Black Sheep Squadron (1976–1978): Season 2, Episode 7 - Forbidden Fruit - full transcript
I mean, I've talked with
guys who flew with Pappy.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna fit right in.
-Isn't this a photograph of your daughter?
-Yeah!
Well, you know, I could
swear I saw her on La Cava.
You and I are playing doctor, aren't we?
Greg, I just flew in.
Hi, Dad.
I mean, I really do like you, son.
But I'm not going to be
responsible for sending you up there.
Where you can get killed.
Can't you understand?
The Corps is my home!
As the war grinds on in the Pacific
and on the continent of Europe,
young men and women
flock to enlistment centers,
volunteering to fight
in this country's life and
death struggle against the
combined enemies abroad.
Training from coast to
coast, they learn a new trade,
the lessons needed
to survive in war.
From every corner of
this great nation, they
come eager, alert,
and the best on earth.
We wish them well
and pray for their safety.
All personnel scheduled to take the 10-15
air transport to Vela La Cava and Munda.
Check your orders with me on board.
- Going to fly with Boyington, huh?
- Yeah, that's right sergeant.
I, uh, hope you can hold your liquor, son.
Never had any trouble yet, Pop.
Lieutenant Samantha Green, I'm supposed
to go to the hospital on Vela La Cava?
- Yes, the hospital.
- Yeah.
- Good.
- I see.
What's a nice girl like you
gonna do in a dump like that?
Change bedpans, I suppose.
Hi, stranger.
How are things in Glocca Mora?
- There a what?
- Nothing.
I'm Lieutenant Samantha Green.
Jeff Pruitt.
I'm going to the
hospital on Vela La Cava.
I'm gonna be flying 214.
I had this flight instructor at Pensacola.
His name was Captain Freddie.
Call me Butch Whitaker.
A real old-time flying leatherneck.
He had me grounded at
Pensacola for almost two weeks.
While he double-checked my age and
enlistment through the War Department.
Had to stay two weeks to
get caught up in aerobatics
and the new radar
interceptors 'cause of that guy.
Hope I don't run into
anyone like that out here.
I don't think you will.
I've heard a lot about the Black Sheep.
And from what I hear,
they're a pretty rough bunch.
That's a paper glider sent
up by the publicity corps.
I mean, I've talked with
guys who flew with Pappy.
A spit-and-Polish outfit.
No nonsense and get the job done.
And plenty of air victories.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna fit right in.
Haba-haba.
No kidding, Lieutenant. I'm a good pilot.
You should see my flight school stats.
Number one in radar tracking,
number one in aerobatics,
number one in formation flying,
and number one in ground school.
And the last guy to graduate, huh?
[laughs]
Are you nervous?
Huh? No, hell no.
I always am when I hit a new duty station.
I mean, what will the people
be like or feel like they have?
Oh, yeah, that kind of nervous.
Yeah, sometimes.
Unidentified aircraft. Pull up! Pull up!
We have an R-14 taking off!
Get out of there!
Can you believe that guy?
He didn't even check with the tower.
Who is it?
That's the plane bringing
214 back from Sydney.
You mean you're not 214?
Are you kidding?
We've been flying off this dust
farm while Boyington and his boys
were wrecking a female population
in Sydney or Perth or wherever.
We're 367. That is 214.
I need some enlisted help.
To offload a 17th century pipe organ.
I just need that landing.
Landing? This is a good landing.
I thought so.
I thought there was this shadow
in front of me for a minute.
It looked like another plane.
See what it was?
A plane? It's a good plane.
Pleasure drinking with you.
Drinking. It's good drinking.
You're my kind of boy!
Introducing from
Sydney, Australia,
the new world contender, Harry
"The Rock" O'Shaughnessy!
[indistinct chatter].
These guys fly it!
[indistinct chatter]
Let's go, Rock!
You're going to have
to put gloves on his feet.
Let's go, Rock! Come on Rock.
I see more leaves on the
OST than I do on the tree.
[indistinct chatter]
Stanley, you're never going
to believe the deal I got.
You guys are really
the bottom of the barrel.
Okay, saddle up.
Let's get this big bird out of here.
Next stop, Australia.
That is if Boyington
left any of it floating.
Hope you didn't ruin my airplanes.
They were ruined when we got here, Major.
I suggest that you court-martial
your maintenance chief.
He beat up one of my pilots, and
he calls everybody "college boy."
This isn't Sydney.
They said they'd take me to Sydney.
They make a nice entrance, don't they?
I especially like that kangaroo.
You know, maybe this is
going to work out for both of us.
Maybe.
Hey, Andy, how you doing?
You brought a bunch of pre-adolescents
back in here. We're doing okay.
We had a real squadron here for a while.
Marines instead of college boys.
Well, I heard you beat
up one of those Marines.
-You know what's wrong with you?
-Yeah, I know what's wrong with me.
I'm a little hungover.
Standing here grinding a
hash with you isn't going to help.
Ah Ha, You're slowing down.
I'm going to tell you something.
One of those kangaroos is going
to beat the hell out of you, Micklin.
Hey, Boyington!
Hiya, Colonel, did you miss me?
Are you drunk?
No, sir, I'm not drunk.
I can't get drunk, you see,
because the flight surgeon he
gave me last year for being drunk,
and I can't get drunk.
Listen, just because we're
having a change of command
does not mean
that the war has stopped.
You're supposed to be
flying a mission in four hours.
[Laughing]
Now, how can I fly a mission in four hours
when it's going to be dark in four hours?
And if I fly a mission in four hours,
how can I hit my target in the dark, sir?
Nevertheless, that's what
you're going to be doing.
Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee.
Make that a pot of coffee. Come on.
How you doing, Sarge?
Are you the line chief?
No, I just stand here in the hot sun
sweating all these birds because I like it.
I'm the new replacement pilot.
Which one of these will be mine?
The one with the training wheel.
Hey, Larry, Casey, where
am I going to put this thing?
-How about down, Lieutenant?
-You just carry the orbers. All right?
Put it right over there by the window.
Quiet.
Oh, boy, it's going to look so good.
They're fractured.
Put that thing in, Swallow.
Now, Richards, go out on the plane
and get the pipes in the big long box.
Pipes, Lieutenant? Go now!
Boy, I can't believe that.
Jerry,
to put the pipes in,you're going to have to
cut holes in the ceiling.
You cut holes in the ceiling. It's
going to be raining int eh Sheep's Pen.
Hey, Captain. Yeah, who are you?
Replacement pilot, sir. Just got in.
Pilot?
Yes, sir. I'm looking for Major Boyington.
How old are you?
19. Hey, I've got to find him.
Well, try an op shack.
That's your best bet.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
-Hey, Larry.
-Did you miss me?
He's 19. I'm 12.
If I was 12, I wouldn't be here.
Perfect.
It's just beautiful, just
like I thought it'd be.
Just like I dreamed it'd be.
Anybody touch this thing, I'll
put a flock of nuts on your noggin.
Well, I may not touch it, French,
but I may set this organ on top of it.
Another thing was full of flowers
when I first saw it at the church.
O'Shaughnessy?
That's Harry O'Shaughnessy.
I was supposed to be
assigned to the hospital here.
Somebody was supposed to pick me up.
Harry O'Shaughnessy, I'd be
delighted to take you to court.
Why don't you select one of the
girls at the door before you go in?
Well, I met this girl last night.
Her name was Melissa.
At least I think her name was Melissa.
Anyway, we stole a Jeep....
Where'd you go?
OH!
-Listen, Major, you need some coffee.
-OOOOh!
Do yourself a favor, will you?
-Button it until you're sober.
-I'm all right. I'm not...
-Is that Major Boyington?
-Yeah, that's Pappy.
-That's the famous Captain Boyington.
-That's him.
-Hannah Green?
-Yes, ma'am.
-Dottie Dickson, I'm sorry I'm late.
I had a cpatain the had severe abdominal pain.
