JAG (1995–2005): Season 3, Episode 5 - King of the Fleas - full transcript
In Georgetown, a paraplegic sidewalk accordionist, a Marine who was a POW in Vietnam, kills a Vietnamese man, then goes to JAG headquarters and confesses. Harm hopes to gain some information from the veteran about his father, and he tries to do so. The vet first spins a fanciful yarn for Harm, then he admits to the falsehood, and eventually he gives a remarkable account of the savage treatment accorded him and his fellow prisoners in a camp in North Vietnam. The Vietnamese man in the street was the camp commandant, who later got asylum in the US, and who had lived in the US for 16 years. The veteran recognized the man in the crowd on the sidewalk. The man approached to compliment his playing and, lured close, was stabbed to death. Harm volunteers to represent the vet in the civilian court.
(accordion playing
up-tempo melody)
MAN: Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
Faster! Faster!
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
(playing faster and faster)
Duhng ngi! Yeah!
Duhng ngi!
Ha!
Whoo!
Yeah! Yeah!
(music stops)
(cheering)
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Did you like that?
Good. Very good.
How can you play so fast?
Oh, I run faster than that.
You are amazing.
No, that's not amazing.
You want to hear
something truly amazing?
Yes.
Come here.
Okay.
MAN: Sir? Are
you all right, sir?
Do you need any help?
(soft groan)
Sir?
Following in his
father's footsteps
as a naval aviator,
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb, Jr.,
suffered a crash while
landing his Tomcat
on a storm-tossed
carrier at sea.
Diagnosed with night blindness,
Harm transferred to the Navy's
Judge Advocate General Corps,
which investigates, defends
and prosecutes the law of the sea.
There, with fellow JAG
lawyer, Major Sarah MacKenzie,
he now fights in and
out of the courtroom
with the same
daring and tenacity
that made him a
top gun in the air.
Those files or barricades?
Uh, I'm up to my
ears in the Jelke case.
Prelim is tomorrow.
Forensics?
Still waiting.
Precedent research?
Done.
You really should
get his wife in here.
On her way.
Uh, anything else?
(sighs)
Whoa! Oh!
I'm sorry.
Nice fruit salad.
Thanks.
Distinguished flying cross.
Did you see action?
Over Libya.
You did malice to the palace.
(chuckles)
Can I help you?
I want to confess.
To what?
A life of missed opportunity.
Whoa, whoa, Commander.
Put that away.
I'm self-reliant.
Former Marine.
I'm sorry. What was
your rank, Marine?
Bonehead, First Class, sir.
Was a credit to
imbeciles everywhere.
Toured the rice paddies.
Helped shape the
character of the nation,
as they say.
'Course, that gets
a little lost on you
when you're picking
leeches out of your jock.
Lieutenant.
This gentleman
wants to share some information.
The name's Willie.
Lieutenant Roberts, sir.
Lieutenant Roberts
will serve you, Willie.
I chose you, Commander.
Lieutenant Roberts
screens all the cases.
He will let me know
if we can be of help.
Right this way, sir.
WILLIE: I see you
subscribe to the war channel.
Well, those are, uh, news feeds.
Well, you got
more TVs than I do.
All right, what's
all this about?
I'm a murderer, Lieutenant.
Okay. Uh... what's
your full name?
William Harry Menkes.
M-e-n-k-e-s.
Branch of service?
Last held rank?
Year of discharge?
Marine Corps. Second Lieutenant.
March of '70.
Service Number 4111767.
"67." Wow. You
still remember it.
Lieutenant, these digits
are tattooed on my soul.
They're part of my DNA.
What was the, uh,
character of the murder, sir?
I don't understand.
Was it revenge,
an act of passion...?
It was an act of weakness.
Bud...
One moment, please?
Uh... excuse me.
(whispering): I thought you
had the sense to
convince our friend
to harass another agency.
Sir, he just
confessed to a murder.
Where and when?
He hasn't said.
He's toying with you, Bud.
I think he's looking
for a little attention.
You think I should
cut him loose, sir?
That would be my suggestion.
I'll do just that, sir.
Uh, Mr. Menkes...
I'm going to, uh, get
you some information
for the Veterans Administration.
Uh, they have a wide
variety of counseling services.
What are you
implying, Lieutenant?
Why, I think you need something
that we can't provide.
Bud, did we get the lab report
on the Jelke court-martial?
Oh, yes, ma'am.
It's on your desk.
Ah, bad idea, Bud. Why, ma'am?
Don't put things on my desk.
I'll never find them.
Where should I put them?
Not on my desk.
(sighs)
Sir?
He gone, Bud?
Sir, he left this on my desk.
"I don't appreciate
the skepticism.
"You will find my handiwork
at the corner of
M and 21st Street."
Yes, sir, I just got off the
phone with the D.C. Police.
They said that a Vietnamese
man was stabbed to death
at that location
three hours ago.
Anything?
Nothing, sir.
I checked all the offices.
What now, sir?
Keep looking.
He may not be our man,
but he might have
witnessed something.
Yes, sir.
Willie?
Hey. Hello, Commander.
Thought we'd lost you.
Naw, just answering
nature's call.
You want to talk
about the note, Willie?
I got your attention now.
Why don't you
come into my office?
You sure you're not too busy?
You going to need any help?
No. Hell, I've been doing
this by myself since I was two.
RABB: Did you kill
someone this morning, Willie?
Yes.
Tell us about it.
Well, I play M Street every day.
I do an eclectic mix...
F.M. hits, light classical
and ethnic standards.
Over the years, I've become
familiar with the crowd.
Neighborhood folk, mostly.
You know, people going
to work, dog walkers...
The dogs are my favorite.
I-I know every one
of them by name.
What happened today, Willie?
Today...
I met a man from my past.
The Vietnamese man.
All that time
and his face still
stung like a jellyfish.
He liked my music, so I
engaged him in conversation,
and when he got close,
I took his life away.
Why?
It was necessary.
Correction... retribution
for all those lost souls.
You talking about
the war in Vietnam?
He was the enemy,
and here he was
living here, enjoying
the fruits of liberty.
That didn't seem fair.
Have you killed other
Vietnamese civilians?
You mean, do I attack
fish sellers
and restaurant owners?
I knew him, Commander.
He was evil.
I did the world a favor.
(knocking on door)
Well... major attitude.
You have an impressive
bearing, ma'am.
I would like to have
served under you.
This is Mr. Menkes, Mac.
Um, do you have the
Jelke evidence list?
"Uncommon valor
with common virtue."
Now, who said that
about the Marine Corps?
Admiral Nimitz.
(playing romantic tune)
I'm serenading you, Major.
Mr. Menkes has just admitted
to murdering a
Vietnamese civilian.
WILLIE: I did not murder him.
You just told me that you did.
To me, murder is
something you regret.
I executed a man named Li Trang
today, but I came here
to confess to a murder
that happened 30 years ago.
MacKENZIE: You came
here to confess to a murder
you committed three decades ago?
I did.
You're not playing
with us, are you, Willie?
I can think of better playmates
than JAG officers.
No offense.
I expected you to
take me seriously.
So far, you have let me down.
Why did you wait until today?
Life is a circle,
Major.
This morning I completed
my first revolution.
This murder...
Did it take place in Vietnam?
Yes.
MacKENZIE: Where?
Near a gravel
airfield in Dong Ha.
"Dong Ha"?
South of the D.M.Z.
There was a prisoner
of war camp there in '70.
Now, how would you
know that, Commander?
