JAG (1995–2005): Season 10, Episode 20 - Unknown Soldier - full transcript
A Navy physician in Iraq has administered to a local child a drug which was in short supply in a field hospital; she now faces a pretrial hearing for having disobeyed an order and having endangered US military members; Harm prosecutes, and Mac and Bud defend; Bud presents evidence that the shortage had resulted from a mistake by the senior surgeon. The general's brother, William, served as a SEAL in SE Asia; a helo pilot died, but he saved William and his team. Unidentified remains have recently become discovered near the site in question; William strongly suspects that the body is that of the pilot; Vic and Catherine set out to find a relative and to get a sample of DNA; after a zigzag journey they find his brother in Memphis.
The L.Z. is hot.
Abort extraction.
Will rendezvous
at L.Z. bravo-niner.
Do you copy, Phantom One? Over.
Negative on canx extraction.
Move out. I'll keep them busy.
Let's go!
Move out!
Mayday.
We're going down.
Hel-Hello?
Hey, Biff, it's me.
William?
Is Mom okay?
No, Mom's fine.
Uh...
Something else.
MacKENZIE: The government
is going to try to paint you as a
loose cannon.
For treating an Iraqi child?
For administering a
drug in short supply
and endangering American
lives in the process.
Look, Colonel, I'm
not regular Navy.
In a civilian E.R.,
if I hesitate for a split
second, people die.
Well, on a battlefield,
if military protocol isn't
followed, Marines die.
Look, Lieutenant, unfortunately,
your civilian status ended
when your unit was
called up to active duty.
Your obligation
is to the military.
But all doctors,
military and civilian,
have to honor the
Hippocratic Oath.
We're sworn to treat patients
to the best of our ability.
In your initial statement,
you admitted the order
your C.O. gave you
was justified. Now,
the prosecution's
definitely going
to bring that up.
The order was justified,
if you only consider an
impersonal supply list.
Sure, we were short
of the drug I gave her.
But it was my obligation
to help that child.
MacKENZIE: We all have to
make hard choices.
You don't seem very
optimistic about my case.
I'm being realistic.
It's going to be
an uphill battle,
and when you testify,
I think you should consider
showing some remorse.
So I'm being found guilty
by my own defense counsel
before my hearing's
even started?
The Colonel and I are not here
to judge your
guilt or innocence.
The reason we're
here is to strategize
to find a way to make
sure that the hearing officer
doesn't recommend to
send you to court-martial.
The remains of a U.S. serviceman
have been discovered
in northern Laos.
The Department of Defense
hasn't been able to
identify the remains yet.
And what's the holdup, sir?
Since the advent
of DNA matching,
they've even identified
the Vietnam War's
Unknown Soldier.
Correct, but D.O.D. has
a very specific protocol
when it comes to
identifying remains.
It can take time.
I want you to go to Louisville.
Interview a former SEAL.
He believes he knows
the identity of this unknown.
William Cresswell?
My brother.
Treat him like anyone else.
Do you want me to file
something with D.O.D.?
When the time comes.
Do you know how many times
my brother has talked
to me about Vietnam?
Never.
So this must be
pretty important.
Maybe this investigation will
help him heal some old wounds.
I'll, uh, arrange for a vehicle
once you get there.
You'll have five days.
My brother and the
military didn't part
on the best of terms.
Wear civvies.
General, I-I don't think
I'm gonna need five days
just for an interview.
I've seen how hard
you've been working around here.
Not to mention you
almost got your six
shot off in Iraq... You
earned some R&R.
I think I heard you
mention something
about the New
Orleans Jazz Festival?
Well, I always wanted to go.
Well, whatever
time you have left,
it's yours.
Just bring your, uh,
your leave papers
to me personally.
That will be all, Lieutenant.
Aye, sir.
Hey, you want to
grab some lunch?
Um, Bud and I already ordered,
but you're welcome to join us.
Uh, no thanks.
Hey...
I haven't seen
much of you lately.
How's Mattie?
Well, she's, uh, about the same.
Is there anything I can do?
No.
Look, a-all I
really want to know
is if, uh, you and your client
have decided to accept my offer.
Okay, we got
broccoli and chicken
and sweet and sour...
Oh, Commander, hi.
Uh, excuse me for interrupting.
The commander was
asking if Lieutenant Chang
is ready to deal.
She is not gonna budge, sir.
She doesn't really have
much of a leg to stand
on, though, does she?
Actually, I think
Lieutenant Chang
deserves a medal.
Doctor in the field
gives a life-saving
drug to a child.
Possibly denying
it to our own troops.
But Commander, she's the
kind of doctor who goes all out.
The kind you'd want for Mattie.
Uh, if you'll excuse
me, I have to find
Lieutenant Vukovic
for the general.
Good luck.
I rarely see the guy
since he started here.
You'd probably have better
luck, sir, if you were a woman.
I'll see you two in court,
at Lieutenant
Chang's Article 32.
Hey, Coates, it's Vic.
Oh, the flight was fine, thanks.
Listen, the, uh, General said
that he would have a
car waiting here for me.
Did you make a reservation?
Never mind. My
ride's here, and, uh...
thank the general
for me. It's a beauty.
Lieutenant Graves.
Oh. Catherine.
Do you mind if I
drive, Catherine?
Actually, I do. But...
you let me drive in San
Diego. That was a rental.
This is my baby.
Nobody drives my baby but me.
So, what exactly
are you doing here?
Oh, well, there are
no open billets at JAG,
so General Cresswell
got me assigned to the Pentagon.
T.A.D.
Yeah, but w-what
are you doing here?
Since I don't have to
report in till Monday,
the general called me and
asked if I could do him a favor,
and, you know, get some
investigative experience.
And you just happened to
be in Louisville, Kentucky?
No, I was 33 miles
outside of Cincinnati,
and so I just, uh, backtracked.
Wow, you must want to
work at JAG pretty bad, huh?
Let's just say I
think I'd get along
with the people that work there.
♪ Do anything for you... ♪
North Vietnamese troops had
my SEAL team pinned down.
There was literally...
no way out, if, uh...
if that Huey hadn't
come along when it did...
It's okay, Mr. Cresswell.
Take your time.
That's all there is.
The helicopter went down.
The pilot died, and we lived.
Uh, it was a, uh, a
covert operation for us.
There were no dog tags, no IDs.
According to the file,
you believe the man was
Marine Lieutenant Joe Johnson.
Isn't that something?
A man you never
met gives his life
to save yours, and you never
even have a chance
to thank him for it.
Look, I-I owe him this, okay?
It's been 35 years. But when I
read that those remains were
found three clicks east of
Kham Keut, exactly where our
operation took place, and they
weren't able to identify them,
I knew this was my last chance.
Well, it should
be a simple matter
of gathering DNA evidence
from relatives. I
tried to find them.
The only thing I know for sure
is that he was from Vicksburg,
and, uh, both of his
parents are deceased.
I've-I've called City Hall
checking for records...
nothing.
Well, what is it exactly you
think we can do for you, sir?
I don't know, son.
Anything.
I can't sleep nights,
thinking that Joe Johnson
might end up going
from one unmarked
grave to another.
And, uh...
if you do find any relatives,
please let me know.
I'd like a chance
to talk to them.
So, Catherine, do you like jazz?
Well, I'm more
into old school R&B.
We're done here.
How about sipping
some hurricanes
down on Bourbon Street?
Cruise down to New Orleans,
catch the Jazz Festival?
I heard the Marsalis brothers
might be making a
surprise appearance.
But what do you mean,
"We're done here"?
No relatives, no DNA.
Well, but he did say the
family was from Vicksburg.
Good. When we get back to D.C.,
we'll call around Vicksburg.
Hey, maybe we
should go to Vicksburg.
