've tried harder.

I've been going over it,
over and over in my mind,

and I knew something was wrong.

That something bad happened
over there.

First he was angry,
and then he just shut down.

He said I wouldn't understand.

So I gave up.

I took the kids and I left. I...

You know they're calling him
a criminal now?

They won't even give him
a military funeral.

I've known him since I was 15.

I don't know
how this could've happened. I...

Yeah. You must think
he's some kind of monster.

Thank you. I'm sorry.

- It's hurting my face!
It won't come off.

- T.J., what did you do?
- I was helping.

How were you helping?

What is this?

What? T.J., modeling glue
is for models, not for little brothers.

- Not funny.
- What?

What do we do? Do we take him
to the emergency room?

All right. Hold on. Hold on.

Let me see.

Okay, okay.

What were you doing?
It's two days before July Fourth.

Why are you even wearing
your costume?

Because I needed to rehearse.

Well, now you've got a beard.

All right.

- What is that, nail polish remover?
- Don't ask.

God, I've got, like, 500 errands to do.
I'm going to be so late for work.

- Babe, I got it. Go.
- Are you sure?

Go. G-O.

All right. Come here.
See how crazy you made Mom?

- All right. How's it feel?
- Good.

- You sure?
- I'm sure.

Okay. One, two, three.

Lieutenant Colonel Burton
reporting as ordered.

Lieutenant Colonel Burton,
will you tell us why we're here?

I made a mistake.
I failed to follow procedure, sir.

We're here because
a United States soldier is dead.

I understand, sir.

Lieutenant Colonel Joan W. Burton,

you failed to report
to medical personnel

the serious and life threatening actions
of your subordinate,

Sergeant Peter Belgrad.

This failure resulted in
later putting medical personnel,

a civilian and yourself at great risk,

and may have contributed
to your subordinate's untimely death.

As your commanding officer,
I am duty-bound to inform you

that I intend to take Article 15 action
against you.

You have three days
to respond to these charges.

If you so choose to fight
the Article 15 action,

you may write a statement.

But anything you say
can be used against you.

Pending the outcome of these charges,
I am relieving you of your command.

Have I made myself clear,
Lieutenant Colonel Burton?

Very clear, sir.

Dismissed.

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Who is it?
- It's Amanda, Mom.

- Is your mom all right?
- I was going to ask you the same thing.

But, yeah. My mom's okay. I think.

Kind of hard to tell.
She keeps it all inside.

- How about yours?
- She won't eat anything.

Do you guys talk?
Is everything all right?

Well, there've been problems.
It's my fault.

I keep trying to make things right,
but I don't know how.

I thought of saying I'm sorry,
but it just doesn't seem enough.

Well, have you tried?

Michael?

What is it? What's wrong?

They're saying Peter Belgrad
didn't die in the line of duty.

He didn't, Claudia Joy.
The man's a criminal, plain and simple.

This is why you called me home,
to talk about Belgrad?

I just met his widow.
Her name is Sarah.

They have two children.
She's going to lose all her benefits.

Their medical insurance, college tuition
for their children, living expenses.

All because you, Michael Holden,

have decided her husband
doesn't deserve a military funeral.

He assaulted a military policeman.
He stole a gun and took two hostages.

He could've killed you.
He would've killed you,

if we had not intervened.

He wasn't going to kill us, Michael.
You weren't there. I was.

Regardless, my course of action
is clear.

The man had a breakdown.
His wife left him.

Don't penalize her and the kids
for what he may have done wrong.

There is a code.

It's called the Uniform Code
of Military Justice.

I didn't make it up, but I believe in it.

That's why I swore
to uphold its principles.

Do you know him?
Did you ever meet Peter Belgrad?

You heard what happened to him
over there with Joan Burton.

He was not going to kill us, Michael.

He just wanted
to hear Joan say she was sorry.

Please.

Give Peter Belgrad a military funeral.
Give his family that closure.

I made a decision.
I will not go back on it.

- Michael, he's...
- Claudia Joy!

For 18 years I've listened
to everything you've said.

I've trusted your judgment.

But when it concerns the fundamental
truth of my professional life,

there is a line that divides me,
as a soldier,

from you as the soldier's wife.

And you've never crossed that line
until right now.

What are you doing?

Michael Holden is taking
Article 15 action against me.

I could be fined,
confined to my quarters, or arrested.

But regardless
of what the final judgment is,

I am no longer promotable.

- My career is essentially over.
- Is there nothing you can do?

I could fight it. I could write a statement
defending my actions.

- See if they'll consider it.
- And if they do?

Well, they could drop the Article 15.

Just give me
a letter of reprimand instead.

Maybe go on my record,
but I could return to duty.

Good. Then write the statement.

I can't do that.
I can't defend my actions.

They are indefensible.

You made a judgment call
about Peter Belgrad.

You were trying to protect him.

So what, you're just going to give up?
That's not like you, Joan.

