This film contains very strong language and some violent scenes
Nice shot, Hamb.
I drilled a little to the left.
It's 15 feet from the goddamn hole.
I miscalculated the wind by a couple knots.
Give me a break.
Well, you know, it's all a matter of degrees.
The difference between the big money and not making the cut is razor-thin.
Well, I wasn't thinking about qualifying for the Masters.
Kind of had my sights set on the NBA.
HELICOPTER WHIRRS OVERHEAD
Well, your hook shot's working, Scotty.
Nice shot.
What do you think I'm doing wrong here?
I think you're standing too close to the ball.
Yeah. Pretty bad, huh?
After you hit it.
..Yeah?
They want you at ops right away, sir.
- MAN: - Russian tanks, 8-inch guns, and APCs.
Seventh Air Force intelligence has been indicating
the possibility of a North Vietnamese/VC offensive.
Now, these photos confirm it.
NVA troops moving down the Ho Chi Minh Trail,
south of the DMZ, near Quang Tri.
Now, they'll combine with Charlie
and try to hit us hard,
probably in several places at once.
Glad you could make it, Colonel.
Sorry, sir.
Strategic Air Command's putting everything it's got
in the air two days from now and will just clobber the hell out of them.
If we don't stop their movement,
or at least slow it down to a trickle,
our ground troops are going to take heavy casualties.
Now, our job remains the same,
fly alongside the bombers,
throw down your electronic smoke screens,
jam the missile radars.
Sir, why don't we put our surveillance aircraft up there first, sir?
Have them fly the same route the big boys are going to fly on their scheduled run.
Missile reaction can be recorded,
launch sites plotted.
Send the fighter jocks in there to just knock the hell out of them.
I really appreciate you volunteering us for this flight, Hamb.
Didn't think you had your sights set on being a full bird.
I've got my sights set on a condo
on the seventh fairway at Tucson National.
Six months from now, that's where the old lady and me will be.
That sounds awfully exciting(!)
You think that's exciting?
You should see the deck furniture.
Ha!
Mark. Start your music.
I've got a solid growl.
SAM on scope. I confirm a launch.
I got him.
Goddamn it. I didn't think they had SAMs this far south.
That's why we're here.
Have to go back and give them the bad news.
I've got another one.
SAM on scope. 2, salvo 3.
They're changing frequencies. I've got one.
Hold it steady. Got two.
- Got one visual. - Break left!
Break left! LOUD BUZZING
It's tracking us! It's locked!
We're hit! Everybody get out!
We're going down!
We're burning up!
Hit by SAM! Mayday! Mayday!
I've lost it. Crew eject! Crew eject!
I can't get out!
Red Scout One hit by SAMs!
Punch out, Hamb!
Come on, Scotty! Let's get out!
Right behind you!
Mayday! Mayday!
Punch out, Scotty! Somebody punch out!
RADIO: 'Recon pilots in quadrant Lima-Charlie-Six,
'Mayday transmitted by Red Scout EB-66.
'Look for smoke and chutes.
'Repeat, look for smoke and chutes.'
Roger.
HAMBLETON ON RADIO: 02 FAC! 02, come in!
This is FAC 02, call sign Birddog.
Identify yourself.
Bat 21. I'm the parachute above you, one o'clock.
BEEPING
Have you in sight. Turn off your beeper, Bat 21,
or Charlie will get to you before the Jolly Greens.
Will advise. Happy landings.
Roger.
Bat 21, get out of that paddy!
Hooches to the south. Head north to the tree line.
Repeat, head north to the tree line.
Repeat, tree line north. Roger that?
Negative. I want to wait for the choppers.
Negative.
Let's get the basic relationship down here.
I'm the lifeguard. You're the drowning man.
If you relax, I can bring you to shore.
If you fight me, then I'll have to slap you around.
Now, get your ass in gear, mister!
Bat 21, Charlie's firing mortars from the south.
Advise at tree line. Repeat, advise at tree line.
PLANE APPROACHES
Birddog, this is Bat 21. I can't go any further.
Get the helis from this position.
- Copy, Bat 21. - What about the others?
Anybody else make it out?
None reported. We're still looking.
Just stay calm.
I'll try.
Don't worry, Bat 21. We'll get you out.
But it's not going to happen today.
All choppers busy evac-ing fire base at Quang Tri.
Company of guns overrun by Charlie.
Jolly Greens will pick you up in the morning.