After all, the True
Crime network does say
that the backbone of any
investigation is the leg work.
Mixing their anatomical
metaphors, I know.
Apparently, they're unaware
of a little invention
called the telephone.
It's very useful.
You might want
to write that down,
since it's your
first investigation.
It's my third.
Come on.
You and me, hot days, cool jazz.
We can leave Saturday night,
and we'll be back in
D.C. by Monday morning.
Look, I'm not abandoning
the investigation.
I'm only saying we can be
just as effective by phone.
That a girl.
Maybe I'll even throw
you a couple beads
on Bourbon Street.
Well...
any beads that've been
thrown to me on Bourbon Street,
I have earned.
Buckle up.
♪ The train keep on rolling ♪
♪ Keep on rolling ♪
♪ Down the tracks ♪
♪ Well, I'm gon' ♪
♪ Find me a place to hide ♪
♪ You know, you know ♪
♪ It's gonna be bad ♪
Are we there yet?
Are you hungry? I got doughnuts.
Um, wait a second. Where are we?
Vicksburg. Okay, look...
we could poke around all day
and still make it to
New Orleans for the start
of Jazz Festival.
I thought we agreed
that coming here
was a waste of time.
You agreed a little
more than I did.
And since it's my
car and I'm driving,
I guess you're just
along for the ride.
Okay, look.
This is my chance to
impress the general, okay?
To show him that I could
be useful on investigations.
I'm-I'm sure the general
wants to bring this
Marine home too,
but I don't think he expected
us to do it in one day.
Well, when someone
gives you a chance,
you should just try and
exceed their expectations.
Okay, Lieutenant Fortune Cookie.
Here's your coffee.
We should start over there.
The local newspaper is the
eyes and ears of a town like this.
Captain Smith,
would you please tell us
in what capacity you
know Lieutenant Chang?
I was her commanding officer,
and the senior physician
at the surgical company
that supported the Marines
near Ramadi. RABB:
Captain, would you please
describe the events
of March 5, 2005, sir?
Iraqi insurgents fired
an RPG at a U.S. convoy.
Uh, an Iraqi child got caught
in the explosion...
A six-year-old girl.
And she was brought to
your hospital? By her mother.
She had third-degree
burns over 60% of her body.
In cases like this,
there's a slim
chance of survival,
even in a
state-of-the-art facility,
let alone a field hospital.
But you treated her anyway.
Correct. We do our best
with limited resources.
We managed the girl's pain.
But because of burns
on the face and the neck,
she had trouble breathing.
The lieutenant
wanted to administer
the paralytic nerve
agent vecuronium
to help insert a breathing tube.
Did you agree
with the lieutenant's
proposed treatment, sir?
From a purely
medical standpoint, yes.
But we were short vecuronium.
It's needed for
trauma surgeries.
I instructed Lieutenant Chang
to use a standard
muscle relaxant instead.
Also effective.
Did the lieutenant
follow this order?
No. She administered
the vecuronium anyway.
And what was the result
of the lieutenant's actions?
We ran out of the drug.
A helicopter crew had
to brave enemy fire to get
to a neighboring medical
unit to replenish our supply.
What was the
lieutenant's attitude, sir,
when you told her
that she had endangered
U.S. military personnel
by not following orders?
Willful and without remorse.
Thank you, Captain.
I have no further questions.
Captain, you may step down.
This hearing will
take a short recess
and reconvene at 1400.
Joe Johnson?
I haven't heard that
name in 35 years.
You remember him?
Sure.
How could I forget?
That's Joe on the piano.
And that's me on the skins.
We called ourselves
the Red Barons.
Wore these fine-looking
red coats... Elroy's idea.
The girls really dug him.
Elroy?
Uh, fella on the guitar.
He's Joe's younger brother.
A wild man, even as a kid.
Brother?
William Cresswell called
the Vicksburg Hall
of Records and...
And it was like
Lieutenant Johnson
and his family never existed.
In the 1950s,
blacks didn't always
make the registers.
Births, marriages, deaths,
you name it... they all happened
without anyone
taking official note.
Well, is this brother,
Elroy... Is he still alive?
Mmm, who can say?
When Joe went M.I.A.,
Elroy took it real hard.
He left town without
saying a word.
What about, um, other
relatives of Joe's... anybody?
Mmm, none in Vicksburg.
Sorry, folks.
Is there anybody in town
that Elroy might have
stayed in touch with?
Only woman who ever
managed to pin old Elroy down
was Loretta McKee.
Last I heard, she
moved to Tutwiler.
Oh, I saw that on the map.
It's just north of
Highway 61, right?
Then turn off on 49.
It's about two and a half hours,
if you don't get
stuck behind a tractor.
Great. Thanks for your help.
Oh, uh, one more thing.
Uh, if you find
Elroy, give him this,
and tell him...
I hung onto it 40 years.
Now it's his turn.
Oh... No, no,
don't worry about it.
I'm tired of looking
at it, anyway.
I-I'm better looking now.
Are you sure this
is the right place?
There was only one Loretta McKee
in the Tutwiler phone book.
Lady sings the blues.
Well, the blues is
usually about a man,
not the man upstairs.
Do you have to argue
about everything?
I'm not arguing, I'm correcting.
♪ Lord... ain't
gonna let nobody ♪
Um... ♪ Turn me around... ♪
Excuse me, ma'am.
Didn't you see that
sign on the gate?
It says "No salesmen
on the premises."
Miss McKee, we're not
here to sell you anything.
Two white folks
traipse in my backyard,
they either peddling
swampland, or they got bad news.
Now, which one is it?
Well, we're here about
Elroy Johnson, ma'am.
Like I said, bad news.
Well, we just want
to speak with him.
I can't help you.
In 1971, when I found
the Lord and Elroy didn't,
that son of a gun divorced me
and eloped with a slutty,
juke-joint Jezebel whore.
Ma'am, please.
Uh, could you at least tell us
this Jezebel's whereabouts?
April-Dawn!
My sister and I haven't been
on speaking terms since '71,
so you'll have to
talk to her directly.
Uh, good afternoon, ma'am.
We're with the Judge Advocate
General's Office
of the U.S. Navy.
Well, at least I am.
A Navy man!
We're here because we might know
the whereabouts
of Elroy's brother's
remains.
I-I-I don't understand.
Tell her it means
they found Joe's bones.
Well, we may have,
but to confirm it,
we need a sample
of Mr. Johnson's DNA.
Our ex-husband actually
good for something?
The Lord sure works
in mysterious ways.
Mm-hmm!
Excuse me, Colonel,
do you have a moment?
I was hoping to meet
with Commander Roberts
before our hearing, but...
I just wanted to apologize
for speaking out of turn
with Commander
Rabb the other day.
You didn't do anything wrong.
Commander Rabb
has a lot on his mind,
and he hasn't been
willing to open up with me.
Has he talked with you?
Barely a hello or goodbye.
He's been spending a lot of
time at the hospital with Mattie.
Maybe you could plan
on being there with him.
If he won't accept help from
me, maybe he'll accept it from you.
I hope you're right, ma'am.
You know, Elroy believed
that their band would be
the next big thing
out of Mississippi.
Sure, like Ike Turner
and the Kings of Rhythm.
You sure know your music, honey.
Uh, any idea
where Elroy might
be nowadays, ladies?
Elroy and Joe
recorded this in a booth
at the '67 Mis-Lou Fair.
Oh, yeah, that's me and
April singing with him.
Come on, girl, here we go.