I had to cut him open again.
Crotch to collarbone.
Just laced him up and got right over.
How you doing, Bob?
See, you brought your
brother back with you.
Very funny guys.
Go on, get down. Go on, John.
Go on.
Colonel Lard?
Well, while you were on leave,
we've been getting ready for a big push
using Munda as a staging area.
Now, that's far enough down
the slot so that enemy bombers
have not been able to
penetrate during daylight hours.
However, last week they
switched to night raids.
They've been bombing by moonlight
and they've been damned effective.
And we've got to stop them.
Now, that means night
flights up the slot for you.
Yes, I know, I know, Captain.
How are you going to see
enemy bombers at night?
And how are you going to fly
formation without running lights?
Well, I'll tell you, it's going
to be difficult and risky.
But we're going to make it
work because we have to.
There'll be five other squadrons flying
out there the same time as you are,
patrolling different sectors.
That means we're going to be using only one
formation to avoid traffic difficulties.
It's going to be a Navy Cross, four planes
in the air from each squadron on rotation.
All right, any questions?
Well, I got a question.
Who in this chicken outfit
outfit is sober enough to
get out of their chair
and into their bird?
Who are you?
Jeff Pruitt, sir, replacement pilot.
And I'm ready to fly, Major.
Not this flight.
Sit down, son, I'll talk
to you when I get back.
Now, the rest of you out of your chairs.
-Oh no!
-Hey Bragg! You forgot something.
Ok
Now, right foot, left hand.
Jump up and down.
All right thats it. You three and me.
We're up in 5 minutes
Aussie's coast watch, confrirmed a couple dozen
enemy bombers had left Rabual, as expected at sunset
In daylight, we'd be
hunting at 20,000 feet.
But I was hoping to spot them against the high
siriuses so we were practically on the deck
10 minutes out we crossed into enemy
territory, and thats when it got hairy.
Ok you guys,
this is where we sweat off that Aussie booze
Nothing, will sober you quicker than
hurling through the dark at 300 knots,
with only an exhaust flame to guide on.
Look down, that's New Georgia
passing below. We missed it.
Standard rate turn on my count of three.
One, two, three.
Damn!
Any damage?
Just on my flight suit.
Same here.
Hey, Pappy, at least I'm sober now.
All right, stay close.
You may get lucky on the way home.
The Japanese hit the staging
area on Mundo again last night.
We lost 10,000 gallons of aviation fuel,
half the motor pool, and
a small arms ammo dump.
Damn!
Yes, sir.
-Drink.
-Thank you.
None of the intercepts worked?
Nope.
In two days, Admiral Halsey
is gonna try to pull off a miracle.
He's gonna unload the entire 3rd
Marine Division on Mundo in one night.
If those ships get caught in that bay,
hell, I don't even want to think about it.
Sir, isn't the Lexington with Halsey?
Yes, but more planes aren't the answer.
No, I know that, sir, but she
just came back from a refitting.
Now, she might have one of those new
radar-equipped night fighters on board.
And if she does, we could send that to
a forward base to use as a pathfinder.
Smart thinking, Colonel.
Thank you, sir.
Get on it. If they've got one,
have them ship it over to La Cava.
Yes, sir. Right away.
Say, excuse me, General.
Isn't this a photograph of your daughter?
Yeah. She's a nurse at Bethesda, Maryland.
Well, you know, I could swear I saw her
on La Cava, one of the new replacements.
Oh, that's impossible.
Yes, sir.
Don't frighten me like that.
Things are bad enough.
The thought of her on the same
island as the Black Sheep.
Yes, sir, I know what you mean.
Yeah, I was probably mistaken.
Still, it's a remarkable resemblance.
Sam is the image of her mother.
Sam?
Well, her name is Samantha,
but I've always called her Sam.
She's quite a tomboy.
Good morning. I'm Dr. Clarence Armbruster.
I'm here to give you your physical
before being attached to our base.
Oh, you scared me, Doctor.
Hi, I'm Samantha Green.
They call me Sam.
I'm sure they do.
I don't see any doctor's insignia.
Oh, well, that's because
we're up at the front, Sam.
You know what the front means.
The front means no frills.
Roll up your sleeves, get the job done.
I happen to be a lieutenant colonel.
But pay no attention to that either.
I'm a doctor first.
And out here, the only
thing that counts are results.
Okay, I'm convinced.
Well, good. Well, then why don't you
just come right over here and umm..
just jump up on the bed. That's it.
Just right over there on the bed.
You know, Doctor, I
already had a physical at E.M.
I bet those guys didn't give
you your dingo fever shot either.
Huh?
Just lie down right here.
Relax, be comfortable.
That's it.
Just lie down right there.
Be comfortable, close your eyes.
And take a deep breath.
Just what the heck do you
think you're doing, Doctor?
What am I doing?
I'm taking your pulse.
Taking your pulse
listens to your heartbeat.
You have a very, very strong heart.
I left my stethoscope
over at Dr. French's office.
Dr. French has my stethoscope.
My ding what?
Oh, your dingo. Dingo fever.
It's a new strain of virus that has entirely
blighted the entire French Polynesian population.
Just where did you learn
your medicine, Captain?
Uh... The, uh,
school of hard knocks.
You and I are playing doctor, aren't we?
Yeah.
[Laughing]
Well, there was this little
boy where I lived once,
and he always
loved to play doctor.
But when I play, it's for all or nothing.
What do you mean?
Well, I get to give you a physical, too.
Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course.
Yes, give me a physical. Yes!
Oh, that's nice.
Lets get on with that.
You're pretty nice to yourself, Lieutenant.
You can just hold onto that there.
Okay, now you lie down right
here, and I'll examine you, okay?
Yes.
Yes, right.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
Have fun getting out of here.
What?
Hey, oh, oh, oh, no, no, no, no.
Come back here.
Oh, I'm in trouble now.
What am I gonna do? Ah, Sam!
Oh, I'm sorry.
Hi, I'm the new replacement nurse.
Oh, hi. I'm Susan.
This is Nancy. Ellen.
-Hi
-I'm Sam.
Sam for Samantha, like Charlie
for Charlotte or Ted for Theodora.
Well, didn't your dad want a boy?
Why would my father want a boy?
I guess you're all kind
of wondering about these.
Oh, no.
Well, you're never gonna believe this,
but when I went into my room pretending
to be a doctor, he tried to examine me.
-We believe it.
-You do?
Yeah. With the black sheep
around, anything can happen.
What did he look like? Short, dark hair?
Bobby Boyle.
No, this guy was blonde about, ooh, 5'11".
He had-- oh, wait a second.
Casey Lawrence?
Larry?
My Larry?
There must be some kind of a mistake.
Oh, I'll bet it was somebody else.
I mean, if this guy were
pretending to be a doctor,
why wouldn't he pretend
to be this Larry, too?
That makes sense.
I mean, why would Larry
give Sam a physical?
He hardly ever gives me one.
It must have been somebody
using Larry's clothes.
Those black sheep are terrible.
Yeah, I'll bet they are.
What other little adventures
do I have to look forward to?
Oh, well, for starters, they'll offer
you a drink called a ticking Mickey.
-You're kidding.
-No.
They've tried it on all of us.
They told us they got it from an
island witch doctor, a rare native drink
that not only is supposed to make
you forget the war but prevents malaria.
We analyzed it.
100% pure grain alcohol spiked with ether.
You're okay for about a half
an hour, then wham, lights out.
But don't tell them we told you, okay?
Okay, I won't.
A ticking Mickey, huh?
What does the black sheep call it?
One B.S. special coming up.
First day we got on this
island, we mixed this drink
called the B.S. special
so it goes down the hatch, sweetheart.
Oh, that must be short
for black sheep, right?
We really should have
a toast, don't you think?
A toast, absolutely, a toast.
Toast, Bobby, make a toast.
What are you, nuts? The only thing I
could say, you can't say it makes company.