Say again, your last transmission.
Repeat, Jolly Greens will pick you up in the morning.
There will be no pick-up today. Copy, Bat 21?
EXPLOSIONS IN THE DISTANCE
I copy, Birddog.
OK, listen, Bat 21.
I'm running low on juice. Have to return to base.
Birddog, thanks for your help.
That's what I'm here for.
Birddog, you going to be back?
That's the plan.
Birddog signing off. Keep your head down. See you later.
Bat 21 out.
PLANE FADES INTO DISTANCE
THEY SPEAK IN VIETNAMESE
SITAR MUSIC PLAYS
HE CHANTS
How was your flight, sir?
Same old shit, bad movies and terrible food.
Don't you, uh... don't you think
you're pushing it a little, Captain?
You've almost doubled the base record.
The base record? Sheesh!
I'll pin a medal on my chest(!)
Would you check my right aileron?
It's sticking a bit, OK?
Yeah, I got to replace it, sir.
How long will that take?
Well, I can borrow one from 453.
That's Anderson's ship.
The way he flies, Captain, he'll never miss it, sir.
Ha-ha-ha! I like your initiative, Sergeant.
Keep it up.
Well, we've pulled our share of pilots out of there,
but never a 53-year-old Lieutenant Colonel.
A 53-year-old Lieutenant Colonel?
That's right. Navigator on that EB.
They just gave me crew codes
and no names and ranks.
Well, I am told that Hambleton
is one of our top people.
He's an electronics countermeasure expert.
I am told that the Communists
will have a dossier on him that thick.
So, in the morning, when we get our birds back,
we're going to go in and get him.
Seventh Air Force does not want Charlie
getting their hands on him.
We'll get him tomorrow then, sir.
In the meantime, I want you
to go back out there tonight.
But he's not going anywhere, Colonel.
I know, because I'm going to make damn certain he's secure.
Then why don't you send Anderson?
Didn't he just get his pilot's licence?
You'd better watch it, Captain.
Look, sir, I'm tired, I'm two weeks short,
and that area is pretty hot,
and I don't want to get shot down
on some public-relations mission, OK?
All right, then, I'll make it easy for you, Captain.
It's an order, and you damn well will carry it out.
Is that clear?
Yes, sir.
Thank you for the ride, sir.
TWIG SNAPS
MEN SPEAK SOFTLY IN VIETNAMESE
BRANCH SNAPS
Phew! OK...
50 piasters.
THE OTHER MEN GROAN
Come on! Chickenshits! Chickenshits!
No way.
OK. Hey, Clarky, pull up a chair,
before these pigeons are totally penniless.
Another time. I got to go back up again tonight.
Going back up again?
Damn, putting in the hours.
Yeah. Tell Walker.
I got to start carrying my sleeping bag with me.
OK... I got two pair.
Three sixes.
I've got two pairs of sevens and your other six.
Ha-ha-ha!
Damn! I thought you newspaper boys
would be a bit sharper than that. What rag do you write for again?
New York Times.
Oh, yeah, I picked one up once.
You read, Ross? Probably stole it from some derelict in the park,
who was using it as a blanket.
I gave him a nickel!
I couldn't find the comics, so I returned it.
Did you get your money back?
Yeah. I ended up finishing a pint of radiator fluid with the guy.
It was about then I figured it was time to enlist,
and here I am, the best goddamn evac pilot in 'Nam!
Tell it, Ross.
Flying those choppers every day scrambles up your brains. You get facts confused.
Ross here thinks that it takes some skill
to keep one of those eggbeaters up in the air.
Typical FAC pilot.
He labours under the misapprehension
that he is the most Sierra-Hotel cowboy in the Air Force.
The real truth is, he flies
a fucking VW Microbus with wings.
Well, this VW pilot
flies ten feet off the deck,
draws fire from SAMs down to eight-year-olds
with slingshots and pebbles.
Ha-ha-ha! A confirmation on that.
A lot of times, I've seen Clark
return here... You want one?
..with leaves in his teeth.
Because...
Two.
..us black folks ain't got no depth perception.
So we gots to fly what we gets.
MEN LAUGH
They won't let us fly fast aeroplanes!
You got to be particular in this man's Air Force.
Now, right here, you are looking at a perfect flyboy profile.
The kind of guy you can trust when the shit hits the fan.
Boom. It's hit the fan, man!
See you later, Clarky.