♪ Yeah, yeah, mockingbird ♪
♪ Everybody, have you heard? ♪
♪ He's gonna buy
me a mockingbird ♪
♪ And if that
mockingbird don't sing ♪
♪ He's gonna buy
me a diamond ring ♪
♪ And if that diamond
ring don't shine ♪
♪ He's gonna surely
break this heart of mine ♪
♪ And that's why ♪
♪ I keep telling everybody ♪
♪ Whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh... ♪
That was great!
The lieutenant really
loved music, huh?
Oh, he loved flying even more.
He dreamed that one day
they'd put a man on the moon.
And he even thought
it was possible
for a black man from
Vicksburg to be a decorated pilot.
I didn't believe
either one of them.
Shows you what I know.
Lieutenant, why are
you doing this for Joe?
Well, we received
a special request
from our commanding officer...
Because we believe
that Lieutenant Johnson
also dreamed of coming home.
Listen, if Elroy's anywhere,
he's traveling Highway 61.
But who knows what
he's calling himself today.
It's the road you came in on.
Snakes through
the Mississippi Delta,
right on up to Chicago.
They call it the Blues Highway,
'cause all the greats
have played every
juke joint along the way.
Sonny Boy Williamson...
Oh, yeah. B. B. King...
All right, now.
When Elroy and I took
off, we played them, too.
He must've been a
pretty talented musician
if he's still touring.
No. I was.
He resented it so
much, he started
auditioning other songbirds
behind my back.
Candy Graham?
Do you know where she might be?
Don't know where she was from.
Don't know where she might be.
The home wrecker.
More tea?
Are you sure this was
the last room in town?
Oh, it's not that bad.
Kind of reminds me of...
The Bates Motel?
Well, I was thinking
of something a
little more romantic.
I told you I'm on a "guy-atus."
Come on, do you think I
would make a play for you here?
Besides, we might be
working in the
same office together.
That hasn't stopped you before.
Who told you that?
Who hasn't told me that?
No, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no.
I called the bed first.
This is against regulations.
We can share the
bed, unless you think
you can't keep your
hands to yourself.
Oh, my God, do you even
have any women friends?
My sister.
Yeah, that doesn't count.
What is the problem here?
Most women enjoy the attention.
You make them smile,
you make them laugh...
Okay, we like the attention.
But if you run around
the office like a frat boy,
hitting on everybody,
it kind of takes
away the specialness.
I wasn't in a frat.
I'm talking about the type.
What is it, you didn't get
enough love from your Mommy?
Or what, you're a late bloomer,
overcompensating for
some shortcomings?
Oh, no, no, let me guess.
You were left at the altar
by the one woman
who you really loved.
Oh, my God, oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't... Who
was it? Was it...?
You know, while we're
analyzing each other...
you want to drag
us to every juke joint
from here to Chicago
looking for Candy Graham
just so you can impress
General Cresswell.
No, no, no, this isn't about
impressing General Cresswell anymore.
I realized we have to do
this for William Cresswell.
He's haunted by the
memory of that Marine.
I just... I thought we
could help him together.
I'm sorry, Catherine.
I think we've done all we can.
Well... I'm not giving up.
Good night.
Rise and shine, Vic.
To quote the
Bombshell Detective,
"Keep your gun in your
pocket, 'cause we got a plan."
I'm at the front desk
checking out, right,
and I see this record
player in the corner,
so I put on the 45 that
the McKee sisters gave us,
and guess whose
voice I heard singing?
Indira Diamond...
Also known as the
Mistress of Soul.
The label says "Candy Graham."
She must have
changed her name, huh?
You know, showbiz.
Or the person's name
could've been Candy Graham.
Yeah, but it's Indira Diamond.
It's not the best recording,
but I would know this
voice from anywhere.
I have followed this
woman's entire career.
I have every single album...
except for this one.
This is so great.
So, do you think she knows
where Elroy Johnson is?
Well, see, I'm thinking
he might have stayed
in touch with her...
You know, for the
sake of his career...
So I had the desk clerk
look up her tour schedule
on the Internet, and guess what?
Tonight is her last night
at the Slim Cat's
Lounge in Natchez.
Natchez? Yeah,
it's about 200 miles.
Back the way we came?
Yes.
This time, I'll let you drive.
♪ She may be weary ♪
♪ Women do get weary ♪
♪ Wearing that same
old shabby dress ♪
♪ But when she's weary ♪
♪ Try... a little...
tenderness. ♪
That sounded good, Tommy.
Keep it at that level.
Oh, my gosh, Miss
Diamond, I am such a big fan.
I'm sorry, I know you
hear that all the time,
but... wow, I'm such a big fan.
Where do I sign, sweetie?
Oh, um...
Actually, ma'am,
we're with the Navy.
Oh, do you want me
to do a U.S.O. tour?
No. That's not why we're here.
We understand that you
were married to Elroy Johnson.
We're trying to locate him.
I haven't heard
from him in years.
Well, do you have any idea...
Hey,
even when we were married,
I didn't know where he
was half the time, honey,
so sorry, I can't help you.
Miss Diamond, please.
We're trying to identify the
remains of his brother, Joe.
Joe?
Oh.
I'm sorry.
You took me off guard
when you mentioned Elroy.
Uh... I may be able to help you.
Are you trying to protect him?
Him? No.
Protect myself.
My heart, really.
I always thought we
would get back together.
But... well, I... got
a wedding invitation
from him about a year ago...
from a P.O. box
in Memphis, I believe it was.
Oh, well, at least
it's something.
You'll probably find him playing
along Beale Street somewhere.
We should call
William Cresswell,
let him know to meet us there.
Thank you, ma'am.
Mm-hmm.
Look, I really do
hope you find him.
Yeah. At some of the
U.S.O. shows back in the '70s,
oh, the Marines would
come up and tell Elroy
that they had known Joe
and they were proud
to have served with him.
But the shows started to
get hard for Elroy after that.
Oh, I think he started
to see Joe in the faces
of the other Marines.
Lieutenant Chang, why
did you use vecuronium
on the Iraqi child you treated?
Because medical
efficacy called for her
to get tubed and breathing.
Didn't you have other drugs
that were just as effective?
As effective, no.
This was our best bet.
MacKENZIE: But you
disobeyed a direct order. Why?
Because I was
sure it would work,
and it did.
We were able to
keep her airway open.
The next step was
to get her stable
and on a medivac
to the hospital ship.
I took her blood
sample to the lab.
It was maybe a
hundred yards away.
I was only away from her
bed for ten to 12 minutes.
I felt like all the air had
been sucked out of the room.
We'd been working
so hard to save this girl,
and in the course
of ten minutes,
she went from
having a chance to...
Had you ever lost
a patient before?
Yes, of course.
But I thought the whole
point of us being there
was to help these people.
And here's this one little girl,
suffering so much.
When she died...
it seemed like such a failure...
of everything.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Lieutenant, would
it be fair to say
you consider
yourself a doctor first
and a Naval officer second?
That would be a fair
statement, yes, Commander.
And you joined the reserves
in order to pay
for medical school,
so technically, you took
your military oath first,
and your Hippocratic
Oath second.
That's very clever, sir.
You were given, uh, self-defense
and field survival training
before being sent to Iraq,
correct? Yes.
Could you tell me
the correct procedures
for keeping an M-16 clean
and operational in
desert conditions?
Uh, you take...
What were your fam-fire
pistol range scores, Lieutenant?
I qualified.
After how many
attempts? Objection.
Your Honor, I'm
trying to establish
that Lieutenant Chang
considers herself
a doctor first and a
combat-ready officer not at all.
Look, my job is to patch
people back together,
not put bullets in them.
You must've realized,
Lieutenant, when you joined
the reserves, there was
a possibility you'd be sent
into combat. Yes.
And that part of saving lives
in the military, Lieutenant,
requires being a good officer.
Of course... And
being a good officer
and practicing medicine
in the military requires
following orders
from a senior officer.