Tell it, Bobby, tell it.
Casey, you're the captain, you say it.
Sure.
-Happy New Year.
-Larry!
Happy New Year!
Aren't you drinking, with me?
Uh-um,this is the last bottle.
Thats right, we only permit newcomers
to drink the black sheep special.
-That's a tradition. Right, guys?
-Right.
-Hey, I'm a new arrival, where's mine?
-Oh, no, no.
Is something wrong?
Jeff, we got a different
drink for the pilot.
Yeah, it's a lot stronger, Jeff.
Not just a minute, Commander.
With all due respect, I may
look like a kid, but I'm not.
If this drink is part of black sheep
tradition, then I want my share.
Oh, Jeff, you've had
quite a bit to drink tonight.
Being your first night, now maybe, uh,
Sam, are we gonna have a toast or not?
Welcome to the black sheep, Jeff.
Welcome to the black sheep, Sam.
Uh, I think I'll go to my tent now.
Major Borington.
Lieutenant Jeff Pruitt, sir.
Remember, the new replacement pilot.
Ah, yeah, sure, Pruitt. Welcome aboard.
Thank you, sir.
How old are you?
Old enough to down a BS special.
But that's for... Replacements,
sir. They told me and Sam.
Sam?
Nurse Samantha Green.
She came in on the same flight.
Are we going up in the morning, Major?
We're not going up till I
give you a check ride?
Well, how about first thing in the morning?
We'll see, Pruitt.
Well, I'd appreciate it.
Well goodnight commander. Major.
I'd better keep an eye on him.
He drank a water glass full of that stuff.
-Hi Jerry
-I love you.
You're late.
Scotch on the rocks.
You remembered.
How can I forget.
- Hey, but Peppy, you can't do that.
- He just did it.
(laughing)
-You really want Scotch on the rocks?
-Yeah, I do.
- Two Scotch on the rocks.
My name's Greg Boyington.
You look like you need a little relief.
I didn't, but it's okay.
I'm Samantha Green.
My friends call me Sam.
(glasses clink)
So I read a lot, send a
lot, and played a lot of tennis.
Did just about everything I could think
of to kill time until college started.
In other words, you're saying
you had a lonely summer.
No, I didn't say that.
Okay, maybe I did.
Maybe it was.
Oh hell, why kid around?
That summer was a disaster.
Why?
-Do you know anybody in Washington?
-Sure, I know FDR, I know Eleanor.
Only by reputation.
(laughing)
- Well, my dad's a
big wick on Capitol Hill.
- Really?
- Yeah.
So the only guys that came around were either
shaking in their boots or using me to impress him.
I mean, I really loved my dad, but his
position was pure hell in my social life.
Well, no one's gonna care who
your father is around here, Sam.
-I hope so.
-I know so.
Greg, I just got in. I think I
better pack it in for the night.
Sure.
Good night.
Good night.
rKnock, knock.
- Come on in.
You're supposed to say who's there.
Well I can see in the mirror.
It's a game.
Sam, I'm a little old for games.
I guess I did behave a
bit like a kid the other night.
I mean, what's the harm in a little kiss?
eGreg, I just flew in.
Sam.
eHi, Dad.
Here it goes, here it goes, more.
All right.
Come on, come on.
I don't know which of my ex-friends
helped you, but when I find out,
-and using your mother's maiden name, that was, that was--
-Brilliant.
Inexcusable.
That's from Mom.
And that's from me.
That's why I wanna be a general.
Damn it, Sam, why did you do it?
22 years of service,
Bratton, you ask why?
But why here?
Why not a hospital ship, or
Hawaii, or Australia, or Timbuktu?
-Or Seton Hills.
-What?
Don't you remember?
I was six, we were stationed in Haiti,
there was a revolution or
rebellion or something going on.
Mom stayed with you.
So?
So I got shipped to the Seton
Hills School for young ladies?
Dad, I'm not six anymore,
I'm 22, and a Navy nurse.
But why here?
Because this is where the action is.
Look, they needed a
trauma trainer, so here I am.
Well, not for long,
I'm ordering you home.
You can't do that, Dad.
If I can move divisions,
I can move one daughter.
What about the other
nurses stationed here?
What about them?
Well, don't you think they have parents
who'd rather see them somewhere else,
somewhere safe?
You can't ship me home, Dad.
And you know it.
Damn.
Into the trenches!
Get away from that barge, you meatheads!
We're not quitting with that.
Quit showing off, put in some of that ammo.
Who's going crazy?
That's Boyle's bird!
Boyle!
What's he doing?
What are you doing Boyle?
Put some ammo in there!
Beat it, come on!
Taking your plane off under a sterafing
attack is a good way to win the Navy Cross.
It's an even better way to get killed.
You can't turn a
Corsair inside a Zero,
especially at 50 feet.
It's physically impossible.
Yet, I had just seen it done.
Damn.
If you'd have been on the ball,
we would have got that last one.
I didn't think that feather
merchant had it in him.
Boyle, you meathead, that was stupid!
Then I'm putting you in for a medal.
Tell you what, Major, I'll solve
for calling it my check, all right?
-Boyington?
-Yes, sir.
-I want a word with you.
-Yes, sir.
Stay right there, you understand?
Yes, sir.
Boyington, Halsey's sending a radar-equipped
night fighter from the Lexington tomorrow.
Oh, we can use it, sir.
Once she gets here,
she'll lead you to the bombers,
and after that,
it's all up to you.
Now, Greg, I told Halsey,
that he could unload his Marine division
tomorrow night without getting plastered.
Sir, you get that plane here, and he can.You have my word on it.
I've gotta get over
to Fleet for a meeting.
Otherwise, I'd stay around here and try to
straighten this all out, but I need a favor, Greg.
Yes, sir.
I've saved the butts of every one
of you black sheep at least once.
Yes, sir.
Yours, thousands of times.
(laughs)
Absolutely, General.
She's my daughter, Greg.
I know that, sir.
You don't understand, she's my daughter. She's my little girl.
She's the one I bounced on my knee.
She's the one I stayed up with all
night when she had the measles.
She's the one I taught to look both
ways when she crossed the street.
Well, what is it that you want, General?
-What I want--
- What you want...
is to put a fence around her to
declare off limits, isn't that right, sir?
I want you to be a friend.
Priut!
This isn't flight school.
You don't have to jump up and down
like a yo-yo every time you see me.
Yes, sir.
Your record says you
were first in aerobatics, first in tactics,
first in just about everything.
And after what I saw
today, I believe it, son.
Thank you, sir.
It also says that you're 19.
Yeah, that I am.
And there's a birth certificate,
some certified papers, and everything
but a letter from FDR swearing to your age.
Now, I don't believe that, son.
Hell, Major, why
should you be any different?
- Jeb, I like you.
I mean, I really do like you, son.
But I'm not going to be responsible
for sending you up there
where you can get killed.
Major, I'm nearly 20.
-Or if you prefer 19 and a half--
- I prefer the truth.
17, 16, 15, you're not--
- 19!
You've just flown your first
and last combat mission, son.
- I don't know how old I am.
I was abandoned as a child.
Maybe 17.
Maybe 16.
I've always said I never
cared what a black sheep did
as long as he pulled his own weight.
I mean, I didn't give a
damn about his drinking habits,
his personal habits,
his love life.
But this is different.
I mean, I have to draw the line somewhere.
I'm shipping you back home.
And I'm sorry.
You can't do that, sir.
I just did it.
Can't you understand?
The Corps is my home!
This is the first time in my life
I've ever been part of something.
Something I could be proud of.
Damn it, Major, this is all I've got!
I'll tell you what, kid.
You can stick around here for a while.
Maybe I can send you back home
without them finding out how old you are.
But no flying.
Yeah, that's like giving me ice
cream and telling me I can't eat it.
Don't you push me, son.
True to his promise,
General Moore arranged
for one of Admiral Halsey's new radar-equipped
F4U2s to be dispatched to Velo Likava.
