Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story

Colonel Cammermeyer, we're

ready to show you the patients.

Thank you, Sergeant.

- Ten-hut!

- At ease.

- How you doing?

- Fine, sir.

- Great.

- He's okay.

Let's get this up here.

Fine.

Sergeant.

Now.

- Hurry! Get down!

- Come on!

- Patient down.

- Let's get her.

All right?

Move it, move it!

Fire when in position!

- Heads up!

- Just get it off! Just get it off me!

Bring him here! Bring him inside!

- Cease fire!

- Let's go, let's go!

- What about the comms tent?

- Here he is!

- Transport, radio...

- Right here!

- Right over there.

- Got it.

Come on! Move it.

Hurry! Hurry! Lock them down.

- He's in.

- Go, go!

Turkey One, this is base, Roger that.

Sergeant Wilson.

Hospital, at ease.

Good job.

Thank you. Turkey One, out.

You just survived the surprise

element that was added to the exercise.

This is as close to the real

thing as we hope you'll ever get.

But a field hospital is

part of the combat zone.

We know from Vietnam that

red crosses on our tents

and the Geneva Convention

won't protect us.

The objective tonight

was to test your response

if the hospital itself were hit,

if casualties included nurses and

doctors, and if patients were re-injured.

You demonstrated that as Army

reservists, you can meet the challenge.

I'd be proud to serve with you anywhere.

And I'll miss you.

Hospital, attention!

Present arms!

- Maybe they're just glad to be rid of me.

- No, ma'am.

It's a nice sendoff.

Are you joining the reserves in Seattle?

Washington National Guard.

We're all weekend warriors, Sergeant.

I just hope they know a good

commander when they see one, ma'am.

Thank you, Sergeant.

Come on, soldier. Let's

get that vehicle refueled.

Your mother's here.

Mom!

- Can I drive?

- I'm not going if he's driving.

You're the one that backed

Dad's car into the tree.

I'm going to drive. Just get in the car.

- So how's it going? How's school?

- Okay.

Is that the same as fine?

- Shut up.

- Only a year to go, David.

- If I live through math.

- If you live through Dad, actually.

Andy, would you guys stop?

What's going on?

Well, I have some news.

- Good or bad?

- Good.

Actually, very good.

This is my house.

What?

You want to see your weekend

quarters? I've moved back to Seattle.

I'm back. I'm here.

I'm home, guys.

- Just like that?

- No, I worked at it.

- Come on.

- You hurt her feelings.

Okay, come on in.

Up here is the living room.

Dining room.

The rug came with the house,

so we'll just let it wear out.

Here's the kitchen.

Well, what happened to

San Francisco and the Army?

Oh, I transferred. Your

room's down here, Tom.

- You and Andy.

- Oh, cool.

- I get my own room?

- Yeah, until Matt gets back from Norway.

Dad says Matt's gonna marry

Lynette when he gets home.

- What?

- I guess so.

- Well, I guess you'll have a room

to yourself. - Good.

But I'll wait for Matt to tell me that.

- Did you get fired, Mom?

- No, I didn't.

I just realized that I couldn't

stand living so far away from you all,

so I made a decision.

- Do you like the house?

- Yeah, this is my bed next to the window.

- It doesn't open anyway.

- Why don't you try unlocking it?

- What are you looking at?

- Just you.

Nice house.

- You hungry?

- Yeah.

- Who else wants to get something to eat?

- Hey.

- You want to drive?

- Yep.

Okay. Don't start, okay?

- Where do you want to eat?

- I vote for burgers.

Now that you're settled in here

with the Guard, what do you think?

I like the way we're

connected to the community.

It feels good to be on

the first line of defense,

- whether that's a flood or an earthquake.

- Or riot.

No, not many of those in

the State of Washington.

I don't miss combat, Colonel.

Me, I was always with the National Guard,

and I know regular Army thinks we're...

You should hear what they say

about the Navy and the Air Force.

What?

I'm glad to be in the Guard, Colonel.

I don't feel like I've left the

Army. We're part of the Army.

Good answer.

Three more coming in.

- Sit down, Colonel.

- Thank you, sir.

I've been looking over your record.

Twenty-five years in the military,

- Bronze Star in Vietnam.

- A lot of people went home with those.

Assistant Chief Nurse,

Army Reserves Evac Hospital,

V.A. Nurse of the Year award.

You're working for the V up

here now, too, aren't you?

In the Seizure Clinic, yes.

Nine promotions, clinical nurse

specialist in neuro-oncology.

And now you're going for your

doctorate in nursing science.

- At the University of Washington.

- Just ambitious?

Well, I guess I'm one of those

people who want to have it all.

- Like four stars on your shoulder?

- Wouldn't mind.

Is that honest enough?

You think you can handle being Chief Nurse

of the Washington State National Guard?

Because I want you for the position.

Unless you feel overextended.

Not that that word even seems

to be in your vocabulary.

I like yes better than no.

All right then, Colonel.

You've got the job.

Thank you, sir.

Here they come.

- Hi!

- Hey, guys.

Good to see you.

- We've made it.

- About time.

- Happy weekend.

- Happy weekend! Hi!

- It's good to see you.

- It's great to be here. Hi!

- Thanks.

- Everything okay?

You're not my nurse anymore,

Grethe. And, yeah, I'm fine.

No headaches, no blind spots.

What you see is what there is.

Hey, pass it. Come on. Pass it.

Excellent. See?

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