Later, Clarky.
Don't wait up for me, OK?
Take care.
PLANE FLIES OVERHEAD
Birddog, Bat 21. Is that you?
Roger, Bat 21. It's me.
I need a visual reference, so I can stay in range.
You'll need one.
Got you, Bat 21.
Positive contact.
I appreciate you dropping by, Birddog.
That's what I'm here for.
Charlie walked by my hole about an hour ago.
How many?
10 or 12. It seems to be quiet now.
Just stay calm.
You'll be out of there in the morning.
Birddog, could you do me a personal favour?
Shoot.
Get in touch with my wife.
I was supposed to call her tonight.
She'll be scared to death.
Her name is Gwen.
I know. I pulled your personal file.
I got her address and number,
but I think you should let it ride for a day.
She may not be too excited
about where you decided to spend the night.
Yeah, we'll do it your way.
I'm glad somebody's thinking clearly.
How long you been flying Oscar-Deuces?
Too long. Due to rotate soon.
You know, I'm probably the oldest captain in the Air Force.
How old are you?
Would you believe, 35 in June?
Ha-ha-ha! That's not very old.
Shit. Sometimes, it is.
Are you married, Birddog?
Yeah.
Got a wife and kid back home.
I've been thinking about my old lady a lot
since I've been down here.
Funny how that works.
She keeps bugging me that my mind
is someplace else when I'm with her.
Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean.
Any news on the other crew members?
No. No other chutes were spotted.
We're still searching for the wreckage.
The jungle is hot.
Has anyone contacted Scott's wife?
Yeah. That's been taken care of.
THEY SPEAK VIETNAMESE
I feel like a real jerk.
I'm the big expert on this deal,
and I get us shot down.
Don't beat yourself up, Bat 21. It happens.
You OK for the night, Bat 21?
Yeah. No problem. Thanks for checking in.
Then I'm RTB.
Tuck yourself in.
Carpool will pick you up at first light.
This is Birddog signing off, Bat 21.
ENGINES IN DISTANCE
Birddog, Birddog, this is Bat 21.
Are you in the vicinity?
Roger, Bat 21.
Just about to give you a wake-up call.
Birddog, take a look at the intersection
of hollywood and vine. Rush-hour traffic.
Could be a problem for our Jolly Greens.
Roger, Bat 21. Stand by.
Let's put some hits on these guys.
I got a good visual. I'll call them.
You sure? You're pretty close to the action. You might get nicked.
I can see the crossroads from here.
About half a click south of the rice paddy.
Mark it.
You pulling rank on me, Bat 21?
I'll take my chances.
You got it.
Here you go. Enjoy the show!
MEN SHOUTING/MACHINE GUNS FIRING
Birddog to Crabtree, I marked my targets. What are you hauling?
Roger, Birddog. This is Crabtree,
coming in from the south
with a full load of snake and nape.
Roger, Crabtree. You see my smoke?
Uh...affirmative, Birddog.
Waste the area, but remember,
we have a friendly in the vicinity.
Try not to ruin his day with a stray frag.
Don't worry, Birddog.
We can thread a needle if we have to.
Thread a needle, my ass. Shit. Ha-ha!
Birddog, on your next pass,
move just east of the intersection.
You got camouflaged tanks.
Roger, Bat 21.
Crabtree, tanks just east of intersection,
Missed on first pass.
Roger, Birddog.
MACHINE GUNS FIRE
We're Winchester, Birddog. Please assess damage.
Additional targets still appear active.
Copy, Crabtree. Return to base. Will advise.
MAN SHOUTS
GUNSHOT
Uh, Bat 21 from Birddog.
Uh, Bat 21?
Bat 21 from Birddog.
Do you copy, Bat 21?
Go, Birddog.
You intact?
Affirmative.
Nice quarterbacking.
Maybe we ought to leave you in for the second half.
Negative. I've seen enough.
I guess it's different on the ground.
It's too damn close.
Bat 21, your pick-up may be delayed.
The area is still too hot.
Negative! Negative! It's got to be today, goddamn it!
I repeat, area's still too hot.
It's a war zone, goddamn it! What do you expect?!
Relax, Bat 21. We'll get you out at first light.
Jesus Christ!
Just stay calm. Birddog will deliver.
Negative, Birddog. Bat 21 has a plan.
I worked it out last night.
Birddog would like to RTB, refuel,
and confirm before you move.