You'd be barely old
enough to tie your shoes.
My father's M.I.A.
I've been looking for him
since I was old
enough to tie my shoes.
So you've, uh, researched
the camps, have you?
You wouldn't remember
any of the other prisoner's
names, would you?
Some.
What about Harmon Rabb?
Oh, it was a long time ago.
RABB: He went down
Christmas Eve of '69.
Harmon Rabb?
Naval Aviator.
Oh, we had a lot of
those in the camp.
Look, Willie, I have reason
to believe he survived
and was taken to Russia
at the end of the war.
Well, there was Russian
personnel at Dong Ha.
What?
There were Russians at the game.
What were they doing there?
Were they military?
I would say "yes" to that.
What was their relationship
with the P.O.W.s?
Willie, this is the first
eyewitness account I've heard
of Russians at the P.O.W. camps.
Now, even if my
father wasn't in this one,
this information could help me
to figure out where he ended up.
What did you think of my version
of the Marine Corps
hymn, there, Major?
Uh... unique.
I was inspired by
your exotic allure.
Stay with me.
Stop pushing me, Commander.
Hey! This is my time!
You don't give the orders here!
You're on my turf,
Marine! I ask, you answer!
Uh, I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
MAN: Thank you.
MENKES: Oh.
My hopes are dashed.
MacKENZIE: I am so embarrassed.
I figured after a half hour...
No, I'm sorry. I
had "lunch with..."
Dalton. Thanks.
Dalton" written in my book.
I looked at it this morning.
You got a lot on
your mind, you know.
Yeah. It's... it's
been hell week.
All right, give me an
hour to tie up loose ends,
and I'll meet you there.
Well, uh, I mean, If you
want to do this another time
when you're a
little bit less busy...
I can't imagine
when that would be.
All right, come on. Walk me out.
Okay.
LOWNE: How many
cases do you handle a year?
30, 40. Maybe more.
I'm around ten.
You're in private practice.
Yeah. Should we talk
about how much I make?
Uh, no.
Not even curious?
It's a different world, though.
Only 'cause you're
wearing a uniform.
You're relentless.
That's because I know
that you would make
a hell of a civilian lawyer.
How many times do
I have to say "no"?
Until you say "yes."
Well, Dalton, there's
a bigger issue here.
Huh?
Would you rather date
me or work with me?
Well, I want to be with you.
We've been seeing each
other almost every day.
Hardly enough.
Working together would
change our relationship.
Agree. Might end it.
Who can say?
I'm enjoying what we have.
Right. Okay.
Well, I can handle that.
I mean, it's not that hard.
I can, uh, marshal, uh, my...
resources.
Um, don't hurt yourself.
You got any coffee here?
Bud, give Mr. Menkes a
cup of coffee, would you?
Yes, sir.
Ooh! Uh, sorry.
Can I help you?
Detective Frank Coster, D.C.P.D.
I'm looking for
Lieutenant Roberts.
I'm Roberts.
I'd like to talk to you
a minute, if I may.
I'm Lieutenant Commander Rabb.
What's going on?
The Lieutenant called us earlier
about a homicide on M Street.
I'd like to know
how he knew about it...
Or should I be talking to you?
You should be talking to me.
Detective, can I have
a moment, please?
Who's that?
That's the man who
told us about the murder.
Then I should be talking to him.
Can I see some I.D.?
What?
I've been burned
before, Detective.
License, badge.
Can we get on with this?
I just mopped a stiff off
a Georgetown sidewalk
with tourists watching.
You got a name on that stiff?
Li Trang. Vietnamese local.
Community's already
hollering about racial violence.
Look, Detective,
I can understand your
problem, but we have...
The "but" leaves me the
impression you don't understand.
I'm conducting a JAG inquiry.
This gentleman may be
involved in a war crime.
Well, my homicide
trumps your war crime.
What's going on?
This is Major
MacKenzie. Detective...?
Coster.
He wants to question Willie.
Can you wait, detective?
No, Major. Look, Detective,
we don't want to stand in
the way of your investigation.
I don't want to stand in
the way of your inquiry.
Let me just talk to him for five
minutes. You can have him back.
I can't do it.
Can't or won't?
A.J. Chegwidden. You are, uh...?
Detective Coster, D.C. Police.
The man inside that
room is a suspect
in a civilian homicide
investigation.
When did he become a suspect?
During our conversation.
Detective, you're
on federal property.
You're going to
have to wait your turn.
Are there any
more of you people?
I'll give you ten minutes.
You'll give me
whatever I ask for.
Excuse me.
Admiral, I'm questioning
a former Marine,
who was a P.O.W. in Vietnam...
Dong Ha, to be exact.
He says a murder
took place back there.
(whispers): Dong Ha.
This is news.
I would agree, sir.
Uh, wh-what's this
about a civilian homicide?
A Vietnamese man was found
dead in Georgetown this morning.
He says he did it.
How much time you going to need?
It could take a while, sir.
Well, don't let it.
Detective, uh...?
Coster.
You can have your
man in half an hour.
Lieutenant, escort him
outside while he waits.
Sir?
Willie, this is
Admiral Chegwidden,
the Judge Advocate General.
It's an honor to meet you, sir.
Nice to meet you.
Willie,
my SEAL team was sent
in to liberate the camps.
When we got to Dong Ha,
all we found were empty huts.
As far as I know,
no one survived.
Well, I guess that
makes me a ghost, sir.
(both chuckle)
What happened to
those men, Willie?
It's a long story, sir.
Start at the beginning, Willie.
There was a planned escape.
Did anyone benefit from it?
No.
The plan failed?
To benefit anyone.
So you didn't escape?
Not at that time.
Well, what, there was
another attempt? What?
That's not what I said.
Well, you're not
making sense, Willie.
You're not listening.
Hey, don't screw around, Willie!
There's no reason to come
on this strong, Commander.
I'll tell you everything
you need to know,
if you let me.
We have 30 minutes, Willie.
Well, I've been
waiting 30 years.
Now, I would advise
you to listen and not react.
You're locked into
your assumptions.
Explain.
I asked for your time.
You went for your wallet.
I thought you were...
a lunatic cripple.
Those are your words.
I picked them out of your eyes.
Don't tell me what
I was thinking.
Commander.
Willie, you have information
that could bring
relief to families
who've waited, what...
30 years without a clue
as to what happened to their
sons or brothers, husbands...
why have you
kept it to yourself?
I haven't kept it, sir.
I... buried it.
Then it is time for you
to remove yourself
from the equation
and treat this simply
as information.
Now, can you do that?
(sighs)
Yes, sir.
The plan was simple.
There was a guard who
wore a grenade pack.
The idea was to overpower him
and set the barracks on fire
and blow the bamboo
fence and scatter.
The grenade... was a dud.
Eight men went down in a hail
of automatic fire...
and the rest of us...
the rest of us were made to
wish we had died with them.
Commander, can
I see you outside?
Yes, sir.
(door opens)
I have a briefing with SECNAV.
I suggest coaxing
instead of yanking.
It'll get you farther.
Yes, sir.
Talk to me later, Commander.
I want to know
everything he has to say.
Aye, sir.
What happened after
your escape failed, Willie?
Oh, there was a strong reaction.
They tried to break
your spirit, didn't they?
The V.C. were
master interrogators.
They were very accomplished.
Did they succeed?
Tell me what I
need to know, Willie.
Your father looked
like you, didn't he?
I look like my father.
You've studied this, Commander.
You know how it's done.