You never give up.

I've been drinking.
Leaving bottles around the house.

Just like my father.

I swore I would never be like him.

That's why I joined the Army
in the first place.

You know where I come from,

you know how hard it was
for me to get here.

Now look at me.

I am a failure.

I failed as a soldier,
and I failed as your wife.

Hey. You haven't failed me, Joan.

Night. See you all.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Look, Marilyn,

I know a lot of people
do this kind of thing, but not me.

I feel guilty all the time.

But I am so happy.
I haven't been happy in a long time.

I got you this.

"To the world you may be one person,

"but to one person
you may be the world. "

- Yeah, it's pretty corny.
- No.

It's beautiful.

Well, now I am hallucinating.

You work here?

Well, the tip jar's full,
so something's working.

Can I get you two something? A refill?

No. No, I was just leaving.

Yeah.

Me, too.

Will apply
for dock space this month,

as dozens of new slips open up.

I think I got everything.

Have you been sitting there all day?

Not all day.

You're not going
to find him there, Mom.

If something happened to him,
they'll come tell us.

The rice goes in there.

Oh, okay.

It's nice having you help.

As I was sitting there this afternoon,
I thought, for the first time,

that I'm happy you're not going
to West Point.

Why?

Because I don't want you
to go through this. No one should.

Mom, I know you've been
going through a lot lately,

and I just want to say,
I really admire you.

Thank you, Jeremy.

And I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for everything I've done.
I never should have hit you.

It was wrong.

- Have you called about Frank?
- I did. No word yet.

Please keep trying.
This is so unfair to Denise.

We need to discuss this.

What is there to discuss, Michael?

You've made up your mind.
No military funeral for Peter Belgrad.

I understand.

I have to pay the caterers.
There's a lot to do today.

So, how many times
have you been deployed overseas?

Three times.
One lasted a year and a half.

That was in Kuwait. It was the hardest.
So, when are you off?

Three days. Iraq.

Marilyn was at the Hump Bar last night.

My condolences.

Girl nearly stripped her clutch
when she saw me.

She had no idea I worked there.
She was with a man.

The kind of man
who wasn't her husband.

Marilyn is having an affair?

And you are waiting until now
to tell me?

Well, excuse me,
but I worked until midnight last night.

Yeah, and my phone works 24 hours
a day and so does my front door.

Okay, Marilyn Polarski
is having an affair.

Hypocrite! I should've known.

I would like nothing more than to find
a stage with a microphone right now.

So, do you have any advice for me or...

My first deployment,
I didn't know what to expect.

There was a major in my unit.
A married guy, been on a lot of tours.

And he told me
not to contact my family.

Said the less I talked to them,
the less I would miss them,

and it would make it easier
for me to get through.

I called home only four or five times
in six months.

My son was two weeks old
when I learned he was born.

But the major was right.
It did make it easier, for me.

Four or five times in six months?

I don't think I could do that to Roxy.

- We can't tell anyone.
- Wait. Why not?

I was going to tell Trevor.
I mean, he knows her husband.

No, you can't do that.

I mean, maybe in civilian life you could,
if someone's cheating.

But not here.

We have to protect each other.
Even if it is Marilyn.

You still have to protect
another soldier's wife. It's our code.

- You're asking my advice, right?
- Yeah.

Well, here it is.

You call her every minute you can.

I hurt Pamela a lot.

Don't hurt your girl.

- Thank you, Pat.
- Colonel.

- Roland.
- Thank you for seeing me.

It's not a face we see around here
very often. Sit, please.

Joan is expecting the worst.
I don't know what to say to her.

- That's between the two of you.
- No, sir, I don't think so.

Not after what happened yesterday.

I'm sorry, Roland. I can't discuss
internal military affairs with a civilian.

Joan is experiencing
post-traumatic stress.

Similar to what caused Peter Belgrad
to take us hostage.

Now we both know the Army
puts a great deal of emphasis

on educating people about PTSD.

But a major problem I'm seeing
is the shame sufferers feel,

especially those
in positions of leadership,

and their own inability
to raise their hands and ask for help.

I should have identified
her problem sooner.

But maybe others should have as well.

You served with Joan.

You know the level of commitment
she's brought to 20 years of service.

The Army is her life.

And she's giving up.
She's just going to walk away.

I can't let that happen.

Joan has been a remarkable officer.
But she made a fatal error.

There's nothing I can do for her.

- Thank you for your time.
- You're welcome.

If it was your wife, I'm sure you
would fight for her integrity, too.

- How many is that?
- About 40 small plates, 20 large ones.

- Okay.
- How many people are coming?

About 75, but you always
count on more, so make that 90.

I've done so many of these events,
I could do it in my sleep.

- Don't you ever get tired of it?
- Sometimes.

But in the end, it's always worth it.

Think about all the places we've lived,
all the different people we've met.

Pretty fortunate.

