Apocalypse Now Page #5

He points to the Major.

WILLARD:

No, sir.

COLONEL:

This gentleman or myself ?

WILLARD:

No, sir.

COLONEL:

I believe on your last job you

executed a tax collector in Kontum,

is that right ?

WILLARD:

I am not presently disposed to

discuss that, sir.

MAJOR:

Very good.

He turns to the Colonel and nods his approval. The

Colonel gets up and goes to a large plastic map.

COLONEL:

You know much about about Special Forces;

Green Berets, Captain ?

WILLARD:

I've worked with them on occasions

and I saw the movie , sir.

The officer smiles at this.

COLONEL:

Then you can appreciate Command's

concern over their -- shall we say

'erratic' methods of operation.

(pause)

I have never favored elite units,

Captain, including your paratroopers

or whatever. Just because a man

jumps out of an airplane or wears

a silly hat doesn't give him any

priviliges in my book -- not in

this man's army.

MAJOR:

We didn't need 'em in Korea --

no sir, give me an Ohio farm boy

and an M-1 Garand, none of this

fancy crap -- no sir.

CIVILIAN:

(stopping him)

Major.

COLONEL:

We have Special Forces A

detachments all along the

Cambodian border. Two here and

another one here -- twelve or

fourteen Americans -- pretty

much on their own; they train

and motivate Montagnard natives;

pick their own operations. If

they need something, they call

for it, and get it within

reason. What we're concerned

with is here.

10 CLOSE VIEW - ON THE MAP

COLONEL:

The A detachment at Nu Mung Ba.

It was originally a larger base,

built up along the river in an

old Cambodian fortress.

The area has been relatively

quiet for the past two years --

but --

11 MED VIEW

COLONEL:

... Captain, we know something's

going on up there -- Major --

The Major looks at some papers in front of him.

MAJOR:

Communications naturally dwindled

with the lack of V.C. activity,

this is routine, expected ... but

six months ago communication

virtually stopped.

COLONEL:

About the same time -- large numbers

of Montagnards of the M'Nong descent

began leaving the area -- this in

itself is not unusual since these

people have fought with the Rhade

Tribe that lived in the area for

centuries. But what is unusual is

that we began to find Rhade refugees

too -- in the same sampans as the

M'Nongs. These people aren't afraid

of V.C. They've put up with war

for twenty years -- but something

is driving them out.

MAJOR:

We communicate with the base

infrequently. What they call for

are air strikes, immediate --

always at night. And we don't

know what or who the air strikes

are called on.

WILLARD:

Who ?

MAJOR:

You see, no one has really gone

into this area and come back alive.

WILLARD:

Why me ?

MAJOR:

Walter Kurtz, Lieutenant Colonel,

Special Forces. We understand

you knew him.

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