The captors find a seam
in the social
fabric of the camp.
They seek out the most
vulnerable individual.
Maybe he's wounded.
Maybe he feels guilty
about something.
They treat him with respect...
Tell him they've
got faith in him.
Eventually, they ask him
questions about the men...
About things that he never
thought he'd ever reveal.
Were you a collaborator, Willie?
Your father was.
RABB: What did you say?
What did you hear?
My father was not
a V.C. collaborator!
You weren't there.
He wouldn't have
done it. Period!
You're choking me.
Sir! Sir!
Sir?
My father was in Dong Ha.
Yes. You remember him.
Yes.
How old was he?
Late 20s.
What was his rank?
Lieutenant.
Where was he from?
He never said.
You're lying!
Sir...
Yeah, that's right.
It's easier to call me a liar
than accept the unacceptable.
He wasn't there.
Okay, let's accept
your story, then, huh?
Whatever makes you comfortable.
Why are you doing this, Willie?
You said you needed to know.
You've proven nothing.
Your... your father flew an F-4.
So did half the
aviators in Vietnam.
Th-There was
a nickname.
Uh... uh, "Hammer."
Yeah, his nickname
was "The Hammer."
Yeah, and he had
a little mustache.
Correct?
Someone could have
given you this information.
Yeah? Who might that be?
Hey, look,
I understand
you're... you're upset.
Okay?
You were young...
and he was your hero.
You knew him under
the best of circumstances.
And I lived with
him under the worst.
Now, after The
Hammer punched out,
some V.C. sympathizer
on the ground
skewered him with a pitchfork.
His right shoulder
looked like ground chuck.
After we cleaned him up,
he spent most of his time
fighting off a fever.
Now, I'm telling you this
because he was not always...
in the best frame of mind.
No notes.
Sir, I always take...
There's nothing of value
in this testimony.
We were malnourished, Commander.
Many of us were
stricken with malaria.
Most of us had injuries.
These were the
kinds of conditions
that led to compliance.
My father was strong-willed.
Surrender was not
in his vocabulary.
He was a human being.
And he was a committed one.
Once he pledged his word
he could not be
moved from his mark.
He was duty-bound.
I didn't say he
wasn't in conflict
but there were other pressures.
Duty is often compromised
by circumstance.
Anyone who goes into battle
is prepared for
those circumstances.
No. Nothing could
prepare you... nothing!
Now, you know the
stories, Commander.
There were P.W.s all over
Vietnam who were broken.
How much pain do you believe
that man could have endured?
He was a strong man.
Once on a fishing trip,
he accidentally fell
on his scaling knife.
We were miles from any hospital.
I watched him sew the
wound up with a bass hook.
He didn't want to frighten me,
so he told me shaggy-dog
stories while he was doing it.
Well, strength of
character is irrelevant
when you're trussed
up like a chicken...
The rope so tight that
the knees are popping out
of your sockets.
I know what went on.
I've spoken
to other P.O.W.s
from other camps.
Dong Ha had a
special hellishness.
It was more than mistreatment.
There was genuine evil present.
Lieutenant, do you believe
that there's evil in the world?
I believe that some
people do evil things.
What about courage?
Do you believe that
a man is capable
of repelling true evil?
RABB: Save your sermon, Willie.
Church is out.
Mac!
Hey.
Uh, hey. How's
it going in there?
It's going all right. He's
trying to manipulate us.
Well, you have six
minutes and 54 seconds.
Mac, I need your help.
If we can keep Coster busy,
he'll forget about the time...
No, I can't. I-I've already...
Got plans?
I'm on my way out.
I want to help, but I
have someone waiting.
Fine.
You know, I've already
wasted an hour of his day.
I'll do what I can.
Thanks.
Take a break, Lieutenant.
Are you sure, sir?
Mr. Menkes is
safe. Come on, Bud.
Commander thinks
I'm a bad influence
on you, Lieutenant.
Bud.
Sir, do you need anything?
Find out what you
can about Li Trang.
Aye, aye, sir.
Sir... are you okay?
Aces, Bud.
Is he done?
Uh, not yet. I was
just checking to see
if there's anything you need.
Yeah. Guy in a wheelchair.
Were you ever in the
military, Detective?
No. Got lucky in the lottery.
How long you been
in law enforcement?
23 years in June.
Wow. That's some achievement.
I actually gave some thought
to entering the academy.
That right?
I'm fascinated by the
criminal mind. Me, too.
It's just the hands
that don't thrill me.
(chuckling)
You made the right choice.
I think so.
This your first time at JAG?
Yeah. It's impressive.
Would you like me
to show you around?
That's all right.
Are you sure? It
doesn't take long.
It'll take longer than
the six minutes I have left
to take custody of my suspect.
You're trying to stall
me, aren't you, Major?
The Commander
must need more time.
Blink twice if I'm right.
What difference is a few
minutes going to make, detective?
I've done over a thousand
interrogations, Major.
We're not talking
about a few minutes.
We need your help.
I could say the same
thing. All right, then,
maybe there's something
we can do for you.
Is there a service we can trade?
Actually, uh, if you
want to know the truth...
I've always wanted
to drive a tank.
This is possible.
You could arrange
something like that?
I'm a Marine. I can
arrange anything.
I could dig this.
This would be worth something...
Rumbling around in
one of those things.
(chuckling)
Go ahead, make
a call. I'll wait.
What, right now?
Sure.
Okay.
(chuckling)
You're trying to
sucker me, Detective.
By the time I return,
you'll already have
your man in custody.
Is there anything I
can do to call you off?
Nope.
Then, if you'll excuse me, I
have an appointment to keep.
MENKES: You and
your father must have had
some relationship.
I didn't know him that long.
Well, he sure had a
major influence on you.
Most parents
influence their children.
Your father, I take it
was a liar.
I grew up in foster homes.
Well, that would
give you a reason
to resent those who
came from stable ones.
Now, why the hell should
I resent you, Commander?
I feel badly for you.
This is getting old, Willie.
Actually, I feel
kind of fortunate.
I had to learn to take care
of myself from an early age.
Many children invest
too much in their parents.
When the parents fail,
they have no way to recover.
It's because they lack faith.
You have to be taught that.
You learned everything
about him from this photo.
You give me too much
credit, Commander.
That I do, Willie.
Good-bye.
What are you doing?
I'm letting you go.
You belong to Coster now.
Now, we got more time.
Hey, my time is too
valuable to waste on you.
I came here to
tell you my story!
Yeah? Well, I lost interest.
Well...
would it be of interest
for you to know
that... I never heard
of The Hammer...
until today.
Why'd you do it, Willie?
What did I do to you?
You pushed.
I pushed back.
Seems to be a
theme in your life.
I've waited 30 years
to get to this point,
and all you want to do
is talk about your father.
You had information
I needed.
Well, I don't remember
this ever being about you.
Say what you came to say.
Commander?
I just checked on Li Trang.
He was a former
member of the N.L.F.
and defected
to the United States
and was granted asylum
in September 1981.
Thanks, Bud.
And while I was
on-line, sir, I thought that
I did a standard records
scan on Willie Menkes.
He's listed as M.I.A., sir,
during the Khe Sanh
siege in May '68.
His name is on the wall.
My name is Roscoe L.
Martin of Lawton, Oklahoma.
Willie Menkes is dead.
Okay, time's up.
I'm taking this
man into custody.
I need more time, Detective.
Come down to the precinct.
You can talk to him there.
It's motorized, Sherlock.