Objection, Your Honor.
Counsel is testifying.
Withdrawn.
I have no further
questions, Your Honor.
♪ Don't you ever ♪
♪ Feel sad? ♪
♪ Lean on me... ♪
♪ When the times get bad ♪
♪ When the day comes ♪
♪ And I know you're down ♪
♪ In a river of trouble ♪
♪ And you thought you'd drown ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Hold on... ♪
We're running out
of places to look.
Then we must be getting close.
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Why don't you just
reach out to me, yeah ♪
♪ For satisfaction, yeah ♪
♪ All you got to do
is call my name ♪
♪ Whoo, for quick
reaction, hey, hey, hey ♪
♪ Hey-ey-ey-ey... ♪
♪ Oh, ho ♪
♪ Come on ♪
♪ If you need me ♪
♪ Oh, babe ♪
♪ Come on ♪
♪ Oh, hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming, oh ♪
♪ Hold on. ♪
Oh, you are wonderful.
I thank you all so very
much for coming tonight.
I'm Etta.
This is my place.
Did you have a great time?
Yeah!
Oh!
Thank you so much
for being here tonight.
You know what?
Y'all don't have to go home,
but you got to get
the heck out of here.
Thank you once again.
Good night, everybody.
Thank you. You're welcome.
That was even better
than the original.
Oh, I know a great
song when I sing it.
We're, uh, hitting the bars
looking for a guitar player
by the name of Elroy Johnson.
Hey, guys.
They're looking
for Elroy Johnson.
Oh, oh, I'm sorry, folks.
I mean, um, you all missed him
by about a year.
Uh, do you have any idea
where he's playing now?
Well, um, if he's
lucky, he's, uh...
he's backing the heavenly choir.
He-he passed away.
Uh, you know, his heart
just sort of jumped up
and attacked him one
night right after the show,
you know, and
that's not a bad way
for an old guitar
player to go, you know,
if you know what I mean.
I know what you mean.
There goes our last
hope for a DNA match.
I thought you didn't give up.
I'm sorry we made you
come all the way down here.
The only thing
I'm sorry about is...
Elroy died without
really knowing
what happened to his brother.
I was just a little too late.
There might still be some
other relatives out there.
We're going to do
some more checking
once we get to D.C.
Hey, I appreciate the
effort you both have put in.
Thanks for driving
me back to the airport.
Oh, it's the least we could do.
You bought breakfast.
You know, this doesn't look
like the way to the airport.
Hold on.
Hey, Vic, you want
to hand me the map?
No, the photo.
Yeah, no, I've seen it.
No, look... The
guitar in the photo.
The guitar player we met
on Beale Street had
"Lulubelle" painted on his guitar.
It's too small to
read in this picture,
but Elroy's guitar
has something painted in the
exact same place on the body.
If that was Elroy's guitar...
Then that might have been Elroy.
So, do we get
anything out of putting
Lieutenant Chang
back on the stand today?
Well, realistically,
ma'am, I don't think
she has anything to
say that would help her.
Well, we can go over
her civilian work record.
Bud, do you have
any extra legal pads?
No, ma'am. I ordered
some more and they sent me
15 mouse pads instead.
Supply's really been
screwing up lately.
Ma'am, I think we should
recall Captain Smith instead.
Captain, according to
your inventory records,
you received a
supply of vecuronium
two days prior to the incident
with Lieutenant Chang.
That's correct.
Now, how many patients
had been administered
with the drug between the time
that you received
your supply to the time
that Lieutenant Chang
gave it to the Iraqi girl?
None.
Well, how could
you have run out?
Let's look at the
requisition form, shall we?
In January, sir, you ordered
100 units of vecuronium.
In February,
you ordered 100
units of vecuronium.
Could you tell the
court, please, in March,
how many units of
vecuronium did you order?
Ten.
Hmm, now, below the
order line for vecuronium
is a requisition for ketamine.
And in January you
ordered ten units.
In February you
ordered ten units.
Can you please tell
the court, sir, in March,
how many units did you order?
100.
So, isn't it possible
that you mistakenly over-ordered
one drug and under-
ordered another?
That's exactly what happened.
So there should have
been enough vecuronium
for the Iraqi girl and any
potential American wounded?
But there wasn't.
No further questions.
That was my
mistake, and I'll take
responsibility for
it, but my order
to Lieutenant Chang was
correct under the circumstances.
I'm a doctor, too, Lieutenant.
I know there are children dying
outside the gates
of our compound
and I desperately wish
that we could be there
to save all of them.
But the military situation
we are currently in
does not allow us to do that.
Go away.
You've done enough damage.
We just want to talk
to your guitar player.
Well, he's not here.
You know, we were fine
until you came looking for him.
He was Elroy, wasn't he?
Yes,
but what does it matter?
He left.
The man's been on
the road his whole life.
I shouldn't have expected
him to stick around.
Do you know where
he went, ma'am?
He wouldn't tell me.
He didn't want me to have
to lie about where he was.
I may never see him again.
Why did he go running off?
Because I got three ex-wives
and you're a lawyer
if I ever seen one.
Elroy!
Halfway to the bus
station I decided,
"Mm-mm, I ain't running.
Not from the best thing
that ever happened to me."
Oh, don't you ever
do that to me again.
Mr. Johnson.
This is actually
about your brother.
Joe?
I... I served with
Joe in Vietnam.
I was there the
night he was killed.
No, they... they told me
he went missing
during some kind
of training exercise.
There's something I need to say.
I've never been able to
tell this to anyone before.
I still don't want a deal.
I think you'll be happy with
the government's new terms.
Let me guess.
I'll be administratively
separated
and not serve the last year of
my commitment to the reserves.
You'll have to pay back
a pro-rata portion
of your educational...
Not interested, Colonel.
I don't want out.
The prosecution is right.
I haven't taken my
military training seriously.
All the more reason to get out.
You can go back to being
a doctor first and foremost.
Do you know why
I'm a good doctor?
Because I've worked hard at it.
And I'm a lousy officer
because I've applied myself
to everything I've
ever done except this.
I won my state spelling
bee when I was eight.
I finished first in my class.
Undergrad and med school.
I'm even a 250 bowler.
But the one thing I've never
excelled at is the military.
It's one thing to find
something you're not good at,
but to not even try...
So... thank you for
your efforts, Colonel.
I'd like to accept the
consequences of my actions
and finish out my service.
The military needs
doctors more than ever.
I'm sure something
can be worked out.
The helicopter went up in flames
on the other side
of a small ridge.
The copilot and the gunner
had been thrown clear.
The other members
of my team, uh,
treated them while I made
my way to the wreckage.
Hang in there, Lieutenant.
Don't worry, buddy,
you'll be all right.
We're gonna get you out.
No...
no, you're not.
Don't let me burn.
It's okay.
Do it. Please.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Do it.
I'm very sorry.
You ain't got nothing
to be sorry about.
You did what you had to do.
I mean, what my
brother wanted you to do.
The mission.
Did y'all get that P.O.W. back?
Yeah, we all got back.
We had to hump it through
the jungle for four days,
but, yeah, we made it.
Then I'm glad my brother
didn't die for nothing.
You okay, honey?
Um, Mr. Johnson,
we're here because we believe
your brother's remains
have been found.
We'll need a DNA
sample from you to prove
that the remains
are your brother's,
and then he can be
returned to your family
and given a proper
military funeral.
You could take him
back to Vicksburg,
burying him with the family.
All these years...
not having him back...
having him... missing.
No.
I'm sorry, I don't understand.
I took it hard when
Joe went MIA.
Then I... I hit the road.
You know, in a way
it was like, you know,
Joe and I just didn't, you know,
get back in touch
with each other yet.
