JAG (1995–2005): Season 5, Episode 12 - Into the Breech - full transcript

Captain, what do you say

to congressional critics

who call these
battleships dinosaurs

that have outlived
their usefulness?

Ms. Conlan, these
battleships remain

one of the most powerful
weapons systems

in the history of warfare.

Our 16-inch guns can
hit a target 25 miles away

with a projectile as heavy as a
small car and a lot more lethal

as you shall see.

Lieutenant, pass the word
to man up gun stations.



Aye, aye, sir.

General quarters,
General quarters.

All hands man your battle
stations for gunnery exercise.

Load one round!

Load one round!

Aye, aye.

Keep it coming, keep it coming.

Whoa.

Gun turrets, are you
loaded and cycled?

Gun turret three,
rounds at the ready.

Gun turret two,
rounds at the ready.

Gun turret one...

rounds at the ready.

One round spotting.



Fire in rotation, local control.

One round spotting,
aye, aye, sir.

Gun turret three... fire.

Turret three, fire, aye.

Gun turret two... fire.

Turret two, fire, aye.

Gun turret one... fire.

Gun turret one... fire, aye.

(indistinct emergency
PA announcement)

RABB: Isn't it
true you confessed

to the FBI?

Yes, but...

but now, you deny selling
secrets... nuclear secrets...

To the north Koreans.

Yes, sir.

So, were you lying then
or are you lying now?

Then... uh, now.

But how do you...?

You know, I ca...
This is ridiculous.

I... this is really not real.

I can't do this.

Cut!

Reset!

Okay, back to one. Reset.

Hey, Brian, how we looking?

Of course, it isn't real.

With all due respect, Commander

your reality is boring.

Ma'am, this scenario
does not address

the fine points of military law.

Unauthorized absence,
insubordinate conduct?

It sounds like we're
back in high school.

Missing a movement...
What is that?

Is that a crime or
an intestinal ailment?

Miss Petersen, you apparently

don't understand
what JAG lawyers do.

You don't do anything.

You don't fire torpedoes
or storm beaches.

You... talk.

Is there a problem here?

Sir...

Yeah, I'll tell you, General.

Admiral.

Whatever.

The problem is that the Navy

is 18,000 sailors short
and can't fill its quota.

The problem is that

I have been hired to shoot
a recruiting commercial

and rather than
be given Navy pilots

or Navy Seals, like a
certain feature director

I was given Navy lawyers.

I see.

Miss Petersen, could you
excuse us for a moment?

Why not?

Lunch. Half hour.

That's lunch! One half hour.

Robert, what I'm trying to do...

Sir...

Uh, Commander,
listen, about your acting.

You need to find an
internal motivation

uh... different levels...
Colors, if you will.

Sir...

Well, I was technical
advisor on Field of Gold

and I picked up a few things.

Weren't you fired
from Field of Gold, sir?

With me, Commander.

Admiral... I-I-I
didn't mean to...

Admiral. Commander.

How would you two like to assist

in the court-martial

of Gunner's Mate Riordan?

Gregory Riordan,
sir? That's right.

Set the explosion aboard
the USS Minnesota.

Charged with 29 counts
of first-degree murder.

Riordan's been dead ten years.

He died in that explosion.

It's a mock court-martial

at Iron Forge Naval Academy.

Prep school, sir?

One that produces
outstanding candidates

for Annapolis, Colonel.

Commandant Haden's
a retired JAG officer

and old friend of mine looking

for a couple of volunteers

to put his students
through their paces.

Colonel, why don't you
assist with the... defense.

Commander...

You can assist with prosecution.

Well, second-chair to
a high school student.

Well, second-chair there.

First-chair with Ms.
Petersen. Your choice.