Well, get it going.
Detective, do you have
a wheelchair-compatible vehicle?
You know, you legally
have to have one.
COSTER: You could
have mentioned this before.
You should have
thought of it before.
My brother's a squid.
He's got that same smirk.
WILLIE: I always admired a
man that could think on his feet.
You're cerberus at the
gates of Hades, Lieutenant.
No one gets in here. Understood?
Explicitly, sir.
You murdered Willie Menkes.
I did not.
I found his corpse in a ditch.
Why'd you steal his identity?
I didn't, at first.
Took his tags for his family.
Well, how were you discharged?
Honorably, under my own name.
After I got home,
I took Willie's.
Why?
I just didn't want to
be Roscoe anymore.
I like Willie
better... still do.
How were you captured?
A gomer stuck the point
of a bayonet up my nose
while I was sleeping.
They take you
directly to Dong Ha?
That camp was unlike
anything I'd ever experienced...
Too many P.O.W.s
in too small a space.
You could smell
it from a mile off.
The officers were
kept in bamboo pens
and given one meal a day.
The enlisted men were fed
scraps and shackled to tree trunks.
After about a week
they didn't have any
feeling left in their limbs.
They couldn't sleep
'cause if they did,
the rats would gnaw
them to the bone.
Escape was the only option.
♪ Oh, chesty puller
was a grand old Marine ♪
♪ A grand old Marine was he ♪
♪ He called for his map ♪
♪ He called for his pipe ♪
♪ And he called for
his sergeants three ♪
♪ "Oh, where's my sergeant
major?" Said the colonel ♪
♪ "Somebody please help me" ♪
♪ "Somebody please help me" ♪
♪ "Somebody please help..." ♪
After...
the botched escape attempt...
the camp Commander, he
had us all march in a circle for...
24 hours...
No food, no water, just him
screaming, "Duhng
ngi," in our faces.
"Duhng ngi! Duhng ngi!"
That means
"Don't stop."
Don't stop pushing
me, Commander...
Easy, Roscoe.
Not until you heard it all.
Until every last
secret of my past
has been revealed
to you, don't stop.
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
(crying)
Well, it's about time.
You married, Commander?
No.
Lieutenant?
Married?
No, not yet.
Ah. Potential.
You know, of all the
sins that I've committed,
the worst, without a doubt
was driving away the
good women of my life.
Dong Ha, Roscoe.
Dong ha.
Inflection on the ha.
Dong ha.
One of the prisoners
was a deserter.
Ran away from his platoon
during a raid on a village.
Camp Commander...
He just zeroed right in on him.
Must have sensed the...
guilt in his eyes.
Put him in iso for 27 days.
Interrogated him
eight, ten hours a day.
When it was over,
the camp commander
claimed to be impressed by him.
Put him in charge
of all the POWs.
Sir, I thought the
highest-ranking officer
was obligated to take
care of the other prisoners.
That was a V.C. way
of destroying prisoner
solidarity, Bud.
Pick out the prisoner
with the weakest
sense of himself...
Put him in a
position of leadership
in hopes that he
would collaborate.
At Dong Ha, he became known
as the king of the fleas.
Why fleas?
It was the name the
camp commander
called all the prisoners.
Yeah, but if all the other
prisoners knew he was a deserter
why would they
accept his leadership?
Who said they knew?
Well, how did you find out?
I mean, if they didn't know,
and why would he tell anybody?
Why would he even admit it?
Actually, Bud, he didn't.
Sir?
He kept it a secret.
Sir, it sounds like
this is making sense to you.
Roscoe is speaking
of himself, Bud.
You were king of the fleas?
I was young.
Didn't know what I was doing.
Came to believe
that the camp
commander respected me.
Thought I could use my position
to protect the others.
I took my job seriously.
Seemed like God had given
me a chance to redeem myself.
You changed tag with Willie
Menkes because you didn't want
anyone to know
that you deserted.
You look at me with
such disgust, Lieutenant.
RABB: If you deserted,
how were you discharged?
Someone would have reported it.
None of the others made it back.
I am... if anything,
Commander... a survivor.
Yeah?
But at what cost?
The story about my father...
The difficult choices...
you were talking about yourself.
One night, four Russian
officers came to the camp.
One of them spoke English.
He had a funny little mouth
with crooked teeth,
and he asked each of us
our name and warfare specialty.
Despite everything
that we'd been through
every man gave him name,
rank, service number... that's it.
What were they after?
They were interested
in certain skilled personnel.
Which ones?
Some of the F-4 pilots
were used as decoys
during missions.
They were called "wild weasels."
They'd, uh...
Troll for SAM sites,
inviting the enemy to
lock on to their radar.
Once attacked, he
would kill the site
with an antiradiation missile.
Your father was one.
Then you know the
technique required
was tricky and very risky.
Many went down.
The Russians were interested
in neutralizing the technology.
They were very anxious
to talk to these men.
We had three of them.
Did you betray them, Roscoe?
Are you familiar
with the saying,
"If you want to
keep your friends
don't give them away"?
Yes, I am, Commander.
That's why I'm here.
Sit down, Lieutenant.
This is the good part.
Camp commander came to me.
He was threatening to execute
one third of the
prison population.
I protested.
He proposed a deal.
If I would reveal
the names of the wild
weasels to the Russians,
they would be sent
to a safe destination,
and the camp would
be made workable.
By reducing the
number of prisoners,
I was saving the lives of all.
And you bought that?
After a lance corporal
was shot between the eyes
for speaking out of turn.
Still... it took me
12 hours to decide.
But I gave them up.
Every one of them.
The next morning
they filed into the
back of a truck.
Never been seen since.
You made a choice, Roscoe.
The best choice available.
Within the hour, the
camp commander
began executing all of
the remaining prisoners.
Groups of five were shot
under a grove of palms.
Did you try reasoning with him?
He was unreasonable.
Pulled me out of line.
Separated me from the other men.
I was expecting
something particularly nasty.
Turns out I was right.
He just walked away.
Left me standing there.
I was free.
I was the only one.
I had two choices...
Stay and watch the rest
of the men die, or leave.
What would you have done?
I don't know.
I screamed.
Screamed my voice raw.
Begged him to
take my life as well.
But he ignored me.
After it was over,
he ordered his men
to burn the bodies and
disassemble the camp.
I was still standing
there, right in the middle...
standing there...
but to him, I was invisible.
What did you do?
Next 20 hours were a... blur.
Wandered through the jungle,
and a farmer chased
me into a poppy field.
I got picked up by
a recon chopper.
Is that where you
injured... your legs?
No. Got meningitis
four years later
shooting smack.
The man you killed
this morning, Li Trang...
He was the camp commander.
30 years of pain and guilt
came into focus on M Street.
And after I shoved
that knife in his chest,
I heard this sound.
It was like air whooshing
out of a coffee can.
I was elated.
I thought, this is
the end of one story
and the beginning of another.
But I was wrong.
Immediately after
that, it all came back.
It all came flooding
back into my head.
All those months at Dong Ha...
Every single moment, over
and over and over and over.
That's why I... I came
to you, Commander.
I want you to stop that movie
from running in my head.
You didn't murder
those men, Roscoe.
You need to let go of it.
I-I'll tell you what, Commander.
You stop looking
for your father,
and I'll let go of it.
You see, we're the same...
Both obsessed in different ways.
You keep searching for a place
that I can never leave.
It's supposed to be
about starting over...
Beginning a new circle.
Can you do that?
You have your closure, Roscoe.