You know, uh...
an old friend you
keep meaning to call,
you just don't get around to it.
I'm gonna give y'all my DNA.
If it's him,
I want him buried in
a... veteran's cemetery.
That's good, baby.
But I don't want
to know... if it's him.
See, if he's still missing...
then I can tell myself,
you know, that...
Joe and I just
might, you know...
run into each other
again someday.
Abort extraction.
Will rendezvous
at L.Z. bravo-niner.
Do you copy, Phantom One? Over.
Negative on canx extraction.
Move out. I'll keep them busy.
Let's go!
Move out!
Mayday.
We're going down.
Hel-Hello?
Hey, Biff, it's me.
William?
Is Mom okay?
No, Mom's fine.
Uh...
Something else.
MacKENZIE: The government
is going to try to paint you as a
loose cannon.
For treating an Iraqi child?
For administering a
drug in short supply
and endangering American
lives in the process.
Look, Colonel, I'm
not regular Navy.
In a civilian E.R.,
if I hesitate for a split
second, people die.
Well, on a battlefield,
if military protocol isn't
followed, Marines die.
Look, Lieutenant, unfortunately,
your civilian status ended
when your unit was
called up to active duty.
Your obligation
is to the military.
But all doctors,
military and civilian,
have to honor the
Hippocratic Oath.
We're sworn to treat patients
to the best of our ability.
In your initial statement,
you admitted the order
your C.O. gave you
was justified. Now,
the prosecution's
definitely going
to bring that up.
The order was justified,
if you only consider an
impersonal supply list.
Sure, we were short
of the drug I gave her.
But it was my obligation
to help that child.
MacKENZIE: We all have to
make hard choices.
You don't seem very
optimistic about my case.
I'm being realistic.
It's going to be
an uphill battle,
and when you testify,
I think you should consider
showing some remorse.
So I'm being found guilty
by my own defense counsel
before my hearing's
even started?
The Colonel and I are not here
to judge your
guilt or innocence.
The reason we're
here is to strategize
to find a way to make
sure that the hearing officer
doesn't recommend to
send you to court-martial.
The remains of a U.S. serviceman
have been discovered
in northern Laos.
The Department of Defense
hasn't been able to
identify the remains yet.
And what's the holdup, sir?
Since the advent
of DNA matching,
they've even identified
the Vietnam War's
Unknown Soldier.
Correct, but D.O.D. has
a very specific protocol
when it comes to
identifying remains.
It can take time.
I want you to go to Louisville.
Interview a former SEAL.
He believes he knows
the identity of this unknown.
William Cresswell?
My brother.
Treat him like anyone else.
Do you want me to file
something with D.O.D.?
When the time comes.
Do you know how many times
my brother has talked
to me about Vietnam?
Never.
So this must be
pretty important.
Maybe this investigation will
help him heal some old wounds.
I'll, uh, arrange for a vehicle
once you get there.
You'll have five days.
My brother and the
military didn't part
on the best of terms.
Wear civvies.
General, I-I don't think
I'm gonna need five days
just for an interview.
I've seen how hard
you've been working around here.
Not to mention you
almost got your six
shot off in Iraq... You
earned some R&R.
I think I heard you
mention something
about the New
Orleans Jazz Festival?
Well, I always wanted to go.
Well, whatever
time you have left,
it's yours.
Just bring your, uh,
your leave papers
to me personally.
That will be all, Lieutenant.
Aye, sir.
Hey, you want to
grab some lunch?
Um, Bud and I already ordered,
but you're welcome to join us.
Uh, no thanks.
Hey...
I haven't seen
much of you lately.
How's Mattie?
Well, she's, uh, about the same.
Is there anything I can do?
No.
Look, a-all I
really want to know
is if, uh, you and your client
have decided to accept my offer.
Okay, we got
broccoli and chicken
and sweet and sour...
Oh, Commander, hi.
Uh, excuse me for interrupting.
The commander was
asking if Lieutenant Chang
is ready to deal.
She is not gonna budge, sir.
She doesn't really have
much of a leg to stand
on, though, does she?
Actually, I think
Lieutenant Chang
deserves a medal.
Doctor in the field
gives a life-saving
drug to a child.
Possibly denying
it to our own troops.
But Commander, she's the
kind of doctor who goes all out.
The kind you'd want for Mattie.
Uh, if you'll excuse
me, I have to find
Lieutenant Vukovic
for the general.
Good luck.
I rarely see the guy
since he started here.
You'd probably have better
luck, sir, if you were a woman.
I'll see you two in court,
at Lieutenant
Chang's Article 32.
Hey, Coates, it's Vic.
Oh, the flight was fine, thanks.
Listen, the, uh, General said
that he would have a
car waiting here for me.
Did you make a reservation?
Never mind. My
ride's here, and, uh...
thank the general
for me. It's a beauty.
Lieutenant Graves.
Oh. Catherine.
Do you mind if I
drive, Catherine?
Actually, I do. But...
you let me drive in San
Diego. That was a rental.
This is my baby.
Nobody drives my baby but me.
So, what exactly
are you doing here?
Oh, well, there are
no open billets at JAG,
so General Cresswell
got me assigned to the Pentagon.
T.A.D.
Yeah, but w-what
are you doing here?
Since I don't have to
report in till Monday,
the general called me and
asked if I could do him a favor,
and, you know, get some
investigative experience.
And you just happened to
be in Louisville, Kentucky?
No, I was 33 miles
outside of Cincinnati,
and so I just, uh, backtracked.
Wow, you must want to
work at JAG pretty bad, huh?
Let's just say I
think I'd get along
with the people that work there.
♪ Do anything for you... ♪
North Vietnamese troops had
my SEAL team pinned down.
There was literally...
no way out, if, uh...
if that Huey hadn't
come along when it did...
It's okay, Mr. Cresswell.
Take your time.
That's all there is.
The helicopter went down.
The pilot died, and we lived.
Uh, it was a, uh, a
covert operation for us.
There were no dog tags, no IDs.
According to the file,
you believe the man was
Marine Lieutenant Joe Johnson.
Isn't that something?
A man you never
met gives his life
to save yours, and you never
even have a chance
to thank him for it.
Look, I-I owe him this, okay?
It's been 35 years. But when I
read that those remains were
found three clicks east of
Kham Keut, exactly where our
operation took place, and they
weren't able to identify them,
I knew this was my last chance.
Well, it should
be a simple matter
of gathering DNA evidence
from relatives. I
tried to find them.
The only thing I know for sure
is that he was from Vicksburg,
and, uh, both of his
parents are deceased.
I've-I've called City Hall
checking for records...
nothing.
Well, what is it exactly you
think we can do for you, sir?
I don't know, son.
Anything.
I can't sleep nights,
thinking that Joe Johnson
might end up going
from one unmarked
grave to another.
And, uh...
if you do find any relatives,
please let me know.
I'd like a chance
to talk to them.
So, Catherine, do you like jazz?
Well, I'm more
into old school R&B.
We're done here.
How about sipping
some hurricanes
down on Bourbon Street?
Cruise down to New Orleans,
catch the Jazz Festival?
I heard the Marsalis brothers
might be making a
surprise appearance.
But what do you mean,
"We're done here"?
No relatives, no DNA.
Well, but he did say the
family was from Vicksburg.
Good. When we get back to D.C.,
we'll call around Vicksburg.
Hey, maybe we
should go to Vicksburg.
After all, the True
Crime network does say
that the backbone of any
investigation is the leg work.
Mixing their anatomical
metaphors, I know.
Apparently, they're unaware
of a little invention
called the telephone.
It's very useful.
You might want
to write that down,
since it's your
first investigation.
It's my third.
Come on.
You and me, hot days, cool jazz.