The pilot was a Navy ace named
Lieutenant Commander Bill Ingram.
These planes had only been out in the
Pacific theater a little over three weeks.
We'd heard about them.
With that scope in the
lead plane,
we could find those bombers in heavy
fog or a moonless night.
But sometimes things don't work
out the way you planned them.
And lately, almost
nothing was going my way.
That July morning was no exception.
Somebody get that burning oil!
Get an IV going in an adrenaline stack
every five minutes of
whatever's on the list.
-How is he?
-He's alive, but he's going home.
Let's go!
Looks like the radar unit's okay, Major.
Big deal, nobody on the base
knows how to fly one of these things.
I'm gonna do it.
Boyle get on the horn and call fleet.
Okay.
I'm gonna take the course on the radio.
Mick, why don't you get this thing
mounted on my airplane by 19:30?
Oh, well, while I'm at it, why
don't I whip you up--
Hey, damn it, stop your jaw. Now you
get it mounted by 19:30, that's an order.
You heard the man, Richards!
Get out here and get
this thing on the Major's plane!
-Right!
-Move it!
- Right, Sarge!
Sir, this just isn't something
you can learn by radio.
I didn't ring you up to find out that it
couldn't be done because I'm gonna do it.
Just give me the information.
I can't, Major, the whole thing's visual.
Now how do I tell you the difference between
a cloud kickback on a scope and a ghost?
How do I explain scope densities?
Carefully, very carefully.
It's visual, sir!
If I can't show you on a
scope, I can't show you.
It's very sensitive and tricky.
Can I send you another pilot?
I have to be up in that slot by 19:30,
otherwise Admiral Halsey's gonna
be offloading that division by firelight.
All right, listen,
Major,
I'll cut the orders and be in there in 20
minutes, I might make it.
You gotta be kidding,
you'll never make it!
I'm gonna try, sir. Out.
Out.
- Things can't be that bad.
Hey, I saw what you did yesterday,
took that plane off and... Never mind.
No, go on.
Maybe it's better if you go home, Jeb.
To what?
An orphanage?
After all this, I've done all the long
division and algebra I wanna do in a lifetime.
Besides, where does a
general's daughter get off?
I mean, you got it made, Sam.
Your old man can flatten out all the bumps.
You never have to worry about anything.
Except being treated like a woman
instead of a general's daughter.
Look, even you're doing it.
I'm sorry, Sam.
I guess there's still
a lot I have to learn.
But there's one thing I do know, is that I
don't wanna go back to where I came from.
Nobody does.
Look, if I told you something
that might help you,
will you consider it very carefully
before making a decision?
Sure.
But what could you tell
me that could help me?
I mean, Boyington's gonna send me packing.
You know that smoking plane
that came in this afternoon?
It's a radar ship.
-So?
-So the pilot's in the hospital.
I talked to him a while ago,
and apparently he's the only
pilot on the base who knows
how to read a radar scope.
You told me you trained
in radar interceptors, right?
Jeb?
-Sam, you're the greatest.
-Am I?
What if they kill you?
What am I then, huh?
No matter what happens,
Sam, you'll always be my friend.
I wouldn't be.
Get that brace out of there.
That's my finger, Sarge!
Well, get it out of there. It's gonna
end up attached to this airplane, Sonny.
All right, move
this airfoil to the right.
Hey, you wanna put this bubblegum machine on in
there, will you do it, and I'll go have a beer.
It's not gonna work that way, Sergeant.
"It ain't gonna work that way, Sergeant."
Go get the rest of the glee club, 'cause I
don't know which end of this wrench is which.
Well, I have over five
hours in radar interceptors,
and three hours relating
to it in ground school.
To begin with, this cable can't
be on the outside of the ship.
Otherwise, it's gonna hit the side of
the ship and cause a ghost readout.
Guys are really in trouble here.
You try and fight the
way the sergeant has it set up,
you'll end up
crashing into a mountain.
Now, you're beginning to rile me, Sonny.
What's wrong with it?
-Everything.
-For instance.
The sergeant hung the scope upside down.
I ain't never seen one
of these things before.
Ain't nothing says up or down,
ain't no writing on the scope.
How are you supposed to tell?
Besides that, unless you've had a lot
of instruction on how to read a scope,
you're not gonna be able to tell
a ricochet kickback from a bogey.
You'll be up there chasing shadows, Major.
You don't believe me?
Call Fleet, talk to somebody else
who's familiar with these things.
They'll tell ya. You're in for a real pasting.
I suppose you're telling me
that you oughta fly this bird.
No, I don't think your man-o I
could tell much of anything to, Major.
Ain't that the truth?
I'm just telling you that without
instruction of flying a scope,
you're not gonna be
able to hit the target.
Flip the scope around and run the
radar cable up through the engine housing.
Ground the transmitter,
and make sure that the aileron controls
don't hit the 1600 docking transfer button.
Upside down?
You stood right there and
watched me put this thing on.
I didn't hear you complain.
I think I better go
get a pair of diagonals.
Andy, you think this scope flyin'
Is as hard as everyone makes it out to
be or do I have my head up and locked?
Yeah, maybe.
How old were you,
Andy, when you joined up?
-15.
-15?
There was this corporal in
boot camp that had me pegged.
I used to beat the tar out of him every day.
I told him if he opened his
mouth, I'd shut it for him permanent.
So why is it any different for this kid?
I don't know.
Maybe because there wasn't a war on then.
Well, if the kid knows how
to operate this doohickey,
I'd run his butt up in that
cockpit and chain him to it.
Sometimes it isn't easy, Andy.
Let's just hope that lieutenant
from the Lexington gets here on time.
Yep.
Okay, I'll say it.
I know Dad spoke to you.
I don't wanna know what he said, Greg.
Look, I'm a service brat.
The only guys I've ever
dated were in the Corps.
Either they quaked at the sight of
my father or they tried to lick his boots.
I don't think you're either of those.
At least I hope not.
No, but I'm something else.
I'm your father's friend.
That's the problem I'm
gonna have to work out.
Fair enough.
Just do it before the war's over.
And don't you dare get shot down.
Greg, just came in over the horn.
Coast watchers just logged Japanese
bomber formation heading our way.
That's it. We're taking off in three minutes.
One question, who's gonna read that scope?
That's not your problem, Don.
Your problem is keeping
your wing out of my ear.
(laughing)
Major, you sent it for me?
Yeah, Pruitt, now this is
against my better judgment.
But you're it.
You're gonna fly my bird.
Now if you bust it up, I'm
gonna hand you your hat.
With your head in it.
We hurled down our runway at 180
feet a second and climbed into the night.
Too much introspection never seems to pay.
Commanding a squadron presents some problems
so complex that they defy solutions.
So you stop making decisions with your
head and you do it with your instincts.
But I wasn't very happy with this one.
He was out there, 200 feet in front of me.
If I slid slightly
to the starboard,
I could see his profile bathe
in the light of the radar scope.
He was leading a desperate
flight to protect 3,000 Marines,
hundreds of miles to the
north, and he was only 16.
I'm picking up moving bogeys, sir.
Edge of the grid, 200
feet below us, 20 miles out.
Closing in at 250.
- All right, you guys, stay tight.
Son, you lead us in.
Lead us in behind them.
Course correction, standard rate
turn of 116 degrees on a count of three.
One, two, three.
Bring airspeed down to
120 knots for 40 seconds.
On my command, standard
rate turn to heading 063.
On three.
One, two, three.
We're coming up on 'em, sir.
We're on their altitude.
They should be dead ahead.
Now let's get 'em!
That's it, they're turning!
Way to go, Pruitt!
My money's on you, kid.
You got a home with us, Jeb.
And right there, 200 miles an
hour in eight degrees south latitude
and 158 degrees east
longitude, we took him in.
We adopted a little brother.
Neither the Navy nor the
Marines would ever take him away.