♪ I wanna be a Navy pilot ♪

CADETS: ♪ I wanna
be a Navy pilot ♪

♪ I wanna fly an F-14 ♪

CADETS: ♪ I
wanna fly an F-14... ♪

We will prove beyond
a reasonable doubt

that the defendant

Gunner's Mate, Second
Class, Gregory Riordan

that man right there

intentionally
caused the explosion

in gun turret one

in a twisted attempt to get
back at shipmates who hazed him

and made him the
butt of cruel jokes.

He placed a homemade
ignition device

between the propellant bags

causing a cataclysmic explosion
in the breech of the gun barrel.

Twenty-nine...

29 of his crew members
died horrible deaths

at that despicable
coward's hands.

Imagine the horror

as a wave of scalding heat
and explosive gases swept

through the turret.

Put yourself in the position

of those brave but
doomed sailors...

Objection.

Improper opening statement.

Sustained.

(WHISPERS): It's
prejudicial to ask the members

to put themselves into
anyone else's shoes.

Counselor?

I'll rephrase, Your Honor.

When considering all the facts

presented in this case

without putting yourself

in anyone else's
shoes, I'm confident

that you'll return with
verdicts of guilty as charged.

Thank you.

The propellant used
in the Minnesota's guns

was manufactured
during World War II

and the summer
before the explosion

had been stored on an
open barge in the sun.

Neither the rammerman
nor the cradle operator

had ever taken part
in a live fire exercise.

Neither was PQS-qualified

and neither attended

a pre-firing briefing that day.

These are only a few

of the factors that could
have caused that explosion...

accidentally.

It was so lame.

You were fine, Luisa.

A little technical, maybe.

Remember, you have
to humanize your client.

Jurors acquit people they like

and convict those
they don't like.

Oh, in that case, we're screwed.

Billy.

Look, Riordan's a scapegoat.

Isn't it obvious?

Well, that's one way to go.

Colonel?

Commander.

We were just going over
the flaws in your case.

What flaws, ma'am?

Try motive... Riordan

blew up the ship

because they hazed him?

Right. Riordan couldn't take it

so he got even the
only way he could.

Ah, I've been punked.

I'm not gonna
blow up the library.

No, you're just
the guy that nearly

kills everyone
at the rifle range.

Commander, have you
ever seen someone try to fire

a rifle with the cleaning
rod still in the barrel?

I'm not sure if I'd want to.

Certainly not at close range.

I never thanked
you for that, did I?

Tompkins, don't make accusations

unless you've got proof

to back it up.

Gentlemen, this pretrial
conference is over.

Commander, see you at lunch?

Mess hall meat loaf?

Wouldn't miss it.

CADET: Riordan's guilty.

It's all in the Board
of Inquiry report, sir.

Those investigators
had it easy, Steve.

They didn't have to submit

to cross examination or a jury.

You're going to have
to prove your case.

MAN (IMITATING GERMAN
ACCENT): I am professor Heinrich Zoeller

Director of Forensics

at the Naval Research
Laboratory in Washington.

I supervised the investigation

into the explosion aboard
the USS Minnesota.

Cadet Armstrong...

I realize that you
are playing a role

but there is no need to sound

like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

(laughing)

Yes, sir.

Professor Zoeller, did you reach

any conclusions as to the cause

of the explosion?

Our tests showed

that the explosion
could be duplicated

only by inserting a chemical
ignition device between the...

What do you call it, Steve?

Propellant bags.

Right.

How would that work, Professor?

A device flexible and small
enough to fit between the bags

would ignite the propellant,
causing the explosion

and we knew that it had
to be made from materials

obtainable on the ship

but couldn't figure
out what was used

until investigators found this.

Your Honor, we'd
like to submit this

as government's exhibit seven.

That's Gregory
Riordan, with a souvenir

he bought on leave in Portugal.

The bota bag is made

from untanned goat skin.

I filled a similar bota
bag with... ethial...?

Ethyl acetate, C4H802

a solvent in common
use on the ship.

Right.

I placed it between two
propellant bags in the lab.

It ate through the
goatskin in minutes

and ignited the propellant.

Kaboom.

And did the investigators
ever find Riordan's bota bag?