We can leave Saturday night,
and we'll be back in
D.C. by Monday morning.
Look, I'm not abandoning
the investigation.
I'm only saying we can be
just as effective by phone.
That a girl.
Maybe I'll even throw
you a couple beads
on Bourbon Street.
Well...
any beads that've been
thrown to me on Bourbon Street,
I have earned.
Buckle up.
♪ The train keep on rolling ♪
♪ Keep on rolling ♪
♪ Down the tracks ♪
♪ Well, I'm gon' ♪
♪ Find me a place to hide ♪
♪ You know, you know ♪
♪ It's gonna be bad ♪
Are we there yet?
Are you hungry? I got doughnuts.
Um, wait a second. Where are we?
Vicksburg. Okay, look...
we could poke around all day
and still make it to
New Orleans for the start
of Jazz Festival.
I thought we agreed
that coming here
was a waste of time.
You agreed a little
more than I did.
And since it's my
car and I'm driving,
I guess you're just
along for the ride.
Okay, look.
This is my chance to
impress the general, okay?
To show him that I could
be useful on investigations.
I'm-I'm sure the general
wants to bring this
Marine home too,
but I don't think he expected
us to do it in one day.
Well, when someone
gives you a chance,
you should just try and
exceed their expectations.
Okay, Lieutenant Fortune Cookie.
Here's your coffee.
We should start over there.
The local newspaper is the
eyes and ears of a town like this.
Captain Smith,
would you please tell us
in what capacity you
know Lieutenant Chang?
I was her commanding officer,
and the senior physician
at the surgical company
that supported the Marines
near Ramadi. RABB:
Captain, would you please
describe the events
of March 5, 2005, sir?
Iraqi insurgents fired
an RPG at a U.S. convoy.
Uh, an Iraqi child got caught
in the explosion...
A six-year-old girl.
And she was brought to
your hospital? By her mother.
She had third-degree
burns over 60% of her body.
In cases like this,
there's a slim
chance of survival,
even in a
state-of-the-art facility,
let alone a field hospital.
But you treated her anyway.
Correct. We do our best
with limited resources.
We managed the girl's pain.
But because of burns
on the face and the neck,
she had trouble breathing.
The lieutenant
wanted to administer
the paralytic nerve
agent vecuronium
to help insert a breathing tube.
Did you agree
with the lieutenant's
proposed treatment, sir?
From a purely
medical standpoint, yes.
But we were short vecuronium.
It's needed for
trauma surgeries.
I instructed Lieutenant Chang
to use a standard
muscle relaxant instead.
Also effective.
Did the lieutenant
follow this order?
No. She administered
the vecuronium anyway.
And what was the result
of the lieutenant's actions?
We ran out of the drug.
A helicopter crew had
to brave enemy fire to get
to a neighboring medical
unit to replenish our supply.
What was the
lieutenant's attitude, sir,
when you told her
that she had endangered
U.S. military personnel
by not following orders?
Willful and without remorse.
Thank you, Captain.
I have no further questions.
Captain, you may step down.
This hearing will
take a short recess
and reconvene at 1400.
Joe Johnson?
I haven't heard that
name in 35 years.
You remember him?
Sure.
How could I forget?
That's Joe on the piano.
And that's me on the skins.
We called ourselves
the Red Barons.
Wore these fine-looking
red coats... Elroy's idea.
The girls really dug him.
Elroy?
Uh, fella on the guitar.
He's Joe's younger brother.
A wild man, even as a kid.
Brother?
William Cresswell called
the Vicksburg Hall
of Records and...
And it was like
Lieutenant Johnson
and his family never existed.
In the 1950s,
blacks didn't always
make the registers.
Births, marriages, deaths,
you name it... they all happened
without anyone
taking official note.
Well, is this brother,
Elroy... Is he still alive?
Mmm, who can say?
When Joe went M.I.A.,
Elroy took it real hard.
He left town without
saying a word.
What about, um, other
relatives of Joe's... anybody?
Mmm, none in Vicksburg.
Sorry, folks.
Is there anybody in town
that Elroy might have
stayed in touch with?
Only woman who ever
managed to pin old Elroy down
was Loretta McKee.
Last I heard, she
moved to Tutwiler.
Oh, I saw that on the map.
It's just north of
Highway 61, right?
Then turn off on 49.
It's about two and a half hours,
if you don't get
stuck behind a tractor.
Great. Thanks for your help.
Oh, uh, one more thing.
Uh, if you find
Elroy, give him this,
and tell him...
I hung onto it 40 years.
Now it's his turn.
Oh... No, no,
don't worry about it.
I'm tired of looking
at it, anyway.
I-I'm better looking now.
Are you sure this
is the right place?
There was only one Loretta McKee
in the Tutwiler phone book.
Lady sings the blues.
Well, the blues is
usually about a man,
not the man upstairs.
Do you have to argue
about everything?
I'm not arguing, I'm correcting.
♪ Lord... ain't
gonna let nobody ♪
Um... ♪ Turn me around... ♪
Excuse me, ma'am.
Didn't you see that
sign on the gate?
It says "No salesmen
on the premises."
Miss McKee, we're not
here to sell you anything.
Two white folks
traipse in my backyard,
they either peddling
swampland, or they got bad news.
Now, which one is it?
Well, we're here about
Elroy Johnson, ma'am.
Like I said, bad news.
Well, we just want
to speak with him.
I can't help you.
In 1971, when I found
the Lord and Elroy didn't,
that son of a gun divorced me
and eloped with a slutty,
juke-joint Jezebel whore.
Ma'am, please.
Uh, could you at least tell us
this Jezebel's whereabouts?
April-Dawn!
My sister and I haven't been
on speaking terms since '71,
so you'll have to
talk to her directly.
Uh, good afternoon, ma'am.
We're with the Judge Advocate
General's Office
of the U.S. Navy.
Well, at least I am.
A Navy man!
We're here because we might know
the whereabouts
of Elroy's brother's
remains.
I-I-I don't understand.
Tell her it means
they found Joe's bones.
Well, we may have,
but to confirm it,
we need a sample
of Mr. Johnson's DNA.
Our ex-husband actually
good for something?
The Lord sure works
in mysterious ways.
Mm-hmm!
Excuse me, Colonel,
do you have a moment?
I was hoping to meet
with Commander Roberts
before our hearing, but...
I just wanted to apologize
for speaking out of turn
with Commander
Rabb the other day.
You didn't do anything wrong.
Commander Rabb
has a lot on his mind,
and he hasn't been
willing to open up with me.
Has he talked with you?
Barely a hello or goodbye.
He's been spending a lot of
time at the hospital with Mattie.
Maybe you could plan
on being there with him.
If he won't accept help from
me, maybe he'll accept it from you.
I hope you're right, ma'am.
You know, Elroy believed
that their band would be
the next big thing
out of Mississippi.
Sure, like Ike Turner
and the Kings of Rhythm.
You sure know your music, honey.
Uh, any idea
where Elroy might
be nowadays, ladies?
Elroy and Joe
recorded this in a booth
at the '67 Mis-Lou Fair.
Oh, yeah, that's me and
April singing with him.
Come on, girl, here we go.
♪ Yeah, yeah, mockingbird ♪
♪ Everybody, have you heard? ♪
♪ He's gonna buy
me a mockingbird ♪
♪ And if that
mockingbird don't sing ♪
♪ He's gonna buy
me a diamond ring ♪
♪ And if that diamond
ring don't shine ♪
♪ He's gonna surely
break this heart of mine ♪
♪ And that's why ♪
♪ I keep telling everybody ♪
♪ Whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh... ♪
That was great!
The lieutenant really
loved music, huh?
Oh, he loved flying even more.
He dreamed that one day
they'd put a man on the moon.