I would never marry a soldier.

Amanda, you don't choose
who you love. It just happens.

Roxy?

Oh, hi there. Twice in one week, huh?
People are going to start to talk.

Look. This is really awkward,

and I know I've given you
and Pamela a hard time.

But I need you to do something for me.

I need you to please
keep what you saw between us.

Okay, well, let me first
be clear about something.

You haven't given Pamela a hard time,
you've been a bitch to her.

And second, you don't have
to worry about anything,

because I'm keeping my mouth shut.

Thank you.

You must really love
seeing me like this.

No, actually, I don't, Marilyn.

See, I've seen my fair share of pain
for one lifetime,

so I don't really get any pleasure
out of seeing others

carry it around with them
in their suitcase.

You're the only person
who knows about Eddie and me.

It was never supposed to get this far.
We were friends. Just friends.

My husband was deployed
and it just happened.

I don't know what to do.
After you saw us, it scared him.

He called me and told me it was over.

We both have kids.
We've been trying to end it.

But last night he really meant it.

It really is over.

And, you see, the thing is,

I'm in love with him.

I'm so in love with him.

What's that?

It's an application
for voluntary separation from the Army,

the first step to my retirement.

And you're certain
that's what you want?

Yes.

I've also requested entry into a VA
treatment center in Vermont for PTSD.

I'm going to start
with the 30-day inpatient program,

then I'm going to take it from there.

Mom? Come here. Hurry!

He's alive.

- He is? He is?
- Yes! I knew it.

Frank's on his way back as we speak.

Oh, my God.
My God, my husband is coming home.

Oh, my God.
My husband is coming home.

- Hi. Need any help?
- No, thanks. I've got it.

Okay.

I'm so happy about your dad.

Well, thanks. I always knew
he'd come home if he could.

He loves my mom
way too much to leave her.

Wow.

- That's such a romantic thing to say.
- Well, it's true.

You know, Amanda,
I talked to my mom.

I told her I'm sorry, like you said.

- How did it go?
- Good.

It feels like things
are finally getting better.

It's all so amazing, isn't it?
How this is all working out.

- Hey, Sergeant Polarski.
- LeBlanc.

You finally get to meet my girl.
This is my wife, Roxy.

Roxy, Sergeant Polarski.
One of the guys I'm deploying with.

Hi there, Sergeant.

You have to promise to keep an eye
on my man here.

Is this your wife?

- Yeah. Sorry. This is the wife. Marilyn.
- Hi.

- Hi. I'm Trevor LeBlanc.
- Yeah, I know Marilyn. We're friends.

The pageant's about to start.
You all want to sit at our table?

Thanks.

I received your application
for voluntary separation from the Army.

Yes, sir.

I'll consider it,
give you an answer tomorrow.

- Thank you, sir.
- Want to grab a seat?

Can I please
have your attention?

The kids have prepared
a special song.

O beautiful for spacious skies

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee!

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

Mommy! I've got to go pee. Real bad.

That's my boy.

- He's gone.
- What?

Chase. He's gone.
They deployed Delta Force.

Chase is gone.

Welcome. Welcome, everyone,
to another Independence Day picnic.

Today we commemorate the courage
of our forefathers

who, in 1776, through acts of bravery
and self-sacrifice,

guaranteed us the freedoms
that we now see

as our basic human rights.

Those rights are still being protected,
every hour, every day,

by the United States Military.

I've spent weeks planning this party.

The decorations, the food, the flowers.

Because I want it to be perfect.
Perfect for all of us.

That's what I do. It's what I love to do.

This has been one of the most
extraordinary weeks of my life.

I feel both devastated and elated.

Today I also feel shaken.

I feel shaken by what has happened,

wondering if I did enough,
if I said enough,

could have changed the outcome.

I married a committed military man,

and I have loved this military life.

I have also had
to put my personal opinions aside

to truly understand that our defenders
of freedom are fighting a bigger battle.

Not a political one.

Their battle goes beyond politics.
Beyond religion, race or gender.

They are the defenders for us all.

They are the defenders
of our differences.

As one soldier is taken away from us,
another returns to us.

There is balance in the universe,
a natural system of order.

Look beside each soldier and you will
find the people who fight with them.

The spouses, the sons, the daughters,
the families. We serve, too.

Their victories are our victories.
Their defeats are our defeats.

Together we fight for our freedom.

For 18 years, I have tried to be
the perfect wife and mother.

Each day I disappoint myself.

Human life isn't about perfection.

It is about accepting the flawed,

the misguided parts of ourselves.

We keep trying, we keep loving,
we keep believing.

Ready. Aim. Fire.

Ready. Aim. Fire.

Ready. Aim. Fire.

I am proud of the role
we play in maintaining peace

in our country and in the world.

I am proud to stand beside a man
whose integrity shines

like a diamond in the dust.

And I am proud to call myself
an Army wife.