They searched the
ship, but never found it.

And that's why your report

named Gregory Riordan
as causing the explosion?

Not only that.

A week before the explosion,
Riordan told a shipmate

he knew how terrorists
could sink the ship...

by causing an explosion
in the gun turret.

Objection. Hearsay.

Technically, you are
correct, Cadet Vasquez

but the statement is contained

in the official inquiry report

which I have
admitted into evidence

for purposes of our exercise.

I'm out of questions.

I mean... your witness.

Gunner's Mate Riordan wasn't
the only one in the gun turret

with access to the propellant
bags, was he, Professor?

No. The cradle operator,
primerman, rammerman

a bunch of others
were around there.

Professor, is it your testimony

that the only way to cause
an explosion in the gun turret

is with a flammable solvent
found inside a bota bag?

It's the only one we found.

What about static electricity
igniting the propellant?

Or a misfire where the breech

is prematurely open?

We couldn't duplicate
those in the lab.

But are they possible?

I don't know.

(shuffling papers)

Uh... I guess.

I want to thank you both.

I don't think that there's
a military academy

in the country that could
duplicate the experience

that you're giving my cadets.

Actually, Commander,
we're enjoying it.

It's a relief to try a case

when the verdict doesn't matter.

Oh, it matters to them.

(knocking)

Come in.

At ease.

Sorry to interrupt,
sirs, ma'am, but...

We found a real witness.

Go on.

Terence Conner, sir.

He was a gunner's
mate on the Minnesota.

He's Scott
Armstrong's uncle, sir.

He knew Riordan, and
he's willing to testify.

What do our JAG officers

think about this?

It would add a dose of reality.

And unpredictability.

All right.

Let's have the trial
the Navy never did.

Terence Conner,
Gunner's Mate First Class

honorably discharged.

Aye, aye, sir.

I served aboard the
Minnesota in 1989 and 1990.

So you knew Gregory Riordan?

Sure. I was gun
captain in turret two.

He was captain in one.

You might say

we were competitors.
In what way?

Riordan's team

set the speed record

for loading the 16-inch
gun... 37 seconds.

And did that make him popular?

No. He was a loner

and a perfectionist.

He made extra work

for his crew and everyone else.

That's probably
why he was hazed.

Tell us about the hazing.

Well, it's not much to tell.

He got some blanket
parties thrown in his honor.

Had a blanket
tossed over his head

while a couple of guys

pounded him. And, uh... well...

I heard a few guys
gave him a swirly...

Shoved his head in
the toilet, and flushed.

Objection. (chuckling)

And move to strike as hearsay.

Sustained.

JUDGE: Mr. Conner

you can't repeat what you heard.

Were you present at any hazings?

Well, once or twice, Your Honor.

Well, you can tell us
what you saw or did.

Well, I... I played a
couple of tricks on Riordan

but nothing dangerous.

Nothing that would make him

blow up the ship.

What kind of tricks?

Well, little stuff.

He had this... this
wine bag he liked.

Kind of a souvenir

from Spain or Portugal

or somewhere.

What do I do?

What's the rule?

Never ask a question
unless you know the answer.

Thank you, Mr. Conner.

That's... that's all.

What about the wine
bag, Mr. Conner?

Well, he was proud of the thing.

He used to drink out of it

like it was a canteen

so, uh...

well, I messed with it.

Go on.

I filled it with grease

when he wasn't looking,
and a few of us waited around

and saw him take
a swig out of it.

He cursed all of us out and
threw the bag overboard.

So Riordan no longer
had the wine bag

on the day of the explosion?

No. It was a thousand feet
down and a thousand miles away.

CHEGWIDDEN: You want
to reopen the investigation?

The Navy conducted
hundreds of interviews

performed a countless
number of tests

and spent millions of dollars

and now you want
to do it all over again

based on some sort of evidence

from a kiddie court-martial?

Admiral, the Navy claims
that Riordan used the bota bag

as a combination
timer-ignition device.

If the bag was thrown
overboard prior to the explosion

there's no case.

You two have seen
enough investigations

to know that not all loose ends

are tied up in
pretty, neat bows.

Hell, Riordan was a...
was a gunner's mate.

He could have used
some other method

to ignite the propellant.

Then, respectfully, sir

let the Navy prove it.

What the hell is
going on down there?

You're supposed to be teaching
a bunch of high school students

the basics of military justice

not fomenting some
damn revolution.

Now, just finish the mock trial

get your butts back here

and get back to work
like everybody else.

Ms. Petersen

is this... is this
really necessary?

Well, we could tell everyone

you're the Navy's secret weapon.

You blind your enemies
with the glare from your head.

Look at this, Admiral.

Navy Seals.

Someone who can
go hard or go home.

Not a lot of people
know what the Seal does.

I kind of like the idea of that.

How am I supposed
to compete with that?

Ms. Petersen...

the Navy is not just
about its warriors.

Most of the 400,000

men and women in
uniform will never see

a single day of combat

God willing.

Now, maybe their
expertise is engineering

or electronics or
nuclear propulsion.

Whatever their specialty

they are essential to
our national security.

The Navy can't function
without its cooks.

They can't function
without its...

its doctors

its mechanics, its lawyers...

trained in the art of war
and the profession of peace.

Admiral, you have
great presence.

But it's too hokey
it would never sell.

Okay, ready to go again.

Hugo, let's tilt the
light off his head.

Is there a mocha on the set?

Right face!

Forward, halt!

Order, halt!

Platoon, dismissed!

Aye, aye, sir!

Tompkins, are you sure
you want to be a Marine?

No, sir, my father
wants me to be a Marine.

I want to be a lawyer.

Commander, what
did the admiral say?

The admiral has told
us to put a lid on it.

Well, that's not fair.

It is disappointing, sir.

An order is an order.

No use crying about it.

It's not an order to us. We
don't work for that admiral.

We're still running
a court-martial here.

You're always looking
for a loophole, Tompkins.

It is true.

You could keep doing
what you're doing.

Going over documents,
looking for inconsistencies,

new leads, possible witnesses...

at the very least, it would be
a good learning experience.

Yeah, especially if
we get court-martialed.

Well, I don't
understand, Commander.

Why would we want
to find witnesses

who will trash our case?

We should all have
the same goal...

To find the truth.

We have names and
social security numbers

of all 1,500 crew members.

I can use people
search on the internet.

There have to be some
within driving distance.

Ma'am...

sir.

Luisa...

so am I going to
see you tonight?

I don't know, Steve.

Billy and I have to
prepare for tomorrow.

You've been spending a
lot of time with that loser.

He's my client.

Teenagers.

STEVE: Hey, Luisa, wait up!

Yeah.

Remember what it was like, Harm?

Trying to figure out who
you are? Where you fit in?

Or did that just
come easy to you?

You know, sometimes I think
I missed out on being a kid.

Having a father that was M.I.A.

I was always trying to be the
man of the house, you know

and I guess I should
have been at a disco.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

I've seen you dance.

He's here.

Your Honor.

The defense has
found a crew member

who was outside the gun
turret on the day of the explosion.

We'd like permission
to call him out of order.

This is getting
complicated, Cadet Vasquez.

Are there any objections?

No. Yes, sir.

Call your witness.

Shepard Carman.

They call me Shep.

I was a master chief
on the Minnesota

'till they mothballed her.

So, you were aboard the ship
the morning of March 20, 1990?

That's right, Miss.

I was down on deck five

checking out some
refrigeration equipment.

Uh, you get much lower than that

and you'll be
hanging on to the keel.

What did you observe?

The powder flat hatch flew open

and this sailor... I
don't know his name...

Came running out of turret
one with a bloody nose.

Well, 15 minutes later

that turret blew up.

I figured that was

the luckiest nosebleed
in this man's Navy.

Did you tell the
Navy's investigators

what you saw that morning?

You bet... about that

and that old gal's steam
leaks and corroded hatches

and electrical short
circuits and, uh...

and the bad brakes
on the hoist cars.

So, you're a safety
expert, Mr. Carman?

Self-taught.

The Navy considered me

a "mess management specialist."

I ran the galley.

Nothing further.

That's it?

Don't you want to see
the documentation?

Now, I wrote the captain

and the fleet commander
and the SecNav.

I told them

what caused that explosion.

It was a "HERF" gun.

"High energy radio frequency."

You see, the Ruskies
had a sub in the area.

Well, they surfaced
and bleeped us

with those electro gizmos.

(phone ringing)

Lieutenant Roberts.

Bud, it's Harm.

You think you could locate

the medical records
of the Minnesota?

Uh, sure, they'd be archived
at the Navy Yard in D.C.

The index system
there isn't the best

but I have a friend there
who owes me a favor.

See if anybody
reported to Sick Bay

with a bloody nose
on March 20, 1990?

I'll do my best.

Sir, isn't that the day...

That's right, Bud.

That's the day the Sick
Bay became the morgue.

I can't believe Bill
even brought in

that tweaker Carman.

If this was a real court-martial

would you check out his story?

You always follow leads.

Sometimes witnesses who
can hardly find the courthouse

have important information.

All right, flex your knees.

Here, watch me.

Okay?

I can't do that.

MACKENZIE: Okay,
all right, try this.

Double up on the jab,
stick and move, okay?

Try that.

Keep your hands up.

Good.

You're so together, Colonel.

I wish I could be like you.

I'm trying to beat
Steve in court

and he's hitting on me.

I don't know how you do it.

You can compete with men

and retain your femininity.

Well, it's easy.

You just have to do
everything better than they do.

But don't rub their noses in it.

Be smart.

Think like a woman,
but act like a man.

Right... easy.

Anyway, it's better

not to get involved with someone

who you have to see all the time

no matter how you
feel about them.

TOMPKINS: Luisa!

You're not gonna believe it.

What?

I was right.

About what?

Martians did blow
up the gun turret.

Commander Rabb just
heard from his friend at JAG.

And?

15 minutes before the explosion

Petty Officer Michael
Saunders, a gunner's mate

reported to Sick Bay
with a broken nose.

So what?

Maybe he walked into a bulkhead

in the gun turret.

No, no. Saunders
told the corpsman

he tripped over a knee-knocker
near his compartment

which is nowhere near the turret

where Master Chief
Carman saw him

running out bleeding.

So Saunders lied?

Right. And when
we figure out why

we'll know what
happened that day.

Oh, Billy!

(laughs)

Whoo!

Come on. Come on.

"Michael Saunders,
United States Navy, retired

born 8 August, 1911."

I don't think so.

Using the internet to try
and find someone, sir?

Oh, trying. Not succeeding.

When I was a deputy sheriff

I rounded up a few
missing persons

including some who
didn't want to be found.

Gunner's Mate Michael
Saunders discharged from the Navy

ten years ago.

The Bureau of Navy Personnel

doesn't have a current address

and I've already gone through

all the people-search
sites on the net.

That's just a glorified
phone book, sir.

Why don't you try finding him

the old-fashioned way?

Driver's license, court
files, auto registration

real estate records.

I once found a fugitive

by looking in hunting licenses.

The guy never
missed a deer season.

Interesting.

I'd be happy to help you, sir.

BILLY: There were a number of
safety problems aboard the Minnesota.

The guns were over 40 years old.

So was the propellant.

The hoist cars
sometimes crashed.

Training was haphazard.

Petty Officer Riordan

were you a victim of
hazing aboard ship?

There were some guys who
seemed to enjoy tormenting me

but I didn't try to get even.

I would never hurt
innocent people.

Do you know what caused
the explosion in the gun turret?

I only know I didn't do it.

Your witness.

Did you have a lot of friends

on the Minnesota,
Petty Officer Riordan?

A few.

I'm, I'm not all that sociable.

And did you have any enemies?

Well, there were some guys
who didn't seem to like me.

They're all dead
now, aren't they?

Objection: argumentative.

Withdrawn.

Petty Officer Riordan,

back home in Arkansas

did you explode homemade bombs?

I blew up tree stumps
on my family's farm.

So, you know all
about explosives?

I am a gunner's mate, Counselor.

Why did you blow
up those tree stumps?

Well, they're hell on a plow.

The shipmates made your
life hell on earth, didn't they?

What?

Didn't you write
letters home saying that

the hazing was so bad

that your life was
"hell on earth"?

I refer to exhibits 38, "A"
through "F," Your Honor.

Well, I was upset at the time.

And when you were
upset with those shipmates

you blew them up just
like those tree stumps.

No, I didn't have
to seek revenge.

I always knew I was
better than anyone

who tried to hurt me.

ROBERTS: I'm
amazed you found her.

Missing men usually
have ex-wives.

This is the same
address that was listed

on the divorce docket.

What about Saunders' address?

We'll ask her.

Lieutenant, we'll
play Mutt and Jeff.

You want to be
good cop or bad cop?

Well, ah, let's see.

Good cop, absolutely.

Mom!

Go finish your breakfast, honey.

Kimberly Saunders?

What's this about?

Sorry to bother you, ma'am.

We're looking for
Michael Saunders.

Why? Does he owe you money

or did he steal
an aircraft carrier?

We're not at liberty
to say, ma'am.

Neither am I.

We can get a warrant, lady.

Why don't you do that, Sergeant?

Actually, ma'am,
the Navy owes him

three months' pay

and we just want to make
sure that he's going to get it.

And you need a warrant for that?

Ah, he's new. There's nothing

to worry about, ma'am.

Mr. Saunders
isn't in any trouble.

That would be a first.

Try the Little Creek
Tavern in Hampton.

He'll be on one side
of the bar or the other.

Thank you.

PETERSEN: Just what does a
yeoman do, Petty Officer Tiner?

The yeomen are the glue
who hold the Navy together.

In my case, I handle
file management

type the admiral's
correspondence

and arrange his appointments.

You're a clerk?

Yes, but with managerial duties.

The gunny and I reorganized
the entire filing system

from an alphabetical
to a numerical base.

Cut.

And I took this gig over
a job on Animal Planet.

Ms. Petersen?

Let me guess.

You sort the paper clips?

I'm an attorney.

Lieutenant Loren Singer.

I was wondering

if Admiral Chegwidden told
you about the court-martial

I just prosecuted?

No, why would he?

For your recruiting
commercial, of course.

I convicted two
Marines of dueling.

"Dueling"?

As in flintlock
pistols at 20 paces?

More like nine-millimeter
Berettas outside a Newport bar.

So, what was the body count?

The Marines missed each other

but mortally
wounded a traffic light.

They'll each do six
months in the brig.

But the case shows

how versatile JAG
lawyers have to be.

The Marines had a friend
videotape the whole thing.

Have you tried Jerry Springer?

Slow night.

Can't tell one from another.

What can I get you?

Whatever's on tap.

You ever in the Navy?

Ah, I got one of those faces.

A lot of folks think
they know me.

Served on the
Minnesota, didn't you?

You got me mixed up.

Gunner's Mate Saunders.

And you'd be a cop, right?

You got NCIS
written all over you.

I'm with JAG,
but it's not official.

Well, how'd you find me?

My ex?

My boy doing okay?

He's good.

I haven't been
out there in a while.

This is about the
Minnesota, Mr. Saunders.

Oh, man, that was
a long time ago.

March 20, 1990

you broke your nose.

Yeah.

You told a corpsman in
Sick Bay that you broke it

near your berthing compartment.

The ship blew up that day.

29 men died.

Why are you worried about
where I broke my nose?

Where did you break it?

In my berthing compartment.

We have witness who says
you broke it in gun turret one.

Why would you lie?

'Cause I broke it in a fight.

Who'd you fight?

Greg Riordan, the guy
who blew up the ship.

The night before,
that was the worst.

(grunts)

We threw a little blanket party.

Pounded him pretty good.

Then we carried him
up on the main deck.

He was crying like a baby.

(sobbing)

We picked him up by the ankles

had him over the rails

let him dangle there,
right over the screws.

Do it. Do it.

SAUNDERS: He was
sobbing, swearing, yelling...

He said he'd get even.

He swore he'd kill us all.

(knocking)

Enter.

Excuse me, Admiral,
I know you're busy

with the law of the sea

or the Treaty of
Versailles or whatever...

What is it, Ms. Peterson?

I've won two Cleos.

I directed an independent film

that was shown at Sundance

and yet still I can't find a way
to make this work, so I quit.

Ms. Peterson, have you
explored every option?

Lieutenant Roberts here

he's third-generation Navy.

His grandfather served

on a battleship.

His father was a master chief.

I'm not doing the
Pillsbury Doughboy.

Oh, oh.

I am, I am so sorry.

I'm not usually like this.

Look, your Commander
Rabb almost works

if only he'd done something
else besides practice law.

Well, actually...

Female on deck.

Luisa, what are
you doing in here?

Thinking like a woman,
acting like a man.

Did Steve do this to you?

Can we talk about
this someplace else?

You should report him.

No.

You can't let him
get away with this.

He won't.

I'll beat him in the courtroom.

Not if that means winning
an acquittal for Riordan.

At ease.

What happened, Commander?

Did you find Michael Saunders?

We did.

Billy, what happened
to your eye?

I saluted too hard, ma'am.

What did he say, sir?

He buried Riordan.

TOMPKINS: Maybe he's lying, sir?

Could he have told a different
story to anyone else, sir?

His ex-wife Kimberly in Norfolk.

Norfolk?

Wait, wait, wait a minute, sir.

Okay, here it is.

Exhibit 477-B: a postcard sent

to Greg Riordan in March 1990

a few days before the explosion.

Investigators
found it in his locker.

Postmarked Norfolk.

"See you in port. Can't wait!

I love you, Kimberly."

Kimberly loves Riordan.

Kimberly marries
Saunders after Riordan dies.

Saunders told me
that he and Riordan

were fighting over hazing.

Hi, is your mom home?

Ma'am?

Reinforcements?

I'm Commander Rabb, ma'am.

This is Lieutenant
Colonel McKenzie.

We're with the JAG Corps.

We'd like to ask you a
few questions if we could.

Look, I have to help my
son finish his homework.

This won't take long.

We have questions
about Greg Riordan.

About me? No,
son, not about you.

But I'm Greg Riordan.

Why don't you two come
in for a cup of coffee.

I was young and I
thought it was fun

having two sailors
fight over me.

Michael Saunders
and Greg Riordan?

Hmm.

One boyfriend too many.

When I finally figured
that out, I chose Greg.

An odd time to kill yourself

when you finally get
the woman you want.

That's what I always thought.

But it's tough to
argue with the Navy.

So far, I've shielded Greg, Jr.

From what they
say about his father.

Saunders led me to believe

that he was the child's father.

He wasn't a bad substitute...
when he was sober.

Michael is the only
father that Greg knows

and they love each other.

He stops by once in a while
and takes him fishing or camping.

You married Saunders
after the explosion?

I was four months pregnant

when Greg came
home in a body bag.

Greg, Jr. needed a father

and I needed somebody, too.

Did Saunders ever talk about

what happened that
morning in the gun turret?

He wasn't there.

Yes, he was.

Oh, my God.

Ah, you I'm done with.

Hi, Dad, can I have a root beer?

Greg, over here.

You know, the boy
shouldn't be in here.

He shouldn't be
seeing me like this.

I'm sure you look great to him.