And he even thought
it was possible
for a black man from
Vicksburg to be a decorated pilot.
I didn't believe
either one of them.
Shows you what I know.
Lieutenant, why are
you doing this for Joe?
Well, we received
a special request
from our commanding officer...
Because we believe
that Lieutenant Johnson
also dreamed of coming home.
Listen, if Elroy's anywhere,
he's traveling Highway 61.
But who knows what
he's calling himself today.
It's the road you came in on.
Snakes through
the Mississippi Delta,
right on up to Chicago.
They call it the Blues Highway,
'cause all the greats
have played every
juke joint along the way.
Sonny Boy Williamson...
Oh, yeah. B. B. King...
All right, now.
When Elroy and I took
off, we played them, too.
He must've been a
pretty talented musician
if he's still touring.
No. I was.
He resented it so
much, he started
auditioning other songbirds
behind my back.
Candy Graham?
Do you know where she might be?
Don't know where she was from.
Don't know where she might be.
The home wrecker.
More tea?
Are you sure this was
the last room in town?
Oh, it's not that bad.
Kind of reminds me of...
The Bates Motel?
Well, I was thinking
of something a
little more romantic.
I told you I'm on a "guy-atus."
Come on, do you think I
would make a play for you here?
Besides, we might be
working in the
same office together.
That hasn't stopped you before.
Who told you that?
Who hasn't told me that?
No, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no.
I called the bed first.
This is against regulations.
We can share the
bed, unless you think
you can't keep your
hands to yourself.
Oh, my God, do you even
have any women friends?
My sister.
Yeah, that doesn't count.
What is the problem here?
Most women enjoy the attention.
You make them smile,
you make them laugh...
Okay, we like the attention.
But if you run around
the office like a frat boy,
hitting on everybody,
it kind of takes
away the specialness.
I wasn't in a frat.
I'm talking about the type.
What is it, you didn't get
enough love from your Mommy?
Or what, you're a late bloomer,
overcompensating for
some shortcomings?
Oh, no, no, let me guess.
You were left at the altar
by the one woman
who you really loved.
Oh, my God, oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't... Who
was it? Was it...?
You know, while we're
analyzing each other...
you want to drag
us to every juke joint
from here to Chicago
looking for Candy Graham
just so you can impress
General Cresswell.
No, no, no, this isn't about
impressing General Cresswell anymore.
I realized we have to do
this for William Cresswell.
He's haunted by the
memory of that Marine.
I just... I thought we
could help him together.
I'm sorry, Catherine.
I think we've done all we can.
Well... I'm not giving up.
Good night.
Rise and shine, Vic.
To quote the
Bombshell Detective,
"Keep your gun in your
pocket, 'cause we got a plan."
I'm at the front desk
checking out, right,
and I see this record
player in the corner,
so I put on the 45 that
the McKee sisters gave us,
and guess whose
voice I heard singing?
Indira Diamond...
Also known as the
Mistress of Soul.
The label says "Candy Graham."
She must have
changed her name, huh?
You know, showbiz.
Or the person's name
could've been Candy Graham.
Yeah, but it's Indira Diamond.
It's not the best recording,
but I would know this
voice from anywhere.
I have followed this
woman's entire career.
I have every single album...
except for this one.
This is so great.
So, do you think she knows
where Elroy Johnson is?
Well, see, I'm thinking
he might have stayed
in touch with her...
You know, for the
sake of his career...
So I had the desk clerk
look up her tour schedule
on the Internet, and guess what?
Tonight is her last night
at the Slim Cat's
Lounge in Natchez.
Natchez? Yeah,
it's about 200 miles.
Back the way we came?
Yes.
This time, I'll let you drive.
♪ She may be weary ♪
♪ Women do get weary ♪
♪ Wearing that same
old shabby dress ♪
♪ But when she's weary ♪
♪ Try... a little...
tenderness. ♪
That sounded good, Tommy.
Keep it at that level.
Oh, my gosh, Miss
Diamond, I am such a big fan.
I'm sorry, I know you
hear that all the time,
but... wow, I'm such a big fan.
Where do I sign, sweetie?
Oh, um...
Actually, ma'am,
we're with the Navy.
Oh, do you want me
to do a U.S.O. tour?
No. That's not why we're here.
We understand that you
were married to Elroy Johnson.
We're trying to locate him.
I haven't heard
from him in years.
Well, do you have any idea...
Hey,
even when we were married,
I didn't know where he
was half the time, honey,
so sorry, I can't help you.
Miss Diamond, please.
We're trying to identify the
remains of his brother, Joe.
Joe?
Oh.
I'm sorry.
You took me off guard
when you mentioned Elroy.
Uh... I may be able to help you.
Are you trying to protect him?
Him? No.
Protect myself.
My heart, really.
I always thought we
would get back together.
But... well, I... got
a wedding invitation
from him about a year ago...
from a P.O. box
in Memphis, I believe it was.
Oh, well, at least
it's something.
You'll probably find him playing
along Beale Street somewhere.
We should call
William Cresswell,
let him know to meet us there.
Thank you, ma'am.
Mm-hmm.
Look, I really do
hope you find him.
Yeah. At some of the
U.S.O. shows back in the '70s,
oh, the Marines would
come up and tell Elroy
that they had known Joe
and they were proud
to have served with him.
But the shows started to
get hard for Elroy after that.
Oh, I think he started
to see Joe in the faces
of the other Marines.
Lieutenant Chang, why
did you use vecuronium
on the Iraqi child you treated?
Because medical
efficacy called for her
to get tubed and breathing.
Didn't you have other drugs
that were just as effective?
As effective, no.
This was our best bet.
MacKENZIE: But you
disobeyed a direct order. Why?
Because I was
sure it would work,
and it did.
We were able to
keep her airway open.
The next step was
to get her stable
and on a medivac
to the hospital ship.
I took her blood
sample to the lab.
It was maybe a
hundred yards away.
I was only away from her
bed for ten to 12 minutes.
I felt like all the air had
been sucked out of the room.
We'd been working
so hard to save this girl,
and in the course
of ten minutes,
she went from
having a chance to...
Had you ever lost
a patient before?
Yes, of course.
But I thought the whole
point of us being there
was to help these people.
And here's this one little girl,
suffering so much.
When she died...
it seemed like such a failure...
of everything.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Lieutenant, would
it be fair to say
you consider
yourself a doctor first
and a Naval officer second?
That would be a fair
statement, yes, Commander.
And you joined the reserves
in order to pay
for medical school,
so technically, you took
your military oath first,
and your Hippocratic
Oath second.
That's very clever, sir.
You were given, uh, self-defense
and field survival training
before being sent to Iraq,
correct? Yes.
Could you tell me
the correct procedures
for keeping an M-16 clean
and operational in
desert conditions?
Uh, you take...
What were your fam-fire
pistol range scores, Lieutenant?
I qualified.
After how many
attempts? Objection.
Your Honor, I'm
trying to establish
that Lieutenant Chang
considers herself
a doctor first and a
combat-ready officer not at all.
Look, my job is to patch
people back together,
not put bullets in them.
You must've realized,
Lieutenant, when you joined
the reserves, there was
a possibility you'd be sent
into combat. Yes.
And that part of saving lives
in the military, Lieutenant,
requires being a good officer.
Of course... And
being a good officer
and practicing medicine
in the military requires
following orders
from a senior officer.
Objection, Your Honor.
Counsel is testifying.
Withdrawn.
I have no further
questions, Your Honor.
♪ Don't you ever ♪
♪ Feel sad? ♪
♪ Lean on me... ♪
♪ When the times get bad ♪
♪ When the day comes ♪
♪ And I know you're down ♪
♪ In a river of trouble ♪
♪ And you thought you'd drown ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Hold on... ♪
We're running out
of places to look.