Negative, Birddog. Not enough time.
Bat 21! Bat 21!
Birddog would like to confirm before you move.
Negative. Bat's on the move.
Heading for the swanee.
Swanee?
Repeat, heading for the swanee,
Like in the song. "Swanee, swanee.
"How I love you. How I love you."
Yeah, yeah, I know the song.
"Swanee, How I Love You."
Uh-huh. I think I broke the code, Bat 21.
But still do not advise.
Route takes you through too many unfriendlies.
Birddog has no way to track you.
I worked out a front nine to avoid the hazards.
Copy this. Add zero to yardage.
Holes three, six and eight at Shaw.
South one and 17 at Macdill.
Coming in on two, 12, 14, and 18 at Hickum.
How do you copy?
Copy, but I still don't know what the hell you're talking about.
Contact Colonel Douglass at Kerat Air Base for instructions.
I'm not sure this is a good idea, Bat 21.
Bat 21 is teeing off from the blue markers now. Out.
Uh, Bat 21, from Birddog.
Uh, Bat 21, Bat 21, from Birddog.
Bat... Oh, shit!
You want to tell me about it?
Hambleton's moving on me.
Where's he going?
I don't know. He gave me some kind of goddamned code,
after I decided it was too hot to pick him up.
- Yeah, I heard you brought in the flyboys. - Mm-mmm...
That was his idea.
That's some kind of tough bastard.
Shit!
I mean, he must realise
they aren't always that accurate.
I've seen frags drop 30 feet in front of my windscreen.
Mm-hmm.
Wait, wait, wait. Where are you going?
Sit down and finish your beer. Sit down.
I got to go up again. I got to find him.
You're spending more time in the air than on Mother Earth.
You look like hell.
Well, I need the overtime.
You are going for a DFFC, aren't you?
A Distinguished Fucking Flying Cross.
Man, I must have vapour-locked, or something.
"FAC pilot saves Colonel!"
You're gearing up for the ceremony. A full dress parade,
a nice shiny medal to show the folks back home,
and a newfound respect in the military community.
Shit! Clarky, stick around. Come on.
We'll take a chopper up.
We'll shoot a few cows and have a barbecue. What do you say?
Ross, not tonight, yeah?
Don't you think you've got
a little obsessive behaviour going here?
Obsessive behaviour? Me, obsessive behaviour?
Man, I recall some of the crazy, lunatic shit
that you've done in your machine.
Maybe I like hauling those sorry dudes out of the bush.
Maybe I like to see their big, sloppy smiles when I drag them into the chopper,
because you just know they thought they were going to spend the rest of the war dodging punji sticks,
snakes, and gooks, and I hand them a camel and a candy bar,
and they smile like when they got laid for the first time.
I'm not into this death-and-destruction bullshit either,
or flying fucking medals.
You know, all I want to do is bring the old man back.
OK... Go on. Get him through the night.
I'll haul his ass out in the morning.
OK, Birddog?
CLUCKING
MAN SPEAKS IN VIETNAMESE
HE REPLIES IN VIETNAMESE
MAN SPEAKS ANGRILY
No, no, no, no. Look... Friend.
HE REPEATS THE SAME WORD IN VIETNAMESE
< Friend. Friend. MAN SHOUTS ANGRILY
GUNSHOT
Pa?
I'm sorry.
WOMAN SOBS SOFTLY
HE GROANS
HE SOBS
No, no, no. Number 14 at Hickum.
Right, Hickum.
Yeah, the par four across the water.
That's the one. Hold the phone a minute.
Uh, Captain,
Uh...number 14 at Hickum, 390 yards.
Draw it in.
Don't forget to add the zero.
Come here, Clark.
Colonel, that puts our puzzle together.
Now let's hope the damn thing works. ..Right.
Yeah, I will keep you abreast of everything.
Right, I will.
And thank you. Mm-hmm.
What have we got, sir?
I got a lot to tell you about your boy.
Seems like Hambleton was flying
a pave-penny mission for a major bombing strike, Captain.
He came up with the idea himself,
and then he volunteers to go.
Right man for the job and all that.
Sounds like to me he must have written the damn manuals.
Wouldn't Charlie like to get
their hands on him, open him up? Shit.
It doesn't get any better.
The strike was scheduled for 07:00 hours tomorrow.
Their objective, carpet-bomb
this crossroads where Hambleton is
and everything around it for 8 kilometres.