He was ours.
He was the littlest black sheep.
guys who flew with Pappy.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna fit right in.
-Isn't this a photograph of your daughter?
-Yeah!
Well, you know, I could
swear I saw her on La Cava.
You and I are playing doctor, aren't we?
Greg, I just flew in.
Hi, Dad.
I mean, I really do like you, son.
But I'm not going to be
responsible for sending you up there.
Where you can get killed.
Can't you understand?
The Corps is my home!
As the war grinds on in the Pacific
and on the continent of Europe,
young men and women
flock to enlistment centers,
volunteering to fight
in this country's life and
death struggle against the
combined enemies abroad.
Training from coast to
coast, they learn a new trade,
the lessons needed
to survive in war.
From every corner of
this great nation, they
come eager, alert,
and the best on earth.
We wish them well
and pray for their safety.
All personnel scheduled to take the 10-15
air transport to Vela La Cava and Munda.
Check your orders with me on board.
- Going to fly with Boyington, huh?
- Yeah, that's right sergeant.
I, uh, hope you can hold your liquor, son.
Never had any trouble yet, Pop.
Lieutenant Samantha Green, I'm supposed
to go to the hospital on Vela La Cava?
- Yes, the hospital.
- Yeah.
- Good.
- I see.
What's a nice girl like you
gonna do in a dump like that?
Change bedpans, I suppose.
Hi, stranger.
How are things in Glocca Mora?
- There a what?
- Nothing.
I'm Lieutenant Samantha Green.
Jeff Pruitt.
I'm going to the
hospital on Vela La Cava.
I'm gonna be flying 214.
I had this flight instructor at Pensacola.
His name was Captain Freddie.
Call me Butch Whitaker.
A real old-time flying leatherneck.
He had me grounded at
Pensacola for almost two weeks.
While he double-checked my age and
enlistment through the War Department.
Had to stay two weeks to
get caught up in aerobatics
and the new radar
interceptors 'cause of that guy.
Hope I don't run into
anyone like that out here.
I don't think you will.
I've heard a lot about the Black Sheep.
And from what I hear,
they're a pretty rough bunch.
That's a paper glider sent
up by the publicity corps.
I mean, I've talked with
guys who flew with Pappy.
A spit-and-Polish outfit.
No nonsense and get the job done.
And plenty of air victories.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna fit right in.
Haba-haba.
No kidding, Lieutenant. I'm a good pilot.
You should see my flight school stats.
Number one in radar tracking,
number one in aerobatics,
number one in formation flying,
and number one in ground school.
And the last guy to graduate, huh?
[laughs]
Are you nervous?
Huh? No, hell no.
I always am when I hit a new duty station.
I mean, what will the people
be like or feel like they have?
Oh, yeah, that kind of nervous.
Yeah, sometimes.
Unidentified aircraft. Pull up! Pull up!
We have an R-14 taking off!
Get out of there!
Can you believe that guy?
He didn't even check with the tower.
Who is it?
That's the plane bringing
214 back from Sydney.
You mean you're not 214?
Are you kidding?
We've been flying off this dust
farm while Boyington and his boys
were wrecking a female population
in Sydney or Perth or wherever.
We're 367. That is 214.
I need some enlisted help.
To offload a 17th century pipe organ.
I just need that landing.
Landing? This is a good landing.
I thought so.
I thought there was this shadow
in front of me for a minute.
It looked like another plane.
See what it was?
A plane? It's a good plane.
Pleasure drinking with you.
Drinking. It's good drinking.
You're my kind of boy!
Introducing from
Sydney, Australia,
the new world contender, Harry
"The Rock" O'Shaughnessy!
[indistinct chatter].
These guys fly it!
[indistinct chatter]
Let's go, Rock!
You're going to have
to put gloves on his feet.
Let's go, Rock! Come on Rock.
I see more leaves on the
OST than I do on the tree.
[indistinct chatter]
Stanley, you're never going
to believe the deal I got.
You guys are really
the bottom of the barrel.
Okay, saddle up.
Let's get this big bird out of here.
Next stop, Australia.
That is if Boyington
left any of it floating.
Hope you didn't ruin my airplanes.
They were ruined when we got here, Major.
I suggest that you court-martial
your maintenance chief.
He beat up one of my pilots, and
he calls everybody "college boy."
This isn't Sydney.
They said they'd take me to Sydney.
They make a nice entrance, don't they?
I especially like that kangaroo.
You know, maybe this is
going to work out for both of us.
Maybe.
Hey, Andy, how you doing?
You brought a bunch of pre-adolescents
back in here. We're doing okay.
We had a real squadron here for a while.
Marines instead of college boys.
Well, I heard you beat
up one of those Marines.
-You know what's wrong with you?
-Yeah, I know what's wrong with me.
I'm a little hungover.
Standing here grinding a
hash with you isn't going to help.
Ah Ha, You're slowing down.
I'm going to tell you something.
One of those kangaroos is going
to beat the hell out of you, Micklin.
Hey, Boyington!
Hiya, Colonel, did you miss me?
Are you drunk?
No, sir, I'm not drunk.
I can't get drunk, you see,
because the flight surgeon he
gave me last year for being drunk,
and I can't get drunk.
Listen, just because we're
having a change of command
does not mean
that the war has stopped.
You're supposed to be
flying a mission in four hours.
[Laughing]
Now, how can I fly a mission in four hours
when it's going to be dark in four hours?
And if I fly a mission in four hours,
how can I hit my target in the dark, sir?
Nevertheless, that's what
you're going to be doing.
Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee.
Make that a pot of coffee. Come on.
How you doing, Sarge?
Are you the line chief?
No, I just stand here in the hot sun
sweating all these birds because I like it.
I'm the new replacement pilot.
Which one of these will be mine?
The one with the training wheel.
Hey, Larry, Casey, where
am I going to put this thing?
-How about down, Lieutenant?
-You just carry the orbers. All right?
Put it right over there by the window.
Quiet.
Oh, boy, it's going to look so good.
They're fractured.
Put that thing in, Swallow.
Now, Richards, go out on the plane
and get the pipes in the big long box.
Pipes, Lieutenant? Go now!
Boy, I can't believe that.
Jerry,
to put the pipes in,you're going to have to
cut holes in the ceiling.
You cut holes in the ceiling. It's
going to be raining int eh Sheep's Pen.
Hey, Captain. Yeah, who are you?
Replacement pilot, sir. Just got in.
Pilot?
Yes, sir. I'm looking for Major Boyington.
How old are you?
19. Hey, I've got to find him.
Well, try an op shack.
That's your best bet.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
-Hey, Larry.
-Did you miss me?
He's 19. I'm 12.
If I was 12, I wouldn't be here.
Perfect.
It's just beautiful, just
like I thought it'd be.
Just like I dreamed it'd be.
Anybody touch this thing, I'll
put a flock of nuts on your noggin.
Well, I may not touch it, French,
but I may set this organ on top of it.
Another thing was full of flowers
when I first saw it at the church.
O'Shaughnessy?
That's Harry O'Shaughnessy.
I was supposed to be
assigned to the hospital here.
Somebody was supposed to pick me up.
Harry O'Shaughnessy, I'd be
delighted to take you to court.
Why don't you select one of the
girls at the door before you go in?
Well, I met this girl last night.
Her name was Melissa.
At least I think her name was Melissa.
Anyway, we stole a Jeep....
Where'd you go?
OH!
-Listen, Major, you need some coffee.
-OOOOh!
Do yourself a favor, will you?
-Button it until you're sober.
-I'm all right. I'm not...
-Is that Major Boyington?
-Yeah, that's Pappy.
-That's the famous Captain Boyington.
-That's him.
-Hannah Green?
-Yes, ma'am.
-Dottie Dickson, I'm sorry I'm late.
I had a cpatain the had severe abdominal pain.
I had to cut him open again.
Crotch to collarbone.