Then we must be getting close.
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Why don't you just
reach out to me, yeah ♪
♪ For satisfaction, yeah ♪
♪ All you got to do
is call my name ♪
♪ Whoo, for quick
reaction, hey, hey, hey ♪
♪ Hey-ey-ey-ey... ♪
♪ Oh, ho ♪
♪ Come on ♪
♪ If you need me ♪
♪ Oh, babe ♪
♪ Come on ♪
♪ Oh, hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
♪ Hold on ♪
♪ I'm coming, oh ♪
♪ Hold on. ♪
Oh, you are wonderful.
I thank you all so very
much for coming tonight.
I'm Etta.
This is my place.
Did you have a great time?
Yeah!
Oh!
Thank you so much
for being here tonight.
You know what?
Y'all don't have to go home,
but you got to get
the heck out of here.
Thank you once again.
Good night, everybody.
Thank you. You're welcome.
That was even better
than the original.
Oh, I know a great
song when I sing it.
We're, uh, hitting the bars
looking for a guitar player
by the name of Elroy Johnson.
Hey, guys.
They're looking
for Elroy Johnson.
Oh, oh, I'm sorry, folks.
I mean, um, you all missed him
by about a year.
Uh, do you have any idea
where he's playing now?
Well, um, if he's
lucky, he's, uh...
he's backing the heavenly choir.
He-he passed away.
Uh, you know, his heart
just sort of jumped up
and attacked him one
night right after the show,
you know, and
that's not a bad way
for an old guitar
player to go, you know,
if you know what I mean.
I know what you mean.
There goes our last
hope for a DNA match.
I thought you didn't give up.
I'm sorry we made you
come all the way down here.
The only thing
I'm sorry about is...
Elroy died without
really knowing
what happened to his brother.
I was just a little too late.
There might still be some
other relatives out there.
We're going to do
some more checking
once we get to D.C.
Hey, I appreciate the
effort you both have put in.
Thanks for driving
me back to the airport.
Oh, it's the least we could do.
You bought breakfast.
You know, this doesn't look
like the way to the airport.
Hold on.
Hey, Vic, you want
to hand me the map?
No, the photo.
Yeah, no, I've seen it.
No, look... The
guitar in the photo.
The guitar player we met
on Beale Street had
"Lulubelle" painted on his guitar.
It's too small to
read in this picture,
but Elroy's guitar
has something painted in the
exact same place on the body.
If that was Elroy's guitar...
Then that might have been Elroy.
So, do we get
anything out of putting
Lieutenant Chang
back on the stand today?
Well, realistically,
ma'am, I don't think
she has anything to
say that would help her.
Well, we can go over
her civilian work record.
Bud, do you have
any extra legal pads?
No, ma'am. I ordered
some more and they sent me
15 mouse pads instead.
Supply's really been
screwing up lately.
Ma'am, I think we should
recall Captain Smith instead.
Captain, according to
your inventory records,
you received a
supply of vecuronium
two days prior to the incident
with Lieutenant Chang.
That's correct.
Now, how many patients
had been administered
with the drug between the time
that you received
your supply to the time
that Lieutenant Chang
gave it to the Iraqi girl?
None.
Well, how could
you have run out?
Let's look at the
requisition form, shall we?
In January, sir, you ordered
100 units of vecuronium.
In February,
you ordered 100
units of vecuronium.
Could you tell the
court, please, in March,
how many units of
vecuronium did you order?
Ten.
Hmm, now, below the
order line for vecuronium
is a requisition for ketamine.
And in January you
ordered ten units.
In February you
ordered ten units.
Can you please tell
the court, sir, in March,
how many units did you order?
100.
So, isn't it possible
that you mistakenly over-ordered
one drug and under-
ordered another?
That's exactly what happened.
So there should have
been enough vecuronium
for the Iraqi girl and any
potential American wounded?
But there wasn't.
No further questions.
That was my
mistake, and I'll take
responsibility for
it, but my order
to Lieutenant Chang was
correct under the circumstances.
I'm a doctor, too, Lieutenant.
I know there are children dying
outside the gates
of our compound
and I desperately wish
that we could be there
to save all of them.
But the military situation
we are currently in
does not allow us to do that.
Go away.
You've done enough damage.
We just want to talk
to your guitar player.
Well, he's not here.
You know, we were fine
until you came looking for him.
He was Elroy, wasn't he?
Yes,
but what does it matter?
He left.
The man's been on
the road his whole life.
I shouldn't have expected
him to stick around.
Do you know where
he went, ma'am?
He wouldn't tell me.
He didn't want me to have
to lie about where he was.
I may never see him again.
Why did he go running off?
Because I got three ex-wives
and you're a lawyer
if I ever seen one.
Elroy!
Halfway to the bus
station I decided,
"Mm-mm, I ain't running.
Not from the best thing
that ever happened to me."
Oh, don't you ever
do that to me again.
Mr. Johnson.
This is actually
about your brother.
Joe?
I... I served with
Joe in Vietnam.
I was there the
night he was killed.
No, they... they told me
he went missing
during some kind
of training exercise.
There's something I need to say.
I've never been able to
tell this to anyone before.
I still don't want a deal.
I think you'll be happy with
the government's new terms.
Let me guess.
I'll be administratively
separated
and not serve the last year of
my commitment to the reserves.
You'll have to pay back
a pro-rata portion
of your educational...
Not interested, Colonel.
I don't want out.
The prosecution is right.
I haven't taken my
military training seriously.
All the more reason to get out.
You can go back to being
a doctor first and foremost.
Do you know why
I'm a good doctor?
Because I've worked hard at it.
And I'm a lousy officer
because I've applied myself
to everything I've
ever done except this.
I won my state spelling
bee when I was eight.
I finished first in my class.
Undergrad and med school.
I'm even a 250 bowler.
But the one thing I've never
excelled at is the military.
It's one thing to find
something you're not good at,
but to not even try...
So... thank you for
your efforts, Colonel.
I'd like to accept the
consequences of my actions
and finish out my service.
The military needs
doctors more than ever.
I'm sure something
can be worked out.
The helicopter went up in flames
on the other side
of a small ridge.
The copilot and the gunner
had been thrown clear.
The other members
of my team, uh,
treated them while I made
my way to the wreckage.
Hang in there, Lieutenant.
Don't worry, buddy,
you'll be all right.
We're gonna get you out.
No...
no, you're not.
Don't let me burn.
It's okay.
Do it. Please.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Do it.
I'm very sorry.
You ain't got nothing
to be sorry about.
You did what you had to do.
I mean, what my
brother wanted you to do.
The mission.
Did y'all get that P.O.W. back?
Yeah, we all got back.
We had to hump it through
the jungle for four days,
but, yeah, we made it.
Then I'm glad my brother
didn't die for nothing.
You okay, honey?
Um, Mr. Johnson,
we're here because we believe
your brother's remains
have been found.
We'll need a DNA
sample from you to prove
that the remains
are your brother's,
and then he can be
returned to your family
and given a proper
military funeral.
You could take him
back to Vicksburg,
burying him with the family.
All these years...
not having him back...
having him... missing.
No.
I'm sorry, I don't understand.
I took it hard when
Joe went MIA.
Then I... I hit the road.
You know, in a way
it was like, you know,
Joe and I just didn't, you know,
get back in touch
with each other yet.
You know, uh...
an old friend you
keep meaning to call,
you just don't get around to it.
I'm gonna give y'all my DNA.
If it's him,
I want him buried in
a... veteran's cemetery.
That's good, baby.
But I don't want
to know... if it's him.
See, if he's still missing...
then I can tell myself,
you know, that...
Joe and I just
might, you know...
run into each other
again someday.