HE SIGHS
That's what he was talking about.
Exactly.
He won't make it.
They're going to blast the whole goddamn area, huh?
I'm fucking blowing my brains out
trying to get this motherfucker home,
and they're talking about carpet-bombing!
Goddamn it, Captain...
Now, wait a minute...
Shut up, goddamn it!
I bought us 24 hours.
That's the best I could do.
Had to put my ass on the line to get that.
I told Seventh Air we'd get him out of there.
That's exactly what we're going to do.
Nice work, Colonel.
Let's don't start jumping up and down,
throwing babies in the air yet, Captain.
We'd better wait and see
if Hambleton's code works.
Hmm. You got any ideas?
Douglass knew what Hambleton
was talking about right away.
I mean, they're both golf fanatics.
They play three times a week. Hambleton's got a four handicap.
With all that in mind, come here. I want to show you something.
..Thank you, Howard.
Now...stay with me, Captain.
This gets pretty wild.
Hambleton wants to get here to the river, to the swanee, right?
Well, how's he going to do that?
I mean, he's not about to just tear ass out through there
and lose contact with you.
Hell, he's dead meat.
On the other hand, he can't get on the radio
and tell you where he's going. Charlie's got VHF too.
So he gives you an imaginary nine holes of golf.
When you lay those nine holes over our map, Captain...
there's what they look like.
Now we can track him,
now that we know where he is.
We know exactly where he comes out at the end
because he didn't pick those holes at random.
They come off three Air Force golf courses
he's played a hundred times,
knows them like the back of his hand.
Now, let's take these three
that come off Shaw Air Force base.
First hole, 410-yard par-four dogleg.
We add that zero Hambleton's talking about,
it reads 4,100 yards,
and the first green puts him right there.
Next green, here and here.
These two holes come off the front and back of Macdill.
These four finishing holes here,
according to Douglass,
are the holes Hambleton birdied
the last time he played Hickum
to shoot a one-under-par 71.
Pretty good score, huh? Ha-ha-ha!
Clever son of a bitch.
You play golf, Captain?
No, sir. Golf wasn't big in my neighbourhood.
All right. Well, all these holes are on these cards,
and this is a glossary of golf terminology.
Now, you're going to communicate with Hambleton
using these terms, because Charlie won't know
what in the hell you're talking about
until it's too late, anyway.
So get busy. Learn this.
That's the key to Hambleton's code.
Dogleg.
Hmm.
Does Anderson know you borrowed his prop?
No, sir.
I'd love to be there when he tries to take off.
He's going to need a hell of a long runway, Captain.
Yeah.
Look, at the risk of being out of line, sir,
I think you look a bit overextended.
Now, in the best interest of the mission and your personal safety,
I put together this tape.
Some serious sounds, Captain.
They're guaranteed to keep you alert.
You're quite a man, Rumbaugh.
You just have a good flight, all right, sir?
All right.
ENGINE REVS
WHISTLING
Fuck!
Son of a bitch!
God. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
Fuck.
God...
SITAR MUSIC PLAYS
Fucked-up Rumbaugh shit.
MUSIC CONTINUES
Birddog on radio. Bat 21, this is Birddog.
Come in, come in. Where the hell are you?
Birddog, this is Bat 21.
I read you loud and clear.
MUSIC STOPS
Copy, Bat 21. It's good to hear from you. I thought I'd lost you.
It's good to hear your voice, Birddog.
I'm at the third fairway,
trying to get a fix on your position.
You broke the code.
I'm working on it. It's not an easy game to play.
Uh, what is your...
..lie?
Birddog, I'm 150 yards northwest of the third green.
I'll give you a signal, white one.
Got you marked.
Any problems?
I ran into an unfriendly a while back.
I had to do some backtracking.
You all right?
My landing gear's a little damaged,
but it's still serviceable.
I'm sorry to hear about that.
Listen, Birddog...
you got to get me out of here.
Affirmative.
I'm here to tell you the good news.
We bought 24 hours. Copy that?
You bet I copy.
You must have friends in high places
who want to see your face again.
That's nice to know.
Uh, Bat 21...
stay put and don't transmit.
I have business to take care of.
Uh, this is Birddog. This is Birddog.
Anyone on station? And play it cool.
PLANE PASSES OVERHEAD
Copy, Cupcake. If it's not too much trouble,
I'd enjoy your company at coordinates
Zulu-Zulu-5, uh, Lima-Hotel-7.