Just laced him up and got right over.
How you doing, Bob?
See, you brought your
brother back with you.
Very funny guys.
Go on, get down. Go on, John.
Go on.
Colonel Lard?
Well, while you were on leave,
we've been getting ready for a big push
using Munda as a staging area.
Now, that's far enough down
the slot so that enemy bombers
have not been able to
penetrate during daylight hours.
However, last week they
switched to night raids.
They've been bombing by moonlight
and they've been damned effective.
And we've got to stop them.
Now, that means night
flights up the slot for you.
Yes, I know, I know, Captain.
How are you going to see
enemy bombers at night?
And how are you going to fly
formation without running lights?
Well, I'll tell you, it's going
to be difficult and risky.
But we're going to make it
work because we have to.
There'll be five other squadrons flying
out there the same time as you are,
patrolling different sectors.
That means we're going to be using only one
formation to avoid traffic difficulties.
It's going to be a Navy Cross, four planes
in the air from each squadron on rotation.
All right, any questions?
Well, I got a question.
Who in this chicken outfit
outfit is sober enough to
get out of their chair
and into their bird?
Who are you?
Jeff Pruitt, sir, replacement pilot.
And I'm ready to fly, Major.
Not this flight.
Sit down, son, I'll talk
to you when I get back.
Now, the rest of you out of your chairs.
-Oh no!
-Hey Bragg! You forgot something.
Ok
Now, right foot, left hand.
Jump up and down.
All right thats it. You three and me.
We're up in 5 minutes
Aussie's coast watch, confrirmed a couple dozen
enemy bombers had left Rabual, as expected at sunset
In daylight, we'd be
hunting at 20,000 feet.
But I was hoping to spot them against the high
siriuses so we were practically on the deck
10 minutes out we crossed into enemy
territory, and thats when it got hairy.
Ok you guys,
this is where we sweat off that Aussie booze
Nothing, will sober you quicker than
hurling through the dark at 300 knots,
with only an exhaust flame to guide on.
Look down, that's New Georgia
passing below. We missed it.
Standard rate turn on my count of three.
One, two, three.
Damn!
Any damage?
Just on my flight suit.
Same here.
Hey, Pappy, at least I'm sober now.
All right, stay close.
You may get lucky on the way home.
The Japanese hit the staging
area on Mundo again last night.
We lost 10,000 gallons of aviation fuel,
half the motor pool, and
a small arms ammo dump.
Damn!
Yes, sir.
-Drink.
-Thank you.
None of the intercepts worked?
Nope.
In two days, Admiral Halsey
is gonna try to pull off a miracle.
He's gonna unload the entire 3rd
Marine Division on Mundo in one night.
If those ships get caught in that bay,
hell, I don't even want to think about it.
Sir, isn't the Lexington with Halsey?
Yes, but more planes aren't the answer.
No, I know that, sir, but she
just came back from a refitting.
Now, she might have one of those new
radar-equipped night fighters on board.
And if she does, we could send that to
a forward base to use as a pathfinder.
Smart thinking, Colonel.
Thank you, sir.
Get on it. If they've got one,
have them ship it over to La Cava.
Yes, sir. Right away.
Say, excuse me, General.
Isn't this a photograph of your daughter?
Yeah. She's a nurse at Bethesda, Maryland.
Well, you know, I could swear I saw her
on La Cava, one of the new replacements.
Oh, that's impossible.
Yes, sir.
Don't frighten me like that.
Things are bad enough.
The thought of her on the same
island as the Black Sheep.
Yes, sir, I know what you mean.
Yeah, I was probably mistaken.
Still, it's a remarkable resemblance.
Sam is the image of her mother.
Sam?
Well, her name is Samantha,
but I've always called her Sam.
She's quite a tomboy.
Good morning. I'm Dr. Clarence Armbruster.
I'm here to give you your physical
before being attached to our base.
Oh, you scared me, Doctor.
Hi, I'm Samantha Green.
They call me Sam.
I'm sure they do.
I don't see any doctor's insignia.
Oh, well, that's because
we're up at the front, Sam.
You know what the front means.
The front means no frills.
Roll up your sleeves, get the job done.
I happen to be a lieutenant colonel.
But pay no attention to that either.
I'm a doctor first.
And out here, the only
thing that counts are results.
Okay, I'm convinced.
Well, good. Well, then why don't you
just come right over here and umm..
just jump up on the bed. That's it.
Just right over there on the bed.
You know, Doctor, I
already had a physical at E.M.
I bet those guys didn't give
you your dingo fever shot either.
Huh?
Just lie down right here.
Relax, be comfortable.
That's it.
Just lie down right there.
Be comfortable, close your eyes.
And take a deep breath.
Just what the heck do you
think you're doing, Doctor?
What am I doing?
I'm taking your pulse.
Taking your pulse
listens to your heartbeat.
You have a very, very strong heart.
I left my stethoscope
over at Dr. French's office.
Dr. French has my stethoscope.
My ding what?
Oh, your dingo. Dingo fever.
It's a new strain of virus that has entirely
blighted the entire French Polynesian population.
Just where did you learn
your medicine, Captain?
Uh... The, uh,
school of hard knocks.
You and I are playing doctor, aren't we?
Yeah.
[Laughing]
Well, there was this little
boy where I lived once,
and he always
loved to play doctor.
But when I play, it's for all or nothing.
What do you mean?
Well, I get to give you a physical, too.
Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course.
Yes, give me a physical. Yes!
Oh, that's nice.
Lets get on with that.
You're pretty nice to yourself, Lieutenant.
You can just hold onto that there.
Okay, now you lie down right
here, and I'll examine you, okay?
Yes.
Yes, right.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
Have fun getting out of here.
What?
Hey, oh, oh, oh, no, no, no, no.
Come back here.
Oh, I'm in trouble now.
What am I gonna do? Ah, Sam!
Oh, I'm sorry.
Hi, I'm the new replacement nurse.
Oh, hi. I'm Susan.
This is Nancy. Ellen.
-Hi
-I'm Sam.
Sam for Samantha, like Charlie
for Charlotte or Ted for Theodora.
Well, didn't your dad want a boy?
Why would my father want a boy?
I guess you're all kind
of wondering about these.
Oh, no.
Well, you're never gonna believe this,
but when I went into my room pretending
to be a doctor, he tried to examine me.
-We believe it.
-You do?
Yeah. With the black sheep
around, anything can happen.
What did he look like? Short, dark hair?
Bobby Boyle.
No, this guy was blonde about, ooh, 5'11".
He had-- oh, wait a second.
Casey Lawrence?
Larry?
My Larry?
There must be some kind of a mistake.
Oh, I'll bet it was somebody else.
I mean, if this guy were
pretending to be a doctor,
why wouldn't he pretend
to be this Larry, too?
That makes sense.
I mean, why would Larry
give Sam a physical?
He hardly ever gives me one.
It must have been somebody
using Larry's clothes.
Those black sheep are terrible.
Yeah, I'll bet they are.
What other little adventures
do I have to look forward to?
Oh, well, for starters, they'll offer
you a drink called a ticking Mickey.
-You're kidding.
-No.
They've tried it on all of us.
They told us they got it from an
island witch doctor, a rare native drink
that not only is supposed to make
you forget the war but prevents malaria.
We analyzed it.
100% pure grain alcohol spiked with ether.
You're okay for about a half
an hour, then wham, lights out.
But don't tell them we told you, okay?
Okay, I won't.
A ticking Mickey, huh?
What does the black sheep call it?
One B.S. special coming up.
First day we got on this
island, we mixed this drink
called the B.S. special
so it goes down the hatch, sweetheart.
Oh, that must be short
for black sheep, right?
We really should have
a toast, don't you think?
A toast, absolutely, a toast.
Toast, Bobby, make a toast.
What are you, nuts? The only thing I
could say, you can't say it makes company.
Tell it, Bobby, tell it.