I need to find mine.
Bud.
Inform Detective Coster
that his suspect is ready.
Aye, aye, sir.
Also let him know that,
as Mr. Martin's attorney,
I will be present
during questioning.
Yes, sir.
How much t... time
do you think I'll get?
Uh, it's hard to say.
Sure going to miss
those dogs on M Street.
(playing mournful
tune on accordion)
up-tempo melody)
MAN: Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
Faster! Faster!
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
(playing faster and faster)
Duhng ngi! Yeah!
Duhng ngi!
Ha!
Whoo!
Yeah! Yeah!
(music stops)
(cheering)
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Did you like that?
Good. Very good.
How can you play so fast?
Oh, I run faster than that.
You are amazing.
No, that's not amazing.
You want to hear
something truly amazing?
Yes.
Come here.
Okay.
MAN: Sir? Are
you all right, sir?
Do you need any help?
(soft groan)
Sir?
Following in his
father's footsteps
as a naval aviator,
Lieutenant Commander
Harmon Rabb, Jr.,
suffered a crash while
landing his Tomcat
on a storm-tossed
carrier at sea.
Diagnosed with night blindness,
Harm transferred to the Navy's
Judge Advocate General Corps,
which investigates, defends
and prosecutes the law of the sea.
There, with fellow JAG
lawyer, Major Sarah MacKenzie,
he now fights in and
out of the courtroom
with the same
daring and tenacity
that made him a
top gun in the air.
Those files or barricades?
Uh, I'm up to my
ears in the Jelke case.
Prelim is tomorrow.
Forensics?
Still waiting.
Precedent research?
Done.
You really should
get his wife in here.
On her way.
Uh, anything else?
(sighs)
Whoa! Oh!
I'm sorry.
Nice fruit salad.
Thanks.
Distinguished flying cross.
Did you see action?
Over Libya.
You did malice to the palace.
(chuckles)
Can I help you?
I want to confess.
To what?
A life of missed opportunity.
Whoa, whoa, Commander.
Put that away.
I'm self-reliant.
Former Marine.
I'm sorry. What was
your rank, Marine?
Bonehead, First Class, sir.
Was a credit to
imbeciles everywhere.
Toured the rice paddies.
Helped shape the
character of the nation,
as they say.
'Course, that gets
a little lost on you
when you're picking
leeches out of your jock.
Lieutenant.
This gentleman
wants to share some information.
The name's Willie.
Lieutenant Roberts, sir.
Lieutenant Roberts
will serve you, Willie.
I chose you, Commander.
Lieutenant Roberts
screens all the cases.
He will let me know
if we can be of help.
Right this way, sir.
WILLIE: I see you
subscribe to the war channel.
Well, those are, uh, news feeds.
Well, you got
more TVs than I do.
All right, what's
all this about?
I'm a murderer, Lieutenant.
Okay. Uh... what's
your full name?
William Harry Menkes.
M-e-n-k-e-s.
Branch of service?
Last held rank?
Year of discharge?
Marine Corps. Second Lieutenant.
March of '70.
Service Number 4111767.
"67." Wow. You
still remember it.
Lieutenant, these digits
are tattooed on my soul.
They're part of my DNA.
What was the, uh,
character of the murder, sir?
I don't understand.
Was it revenge,
an act of passion...?
It was an act of weakness.
Bud...
One moment, please?
Uh... excuse me.
(whispering): I thought you
had the sense to
convince our friend
to harass another agency.
Sir, he just
confessed to a murder.
Where and when?
He hasn't said.
He's toying with you, Bud.
I think he's looking
for a little attention.
You think I should
cut him loose, sir?
That would be my suggestion.
I'll do just that, sir.
Uh, Mr. Menkes...
I'm going to, uh, get
you some information
for the Veterans Administration.
Uh, they have a wide
variety of counseling services.
What are you
implying, Lieutenant?
Why, I think you need something
that we can't provide.
Bud, did we get the lab report
on the Jelke court-martial?
Oh, yes, ma'am.
It's on your desk.
Ah, bad idea, Bud. Why, ma'am?
Don't put things on my desk.
I'll never find them.
Where should I put them?
Not on my desk.
(sighs)
Sir?
He gone, Bud?
Sir, he left this on my desk.
"I don't appreciate
the skepticism.
"You will find my handiwork
at the corner of
M and 21st Street."
Yes, sir, I just got off the
phone with the D.C. Police.
They said that a Vietnamese
man was stabbed to death
at that location
three hours ago.
Anything?
Nothing, sir.
I checked all the offices.
What now, sir?
Keep looking.
He may not be our man,
but he might have
witnessed something.
Yes, sir.
Willie?
Hey. Hello, Commander.
Thought we'd lost you.
Naw, just answering
nature's call.
You want to talk
about the note, Willie?
I got your attention now.
Why don't you
come into my office?
You sure you're not too busy?
You going to need any help?
No. Hell, I've been doing
this by myself since I was two.
RABB: Did you kill
someone this morning, Willie?
Yes.
Tell us about it.
Well, I play M Street every day.
I do an eclectic mix...
F.M. hits, light classical
and ethnic standards.
Over the years, I've become
familiar with the crowd.
Neighborhood folk, mostly.
You know, people going
to work, dog walkers...
The dogs are my favorite.
I-I know every one
of them by name.
What happened today, Willie?
Today...
I met a man from my past.
The Vietnamese man.
All that time
and his face still
stung like a jellyfish.
He liked my music, so I
engaged him in conversation,
and when he got close,
I took his life away.
Why?
It was necessary.
Correction... retribution
for all those lost souls.
You talking about
the war in Vietnam?
He was the enemy,
and here he was
living here, enjoying
the fruits of liberty.
That didn't seem fair.
Have you killed other
Vietnamese civilians?
You mean, do I attack
fish sellers
and restaurant owners?
I knew him, Commander.
He was evil.
I did the world a favor.
(knocking on door)
Well... major attitude.
You have an impressive
bearing, ma'am.
I would like to have
served under you.
This is Mr. Menkes, Mac.
Um, do you have the
Jelke evidence list?
"Uncommon valor
with common virtue."
Now, who said that
about the Marine Corps?
Admiral Nimitz.
(playing romantic tune)
I'm serenading you, Major.
Mr. Menkes has just admitted
to murdering a
Vietnamese civilian.
WILLIE: I did not murder him.
You just told me that you did.
To me, murder is
something you regret.
I executed a man named Li Trang
today, but I came here
to confess to a murder
that happened 30 years ago.
MacKENZIE: You came
here to confess to a murder
you committed three decades ago?
I did.
You're not playing
with us, are you, Willie?
I can think of better playmates
than JAG officers.
No offense.
I expected you to
take me seriously.
So far, you have let me down.
Why did you wait until today?
Life is a circle,
Major.
This morning I completed
my first revolution.
This murder...
Did it take place in Vietnam?
Yes.
MacKENZIE: Where?
Near a gravel
airfield in Dong Ha.
"Dong Ha"?
South of the D.M.Z.
There was a prisoner
of war camp there in '70.
Now, how would you
know that, Commander?
You'd be barely old
enough to tie your shoes.
My father's M.I.A.
I've been looking for him
since I was old
enough to tie my shoes.
So you've, uh, researched
the camps, have you?
You wouldn't remember
any of the other prisoner's
names, would you?
Some.
What about Harmon Rabb?
Oh, it was a long time ago.
RABB: He went down
Christmas Eve of '69.
Harmon Rabb?