- MAN: - Cupcake on the way.
Copy, Cupcake.
Back to you, Bat 21. This is Birddog.
Birddog...
..I killed a man today.
Uh... Roger that.
He wasn't even a soldier.
He just kept coming.
I couldn't stop him.
Uh...I understand.
I didn't want to do it.
I never had to do anything like that before in my life.
I've always been sitting in an airplane
at 30,000 feet with a cup of coffee in front of me.
Look here, Bat 21, I never met you,
but you don't sound like a killer.
I'm sure you couldn't stop it from happening.
Now, the important thing is to put it behind you.
EXPLOSION
What the hell's going on, Birddog?
There's too many unfriendly foursomes in your vicinity.
Fireworks courtesy of Wolfpack.
MORE EXPLOSIONS
JETS PASS OVERHEAD
Jesus Christ! Does it ever stop?
Are you with me, Bat 21?
Yeah, Birddog, I'm here.
All right.
I want you to listen real hard.
I know you're hurting, but we have to deal with
getting you back to the clubhouse.
We're going to pick you up at first light.
Damn, I'm ready.
JET PASSES OVERHEAD
I want you to play the fourth hole tonight.
The green will be our LZ.
That's a long goddamn hole.
Yeah. There's a few hazards,
but the green is safe.
EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE
Think you can make it, Bat 21?
Yeah, I should be able to play through.
Looking forward to buying you a drink.
I'll start the tab.
Roger that.
Birddog signing off.
I'll see you in the morning.
Uh, Bat 21, this is Birddog. Come in.
Birddog, Bat 21. Go ahead.
Are you still on course?
Birddog, yeah, I'm an easy chip shot
from the green,
except that there's a village right here in front of me.
Reconned yesterday. Area's safe.
We'll take another look.
OK, Birddog.
Shine up your medal, Clarky,
I'm bringing back your boy.
I'll personally alert Bat 21.
Bat 21, this is Birddog again. Come in.
Yeah, Birddog, I'm still here.
Not for long. I'm sending in my best man.
Get your flares ready, and don't pop the smoke
until you hear from Jolly Greens. Understand?
Roger, Birddog.
- WALKER: - Bat 21, Cobra Leader. Do you copy?
Go ahead.
We'll come over your position from the north.
Be ready to pop those flares.
I've been ready for two days.
Hold what you got, Big Sky.
I'm going to send Birddog in to take a look.
Roger.
Talk to me, Birddog.
Looks quiet.
I'm going in for a closer look.
Here we go. Be right back.
It don't look like anybody's home.
All right, Big Sky, go get him.
I'll cover your tail.
Jolly Green from Birddog.
You're looking good, looking good.
Coming in on your LZ.
SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE
Shit! We're taking hits.
The village is hot! The village is hot!
Birddog, there's at least two machine guns in the village!
I thought you said that goddamn LZ was secure!
Get back in the trees, Bat 21. Back in the trees!
Stevie, open up.
Get those mines ready.
We're going to drop them right here in this paddy.
Keep them away from Bat 21.
Drop those mines!
Son of a bitch!
Big Sky, get the hell out of there.
I'm coming back. Open up, Steven.
Get on those guns and give them hell.
Agh!
Son of a bitch! He's hit!
Take care of him. Hendricks, get on the gun!
We're going to fix you up.
Big Sky, abort mission.
Repeat, abort! Abort!
Boys, they're not going to stick a fork in me till I'm done.
We're going to get that boy.
Abort mission, Big Sky! Get the hell out of there, Ross!
Sorry. Transmission is breaking up.
Repeat, abort!
Sorry. Transmission is breaking up.
That's bullshit! You heard me!
I said abort!
Fuck it. Let's go in.
Come on, you...
Ross, get out of there!
Son of a bitch!
He's hit! Birddog, he's hit!
Shit!
Shit! I'm losing it!
Up, Big Sky! Big Rocks! Pull out!
Shit. We're going down.
We're going down. Mayday! Mayday!
I can't see a goddamn thing, goddamn it!
We're going down. Mayday.
HE COUGHS
Start, motherfucker!
MEN SHOUT
Start!
Let's get out of here, Ross!
Fuck! They're coming!
The gun jammed! Let's go, Ross! Come on!
Goddamn it! Let's fucking go!
Start! Shit.
Start!
Shit.
Come on, Pearson. We got to get out of here.
Come on, Ross! Jesus! The gun!
Come on! We got to get out of here!
Goddamn it, come on!
GUNFIRE
Agh!
Get up, man! We got to go!
Aah!
Finley, goddamn it! Give me the gun!
Shit! Come on, give me the gun, Finley!
Give me the goddamn gun, goddamn it!
Jesus Christ! Don't shoot!
Don't shoot!
Don't shoot! Holy shit!
I'm fuckin' hit, man!
Jesus Christ!
Oh, God!
Steve, stay alive! Someone will be back.
Don't fuckin' leave us, Ross!
Just stay alive, goddamn it!
SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE
Don't leave us, Ross!
Don't worry. I'll be back.
All right!
SHOUTING CONTINUES
Ross! Ross!
GUNFIRE
Goddamn you!
Birddog, they've got two of our men.
I think the rest of the crew is dead.
Uh, copy, Bat 21. Stand by.
Cobra Leader, Charlie has two of our airmen.
Can you identify?
Negative, Birddog. Can't make out from here.
We're holding our fire.
They shot my damn hydraulics out.
I'm not going to be able to put this thing down here.
I'm going down for a closer look.
Not advisable, Birddog.
It will be a quick pass.
GUNFIRE
Confirmed, two airmen.
One is pilot.
THEY SPEAK IN VIETNAMESE
You know what, Charlie? I don't follow your fucking drift.
I took Spanish in school. No comprendo.
HE SHOUTS IN VIETNAMESE
Get your fucking slimy fucking hands off me!
I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!
I don't understand you.
Birddog, they're trying to get him to tell where I am.
Copy, Bat 21. Just stay low.
GUNSHOT
Bastard! Motherfucker!
They just killed one of our men.
Was it the pilot, Bat 21?
I don't think so. It's me they want.
I'm going to give myself up.
Keep your ass down, Bat 21! Charlie doesn't bargain.
Nothing you can do about it.
Now, retreat double-time back into the trees.
Come on, fella. Come closer.
Come on. Come on, you motherfucker.
Come on.
Oh!
HE IMITATES AN EXPLOSION
Come on.
They're walking him out into the minefield.
Ah, Jesus!
Come on!
Hey, come on!
Agh!
ROSS SCREAMS
Aah! Aah!
Goddamn it!
Aah!
Motherfucker!
You lowlife...
I've got enough dead heroes for one day, Clark!
Get your ass out of there!
Oh, fuck.
You'll get Bat 21 back on the course!
Then rendezvous with me at Hilo-1-8-5.
I'm going to waste this whole goddamned area!
Four-square leader, hustle your ass over here.
One click north of Hilo-1-niner-6.
Gun emplacement in village.
Jolly Green down. Crew is dead.
Look for the smoke.
People are still in the village.
Charlie is using them for cover.
Stay off frequency, Bat 21.
Await instructions from Birddog.
Birddog. Birddog, people are in the village.
Repeat, civilians, women and children, in the village.
That's a confirmation. Will advise.
Cobra Leader, this is Birddog.
Village is still not clear.
Civilians still in area.
Stay off frequency.
Delay the strike. Repeat, delay strike.
Bat 21, get back on course.
Will connect with you at swanee.
Fuck the goddamn swanee. Delay the strike!
That was my friend laying in the mud
with his fucking head blown off!
Now, get back on course!
Now, do as I say! Back on course!
People keep dying all around me.
I'm through killing.
I'm through, goddamn it.
HE SIGHS
You called for me, sir?
Ahem...
Lost six people today, Clark.
Kids, all of them, just kids.
And I couldn't guarantee
we'd get him out of there
if we had another week. Damn it, it's too hot.
HE SIGHS
So, the strike is a go...
07:00 hours tomorrow.
They're going to level the whole area.
All we can do is hope and pray to God
Hambleton makes it to the river.
I, uh...
Did I ever call the Navy,
and, uh, they're going to send
a patrol boat up there.
Where are you headed?
I'm going to help him make it to the river, sir.
Planes are grounded, Clark.
We are not to go back in there
until the strike is over.
Our hands are tied.
Yes, sir.
HE SIGHS
Birddog, Bat 21. Over.
Birddog, Bat 21. How do you read? Over.
'Birddog, this is Bat 21. Come in.
'I'm on the sixth hole, Birddog. Do you copy?
