Bataan Page #3

---

I was a little young for World War I.

You could've made it.

You keep reminding me...

...of a guy I knew a few years back

right after I joined up.

Yeah?

His name was Burns.

Burns?

Yeah, Dan Burns, or so he said then.

He was a corporal.

Same as me.

Yeah, same as you.

I don't think that's healthy, Corporal...

...smoking close to the stuff

we just scattered around here.

That'll worry me? What you think?

Get rid of it!

- All right, men, clear the bridge.

- Clear the bridge!

Hey, Sarge, whatever become of this guy

you say I look like?

I'd like to know.

Sooner or later I'll find out.

I'll personally see to it that he stands up

on a parade-ground scaffold and hangs.

- Like he should've done seven years ago.

- What'd he do?

Killed a boy who took him in a stud game,

buck private in our outfit.

Shot him in the back.

I had the MP detail right then,

so I took this Burns in charge.

That was a break for him.

I felt kind of sorry for him, same as

I would for any soldier who gets in a jam.

He double-crossed me, went over the hill.

That's too bad.

Yeah.

Yeah, his getaway cost me my stripes

and my chance for Officers' School.

You got quite a little against him.

Enough.

He probably knows that.

Sure he does.

Well, you know...

...if I was you...

...and this... Burns?

- Burns.

If he comes around me again,

I'd look out for him.

I figure to.

He's liable to try to knock you off

to keep you from turnin' him in.

I don't know. His kind, as long as

you don't turn your back on him...

...they don't do a thing.

Well, then you're okay.

That's what I figure.

- Check the lines?

- Yeah, they're okay.

Hold it, Todd!

Sergeant, the men better

not drink this water

till I chlorinate it in the Lister-bags.

All right, no drinking from this.

Make sure there's always plenty

of purified water available.

What's the matter? Those nasty little Japs

poison our water by remote control?

They don't need to. There are enough

germs in this stuff to poison the lot of us.

You heard the orders?

Yeah, you're easy to hear, Sarge.

All set, Captain.

All right.

Solid!

- Good job.

- Yeah.

We must have enough fire power

to keep them from rebuilding that bridge.

That depends.

On how long we stay here?

We'll stay as long as any of us

can stand up.

We may get orders to withdraw very soon,

and we may not.

I think we'll be able to do our share.

That's all anybody's asking of us.

We can make this place fairly comfortable.

So relax, men,

and get some rest while you can.

Cease firing, Sailor!

Hold your fire till you've got a target!

Eeps, Hardy, get your shovels.

Take positions. Don't fire without orders.

I don't think there are enough Jap snipers

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes