The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 8, Episode 22 - The Furlough - full transcript
John-Boy is released from the hospital and returns to Walton's Mountain. Ike is arrested for draft evasion.
Katey Anne.
Katey Anne.
Must have been some nightmare.
- You okay, Walton?
- Fine.
Is Katey Anne your girl?
Well, she must be pretty important.
You kept calling out for her in your sleep.
I don't know any Katey Anne.
Do any of you remember
a girl named Katey Anne?
If you can't remember your
old girlfriends, don't expect us to.
So that name doesn't
mean anything to you?
- Doesn't ring a bell.
- Sounds like a mystery.
Carry me back to old Virginny
That's where the cotton
And the corn and taters grow
John-Boy, you all right?
There were many
homecomings in my life,
but the one I remember best
followed a long spell in the
hospital during World War II.
A visit home would be the
final step in my recovery,
and I looked forward to the comfort
of those familiar surroundings.
I never dreamed that I
would bring the war with me,
and that it would haunt me
even on Walton's Mountain.
Katey Anne.
Katey Anne.
Katey Anne.
Must have been some nightmare.
- You okay, Walton?
- Fine.
Is Katey Anne your girl?
Well, she must be pretty important.
You kept calling out for her in your sleep.
I don't know any Katey Anne.
Well, now then, just
a smidgen to the right.
- No, the left. That's my right.
- We got it, Rose.
- Jeffrey!
- I'm sorry.
Young man, you ought to be
helping instead of getting in the way.
Now, go to the attic
and check Jason and Jim-Bob
and see if they need a hand.
I already did. They told
me to check with you.
Mary Ellen, how come you're
letting John-Boy have your room?
Because it was his room first,
and we want him to find
it just the way he left it.
It'll be fun being roommates. I
get lonely out there without Ben.
We can bore each other
silly with baby stories.
The baby, I left her up in the girls'
room. Jeffrey, you help Mary Ellen.
Do I have to?
You think you can handle this?
- It's kind of heavy.
- I'll try.
Okay. Here we go.
Okay, let's see if I
can give you a hand.
Easy, easy.
John-Boy's old typewriter
is in this trunk somewhere.
- Well, maybe he won't want it anymore.
- No, he'll want it.
The war changes people.
There was this soldier in this awful
battle, and when he came home,
he had this limp and this
sad, faraway look in his eyes.
And he wouldn't talk
about the war, not ever.
Until he met this
beautiful blind girl
and realized that other
people had handicaps, too.
- You saw the movie.
- And I cried buckets.
Here's the typewriter.
Put the lid down.
It's jammed.
- Put everything back in the trunk.
- Okay.
We gotta clear out two
drawers for John-Boy.
That should be enough.
Oh, no, you don't.
It's not going up there.
Gangway.
Here.
- Thanks, Erin.
- Thanks.
Okay, we're ready
for John-Boy now.
- No. Get off.
- No.
Elizabeth, John-Boy won't
recognize the place if it's too neat.
You're right.
Help!
Hello.
Well, hello, ladies.
Have you heard the good news?
John-Boy is coming home today.
Good news, Mr. Godsey.
Good news, isn't it, Sister?
I always knew
one day he'd return.
I'm afraid he's only home for
furlough. He'll be here just a few days.
Sister, we must
welcome John-Boy home.
- We must do something special.
- An entertainment of some sort.
It's been so long since
we had a really grand affair.
An autograph party.
Everyone could bring
their copy of G.I. Journal
and John-Boy
could sign it for them.
That's a lovely idea.
Sister, we should go home
immediately and start making plans.
Wasn't there something you
were gonna do here in the store?
Yes. What was it, Sister?
The package. We came
to mail the package.
To Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The President, don't you know.
We thought he might enjoy
some of Papa's Recipe.
So relaxing.
Ladies, it's against the law. You
can't ship Recipe through the mail.
Well, then we will simply
have to deliver it in person.
Well, I'll see if
you have any mail.
We were expecting a
reply from Mr. Churchill.
Well, let's see here then.
No. Nothing from Mr. Churchill,
but here's something
for Mr. Godsey.
Oh, my, doesn't
this look official.
It certainly does. I
wonder what it is.
"Greetings from the
President of the United States.
"Having submitted yourself to a local
board composed of your neighbors
"for the purpose of determining
your availability for training and service
"in the Armed Forces of the
United States, you are hereby notified
"that you have been selected
to report for physical examination
"by an examining board
of the Armed Forces.
"Upon final determination of
your fitness for military service,
"you will receive an order
to report for induction."
Corabeth, they're calling me up.
Whatever will we do without you?
Well, I cannot believe that
the war is going so badly
that Uncle Sam would
point to Ike Godsey.
Come on, Corabeth, there's a lot of
things that I could do for my country.
Adolf Hitler must be
trembling in his boots.
Now, Mr. Godsey, if those
draft people give you any trouble,
you just let us know, and
Sister and I will write a letter.
To whom, Sister?
Why, this time we'll go right
to the top. Eleanor Roosevelt.
- Bus is late.
- Maybe it broke down.
I hope not. I've got to be
at the base in four hours.
I never thought I'd be nervous
about seeing my own brother.
I won't know how to act.
I feel the same way. He
hasn't been home in so long.
- You've all seen him in the hospital.
- It's not the same, Daddy.
Everything's different. He
won't even recognize the place.
That's why it's important to
make him feel comfortable.
Should be a happy time for
him. He's been through a lot.
Well, I'll be glad to have him back
home and I still feel a little strange.
You'll see. When he gets off
that bus, it'll be like old times again.
The bus is here. Come on.
Come on, everybody.
Come on. Come on. There he is!
- John-Boy!
- Hey!
Welcome home, Brother.
- John-Boy!
- Welcome home, son.
- Thanks, Daddy.
- I've waited a long time for this.
- Good to see you.
I want you to meet Cindy.
- Hi.
- Hi.
You're lovely. You're just
the way Ben described you.
Ben wanted to be here,
but he couldn't get leave.
- Where's my new niece?
- She's home with Rose.
And John Curtis and
Jeffrey and Serena.
Lord, it feels strange. I
don't know one of them.
- They're looking forward to meeting you.
- Same here.
- Well, let's get going.
- Well, all right, let's go.
All right, who's riding with me?
- Cousin Rose.
- John-Boy.
Oh, mercy, you're handsome.
I'm forgetting myself.
This is my granddaughter,
Serena, and my grandson, Jeffrey.
- How do you do?
- Just fine, honey.
- Jeffrey.
- Could you show us your Purple Heart?
It's good to have young
people around here again.
Most of the time.
Come on, let's
scoot in the house.
Everything's the same.
That's the way we
wanted it to be for you.
You shouldn't have
gone to all this trouble.
It wasn't any
trouble, it was fun,
especially since we knew
you were gonna see it.
We've been waiting for
this day for a long time.
My yearbook.
We brought it down from the attic
when you were missing in action.
It was something to
look at while we waited.
A lot of letters came
from your old friends
at Boatwright asking about you.
You could spend the rest of
your furlough answering them.
Yeah. I probably will, too.
No, you won't. You're gonna
be with us till we drive you crazy.
Do any of you remember
a girl named Katey Anne?
If you can't remember your
old girlfriends, don't expect us to.
So that name doesn't
mean anything to you?
- Doesn't ring a bell.
- Sounds like a mystery.
If you were still playing Jessica, Girl
Spy, you'd have solved it right away.
I gave that up for boys.
I bet you have a lot
of them chasing you.
What about Katey
Anne? Is she chasing you?
John Curtis, do you talk yet?
Well, don't just sit there,
say something. You can talk.
How about you, Virginia?
She gurgles pretty good
sometimes for her grandpa.
Those two can make
quite a fuss if they want to.
Well, I hate to disappoint you,
but it's way past her bedtime.
- John Curtis, too.
- Come on, sweetheart.
- Good night, honey.
- Mary Ellen, let me take him.
Thank you, Rose.
Good night, sweetheart.
- Good night, Cindy.
- Good night.
Good night.
Hey. How are you?
The little ones off into
the arms of Morpheus.
Corabeth, how are you?
- John-Boy, hi.
- Ike, how are you?
- You both look... You look wonderful.
- Well, we're aging well.
- Speak for yourself, Mr. Godsey.
- Good to see you two.
Well, forgive us for intruding
on your reunion like this,
but I simply could not rest
until I saw for myself that
John-Boy was well again.
So, how are you gonna
pass all your free time?
A little fishing, a little writing,
and a lot of taking it easy.
Well, I do hope you'll set
aside some time next week
for Miss Mamie and Miss
Emily's autograph party for you.
I'm looking forward
to seeing them.
Well, perhaps we can persuade
Jason to favor us with a selection.
I'll ask him.
And, John, you as father of the
honoree, your presence is sine qua non.
I don't know what that means,
Corabeth, but I'll be there.
Corabeth, I think it's
time we'd better get home.
But we just arrived.
I haven't had time to give
John-Boy any of the news.
- There'll be lots of time for that.
- Thanks for stopping by.
Okay. Almost forgot, this
came a couple of days ago.
I knew you were coming
home, so I held it for you.
- Thanks.
- Yeah. Welcome home.
- Thank you.
- Goodbye.
It's marked urgent.
Bad news, son?
- It's from Nan Bennett, Stewart's sister.
- Your friend from Boatwright?
He and I ran into each
other in London again.
- She's coming to see me.
- Any special reason?
Stewart was the co-pilot of the
plane I was on. He didn't make it back.
- He was killed?
- I don't know.
He's listed as
missing in action.
We were heading home over
Belgium when the antiaircraft fire hit us.
It just ripped through the plane
like it was made out of paper.
We started bumping crazily.
I made my way up to the cockpit.
The pilot was slumped over dead
and Stewart was at the control.
He said we'd be okay. He
said we'd make it all right.
Only we got hit again and
there was a pain in my head
and Stewart was shouting something
and we were going down and down...
- Then what happened?
- I don't remember.
What am I going
to tell his sister?
You must have blacked out.
How'd you get out of the plane?
I don't remember.
I've tried, but there's a door
shut to me and I can't open it.
I feel as if I've lost a part of
myself, a very important part of me.
Elizabeth, I need the
nail polish, I found the run.
You're putting nail
polish on your stockings?
Yup. It stops the run.
You got leave. Why
didn't you call and tell me?
Because I wanted to keep it
a surprise. Hello, everyone.
- How long have you got?
- A few days.
Well, looks like John Curtis and I are
gonna be moving into the girls' room.
We're already packed
in there like sardines.
- Hey, want me to go back to camp?
- Don't you dare.
Well, maybe Serena
should move in with Rose.
She snores.
Don't tell that I told.
Serena, if you could put up
with it just until Ben leaves,
I'll let you borrow my
powder blue sweater.
Okay, if Erin lets me
borrow her crystal necklace.
- Serena, that's bribery.
- Is it a deal or not?
It's a deal.
- Slow down, Serena.
- Sorry.
- Morning, everybody.
- Morning.
- Ben!
- John-Boy.
- Welcome home.
- Welcome home, yourself.
- Morning, Corabeth, Ike.
- Hi, John.
And how is our young warrior?
He's doing fine. He'll be back
on active duty before you know it.
- Yeah, along with me.
- What do you mean, along with you?
Didn't you hear?
They want to draft me.
It appears Uncle Sam has
tripped on his own red tape.
You mean you've heard
from the Selective Service?
Yeah, and I got the notice the
other day. I got it right over here.
I didn't pay much
mind to it, you know,
what with having a heart attack
and at my age. Excuse me, honey.
I didn't figure I was
exactly prime material.
Well, it's all so absurd.
Well, I cannot delay.
I am on my way to the Baldwins
to discuss John-Boy's party.
- Bye, honey.
- Bye-bye.
- That's official, isn't it?
- Well, it sure is.
They've made
some kind of mistake.
- You better let them know about this.
- Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna go over to
the draft board as soon as I can.
But you know, I was thinking, it
might be nice to be a soldier again.
You know, just, "Yes, sir.
No, sir." No responsibility,
just follow orders, you know.
Ike, you'd last
about 15 minutes.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
So much around me
seems unchanged.
The way the mountain
looks at sunrise,
the whippoorwills calling
to their mates at night,
and yet everything
is strangely altered.
There's an emptiness here
with Grandpa gone and
Grandma and Mama away.
Katey Anne.
- John-Boy.
- Hi, Daddy.
- Mind if I come in?
- Please.
Still thinking about
that name, huh?
I sure wish I could
remember who she was.
It's a pretty name.
What are you doing?
Working on a new novel?
I'm only trying to collect
a few of my thoughts.
Everything seems
so different to me.
Sure it does. Everything
keeps changing.
Even after the war, there's
gonna be no turning the clock back.
What was it like for you when
you came back from the war?
Some of it was real nice.
Your mama was here,
waiting, when I got back.
She had a little
baby. That was you.
- It felt good then?
- That part felt good. Yeah.
But some other things
didn't feel so good.
My brother Ben had
been killed in the war
and I didn't know where,
somewhere in France.
Didn't even know if he had
a grave or if it was marked.
And after the armistice,
it was a lot of celebrating
and bands and parades,
and I just wanted to forget.
All I want to do is remember.
I feel like I'm all in bits and pieces,
only the biggest piece is missing.
- The crash?
- Yeah.
I wanted to come home so much,
but part of me is
always back there,
falling and falling and it
never stops, I never land.
Maybe you're
trying too hard, son.
You know, after I'd been
back from the war for a while,
I started thinking
about my brother Ben.
What happened to
him, where he was.
I just couldn't stop
thinking about it.
It got so it took
up my whole life.
And finally, I knew I just had to set it
aside and go on living without knowing.
Maybe that's what
you're gonna have to do.
Go on living without knowing.
I'm not ready to accept that.
Not yet.
Hey, John-Boy.
Are you okay?
Yeah. Jim-Bob, I...
It'll take me a little while to
get used to being home, I guess.
- Wanna give me a hand with this?
- Yeah.
Honestly, Mr. Truby, do I
look like infantry material?
Not exactly, no.
Look, between
rationing and reports,
the government's got me fighting
my own war just to stay in business,
and now this.
Mr. Godsey, you've
gotta look at my position.
I've only been on
this job a few days.
I'm still trying to figure out
what requisition forms to use
to get a nameplate on my door.
Look, somebody has to
get to the bottom of this.
There does seem to
have been a blunder.
Look, I don't think the
army even wants me.
But they do, and they will, until
we let them know that you're...
Over the hill.
Militarily speaking, yes.
Look, let me just find your file
and we will get to the bottom of this.
Here.
- Godsey...
- G-O...
G-O, thank you.
Godsey, Godsey...
These files have not been sorted
since they were brought
over from the old draft board.
Your file seems to be missing,
but don't worry, we'll find it. I think.
- What do I do in the meantime?
- You'll fill out these forms.
Look, I got an idea. Why don't
you make a couple of phone calls,
and then you can shortcut
this whole thing, huh?
The army is not particularly
impressed by telephone calls.
They want everything in writing.
That'll take weeks.
I advise you to have
them at the induction center
before the date
scheduled for your physical.
Which doesn't
leave you much time.
I am sorry.
You're sorry and I'm
about to get drafted.
Anybody seen John-Boy?
He and Jim-Bob left
at dawn to go fishing.
Early bird catches
the fish, so to speak.
I just can't get over
how well John-Boy appears to
be after all he's been through.
He seems quieter to me.
Well, maybe that's because
he's more grown-up now.
Now, when you talk to him, it's
like he's lost, like he's not listening.
Well, soldiers get distracted that way.
It's because of their war experiences.
Maybe he's thinking
of the mystery woman.
- Oh, ho, the first I've heard of that.
- Her name's Katey Anne.
I think she might be
a beautiful Belgian girl
who nursed him back to
health after he was shot down.
Katey Anne doesn't sound like a
particularly Belgium-ish sort of name.
Well, if John-Boy's thinking
about anybody, it's Nan Bennett.
She's coming to see him today.
Miss Bennett?
This is awkward, isn't it?
I thought it would be easy to
drive over and talk about Stewart.
Please, have a seat.
Thank you.
You knew it wouldn't be easy.
I guess being a writer gives you
a head start on being perceptive.
No, I wish it did.
May I get you some
coffee or a cup of tea?
No thank you. Just
a little conversation.
You look like Stewart. It's
the eyes and the eyebrows.
Stewart and I were very close.
I used to tag along everywhere.
He taught me how to ride a
horse, how to hit a baseball,
how to play poker.
I got so used to
being his shadow
that I thought I was supposed to
go along with him on his first date.
It came as quite a surprise
when he didn't let me.
What about your parents?
They're taking his
loss pretty hard.
I didn't tell them I was
coming over today.
I didn't want to
encourage any false hopes.
Do you remember his ever
mentioning a girl named Katey Anne?
- Why?
- Well, it's just a name,
but I keep hearing it
over and over in my head,
like a record stuck in a groove.
I think if she'd been part of
Stewart's life, I'd have known.
Yeah, I suppose I would, too.
What happened on the plane?
If I knew that, I would've
written you a long time ago.
- But you were there.
- I was wounded.
- And Stewart?
- I don't remember.
You must remember some of
it. Tell me what you can. Please.
We were heading home to
England when we were hit.
Most of the crew
were injured or killed.
Stewart took the controls.
He said he was going to
land the plane in the ocean.
The water was getting closer
and closer
and closer.
Go on, what happened?
I don't remember.
- There must be more. Think.
- No.
- You were heading for the water and...
- That's all. I don't know any more.
Nothing.
I'm sorry.
I wish I could be more help.
So do I.
There's a good chance
he survived the crash.
It's not knowing that's hard.
In his letters, he never
mentioned the grim side of war.
Mostly, he talked about the
good times the two of you had.
Stewart and I used
to drink beer together.
In London, there was this
pub, the Queen's Garter.
They served a special
kind of ale we'd never tried,
and they refused to serve Americans
because they had such a small supply.
One night, Stewart
borrowed an RAF uniform,
put on a fake mustache and became
the spitting image of Ronald Colman.
You know, we went back
to the Queen's Garter.
I ordered the regular ale and
he ordered the special brew.
- And he got it?
- On the house
because he was one of the few
who had done so much for so many.
He would get away
with a stunt like that.
One sip, and his mustache
fell off and landed in the glass.
Serves him right.
Stewart sent me this. I
thought you might like it.
We dragged a nanny away from
her pram to take this. Thank you.
- I'm glad we finally met.
- I'm happy you came by.
I don't seem to have that stiff upper lip
that Stewart says the British go in for.
Thank you.
Nan, Stewart always talked about
you as someone special. I can see why.
Goodbye.
- Hello, Jeffrey.
- Hi.
Don't go.
I didn't mean to spy
on you or anything,
it's just that I've never
seen a writer before.
I'm only writing in my journal.
- What are you writing?
- Just notes.
What's it like
being in the army?
I spend most of my time
writing for Stars and Stripes,
that's the army newspaper.
Has it got any funnies?
Sure, we've got the Sad Sack
and cartoons by Bill Mauldin.
- Any Katzenjammer Kids?
- Afraid not.
Would you like me
to send you a copy?
I guess I'll just stick with
the Charlottesville Progress.
It's got a lot of
funnies. See you.
Mr. Godsey, what on earth
is keeping you up this hour?
It's all these government forms,
Corabeth, and they're putting me to sleep.
Well, it's a mystery to
me why you even bother.
It's past the day you were supposed
to report and nothing's happened.
Yeah, I know.
Sometimes, I think I just
ought to just let them draft me.
You know, they got
jobs for men like me.
- Like what?
- Like undercover work.
You, a spy?
Mr. Godsey, you wouldn't
fool me for a minute.
That's because you know me.
But the enemy, they would think of
me as sort of a mild-mannered man.
- Well, you are.
- That's why I'd be good at it.
I could look for German spies
and black marketeers
and rationing violators.
- I could even report you.
- Well, whatever for?
Yesterday, you gave two extra
pounds of sugar to the Baldwin ladies.
Mr. Godsey, those were for
chocolate é clairs for John-Boy's party.
But undercover agents only care
about violations, not the reasons why.
Mr. Godsey, I do
hope they draft you.
- Can I help?
- No, thanks.
Are you going to paint it?
Well, it depends on
whether I like it or not.
Will it be able to fly?
Probably end up hanging it on
the wall with the rest of my models.
Why do you want to build
an airplane if it can't fly?
Jeffrey, I'm really
busy right now.
If you want somebody to
talk to, go talk to Elizabeth.
She can't help me.
- Something wrong?
- I'm worried about the war.
Well, we all are.
It's just that I don't know whether
to join the army, like Jason,
or to go into the Air Corps, like you, or
to be like Ben and go into the Seabees,
or to draw cartoons
for Stars and Stripes.
They don't have anything
like Katzenjammer Kids.
I wouldn't worry
about it if I were you.
The war'll be over by the
time you're old enough to join.
That's what you think.
In school, we're learning about
this war that lasted over 100 years.
Well, that was years ago,
before they had machine
guns, airplanes, submarines.
- Wars just don't last that long anymore.
- Really?
The First World War
was only four years long.
Who won?
I think you'd better
study your history some.
I'm sure glad the war
is going to be over soon.
I didn't want to get shot down.
Okay, Jeffrey, now, as
soon as you finish this,
I want you to take
Corabeth's duster
and go straighten out the
pool room a little bit, huh?
Boy, you sure are making
me earn those jawbreakers.
Jeffrey, this is
the American way.
I would have more fun at
that dumb book-signing party.
- Good afternoon.
- Yes, sir, may I help you?
I'm Agent Richard Bragdon, FBI.
I'm looking for Isaac A. Godsey.
That's me. Did Corabeth
put you up to this?
What is this, some
kind of a joke?
The FBI doesn't joke.
Here are my credentials.
I'd like to ask you a few
questions, Mr. Godsey.
Yes, sir. Fire away.
I mean, ask away.
Did you recently receive a
notice from the Selective Service?
- I did.
- Did you read it?
Well, yes, but it was a mistake.
And did you fail to report last
Monday for your physical examination?
Well, yes, but the reason I did
is because I had to make out all these
forms and I had to do them in triplicate.
Well, that's of no
concern to me, sir.
You have failed to respond to
an order from your draft board.
I'm going to have to take you
down to the induction center.
But it's a mistake. Do I look
like fighting material, huh?
The army works in
strange ways, Mr. Godsey.
Well, okay.
Jeffrey, here are the keys
and you lock it up for me, huh?
And then go tell your Uncle John
to come and rescue me, soon.
"As I left Tunisia to return to
England, I flew over the Mediterranean.
"I looked down at that
sparkling stretch of blue sea,
"and it seemed inconceivable
"that men could be fighting and
dying along its shores and in its waters.
"And I thought of the countless
battles that had taken place below.
"Men had been fighting
there for thousands of years,
"and I wondered if the
warring would ever end
"and if there would
ever be peace."
John-Boy, it means so much to
hear you reading from your own book.
- I most wholeheartedly agree.
- Thank you.
We should thank you.
Your words have transported
us halfway around the world.
Have you decided what
your next book will be?
I'm working on a few ideas,
but nothing definite yet.
Why don't you write
about your experience
in that plane you
were in over Belgium?
Sister, I think
John-Boy might prefer
not to be reminded
of that painful memory.
Oh. Yes, of course.
Well, why don't we have
our refreshments now,
and then John-Boy can
autograph our books?
- I'll help you.
- Sounds good to me.
Jason, would you favor
us with some music?
- Sure, Miss Mamie.
- No war songs, please.
Any requests, anybody? John-Boy?
You decide.
That's always been a favorite of
mine. Especially now that I'm a Virginian.
Carry me back to old Virginny
That's where the cotton
And the corn and taters grow
There's where the birds
warble sweet in the springtime
That's where this
old soldier's heart...
John-Boy, you all right?
I'm sorry.
I'll get the broom.
Jeffrey, what's the matter?
Ike told me to come and get
you. He's been arrested by the FBI.
- Oh, dear.
- Come on, we'll find him.
Oh, my, I do hope they
don't put him in the stockade.
Or in front of a firing squad.
Corabeth, just calm
down, he's not going to jail.
It's gonna be all right.
We'll get it straightened out.
Major, I'm telling you once again, I
was chairman of the local draft board.
Ike Godsey is too old.
And his heart attack, don't
forget to tell him about that.
Now, you already told me about
the heart attack twice, Mrs. Godsey.
Corporal, if you've got an Ike Godsey
out there, bring him in, with his file.
But, Major Gordon, sir...
- You heard me, Corporal, that's an order.
- Yes, sir.
I appreciate your helping us
straighten this out, Mr. Walton.
But since they consolidated the draft
boards, things have really been snafu.
Snafu?
Is Mr. Godsey snafu,
John? What does that mean?
Snafu... Well...
It's an army term, isn't it,
Major? Why don't you explain it?
Yes, it is an army term. It means
situation normal, all fouled up.
Yes, that's it.
Oh!
Well, perhaps it does
apply to Mr. Godsey.
Come in.
Here is Mr. Godsey's file, sir.
And here's Mr. Godsey.
He was in the
middle of his physical.
Mr. Godsey, where
are your clothes?
They took them, Corabeth.
They took them all.
Well, what's that thing?
It's my personal effects.
Please sit down, Mr. Godsey, and
we'll see if we can straighten this out.
I certainly hope so. Thanks
for coming over, John.
It's all right, Ike, I wouldn't
have missed this for the world.
- This is not funny, John.
- I know it's not, Corabeth.
Godsey, Isaac Aloysius.
Aloysius? Aloysius?
You registered for the
draft on April 27, 1942,
at the Walton's
Mountain local board.
That's when I was chairman of the
board. We registered everybody under 65.
Mr. Godsey, did you receive
a notice about four months ago
telling you that you had
been reclassified to 1A status?
Just about the time we
consolidated the boards.
Yes, I did, but I didn't
think anything of it.
I thought it was just, you know,
some mistake or something.
And besides, it made me
feel kind of young again.
Really, Mr. Godsey.
According to these records,
you are remarkably young.
It states here that your birth
date is September 1, 1924.
Huh? That makes me 20 years old.
There you go, Ike. You
got what you wanted.
- When were you born, Mr. Godsey?
- September 24, 1901.
That's our answer. The day
and the date have been reversed.
This whole mess was
caused by a clerical error.
- Then I'm free to go?
- Yes, not dressed the way you are.
I'll have your
things brought in.
Well, thank you very much,
Major. John, what can I say?
I'm glad you're not snafu, Ike.
- Aren't you, Corabeth?
- Yes, I certainly am.
Well, I know you would have looked
very handsome in uniform, Mr. Godsey,
but I love you dearly
just the way you are.
Yeah.
- You busy?
- No, come on in.
We brought you a present.
We have more than just tea
parties around here, John-Boy.
Beer? In this house?
Times have sure changed.
Mama isn't here and Rose
is busy making supper.
- Hey, don't I get a beer?
- Then we'd really be in trouble.
Let's have a toast to getting together.
We don't know when that'll happen again.
- Hear, hear.
- I'll drink to that.
Great.
Hmm.
This tastes good.
Maybe it's 'cause we're
drinking up here. Forbidden fruit.
Yeah, and I got the fruit.
Do you remember when we used
to sneak out behind the smokehouse
and roll our own cigarettes?
You know, I could never
get that paper to stick,
and also all that tobacco
would end up in the middle.
And Grandpa caught us and made us
smoke the whole sack full of the stuff.
- How come I don't remember any of this?
- You're lucky you don't. We all got sick.
You're growing up now, Jim-Bob.
You still thinking about the Air Corps?
I'll get there one
way or another.
He's still making
model airplanes.
Well, that's one way to
learn about the Air Corps.
Hey, John-Boy, I got a model of a
Flying Fortress. Do you want to see it?
Sure. I saw a lot
of them over there.
Supper in five minutes.
- We'll be right down.
- We better drink up.
Wait, one more toast. To peace.
- Amen.
- To peace.
To peace.
- You need any help, Rose?
- Everything's under control, thank you.
As soon as Serena and Jeffrey
finish their chores, we can eat.
That's exactly what we
wanted to hear, Rose.
- Can you read us a story?
- Hi, Daddy. No, read us a comic.
You two in your
second childhood?
Well, ever since John-Boy came
home, we've been feeling younger.
Besides, I'd rather
be a little girl anyways.
Hey, you big hulks, why don't you
leave him alone? You're gonna squish him.
He doesn't seem to mind much.
Yeah, it's nice to see everybody around
here is still a little nutty at times.
Hey, John-Boy, here's that
model I was telling you about.
- You wanna see it?
- Yeah.
All I gotta do is
put a name on it.
I think I'm gonna
call it Scarlett O'Hara.
No.
No, Jim-Bob, her
name is Katey Anne.
It goes right there.
Stewart kept saying, "Hold on
to Katey Anne, she'll save us.
"Katey Anne will save us."
Stewart brought us right down on to
the ocean just like he said he would.
We helped each other
climb out of the plane,
and then together we
clung to Katey Anne.
That's when I knew he was hurt.
What do you think of
your first bombing mission?
I think it'll be a while before I
decide to go on my next one.
Oh, yeah?
I'll have you out here
again in a few weeks.
Stewart?
Do you think this is it?
We're not gonna die,
if that's what you mean.
Hell, a few days from now,
we'll be joking about this.
You hear that buoy?
That means we're close to
shore, a few miles, no more.
We're practically home free.
My head feels like it's gonna
explode. How about you?
I'm fine, believe me.
No, you're trying too hard.
I don't know what else to do.
I love this world.
Same here.
Even after I conned you
into going on this mission?
I won't be so easy next time.
- That buoy sounds louder.
- I don't think so.
You know, you're getting to
be a real party pooper, Walton.
- I just wanna go to sleep.
- You can't. We've got to stay conscious.
Hey, how about a duet,
my bass to your baritone?
You never know, if we're any
good, I might quit this flying stuff
and get a job in the USO.
- I can't.
- Come on.
Carry me back
- To old Virginny
- To old Virginny
- There's where the cotton
- There's where the cotton
- And the corn and taters grow
- And the corn and taters grow
- There's where the birds warble sweet
- There's where the birds warble sweet
- In the springtime
- In the springtime
There's where this
old soldier's heart...
This was your idea. Stewart?
Stewart!
Stewart!
Stewart!
Stewart! Stewart!
Stewart!
Lord, we thank you for all the many
blessings you've given this family,
this food, this
time to be together.
We ask you to watch over all
those who aren't with us tonight,
both now and forever.
Amen.
- Amen.
- Amen.
Well, dig in. Here you go,
son. Here, you help yourself.
I had come home to find a
part of my past that was missing.
There was an ache in my
heart for my friend, Stewart.
But I had finally confronted
the past and accepted its cruelty.
Serena, did you put
my necklace back?
I left it on Nana's dresser.
I'll get it in the morning.
Has anybody run across
John Curtis' teddy bear?
I saw it in Cindy's room. And I
found your curlers under my bed.
Well, I don't think we'll
ever get sorted out.
Even John-Boy left his slippers.
- Keep them. He'll be back.
- Good night, everybody.
- Good night.
- Good night.
English -SDH
Katey Anne.
Must have been some nightmare.
- You okay, Walton?
- Fine.
Is Katey Anne your girl?
Well, she must be pretty important.
You kept calling out for her in your sleep.
I don't know any Katey Anne.
Do any of you remember
a girl named Katey Anne?
If you can't remember your
old girlfriends, don't expect us to.
So that name doesn't
mean anything to you?
- Doesn't ring a bell.
- Sounds like a mystery.
Carry me back to old Virginny
That's where the cotton
And the corn and taters grow
John-Boy, you all right?
There were many
homecomings in my life,
but the one I remember best
followed a long spell in the
hospital during World War II.
A visit home would be the
final step in my recovery,
and I looked forward to the comfort
of those familiar surroundings.
I never dreamed that I
would bring the war with me,
and that it would haunt me
even on Walton's Mountain.
Katey Anne.
Katey Anne.
Katey Anne.
Must have been some nightmare.
- You okay, Walton?
- Fine.
Is Katey Anne your girl?
Well, she must be pretty important.
You kept calling out for her in your sleep.
I don't know any Katey Anne.
Well, now then, just
a smidgen to the right.
- No, the left. That's my right.
- We got it, Rose.
- Jeffrey!
- I'm sorry.
Young man, you ought to be
helping instead of getting in the way.
Now, go to the attic
and check Jason and Jim-Bob
and see if they need a hand.
I already did. They told
me to check with you.
Mary Ellen, how come you're
letting John-Boy have your room?
Because it was his room first,
and we want him to find
it just the way he left it.
It'll be fun being roommates. I
get lonely out there without Ben.
We can bore each other
silly with baby stories.
The baby, I left her up in the girls'
room. Jeffrey, you help Mary Ellen.
Do I have to?
You think you can handle this?
- It's kind of heavy.
- I'll try.
Okay. Here we go.
Okay, let's see if I
can give you a hand.
Easy, easy.
John-Boy's old typewriter
is in this trunk somewhere.
- Well, maybe he won't want it anymore.
- No, he'll want it.
The war changes people.
There was this soldier in this awful
battle, and when he came home,
he had this limp and this
sad, faraway look in his eyes.
And he wouldn't talk
about the war, not ever.
Until he met this
beautiful blind girl
and realized that other
people had handicaps, too.
- You saw the movie.
- And I cried buckets.
Here's the typewriter.
Put the lid down.
It's jammed.
- Put everything back in the trunk.
- Okay.
We gotta clear out two
drawers for John-Boy.
That should be enough.
Oh, no, you don't.
It's not going up there.
Gangway.
Here.
- Thanks, Erin.
- Thanks.
Okay, we're ready
for John-Boy now.
- No. Get off.
- No.
Elizabeth, John-Boy won't
recognize the place if it's too neat.
You're right.
Help!
Hello.
Well, hello, ladies.
Have you heard the good news?
John-Boy is coming home today.
Good news, Mr. Godsey.
Good news, isn't it, Sister?
I always knew
one day he'd return.
I'm afraid he's only home for
furlough. He'll be here just a few days.
Sister, we must
welcome John-Boy home.
- We must do something special.
- An entertainment of some sort.
It's been so long since
we had a really grand affair.
An autograph party.
Everyone could bring
their copy of G.I. Journal
and John-Boy
could sign it for them.
That's a lovely idea.
Sister, we should go home
immediately and start making plans.
Wasn't there something you
were gonna do here in the store?
Yes. What was it, Sister?
The package. We came
to mail the package.
To Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The President, don't you know.
We thought he might enjoy
some of Papa's Recipe.
So relaxing.
Ladies, it's against the law. You
can't ship Recipe through the mail.
Well, then we will simply
have to deliver it in person.
Well, I'll see if
you have any mail.
We were expecting a
reply from Mr. Churchill.
Well, let's see here then.
No. Nothing from Mr. Churchill,
but here's something
for Mr. Godsey.
Oh, my, doesn't
this look official.
It certainly does. I
wonder what it is.
"Greetings from the
President of the United States.
"Having submitted yourself to a local
board composed of your neighbors
"for the purpose of determining
your availability for training and service
"in the Armed Forces of the
United States, you are hereby notified
"that you have been selected
to report for physical examination
"by an examining board
of the Armed Forces.
"Upon final determination of
your fitness for military service,
"you will receive an order
to report for induction."
Corabeth, they're calling me up.
Whatever will we do without you?
Well, I cannot believe that
the war is going so badly
that Uncle Sam would
point to Ike Godsey.
Come on, Corabeth, there's a lot of
things that I could do for my country.
Adolf Hitler must be
trembling in his boots.
Now, Mr. Godsey, if those
draft people give you any trouble,
you just let us know, and
Sister and I will write a letter.
To whom, Sister?
Why, this time we'll go right
to the top. Eleanor Roosevelt.
- Bus is late.
- Maybe it broke down.
I hope not. I've got to be
at the base in four hours.
I never thought I'd be nervous
about seeing my own brother.
I won't know how to act.
I feel the same way. He
hasn't been home in so long.
- You've all seen him in the hospital.
- It's not the same, Daddy.
Everything's different. He
won't even recognize the place.
That's why it's important to
make him feel comfortable.
Should be a happy time for
him. He's been through a lot.
Well, I'll be glad to have him back
home and I still feel a little strange.
You'll see. When he gets off
that bus, it'll be like old times again.
The bus is here. Come on.
Come on, everybody.
Come on. Come on. There he is!
- John-Boy!
- Hey!
Welcome home, Brother.
- John-Boy!
- Welcome home, son.
- Thanks, Daddy.
- I've waited a long time for this.
- Good to see you.
I want you to meet Cindy.
- Hi.
- Hi.
You're lovely. You're just
the way Ben described you.
Ben wanted to be here,
but he couldn't get leave.
- Where's my new niece?
- She's home with Rose.
And John Curtis and
Jeffrey and Serena.
Lord, it feels strange. I
don't know one of them.
- They're looking forward to meeting you.
- Same here.
- Well, let's get going.
- Well, all right, let's go.
All right, who's riding with me?
- Cousin Rose.
- John-Boy.
Oh, mercy, you're handsome.
I'm forgetting myself.
This is my granddaughter,
Serena, and my grandson, Jeffrey.
- How do you do?
- Just fine, honey.
- Jeffrey.
- Could you show us your Purple Heart?
It's good to have young
people around here again.
Most of the time.
Come on, let's
scoot in the house.
Everything's the same.
That's the way we
wanted it to be for you.
You shouldn't have
gone to all this trouble.
It wasn't any
trouble, it was fun,
especially since we knew
you were gonna see it.
We've been waiting for
this day for a long time.
My yearbook.
We brought it down from the attic
when you were missing in action.
It was something to
look at while we waited.
A lot of letters came
from your old friends
at Boatwright asking about you.
You could spend the rest of
your furlough answering them.
Yeah. I probably will, too.
No, you won't. You're gonna
be with us till we drive you crazy.
Do any of you remember
a girl named Katey Anne?
If you can't remember your
old girlfriends, don't expect us to.
So that name doesn't
mean anything to you?
- Doesn't ring a bell.
- Sounds like a mystery.
If you were still playing Jessica, Girl
Spy, you'd have solved it right away.
I gave that up for boys.
I bet you have a lot
of them chasing you.
What about Katey
Anne? Is she chasing you?
John Curtis, do you talk yet?
Well, don't just sit there,
say something. You can talk.
How about you, Virginia?
She gurgles pretty good
sometimes for her grandpa.
Those two can make
quite a fuss if they want to.
Well, I hate to disappoint you,
but it's way past her bedtime.
- John Curtis, too.
- Come on, sweetheart.
- Good night, honey.
- Mary Ellen, let me take him.
Thank you, Rose.
Good night, sweetheart.
- Good night, Cindy.
- Good night.
Good night.
Hey. How are you?
The little ones off into
the arms of Morpheus.
Corabeth, how are you?
- John-Boy, hi.
- Ike, how are you?
- You both look... You look wonderful.
- Well, we're aging well.
- Speak for yourself, Mr. Godsey.
- Good to see you two.
Well, forgive us for intruding
on your reunion like this,
but I simply could not rest
until I saw for myself that
John-Boy was well again.
So, how are you gonna
pass all your free time?
A little fishing, a little writing,
and a lot of taking it easy.
Well, I do hope you'll set
aside some time next week
for Miss Mamie and Miss
Emily's autograph party for you.
I'm looking forward
to seeing them.
Well, perhaps we can persuade
Jason to favor us with a selection.
I'll ask him.
And, John, you as father of the
honoree, your presence is sine qua non.
I don't know what that means,
Corabeth, but I'll be there.
Corabeth, I think it's
time we'd better get home.
But we just arrived.
I haven't had time to give
John-Boy any of the news.
- There'll be lots of time for that.
- Thanks for stopping by.
Okay. Almost forgot, this
came a couple of days ago.
I knew you were coming
home, so I held it for you.
- Thanks.
- Yeah. Welcome home.
- Thank you.
- Goodbye.
It's marked urgent.
Bad news, son?
- It's from Nan Bennett, Stewart's sister.
- Your friend from Boatwright?
He and I ran into each
other in London again.
- She's coming to see me.
- Any special reason?
Stewart was the co-pilot of the
plane I was on. He didn't make it back.
- He was killed?
- I don't know.
He's listed as
missing in action.
We were heading home over
Belgium when the antiaircraft fire hit us.
It just ripped through the plane
like it was made out of paper.
We started bumping crazily.
I made my way up to the cockpit.
The pilot was slumped over dead
and Stewart was at the control.
He said we'd be okay. He
said we'd make it all right.
Only we got hit again and
there was a pain in my head
and Stewart was shouting something
and we were going down and down...
- Then what happened?
- I don't remember.
What am I going
to tell his sister?
You must have blacked out.
How'd you get out of the plane?
I don't remember.
I've tried, but there's a door
shut to me and I can't open it.
I feel as if I've lost a part of
myself, a very important part of me.
Elizabeth, I need the
nail polish, I found the run.
You're putting nail
polish on your stockings?
Yup. It stops the run.
You got leave. Why
didn't you call and tell me?
Because I wanted to keep it
a surprise. Hello, everyone.
- How long have you got?
- A few days.
Well, looks like John Curtis and I are
gonna be moving into the girls' room.
We're already packed
in there like sardines.
- Hey, want me to go back to camp?
- Don't you dare.
Well, maybe Serena
should move in with Rose.
She snores.
Don't tell that I told.
Serena, if you could put up
with it just until Ben leaves,
I'll let you borrow my
powder blue sweater.
Okay, if Erin lets me
borrow her crystal necklace.
- Serena, that's bribery.
- Is it a deal or not?
It's a deal.
- Slow down, Serena.
- Sorry.
- Morning, everybody.
- Morning.
- Ben!
- John-Boy.
- Welcome home.
- Welcome home, yourself.
- Morning, Corabeth, Ike.
- Hi, John.
And how is our young warrior?
He's doing fine. He'll be back
on active duty before you know it.
- Yeah, along with me.
- What do you mean, along with you?
Didn't you hear?
They want to draft me.
It appears Uncle Sam has
tripped on his own red tape.
You mean you've heard
from the Selective Service?
Yeah, and I got the notice the
other day. I got it right over here.
I didn't pay much
mind to it, you know,
what with having a heart attack
and at my age. Excuse me, honey.
I didn't figure I was
exactly prime material.
Well, it's all so absurd.
Well, I cannot delay.
I am on my way to the Baldwins
to discuss John-Boy's party.
- Bye, honey.
- Bye-bye.
- That's official, isn't it?
- Well, it sure is.
They've made
some kind of mistake.
- You better let them know about this.
- Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna go over to
the draft board as soon as I can.
But you know, I was thinking, it
might be nice to be a soldier again.
You know, just, "Yes, sir.
No, sir." No responsibility,
just follow orders, you know.
Ike, you'd last
about 15 minutes.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
So much around me
seems unchanged.
The way the mountain
looks at sunrise,
the whippoorwills calling
to their mates at night,
and yet everything
is strangely altered.
There's an emptiness here
with Grandpa gone and
Grandma and Mama away.
Katey Anne.
- John-Boy.
- Hi, Daddy.
- Mind if I come in?
- Please.
Still thinking about
that name, huh?
I sure wish I could
remember who she was.
It's a pretty name.
What are you doing?
Working on a new novel?
I'm only trying to collect
a few of my thoughts.
Everything seems
so different to me.
Sure it does. Everything
keeps changing.
Even after the war, there's
gonna be no turning the clock back.
What was it like for you when
you came back from the war?
Some of it was real nice.
Your mama was here,
waiting, when I got back.
She had a little
baby. That was you.
- It felt good then?
- That part felt good. Yeah.
But some other things
didn't feel so good.
My brother Ben had
been killed in the war
and I didn't know where,
somewhere in France.
Didn't even know if he had
a grave or if it was marked.
And after the armistice,
it was a lot of celebrating
and bands and parades,
and I just wanted to forget.
All I want to do is remember.
I feel like I'm all in bits and pieces,
only the biggest piece is missing.
- The crash?
- Yeah.
I wanted to come home so much,
but part of me is
always back there,
falling and falling and it
never stops, I never land.
Maybe you're
trying too hard, son.
You know, after I'd been
back from the war for a while,
I started thinking
about my brother Ben.
What happened to
him, where he was.
I just couldn't stop
thinking about it.
It got so it took
up my whole life.
And finally, I knew I just had to set it
aside and go on living without knowing.
Maybe that's what
you're gonna have to do.
Go on living without knowing.
I'm not ready to accept that.
Not yet.
Hey, John-Boy.
Are you okay?
Yeah. Jim-Bob, I...
It'll take me a little while to
get used to being home, I guess.
- Wanna give me a hand with this?
- Yeah.
Honestly, Mr. Truby, do I
look like infantry material?
Not exactly, no.
Look, between
rationing and reports,
the government's got me fighting
my own war just to stay in business,
and now this.
Mr. Godsey, you've
gotta look at my position.
I've only been on
this job a few days.
I'm still trying to figure out
what requisition forms to use
to get a nameplate on my door.
Look, somebody has to
get to the bottom of this.
There does seem to
have been a blunder.
Look, I don't think the
army even wants me.
But they do, and they will, until
we let them know that you're...
Over the hill.
Militarily speaking, yes.
Look, let me just find your file
and we will get to the bottom of this.
Here.
- Godsey...
- G-O...
G-O, thank you.
Godsey, Godsey...
These files have not been sorted
since they were brought
over from the old draft board.
Your file seems to be missing,
but don't worry, we'll find it. I think.
- What do I do in the meantime?
- You'll fill out these forms.
Look, I got an idea. Why don't
you make a couple of phone calls,
and then you can shortcut
this whole thing, huh?
The army is not particularly
impressed by telephone calls.
They want everything in writing.
That'll take weeks.
I advise you to have
them at the induction center
before the date
scheduled for your physical.
Which doesn't
leave you much time.
I am sorry.
You're sorry and I'm
about to get drafted.
Anybody seen John-Boy?
He and Jim-Bob left
at dawn to go fishing.
Early bird catches
the fish, so to speak.
I just can't get over
how well John-Boy appears to
be after all he's been through.
He seems quieter to me.
Well, maybe that's because
he's more grown-up now.
Now, when you talk to him, it's
like he's lost, like he's not listening.
Well, soldiers get distracted that way.
It's because of their war experiences.
Maybe he's thinking
of the mystery woman.
- Oh, ho, the first I've heard of that.
- Her name's Katey Anne.
I think she might be
a beautiful Belgian girl
who nursed him back to
health after he was shot down.
Katey Anne doesn't sound like a
particularly Belgium-ish sort of name.
Well, if John-Boy's thinking
about anybody, it's Nan Bennett.
She's coming to see him today.
Miss Bennett?
This is awkward, isn't it?
I thought it would be easy to
drive over and talk about Stewart.
Please, have a seat.
Thank you.
You knew it wouldn't be easy.
I guess being a writer gives you
a head start on being perceptive.
No, I wish it did.
May I get you some
coffee or a cup of tea?
No thank you. Just
a little conversation.
You look like Stewart. It's
the eyes and the eyebrows.
Stewart and I were very close.
I used to tag along everywhere.
He taught me how to ride a
horse, how to hit a baseball,
how to play poker.
I got so used to
being his shadow
that I thought I was supposed to
go along with him on his first date.
It came as quite a surprise
when he didn't let me.
What about your parents?
They're taking his
loss pretty hard.
I didn't tell them I was
coming over today.
I didn't want to
encourage any false hopes.
Do you remember his ever
mentioning a girl named Katey Anne?
- Why?
- Well, it's just a name,
but I keep hearing it
over and over in my head,
like a record stuck in a groove.
I think if she'd been part of
Stewart's life, I'd have known.
Yeah, I suppose I would, too.
What happened on the plane?
If I knew that, I would've
written you a long time ago.
- But you were there.
- I was wounded.
- And Stewart?
- I don't remember.
You must remember some of
it. Tell me what you can. Please.
We were heading home to
England when we were hit.
Most of the crew
were injured or killed.
Stewart took the controls.
He said he was going to
land the plane in the ocean.
The water was getting closer
and closer
and closer.
Go on, what happened?
I don't remember.
- There must be more. Think.
- No.
- You were heading for the water and...
- That's all. I don't know any more.
Nothing.
I'm sorry.
I wish I could be more help.
So do I.
There's a good chance
he survived the crash.
It's not knowing that's hard.
In his letters, he never
mentioned the grim side of war.
Mostly, he talked about the
good times the two of you had.
Stewart and I used
to drink beer together.
In London, there was this
pub, the Queen's Garter.
They served a special
kind of ale we'd never tried,
and they refused to serve Americans
because they had such a small supply.
One night, Stewart
borrowed an RAF uniform,
put on a fake mustache and became
the spitting image of Ronald Colman.
You know, we went back
to the Queen's Garter.
I ordered the regular ale and
he ordered the special brew.
- And he got it?
- On the house
because he was one of the few
who had done so much for so many.
He would get away
with a stunt like that.
One sip, and his mustache
fell off and landed in the glass.
Serves him right.
Stewart sent me this. I
thought you might like it.
We dragged a nanny away from
her pram to take this. Thank you.
- I'm glad we finally met.
- I'm happy you came by.
I don't seem to have that stiff upper lip
that Stewart says the British go in for.
Thank you.
Nan, Stewart always talked about
you as someone special. I can see why.
Goodbye.
- Hello, Jeffrey.
- Hi.
Don't go.
I didn't mean to spy
on you or anything,
it's just that I've never
seen a writer before.
I'm only writing in my journal.
- What are you writing?
- Just notes.
What's it like
being in the army?
I spend most of my time
writing for Stars and Stripes,
that's the army newspaper.
Has it got any funnies?
Sure, we've got the Sad Sack
and cartoons by Bill Mauldin.
- Any Katzenjammer Kids?
- Afraid not.
Would you like me
to send you a copy?
I guess I'll just stick with
the Charlottesville Progress.
It's got a lot of
funnies. See you.
Mr. Godsey, what on earth
is keeping you up this hour?
It's all these government forms,
Corabeth, and they're putting me to sleep.
Well, it's a mystery to
me why you even bother.
It's past the day you were supposed
to report and nothing's happened.
Yeah, I know.
Sometimes, I think I just
ought to just let them draft me.
You know, they got
jobs for men like me.
- Like what?
- Like undercover work.
You, a spy?
Mr. Godsey, you wouldn't
fool me for a minute.
That's because you know me.
But the enemy, they would think of
me as sort of a mild-mannered man.
- Well, you are.
- That's why I'd be good at it.
I could look for German spies
and black marketeers
and rationing violators.
- I could even report you.
- Well, whatever for?
Yesterday, you gave two extra
pounds of sugar to the Baldwin ladies.
Mr. Godsey, those were for
chocolate é clairs for John-Boy's party.
But undercover agents only care
about violations, not the reasons why.
Mr. Godsey, I do
hope they draft you.
- Can I help?
- No, thanks.
Are you going to paint it?
Well, it depends on
whether I like it or not.
Will it be able to fly?
Probably end up hanging it on
the wall with the rest of my models.
Why do you want to build
an airplane if it can't fly?
Jeffrey, I'm really
busy right now.
If you want somebody to
talk to, go talk to Elizabeth.
She can't help me.
- Something wrong?
- I'm worried about the war.
Well, we all are.
It's just that I don't know whether
to join the army, like Jason,
or to go into the Air Corps, like you, or
to be like Ben and go into the Seabees,
or to draw cartoons
for Stars and Stripes.
They don't have anything
like Katzenjammer Kids.
I wouldn't worry
about it if I were you.
The war'll be over by the
time you're old enough to join.
That's what you think.
In school, we're learning about
this war that lasted over 100 years.
Well, that was years ago,
before they had machine
guns, airplanes, submarines.
- Wars just don't last that long anymore.
- Really?
The First World War
was only four years long.
Who won?
I think you'd better
study your history some.
I'm sure glad the war
is going to be over soon.
I didn't want to get shot down.
Okay, Jeffrey, now, as
soon as you finish this,
I want you to take
Corabeth's duster
and go straighten out the
pool room a little bit, huh?
Boy, you sure are making
me earn those jawbreakers.
Jeffrey, this is
the American way.
I would have more fun at
that dumb book-signing party.
- Good afternoon.
- Yes, sir, may I help you?
I'm Agent Richard Bragdon, FBI.
I'm looking for Isaac A. Godsey.
That's me. Did Corabeth
put you up to this?
What is this, some
kind of a joke?
The FBI doesn't joke.
Here are my credentials.
I'd like to ask you a few
questions, Mr. Godsey.
Yes, sir. Fire away.
I mean, ask away.
Did you recently receive a
notice from the Selective Service?
- I did.
- Did you read it?
Well, yes, but it was a mistake.
And did you fail to report last
Monday for your physical examination?
Well, yes, but the reason I did
is because I had to make out all these
forms and I had to do them in triplicate.
Well, that's of no
concern to me, sir.
You have failed to respond to
an order from your draft board.
I'm going to have to take you
down to the induction center.
But it's a mistake. Do I look
like fighting material, huh?
The army works in
strange ways, Mr. Godsey.
Well, okay.
Jeffrey, here are the keys
and you lock it up for me, huh?
And then go tell your Uncle John
to come and rescue me, soon.
"As I left Tunisia to return to
England, I flew over the Mediterranean.
"I looked down at that
sparkling stretch of blue sea,
"and it seemed inconceivable
"that men could be fighting and
dying along its shores and in its waters.
"And I thought of the countless
battles that had taken place below.
"Men had been fighting
there for thousands of years,
"and I wondered if the
warring would ever end
"and if there would
ever be peace."
John-Boy, it means so much to
hear you reading from your own book.
- I most wholeheartedly agree.
- Thank you.
We should thank you.
Your words have transported
us halfway around the world.
Have you decided what
your next book will be?
I'm working on a few ideas,
but nothing definite yet.
Why don't you write
about your experience
in that plane you
were in over Belgium?
Sister, I think
John-Boy might prefer
not to be reminded
of that painful memory.
Oh. Yes, of course.
Well, why don't we have
our refreshments now,
and then John-Boy can
autograph our books?
- I'll help you.
- Sounds good to me.
Jason, would you favor
us with some music?
- Sure, Miss Mamie.
- No war songs, please.
Any requests, anybody? John-Boy?
You decide.
That's always been a favorite of
mine. Especially now that I'm a Virginian.
Carry me back to old Virginny
That's where the cotton
And the corn and taters grow
There's where the birds
warble sweet in the springtime
That's where this
old soldier's heart...
John-Boy, you all right?
I'm sorry.
I'll get the broom.
Jeffrey, what's the matter?
Ike told me to come and get
you. He's been arrested by the FBI.
- Oh, dear.
- Come on, we'll find him.
Oh, my, I do hope they
don't put him in the stockade.
Or in front of a firing squad.
Corabeth, just calm
down, he's not going to jail.
It's gonna be all right.
We'll get it straightened out.
Major, I'm telling you once again, I
was chairman of the local draft board.
Ike Godsey is too old.
And his heart attack, don't
forget to tell him about that.
Now, you already told me about
the heart attack twice, Mrs. Godsey.
Corporal, if you've got an Ike Godsey
out there, bring him in, with his file.
But, Major Gordon, sir...
- You heard me, Corporal, that's an order.
- Yes, sir.
I appreciate your helping us
straighten this out, Mr. Walton.
But since they consolidated the draft
boards, things have really been snafu.
Snafu?
Is Mr. Godsey snafu,
John? What does that mean?
Snafu... Well...
It's an army term, isn't it,
Major? Why don't you explain it?
Yes, it is an army term. It means
situation normal, all fouled up.
Yes, that's it.
Oh!
Well, perhaps it does
apply to Mr. Godsey.
Come in.
Here is Mr. Godsey's file, sir.
And here's Mr. Godsey.
He was in the
middle of his physical.
Mr. Godsey, where
are your clothes?
They took them, Corabeth.
They took them all.
Well, what's that thing?
It's my personal effects.
Please sit down, Mr. Godsey, and
we'll see if we can straighten this out.
I certainly hope so. Thanks
for coming over, John.
It's all right, Ike, I wouldn't
have missed this for the world.
- This is not funny, John.
- I know it's not, Corabeth.
Godsey, Isaac Aloysius.
Aloysius? Aloysius?
You registered for the
draft on April 27, 1942,
at the Walton's
Mountain local board.
That's when I was chairman of the
board. We registered everybody under 65.
Mr. Godsey, did you receive
a notice about four months ago
telling you that you had
been reclassified to 1A status?
Just about the time we
consolidated the boards.
Yes, I did, but I didn't
think anything of it.
I thought it was just, you know,
some mistake or something.
And besides, it made me
feel kind of young again.
Really, Mr. Godsey.
According to these records,
you are remarkably young.
It states here that your birth
date is September 1, 1924.
Huh? That makes me 20 years old.
There you go, Ike. You
got what you wanted.
- When were you born, Mr. Godsey?
- September 24, 1901.
That's our answer. The day
and the date have been reversed.
This whole mess was
caused by a clerical error.
- Then I'm free to go?
- Yes, not dressed the way you are.
I'll have your
things brought in.
Well, thank you very much,
Major. John, what can I say?
I'm glad you're not snafu, Ike.
- Aren't you, Corabeth?
- Yes, I certainly am.
Well, I know you would have looked
very handsome in uniform, Mr. Godsey,
but I love you dearly
just the way you are.
Yeah.
- You busy?
- No, come on in.
We brought you a present.
We have more than just tea
parties around here, John-Boy.
Beer? In this house?
Times have sure changed.
Mama isn't here and Rose
is busy making supper.
- Hey, don't I get a beer?
- Then we'd really be in trouble.
Let's have a toast to getting together.
We don't know when that'll happen again.
- Hear, hear.
- I'll drink to that.
Great.
Hmm.
This tastes good.
Maybe it's 'cause we're
drinking up here. Forbidden fruit.
Yeah, and I got the fruit.
Do you remember when we used
to sneak out behind the smokehouse
and roll our own cigarettes?
You know, I could never
get that paper to stick,
and also all that tobacco
would end up in the middle.
And Grandpa caught us and made us
smoke the whole sack full of the stuff.
- How come I don't remember any of this?
- You're lucky you don't. We all got sick.
You're growing up now, Jim-Bob.
You still thinking about the Air Corps?
I'll get there one
way or another.
He's still making
model airplanes.
Well, that's one way to
learn about the Air Corps.
Hey, John-Boy, I got a model of a
Flying Fortress. Do you want to see it?
Sure. I saw a lot
of them over there.
Supper in five minutes.
- We'll be right down.
- We better drink up.
Wait, one more toast. To peace.
- Amen.
- To peace.
To peace.
- You need any help, Rose?
- Everything's under control, thank you.
As soon as Serena and Jeffrey
finish their chores, we can eat.
That's exactly what we
wanted to hear, Rose.
- Can you read us a story?
- Hi, Daddy. No, read us a comic.
You two in your
second childhood?
Well, ever since John-Boy came
home, we've been feeling younger.
Besides, I'd rather
be a little girl anyways.
Hey, you big hulks, why don't you
leave him alone? You're gonna squish him.
He doesn't seem to mind much.
Yeah, it's nice to see everybody around
here is still a little nutty at times.
Hey, John-Boy, here's that
model I was telling you about.
- You wanna see it?
- Yeah.
All I gotta do is
put a name on it.
I think I'm gonna
call it Scarlett O'Hara.
No.
No, Jim-Bob, her
name is Katey Anne.
It goes right there.
Stewart kept saying, "Hold on
to Katey Anne, she'll save us.
"Katey Anne will save us."
Stewart brought us right down on to
the ocean just like he said he would.
We helped each other
climb out of the plane,
and then together we
clung to Katey Anne.
That's when I knew he was hurt.
What do you think of
your first bombing mission?
I think it'll be a while before I
decide to go on my next one.
Oh, yeah?
I'll have you out here
again in a few weeks.
Stewart?
Do you think this is it?
We're not gonna die,
if that's what you mean.
Hell, a few days from now,
we'll be joking about this.
You hear that buoy?
That means we're close to
shore, a few miles, no more.
We're practically home free.
My head feels like it's gonna
explode. How about you?
I'm fine, believe me.
No, you're trying too hard.
I don't know what else to do.
I love this world.
Same here.
Even after I conned you
into going on this mission?
I won't be so easy next time.
- That buoy sounds louder.
- I don't think so.
You know, you're getting to
be a real party pooper, Walton.
- I just wanna go to sleep.
- You can't. We've got to stay conscious.
Hey, how about a duet,
my bass to your baritone?
You never know, if we're any
good, I might quit this flying stuff
and get a job in the USO.
- I can't.
- Come on.
Carry me back
- To old Virginny
- To old Virginny
- There's where the cotton
- There's where the cotton
- And the corn and taters grow
- And the corn and taters grow
- There's where the birds warble sweet
- There's where the birds warble sweet
- In the springtime
- In the springtime
There's where this
old soldier's heart...
This was your idea. Stewart?
Stewart!
Stewart!
Stewart!
Stewart! Stewart!
Stewart!
Lord, we thank you for all the many
blessings you've given this family,
this food, this
time to be together.
We ask you to watch over all
those who aren't with us tonight,
both now and forever.
Amen.
- Amen.
- Amen.
Well, dig in. Here you go,
son. Here, you help yourself.
I had come home to find a
part of my past that was missing.
There was an ache in my
heart for my friend, Stewart.
But I had finally confronted
the past and accepted its cruelty.
Serena, did you put
my necklace back?
I left it on Nana's dresser.
I'll get it in the morning.
Has anybody run across
John Curtis' teddy bear?
I saw it in Cindy's room. And I
found your curlers under my bed.
Well, I don't think we'll
ever get sorted out.
Even John-Boy left his slippers.
- Keep them. He'll be back.
- Good night, everybody.
- Good night.
- Good night.
English -SDH