'Birddog, this is Bat 21.
'Come in, Birddog.'
Thank you.
For me?
BOY SPEAKS IN VIETNAMESE
Definitely not a good idea, sir. It's a bad idea.
I trained in one of these things 15 years ago.
So, just refresh my memory.
You got three minutes.
Let's go, Rumbaugh.
All right.
OK.
This is your rotor speed. Keep it in the green.
This is your engine speed.
Keep it also in the green.
Red-line and you crash and burn.
All right, pedals. Pedals work the same as your ship.
The stick does not. It's cyclic.
It controls the angles of your blades, all right?
I can't believe you're taking the old man's ship.
All right, power. Power's controlled by your collective.
One thing you may have forgotten is,
when you increase power, you increase left pedal
to compensate for increased torque. Got it?
Yeah, um...yeah, it's coming back to me.
And what about autorotation?
Why? You planning on not coming back, sir?
Tell me anyway.
All right. Your engine quits.
You're falling out of the sky.
Now, all you've got left is the energy stored in your blades, OK?
Push the left...
No, push the right, the right pedal to the floor,
collective down,
keep your rotor speed in the green.
Keep it at about 80 knots and about 100 feet off the deck.
Begin to flare and then cushion it on down with the collective.
Now, you may start to spin,
but that's cool. Don't panic.
Key point being, he who hesitates...
You don't want to hesitate, all right?
All right.
Here's your checklist, your maps, all your golf shit.
All right.
Now, you got everything, right?
You understand all this?
Yeah.
All right.
Thanks for the lesson.
Just come back, all right?
Pedals! Pedals!
Collective!
Shit!
Up! Up! Up!
OK, all right. Torque, torque, torque.
Get it up!
You got it! You got it! Up!
Who's that crazy son of a bitch?! Is that Clark?!
I believe it is, sir.
All right, Captain!
We're looking at a court-martial now!
Rotor speed up.
Throttle friction.
Jesus Christ!
When he gets back here, Sergeant,
I'm throwing his ass in the stockade!
We don't have a stockade, sir.
I'll build one!
Son of a bitch!
Good luck, Captain.
All right, all right, all right, here I come.
Chopper Pilot, this is Bat 21.
This is Chopper Pilot,
above your signal on the ninth hole.
Is that you, Birddog?
Yeah, it's me.
Now, let's get you out of here.
50 metres east of you, there's a small field.
If I can get into it, I can make it happen.
Copy that, Bat 21?
I'm on my way, Birddog.
THEY SPEAK IN VIETNAMESE
Down!
- Let's go! - OK!
Hey!
Hang on!
Hurry up.
All right!
I'm glad to see you, Birddog.
Have a seat, Bat 21.
You'd better check the charts.
I had a hell of a time navigating here.
GUNFIRE
Jesus!
Shit!
You're losing oil pressure.
Jesus.
There's the river.
We got to make it from here.
I'm going to have to put this baby down, OK?
There's a clearing at 9 o'clock.
Cut into the woods!
GUNFIRE
Let's go!
It's the air strike.
It's right on time.
Jesus!
SHOUTING IN VIETNAMESE
Go! Move!
Oh, shit! Goddamn!
COUGHING
You know, I've been in the service...
most of my adult life.
It's the first time I ever saw any war.
Guess I was a little closer to the action.
Aah...
I've wanted to be a fighter pilot since I was a kid.
But they wouldn't let me out of the O-2.
Lucky for me.
You could have quit anytime.
Why'd you keep coming back?
Guess it's the stubborn side of me.
I started out just doing my job,
no different from you.
I hate being told I can't do something.
I guess that's why I'm still a captain.
Besides...
I started feeling what you were going through.
I heard it in your voice.
DISTANT RUMBLING
We're home free, Colonel.
Yeah.
HE SIGHS
Cut the Colonel crap, OK, Birddog?
It's Iceal Hambleton.
Iceal?
Ha-ha-ha!
It's Hamb.
Yeah. Hey... Clark Bartholomew.
Bartholomew?
Clarky.
OK.
- MAN ON RADIO: - This is USPB-Niner-6.
We have your boys aboard. Injuries have been treated.
Will rendezvous with you at base Victor-4.
This is Niner-6 out.
- WALKER: - Welcome home, Bat 21.
Why don't you and the Captain meet me at the 19th hole?
The drinks are on me.
Cobra Leader, over and out.