Naval Aviator.
Oh, we had a lot of
those in the camp.
Look, Willie, I have reason
to believe he survived
and was taken to Russia
at the end of the war.
Well, there was Russian
personnel at Dong Ha.
What?
There were Russians at the game.
What were they doing there?
Were they military?
I would say "yes" to that.
What was their relationship
with the P.O.W.s?
Willie, this is the first
eyewitness account I've heard
of Russians at the P.O.W. camps.
Now, even if my
father wasn't in this one,
this information could help me
to figure out where he ended up.
What did you think of my version
of the Marine Corps
hymn, there, Major?
Uh... unique.
I was inspired by
your exotic allure.
Stay with me.
Stop pushing me, Commander.
Hey! This is my time!
You don't give the orders here!
You're on my turf,
Marine! I ask, you answer!
Uh, I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
MAN: Thank you.
MENKES: Oh.
My hopes are dashed.
MacKENZIE: I am so embarrassed.
I figured after a half hour...
No, I'm sorry. I
had "lunch with..."
Dalton. Thanks.
Dalton" written in my book.
I looked at it this morning.
You got a lot on
your mind, you know.
Yeah. It's... it's
been hell week.
All right, give me an
hour to tie up loose ends,
and I'll meet you there.
Well, uh, I mean, If you
want to do this another time
when you're a
little bit less busy...
I can't imagine
when that would be.
All right, come on. Walk me out.
Okay.
LOWNE: How many
cases do you handle a year?
30, 40. Maybe more.
I'm around ten.
You're in private practice.
Yeah. Should we talk
about how much I make?
Uh, no.
Not even curious?
It's a different world, though.
Only 'cause you're
wearing a uniform.
You're relentless.
That's because I know
that you would make
a hell of a civilian lawyer.
How many times do
I have to say "no"?
Until you say "yes."
Well, Dalton, there's
a bigger issue here.
Huh?
Would you rather date
me or work with me?
Well, I want to be with you.
We've been seeing each
other almost every day.
Hardly enough.
Working together would
change our relationship.
Agree. Might end it.
Who can say?
I'm enjoying what we have.
Right. Okay.
Well, I can handle that.
I mean, it's not that hard.
I can, uh, marshal, uh, my...
resources.
Um, don't hurt yourself.
You got any coffee here?
Bud, give Mr. Menkes a
cup of coffee, would you?
Yes, sir.
Ooh! Uh, sorry.
Can I help you?
Detective Frank Coster, D.C.P.D.
I'm looking for
Lieutenant Roberts.
I'm Roberts.
I'd like to talk to you
a minute, if I may.
I'm Lieutenant Commander Rabb.
What's going on?
The Lieutenant called us earlier
about a homicide on M Street.
I'd like to know
how he knew about it...
Or should I be talking to you?
You should be talking to me.
Detective, can I have
a moment, please?
Who's that?
That's the man who
told us about the murder.
Then I should be talking to him.
Can I see some I.D.?
What?
I've been burned
before, Detective.
License, badge.
Can we get on with this?
I just mopped a stiff off
a Georgetown sidewalk
with tourists watching.
You got a name on that stiff?
Li Trang. Vietnamese local.
Community's already
hollering about racial violence.
Look, Detective,
I can understand your
problem, but we have...
The "but" leaves me the
impression you don't understand.
I'm conducting a JAG inquiry.
This gentleman may be
involved in a war crime.
Well, my homicide
trumps your war crime.
What's going on?
This is Major
MacKenzie. Detective...?
Coster.
He wants to question Willie.
Can you wait, detective?
No, Major. Look, Detective,
we don't want to stand in
the way of your investigation.
I don't want to stand in
the way of your inquiry.
Let me just talk to him for five
minutes. You can have him back.
I can't do it.
Can't or won't?
A.J. Chegwidden. You are, uh...?
Detective Coster, D.C. Police.
The man inside that
room is a suspect
in a civilian homicide
investigation.
When did he become a suspect?
During our conversation.
Detective, you're
on federal property.
You're going to
have to wait your turn.
Are there any
more of you people?
I'll give you ten minutes.
You'll give me
whatever I ask for.
Excuse me.
Admiral, I'm questioning
a former Marine,
who was a P.O.W. in Vietnam...
Dong Ha, to be exact.
He says a murder
took place back there.
(whispers): Dong Ha.
This is news.
I would agree, sir.
Uh, wh-what's this
about a civilian homicide?
A Vietnamese man was found
dead in Georgetown this morning.
He says he did it.
How much time you going to need?
It could take a while, sir.
Well, don't let it.
Detective, uh...?
Coster.
You can have your
man in half an hour.
Lieutenant, escort him
outside while he waits.
Sir?
Willie, this is
Admiral Chegwidden,
the Judge Advocate General.
It's an honor to meet you, sir.
Nice to meet you.
Willie,
my SEAL team was sent
in to liberate the camps.
When we got to Dong Ha,
all we found were empty huts.
As far as I know,
no one survived.
Well, I guess that
makes me a ghost, sir.
(both chuckle)
What happened to
those men, Willie?
It's a long story, sir.
Start at the beginning, Willie.
There was a planned escape.
Did anyone benefit from it?
No.
The plan failed?
To benefit anyone.
So you didn't escape?
Not at that time.
Well, what, there was
another attempt? What?
That's not what I said.
Well, you're not
making sense, Willie.
You're not listening.
Hey, don't screw around, Willie!
There's no reason to come
on this strong, Commander.
I'll tell you everything
you need to know,
if you let me.
We have 30 minutes, Willie.
Well, I've been
waiting 30 years.
Now, I would advise
you to listen and not react.
You're locked into
your assumptions.
Explain.
I asked for your time.
You went for your wallet.
I thought you were...
a lunatic cripple.
Those are your words.
I picked them out of your eyes.
Don't tell me what
I was thinking.
Commander.
Willie, you have information
that could bring
relief to families
who've waited, what...
30 years without a clue
as to what happened to their
sons or brothers, husbands...
why have you
kept it to yourself?
I haven't kept it, sir.
I... buried it.
Then it is time for you
to remove yourself
from the equation
and treat this simply
as information.
Now, can you do that?
(sighs)
Yes, sir.
The plan was simple.
There was a guard who
wore a grenade pack.
The idea was to overpower him
and set the barracks on fire
and blow the bamboo
fence and scatter.
The grenade... was a dud.
Eight men went down in a hail
of automatic fire...
and the rest of us...
the rest of us were made to
wish we had died with them.
Commander, can
I see you outside?
Yes, sir.
(door opens)
I have a briefing with SECNAV.
I suggest coaxing
instead of yanking.
It'll get you farther.
Yes, sir.
Talk to me later, Commander.
I want to know
everything he has to say.
Aye, sir.
What happened after
your escape failed, Willie?
Oh, there was a strong reaction.
They tried to break
your spirit, didn't they?
The V.C. were
master interrogators.
They were very accomplished.
Did they succeed?
Tell me what I
need to know, Willie.
Your father looked
like you, didn't he?
I look like my father.
You've studied this, Commander.
You know how it's done.
The captors find a seam
in the social
fabric of the camp.
They seek out the most
vulnerable individual.
Maybe he's wounded.
Maybe he feels guilty
about something.
They treat him with respect...
Tell him they've
got faith in him.
Eventually, they ask him
questions about the men...
About things that he never
thought he'd ever reveal.
Were you a collaborator, Willie?
Your father was.
RABB: What did you say?
What did you hear?