His other father is
a mass murderer.

He doesn't know about that.

He will.

Someone at school will tell him.

They might even beat him up.

You'd know about
that, wouldn't you?

What do you want from me?

Tell the boy the truth.

Don't let this lie
ruin his life, too.

It's too late.

It's not too late for him.

MAN: It's an honor to
have a distinguished visitor

with us today.

Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden

the Judge Advocate General
of the United States Navy.

Are you ready to
proceed, Cadet Vasquez?

Your Honor, although
both sides have rested

we move to reopen the evidence

to present a final
defense witness.

This has gone on long enough.

Motion Denied.

Commandant Haden,
may I be heard?

Of course, Admiral.

I came here today
because I understood

that you might
hear from a witness

who never spoke to
the Board of Inquiry.

The Navy did the
best job it could

but if there's a chance

that we committed a
miscarriage of justice

no matter how innocently

we want it corrected.

Call your witness.

Thank you, Your Honor.

The defense calls
Michael Saunders.

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear the evidence
you are about to give

is the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?

I do.

Be seated.

State your name and
rank for the record, sir.

Michael Saunders.

I was gunner's
mate, second class

aboard the USS Minnesota.

Were you aboard ship
on March 20, 1990?

Yes, ma'am.

Did you know Gunner's
Mate Gregory Riordan?

Yes, ma'am.

Ah, we had hazed him...

I hazed him, but
that had nothing to do

with what happened that day.

It was about a woman.

I wanted her. He had her.

What happened in the
gun turret, Mr. Saunders?

Riordan was gun captain

doing a better job than
anybody else, as usual.

I don't know why
I went in there.

I didn't belong there.

I didn't really belong anywhere.

Load one round.

Load one round, aye.

They'd already
loaded the projectile

and the propellant bags

were coming off
the spanning tray.

Riordan put the lead foils

between the first
and second bags

just the way he was supposed to.

And then he saw me...

What are you doing here?

I'm just checking up on you.

I heard they threw
you a little blanket party

last night.

Get out of my turret.

Relax, I'm just
here to help you.

You want to help me? Get out.

And I told him that Kim
had been seeing me

behind his back.

What did you say?

Don't fool yourself, son.

She's only marrying you
because I wouldn't marry her.

It was all a lie.

I just wanted to hurt him.

Anyway, it was the
cradle operator's

first live fire exercise and
he was nervous enough

but I'm sure I didn't
help it by busting in.

Now, I'm not so sure...

but I thought I saw him...

load six bags of
propellant instead of five.

Now, Riordan would
have caught the mistake

but he never saw
it because of me.

Yeah, I could have warned him.

I could have stopped
it, but in that...

split second

I didn't want to.

I never loaded the gun.

It wasn't my fault, right?

VASQUEZ: Mr. Saunders,
what is the effect

of six propellant
bags instead of five?

Too much propellant
over-pressurizes the gun.

I am sorry.

Petty Officer Riordan, on
all specifications against you

this court-martial
finds you not guilty.

This court-martial is adjourned.

Thank you.

Hey, good work.

Nice work, Steven.

Billy...

Congratulations

Cadet Vasquez.

Well done, Cadet Tompkins.

Thanks.

Billy, I was wrong about you.

I know.

What's going to happen to him?

Well...

dereliction of duty
and manslaughter

would both be barred by
the statute of limitations

so the only punishment he'll get

is what he has to
live with every day

for the rest of his life.

Thanks, A.J.

Jerry, good to see you.

You bet.

Colonel, Commander,
correct me if I'm wrong

but didn't I advise you
to drop the investigation?

It wasn't our investigation
to drop, Admiral.

It wasn't?

No, sir. We were simply
sitting second-chair.

Oh, uh, Commander

I almost forgot.

Can you be at the
Washington Monument at 1700?

The Washington
Monument at 1700, sir? Why?

I think she called
it "magic hour."

Ms. Peterson, she says
the light is just perfect then.

Colonel.