Casey, you're the captain, you say it.
Sure.
-Happy New Year.
-Larry!
Happy New Year!
Aren't you drinking, with me?
Uh-um,this is the last bottle.
Thats right, we only permit newcomers
to drink the black sheep special.
-That's a tradition. Right, guys?
-Right.
-Hey, I'm a new arrival, where's mine?
-Oh, no, no.
Is something wrong?
Jeff, we got a different
drink for the pilot.
Yeah, it's a lot stronger, Jeff.
Not just a minute, Commander.
With all due respect, I may
look like a kid, but I'm not.
If this drink is part of black sheep
tradition, then I want my share.
Oh, Jeff, you've had
quite a bit to drink tonight.
Being your first night, now maybe, uh,
Sam, are we gonna have a toast or not?
Welcome to the black sheep, Jeff.
Welcome to the black sheep, Sam.
Uh, I think I'll go to my tent now.
Major Borington.
Lieutenant Jeff Pruitt, sir.
Remember, the new replacement pilot.
Ah, yeah, sure, Pruitt. Welcome aboard.
Thank you, sir.
How old are you?
Old enough to down a BS special.
But that's for... Replacements,
sir. They told me and Sam.
Sam?
Nurse Samantha Green.
She came in on the same flight.
Are we going up in the morning, Major?
We're not going up till I
give you a check ride?
Well, how about first thing in the morning?
We'll see, Pruitt.
Well, I'd appreciate it.
Well goodnight commander. Major.
I'd better keep an eye on him.
He drank a water glass full of that stuff.
-Hi Jerry
-I love you.
You're late.
Scotch on the rocks.
You remembered.
How can I forget.
- Hey, but Peppy, you can't do that.
- He just did it.
(laughing)
-You really want Scotch on the rocks?
-Yeah, I do.
- Two Scotch on the rocks.
My name's Greg Boyington.
You look like you need a little relief.
I didn't, but it's okay.
I'm Samantha Green.
My friends call me Sam.
(glasses clink)
So I read a lot, send a
lot, and played a lot of tennis.
Did just about everything I could think
of to kill time until college started.
In other words, you're saying
you had a lonely summer.
No, I didn't say that.
Okay, maybe I did.
Maybe it was.
Oh hell, why kid around?
That summer was a disaster.
Why?
-Do you know anybody in Washington?
-Sure, I know FDR, I know Eleanor.
Only by reputation.
(laughing)
- Well, my dad's a
big wick on Capitol Hill.
- Really?
- Yeah.
So the only guys that came around were either
shaking in their boots or using me to impress him.
I mean, I really loved my dad, but his
position was pure hell in my social life.
Well, no one's gonna care who
your father is around here, Sam.
-I hope so.
-I know so.
Greg, I just got in. I think I
better pack it in for the night.
Sure.
Good night.
Good night.
rKnock, knock.
- Come on in.
You're supposed to say who's there.
Well I can see in the mirror.
It's a game.
Sam, I'm a little old for games.
I guess I did behave a
bit like a kid the other night.
I mean, what's the harm in a little kiss?
eGreg, I just flew in.
Sam.
eHi, Dad.
Here it goes, here it goes, more.
All right.
Come on, come on.
I don't know which of my ex-friends
helped you, but when I find out,
-and using your mother's maiden name, that was, that was--
-Brilliant.
Inexcusable.
That's from Mom.
And that's from me.
That's why I wanna be a general.
Damn it, Sam, why did you do it?
22 years of service,
Bratton, you ask why?
But why here?
Why not a hospital ship, or
Hawaii, or Australia, or Timbuktu?
-Or Seton Hills.
-What?
Don't you remember?
I was six, we were stationed in Haiti,
there was a revolution or
rebellion or something going on.
Mom stayed with you.
So?
So I got shipped to the Seton
Hills School for young ladies?
Dad, I'm not six anymore,
I'm 22, and a Navy nurse.
But why here?
Because this is where the action is.
Look, they needed a
trauma trainer, so here I am.
Well, not for long,
I'm ordering you home.
You can't do that, Dad.
If I can move divisions,
I can move one daughter.
What about the other
nurses stationed here?
What about them?
Well, don't you think they have parents
who'd rather see them somewhere else,
somewhere safe?
You can't ship me home, Dad.
And you know it.
Damn.
Into the trenches!
Get away from that barge, you meatheads!
We're not quitting with that.
Quit showing off, put in some of that ammo.
Who's going crazy?
That's Boyle's bird!
Boyle!
What's he doing?
What are you doing Boyle?
Put some ammo in there!
Beat it, come on!
Taking your plane off under a sterafing
attack is a good way to win the Navy Cross.
It's an even better way to get killed.
You can't turn a
Corsair inside a Zero,
especially at 50 feet.
It's physically impossible.
Yet, I had just seen it done.
Damn.
If you'd have been on the ball,
we would have got that last one.
I didn't think that feather
merchant had it in him.
Boyle, you meathead, that was stupid!
Then I'm putting you in for a medal.
Tell you what, Major, I'll solve
for calling it my check, all right?
-Boyington?
-Yes, sir.
-I want a word with you.
-Yes, sir.
Stay right there, you understand?
Yes, sir.
Boyington, Halsey's sending a radar-equipped
night fighter from the Lexington tomorrow.
Oh, we can use it, sir.
Once she gets here,
she'll lead you to the bombers,
and after that,
it's all up to you.
Now, Greg, I told Halsey,
that he could unload his Marine division
tomorrow night without getting plastered.
Sir, you get that plane here, and he can.You have my word on it.
I've gotta get over
to Fleet for a meeting.
Otherwise, I'd stay around here and try to
straighten this all out, but I need a favor, Greg.
Yes, sir.
I've saved the butts of every one
of you black sheep at least once.
Yes, sir.
Yours, thousands of times.
(laughs)
Absolutely, General.
She's my daughter, Greg.
I know that, sir.
You don't understand, she's my daughter. She's my little girl.
She's the one I bounced on my knee.
She's the one I stayed up with all
night when she had the measles.
She's the one I taught to look both
ways when she crossed the street.
Well, what is it that you want, General?
-What I want--
- What you want...
is to put a fence around her to
declare off limits, isn't that right, sir?
I want you to be a friend.
Priut!
This isn't flight school.
You don't have to jump up and down
like a yo-yo every time you see me.
Yes, sir.
Your record says you
were first in aerobatics, first in tactics,
first in just about everything.
And after what I saw
today, I believe it, son.
Thank you, sir.
It also says that you're 19.
Yeah, that I am.
And there's a birth certificate,
some certified papers, and everything
but a letter from FDR swearing to your age.
Now, I don't believe that, son.
Hell, Major, why
should you be any different?
- Jeb, I like you.
I mean, I really do like you, son.
But I'm not going to be responsible
for sending you up there
where you can get killed.
Major, I'm nearly 20.
-Or if you prefer 19 and a half--
- I prefer the truth.
17, 16, 15, you're not--
- 19!
You've just flown your first
and last combat mission, son.
- I don't know how old I am.
I was abandoned as a child.
Maybe 17.
Maybe 16.
I've always said I never
cared what a black sheep did
as long as he pulled his own weight.
I mean, I didn't give a
damn about his drinking habits,
his personal habits,
his love life.
But this is different.
I mean, I have to draw the line somewhere.
I'm shipping you back home.
And I'm sorry.
You can't do that, sir.
I just did it.
Can't you understand?
The Corps is my home!
This is the first time in my life
I've ever been part of something.
Something I could be proud of.
Damn it, Major, this is all I've got!
I'll tell you what, kid.
You can stick around here for a while.
Maybe I can send you back home
without them finding out how old you are.
But no flying.
Yeah, that's like giving me ice
cream and telling me I can't eat it.
Don't you push me, son.
True to his promise,
General Moore arranged
for one of Admiral Halsey's new radar-equipped
F4U2s to be dispatched to Velo Likava.