My father was not
a V.C. collaborator!
You weren't there.
He wouldn't have
done it. Period!
You're choking me.
Sir! Sir!
Sir?
My father was in Dong Ha.
Yes. You remember him.
Yes.
How old was he?
Late 20s.
What was his rank?
Lieutenant.
Where was he from?
He never said.
You're lying!
Sir...
Yeah, that's right.
It's easier to call me a liar
than accept the unacceptable.
He wasn't there.
Okay, let's accept
your story, then, huh?
Whatever makes you comfortable.
Why are you doing this, Willie?
You said you needed to know.
You've proven nothing.
Your... your father flew an F-4.
So did half the
aviators in Vietnam.
Th-There was
a nickname.
Uh... uh, "Hammer."
Yeah, his nickname
was "The Hammer."
Yeah, and he had
a little mustache.
Correct?
Someone could have
given you this information.
Yeah? Who might that be?
Hey, look,
I understand
you're... you're upset.
Okay?
You were young...
and he was your hero.
You knew him under
the best of circumstances.
And I lived with
him under the worst.
Now, after The
Hammer punched out,
some V.C. sympathizer
on the ground
skewered him with a pitchfork.
His right shoulder
looked like ground chuck.
After we cleaned him up,
he spent most of his time
fighting off a fever.
Now, I'm telling you this
because he was not always...
in the best frame of mind.
No notes.
Sir, I always take...
There's nothing of value
in this testimony.
We were malnourished, Commander.
Many of us were
stricken with malaria.
Most of us had injuries.
These were the
kinds of conditions
that led to compliance.
My father was strong-willed.
Surrender was not
in his vocabulary.
He was a human being.
And he was a committed one.
Once he pledged his word
he could not be
moved from his mark.
He was duty-bound.
I didn't say he
wasn't in conflict
but there were other pressures.
Duty is often compromised
by circumstance.
Anyone who goes into battle
is prepared for
those circumstances.
No. Nothing could
prepare you... nothing!
Now, you know the
stories, Commander.
There were P.W.s all over
Vietnam who were broken.
How much pain do you believe
that man could have endured?
He was a strong man.
Once on a fishing trip,
he accidentally fell
on his scaling knife.
We were miles from any hospital.
I watched him sew the
wound up with a bass hook.
He didn't want to frighten me,
so he told me shaggy-dog
stories while he was doing it.
Well, strength of
character is irrelevant
when you're trussed
up like a chicken...
The rope so tight that
the knees are popping out
of your sockets.
I know what went on.
I've spoken
to other P.O.W.s
from other camps.
Dong Ha had a
special hellishness.
It was more than mistreatment.
There was genuine evil present.
Lieutenant, do you believe
that there's evil in the world?
I believe that some
people do evil things.
What about courage?
Do you believe that
a man is capable
of repelling true evil?
RABB: Save your sermon, Willie.
Church is out.
Mac!
Hey.
Uh, hey. How's
it going in there?
It's going all right. He's
trying to manipulate us.
Well, you have six
minutes and 54 seconds.
Mac, I need your help.
If we can keep Coster busy,
he'll forget about the time...
No, I can't. I-I've already...
Got plans?
I'm on my way out.
I want to help, but I
have someone waiting.
Fine.
You know, I've already
wasted an hour of his day.
I'll do what I can.
Thanks.
Take a break, Lieutenant.
Are you sure, sir?
Mr. Menkes is
safe. Come on, Bud.
Commander thinks
I'm a bad influence
on you, Lieutenant.
Bud.
Sir, do you need anything?
Find out what you
can about Li Trang.
Aye, aye, sir.
Sir... are you okay?
Aces, Bud.
Is he done?
Uh, not yet. I was
just checking to see
if there's anything you need.
Yeah. Guy in a wheelchair.
Were you ever in the
military, Detective?
No. Got lucky in the lottery.
How long you been
in law enforcement?
23 years in June.
Wow. That's some achievement.
I actually gave some thought
to entering the academy.
That right?
I'm fascinated by the
criminal mind. Me, too.
It's just the hands
that don't thrill me.
(chuckling)
You made the right choice.
I think so.
This your first time at JAG?
Yeah. It's impressive.
Would you like me
to show you around?
That's all right.
Are you sure? It
doesn't take long.
It'll take longer than
the six minutes I have left
to take custody of my suspect.
You're trying to stall
me, aren't you, Major?
The Commander
must need more time.
Blink twice if I'm right.
What difference is a few
minutes going to make, detective?
I've done over a thousand
interrogations, Major.
We're not talking
about a few minutes.
We need your help.
I could say the same
thing. All right, then,
maybe there's something
we can do for you.
Is there a service we can trade?
Actually, uh, if you
want to know the truth...
I've always wanted
to drive a tank.
This is possible.
You could arrange
something like that?
I'm a Marine. I can
arrange anything.
I could dig this.
This would be worth something...
Rumbling around in
one of those things.
(chuckling)
Go ahead, make
a call. I'll wait.
What, right now?
Sure.
Okay.
(chuckling)
You're trying to
sucker me, Detective.
By the time I return,
you'll already have
your man in custody.
Is there anything I
can do to call you off?
Nope.
Then, if you'll excuse me, I
have an appointment to keep.
MENKES: You and
your father must have had
some relationship.
I didn't know him that long.
Well, he sure had a
major influence on you.
Most parents
influence their children.
Your father, I take it
was a liar.
I grew up in foster homes.
Well, that would
give you a reason
to resent those who
came from stable ones.
Now, why the hell should
I resent you, Commander?
I feel badly for you.
This is getting old, Willie.
Actually, I feel
kind of fortunate.
I had to learn to take care
of myself from an early age.
Many children invest
too much in their parents.
When the parents fail,
they have no way to recover.
It's because they lack faith.
You have to be taught that.
You learned everything
about him from this photo.
You give me too much
credit, Commander.
That I do, Willie.
Good-bye.
What are you doing?
I'm letting you go.
You belong to Coster now.
Now, we got more time.
Hey, my time is too
valuable to waste on you.
I came here to
tell you my story!
Yeah? Well, I lost interest.
Well...
would it be of interest
for you to know
that... I never heard
of The Hammer...
until today.
Why'd you do it, Willie?
What did I do to you?
You pushed.
I pushed back.
Seems to be a
theme in your life.
I've waited 30 years
to get to this point,
and all you want to do
is talk about your father.
You had information
I needed.
Well, I don't remember
this ever being about you.
Say what you came to say.
Commander?
I just checked on Li Trang.
He was a former
member of the N.L.F.
and defected
to the United States
and was granted asylum
in September 1981.
Thanks, Bud.
And while I was
on-line, sir, I thought that
I did a standard records
scan on Willie Menkes.
He's listed as M.I.A., sir,
during the Khe Sanh
siege in May '68.
His name is on the wall.
My name is Roscoe L.
Martin of Lawton, Oklahoma.
Willie Menkes is dead.
Okay, time's up.
I'm taking this
man into custody.
I need more time, Detective.
Come down to the precinct.
You can talk to him there.
It's motorized, Sherlock.
Well, get it going.
Detective, do you have
a wheelchair-compatible vehicle?
You know, you legally
have to have one.
COSTER: You could
have mentioned this before.
You should have
thought of it before.
My brother's a squid.
He's got that same smirk.
WILLIE: I always admired a
man that could think on his feet.
You're cerberus at the
gates of Hades, Lieutenant.
No one gets in here. Understood?
Explicitly, sir.
You murdered Willie Menkes.
I did not.
I found his corpse in a ditch.
Why'd you steal his identity?
I didn't, at first.
Took his tags for his family.
Well, how were you discharged?
Honorably, under my own name.
After I got home,
I took Willie's.
Why?
I just didn't want to
be Roscoe anymore.
I like Willie
better... still do.
How were you captured?
A gomer stuck the point
of a bayonet up my nose
while I was sleeping.
They take you
directly to Dong Ha?
That camp was unlike
anything I'd ever experienced...
Too many P.O.W.s
in too small a space.
You could smell
it from a mile off.
The officers were
kept in bamboo pens
and given one meal a day.
The enlisted men were fed
scraps and shackled to tree trunks.
After about a week
they didn't have any
feeling left in their limbs.
They couldn't sleep
'cause if they did,
the rats would gnaw
them to the bone.
Escape was the only option.
♪ Oh, chesty puller
was a grand old Marine ♪
♪ A grand old Marine was he ♪
♪ He called for his map ♪
♪ He called for his pipe ♪
♪ And he called for
his sergeants three ♪
♪ "Oh, where's my sergeant
major?" Said the colonel ♪
♪ "Somebody please help me" ♪
♪ "Somebody please help me" ♪
♪ "Somebody please help..." ♪
After...
the botched escape attempt...
the camp Commander, he
had us all march in a circle for...
24 hours...
No food, no water, just him
screaming, "Duhng
ngi," in our faces.
"Duhng ngi! Duhng ngi!"
That means
"Don't stop."
Don't stop pushing
me, Commander...
Easy, Roscoe.
Not until you heard it all.
Until every last
secret of my past
has been revealed
to you, don't stop.
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
Duhng ngi!
(crying)
Well, it's about time.
You married, Commander?
No.
Lieutenant?
Married?
No, not yet.
Ah. Potential.
You know, of all the
sins that I've committed,
the worst, without a doubt
was driving away the
good women of my life.
Dong Ha, Roscoe.
Dong ha.
Inflection on the ha.
Dong ha.
One of the prisoners
was a deserter.
Ran away from his platoon
during a raid on a village.
Camp Commander...
He just zeroed right in on him.
Must have sensed the...
guilt in his eyes.
Put him in iso for 27 days.
Interrogated him
eight, ten hours a day.
When it was over,
the camp commander
claimed to be impressed by him.
Put him in charge
of all the POWs.
Sir, I thought the
highest-ranking officer
was obligated to take
care of the other prisoners.
That was a V.C. way
of destroying prisoner
solidarity, Bud.
Pick out the prisoner
with the weakest
sense of himself...
Put him in a
position of leadership
in hopes that he
would collaborate.
At Dong Ha, he became known
as the king of the fleas.
Why fleas?
It was the name the
camp commander
called all the prisoners.
Yeah, but if all the other
prisoners knew he was a deserter
why would they
accept his leadership?
Who said they knew?
Well, how did you find out?
I mean, if they didn't know,
and why would he tell anybody?
Why would he even admit it?
Actually, Bud, he didn't.
Sir?
He kept it a secret.
Sir, it sounds like
this is making sense to you.
Roscoe is speaking
of himself, Bud.
You were king of the fleas?
I was young.
Didn't know what I was doing.
Came to believe
that the camp
commander respected me.
Thought I could use my position
to protect the others.
I took my job seriously.
Seemed like God had given
me a chance to redeem myself.
You changed tag with Willie
Menkes because you didn't want
anyone to know
that you deserted.
You look at me with
such disgust, Lieutenant.
RABB: If you deserted,
how were you discharged?
Someone would have reported it.
None of the others made it back.
I am... if anything,
Commander... a survivor.
Yeah?
But at what cost?
The story about my father...
The difficult choices...
you were talking about yourself.
One night, four Russian
officers came to the camp.
One of them spoke English.
He had a funny little mouth
with crooked teeth,
and he asked each of us
our name and warfare specialty.
Despite everything
that we'd been through
every man gave him name,
rank, service number... that's it.
What were they after?
They were interested
in certain skilled personnel.
Which ones?
Some of the F-4 pilots
were used as decoys
during missions.
They were called "wild weasels."
They'd, uh...
Troll for SAM sites,
inviting the enemy to
lock on to their radar.
Once attacked, he
would kill the site
with an antiradiation missile.
Your father was one.
Then you know the
technique required
was tricky and very risky.
Many went down.
The Russians were interested
in neutralizing the technology.
They were very anxious
to talk to these men.
We had three of them.
Did you betray them, Roscoe?
Are you familiar
with the saying,
"If you want to
keep your friends
don't give them away"?
Yes, I am, Commander.
That's why I'm here.
Sit down, Lieutenant.
This is the good part.
Camp commander came to me.
He was threatening to execute
one third of the
prison population.
I protested.
He proposed a deal.
If I would reveal
the names of the wild
weasels to the Russians,
they would be sent
to a safe destination,
and the camp would
be made workable.
By reducing the
number of prisoners,
I was saving the lives of all.
And you bought that?
After a lance corporal
was shot between the eyes
for speaking out of turn.
Still... it took me
12 hours to decide.
But I gave them up.
Every one of them.
The next morning
they filed into the
back of a truck.
Never been seen since.
You made a choice, Roscoe.
The best choice available.
Within the hour, the
camp commander
began executing all of
the remaining prisoners.
Groups of five were shot
under a grove of palms.
Did you try reasoning with him?
He was unreasonable.
Pulled me out of line.
Separated me from the other men.
I was expecting
something particularly nasty.
Turns out I was right.
He just walked away.
Left me standing there.
I was free.
I was the only one.
I had two choices...
Stay and watch the rest
of the men die, or leave.
What would you have done?
I don't know.
I screamed.
Screamed my voice raw.
Begged him to
take my life as well.
But he ignored me.
After it was over,
he ordered his men
to burn the bodies and
disassemble the camp.
I was still standing
there, right in the middle...
standing there...
but to him, I was invisible.
What did you do?
Next 20 hours were a... blur.
Wandered through the jungle,
and a farmer chased
me into a poppy field.
I got picked up by
a recon chopper.
Is that where you
injured... your legs?
No. Got meningitis
four years later
shooting smack.
The man you killed
this morning, Li Trang...
He was the camp commander.
30 years of pain and guilt
came into focus on M Street.
And after I shoved
that knife in his chest,
I heard this sound.
It was like air whooshing
out of a coffee can.
I was elated.
I thought, this is
the end of one story
and the beginning of another.
But I was wrong.
Immediately after
that, it all came back.
It all came flooding
back into my head.
All those months at Dong Ha...
Every single moment, over
and over and over and over.
That's why I... I came
to you, Commander.
I want you to stop that movie
from running in my head.
You didn't murder
those men, Roscoe.
You need to let go of it.
I-I'll tell you what, Commander.
You stop looking
for your father,
and I'll let go of it.
You see, we're the same...
Both obsessed in different ways.
You keep searching for a place
that I can never leave.
It's supposed to be
about starting over...
Beginning a new circle.
Can you do that?
You have your closure, Roscoe.
I need to find mine.
Bud.
Inform Detective Coster
that his suspect is ready.
Aye, aye, sir.
Also let him know that,
as Mr. Martin's attorney,
I will be present
during questioning.
Yes, sir.
How much t... time
do you think I'll get?
Uh, it's hard to say.
Sure going to miss
those dogs on M Street.
(playing mournful
tune on accordion)