The pilot was a Navy ace named
Lieutenant Commander Bill Ingram.
These planes had only been out in the
Pacific theater a little over three weeks.
We'd heard about them.
With that scope in the
lead plane,
we could find those bombers in heavy
fog or a moonless night.
But sometimes things don't work
out the way you planned them.
And lately, almost
nothing was going my way.
That July morning was no exception.
Somebody get that burning oil!
Get an IV going in an adrenaline stack
every five minutes of
whatever's on the list.
-How is he?
-He's alive, but he's going home.
Let's go!
Looks like the radar unit's okay, Major.
Big deal, nobody on the base
knows how to fly one of these things.
I'm gonna do it.
Boyle get on the horn and call fleet.
Okay.
I'm gonna take the course on the radio.
Mick, why don't you get this thing
mounted on my airplane by 19:30?
Oh, well, while I'm at it, why
don't I whip you up--
Hey, damn it, stop your jaw. Now you
get it mounted by 19:30, that's an order.
You heard the man, Richards!
Get out here and get
this thing on the Major's plane!
-Right!
-Move it!
- Right, Sarge!
Sir, this just isn't something
you can learn by radio.
I didn't ring you up to find out that it
couldn't be done because I'm gonna do it.
Just give me the information.
I can't, Major, the whole thing's visual.
Now how do I tell you the difference between
a cloud kickback on a scope and a ghost?
How do I explain scope densities?
Carefully, very carefully.
It's visual, sir!
If I can't show you on a
scope, I can't show you.
It's very sensitive and tricky.
Can I send you another pilot?
I have to be up in that slot by 19:30,
otherwise Admiral Halsey's gonna
be offloading that division by firelight.
All right, listen,
Major,
I'll cut the orders and be in there in 20
minutes, I might make it.
You gotta be kidding,
you'll never make it!
I'm gonna try, sir. Out.
Out.
- Things can't be that bad.
Hey, I saw what you did yesterday,
took that plane off and... Never mind.
No, go on.
Maybe it's better if you go home, Jeb.
To what?
An orphanage?
After all this, I've done all the long
division and algebra I wanna do in a lifetime.
Besides, where does a
general's daughter get off?
I mean, you got it made, Sam.
Your old man can flatten out all the bumps.
You never have to worry about anything.
Except being treated like a woman
instead of a general's daughter.
Look, even you're doing it.
I'm sorry, Sam.
I guess there's still
a lot I have to learn.
But there's one thing I do know, is that I
don't wanna go back to where I came from.
Nobody does.
Look, if I told you something
that might help you,
will you consider it very carefully
before making a decision?
Sure.
But what could you tell
me that could help me?
I mean, Boyington's gonna send me packing.
You know that smoking plane
that came in this afternoon?
It's a radar ship.
-So?
-So the pilot's in the hospital.
I talked to him a while ago,
and apparently he's the only
pilot on the base who knows
how to read a radar scope.
You told me you trained
in radar interceptors, right?
Jeb?
-Sam, you're the greatest.
-Am I?
What if they kill you?
What am I then, huh?
No matter what happens,
Sam, you'll always be my friend.
I wouldn't be.
Get that brace out of there.
That's my finger, Sarge!
Well, get it out of there. It's gonna
end up attached to this airplane, Sonny.
All right, move
this airfoil to the right.
Hey, you wanna put this bubblegum machine on in
there, will you do it, and I'll go have a beer.
It's not gonna work that way, Sergeant.
"It ain't gonna work that way, Sergeant."
Go get the rest of the glee club, 'cause I
don't know which end of this wrench is which.
Well, I have over five
hours in radar interceptors,
and three hours relating
to it in ground school.
To begin with, this cable can't
be on the outside of the ship.
Otherwise, it's gonna hit the side of
the ship and cause a ghost readout.
Guys are really in trouble here.
You try and fight the
way the sergeant has it set up,
you'll end up
crashing into a mountain.
Now, you're beginning to rile me, Sonny.
What's wrong with it?
-Everything.
-For instance.
The sergeant hung the scope upside down.
I ain't never seen one
of these things before.
Ain't nothing says up or down,
ain't no writing on the scope.
How are you supposed to tell?
Besides that, unless you've had a lot
of instruction on how to read a scope,
you're not gonna be able to tell
a ricochet kickback from a bogey.
You'll be up there chasing shadows, Major.
You don't believe me?
Call Fleet, talk to somebody else
who's familiar with these things.
They'll tell ya. You're in for a real pasting.
I suppose you're telling me
that you oughta fly this bird.
No, I don't think your man-o I
could tell much of anything to, Major.
Ain't that the truth?
I'm just telling you that without
instruction of flying a scope,
you're not gonna be
able to hit the target.
Flip the scope around and run the
radar cable up through the engine housing.
Ground the transmitter,
and make sure that the aileron controls
don't hit the 1600 docking transfer button.
Upside down?
You stood right there and
watched me put this thing on.
I didn't hear you complain.
I think I better go
get a pair of diagonals.
Andy, you think this scope flyin'
Is as hard as everyone makes it out to
be or do I have my head up and locked?
Yeah, maybe.
How old were you,
Andy, when you joined up?
-15.
-15?
There was this corporal in
boot camp that had me pegged.
I used to beat the tar out of him every day.
I told him if he opened his
mouth, I'd shut it for him permanent.
So why is it any different for this kid?
I don't know.
Maybe because there wasn't a war on then.
Well, if the kid knows how
to operate this doohickey,
I'd run his butt up in that
cockpit and chain him to it.
Sometimes it isn't easy, Andy.
Let's just hope that lieutenant
from the Lexington gets here on time.
Yep.
Okay, I'll say it.
I know Dad spoke to you.
I don't wanna know what he said, Greg.
Look, I'm a service brat.
The only guys I've ever
dated were in the Corps.
Either they quaked at the sight of
my father or they tried to lick his boots.
I don't think you're either of those.
At least I hope not.
No, but I'm something else.
I'm your father's friend.
That's the problem I'm
gonna have to work out.
Fair enough.
Just do it before the war's over.
And don't you dare get shot down.
Greg, just came in over the horn.
Coast watchers just logged Japanese
bomber formation heading our way.
That's it. We're taking off in three minutes.
One question, who's gonna read that scope?
That's not your problem, Don.
Your problem is keeping
your wing out of my ear.
(laughing)
Major, you sent it for me?
Yeah, Pruitt, now this is
against my better judgment.
But you're it.
You're gonna fly my bird.
Now if you bust it up, I'm
gonna hand you your hat.
With your head in it.
We hurled down our runway at 180
feet a second and climbed into the night.
Too much introspection never seems to pay.
Commanding a squadron presents some problems
so complex that they defy solutions.
So you stop making decisions with your
head and you do it with your instincts.
But I wasn't very happy with this one.
He was out there, 200 feet in front of me.
If I slid slightly
to the starboard,
I could see his profile bathe
in the light of the radar scope.
He was leading a desperate
flight to protect 3,000 Marines,
hundreds of miles to the
north, and he was only 16.
I'm picking up moving bogeys, sir.
Edge of the grid, 200
feet below us, 20 miles out.
Closing in at 250.
- All right, you guys, stay tight.
Son, you lead us in.
Lead us in behind them.
Course correction, standard rate
turn of 116 degrees on a count of three.
One, two, three.
Bring airspeed down to
120 knots for 40 seconds.
On my command, standard
rate turn to heading 063.
On three.
One, two, three.
We're coming up on 'em, sir.
We're on their altitude.
They should be dead ahead.
Now let's get 'em!
That's it, they're turning!
Way to go, Pruitt!
My money's on you, kid.
You got a home with us, Jeb.
And right there, 200 miles an
hour in eight degrees south latitude
and 158 degrees east
longitude, we took him in.
We adopted a little brother.
Neither the Navy nor the
Marines would ever take him away.
He was ours.
He was the littlest black sheep.