Red Ball Express Page #3

the army's got a bug in its ear.

That's new?

Don't it always?

Hurry, hurry, hurry,

and then you never go anywhere.

Well, this time the army's gonna

make it up to ya. This time you're really goin' someplace.

Hey, Sarge, don't we have

at least a general or somethin' in charge of us?

There'll be an officer

here in a minute, wise guy.

When he gets here, I want you

to show him you're in the army.

That means you act

like soldiers, not clerks, messengers or ward boys,

even though that's what you were a few hours ago.

Detail. Ten-hut!

How are you, Red?

All right, Sergeant,

take your post.

At ease, men.

My name's Campbell.

I know you're wondering

what this is all about.

The army is setting up

the biggest trucking detail in history.

They're gonna call it

the Red Ball Express.

That's an old railroad term

meaning high priority freight.

We're gonna be part of it.

Our orders are to load up,

catch General Patton, unload...

and then drive right back

and do it all over again.

Load, roll 'em,

unload, roll 'em, until we're dizzy.

There isn't anything

I can add to that.

These are our vehicles

right behind us.

Two men to a truck.

Mount up and follow me

when we move out.

Sergeant Kallek?

Dismiss the company,

Sergeant.

Company, dismissed!

Fall out.

Sergeant Kallek.

Yes, sir.

Put Corporal Green

and anybody else you want in the jeep.

I'll drive

the lead truck.

I thought you lost

your taste for trucks.

You know how the army is. They

sneaked a look at my Form 20 and found out I was a trucker.

They find out

from your Form 20 what kind of a trucker you were?

Okay, Red, if that's

the way you want it.

I'll only mention this once.

We have a job ahead of us...

that has nothing to do with

you or me, so don't let your personal feelings...

get in the way

of those stripes.

Good morning.

Mind if I ride with a professional?

Say, not at all.

I'm one of the Smiths. Call me Taffy; everybody does.

Taffy it is.

My name's Partridge. This is livin', isn't it?

Excitement, drama,

drivin' the open road.

See France

the easy way.

Well, if you go for

this kind of ease, give me just lying around back home.

What'd you do in

civilian life, Taffy?

Bop!

That's what I did.

Sat up on those high traps

with Eddie Mulaney's band, just keepin' the beat.

I've heard Mulaney play

many times. Out of St. Louis, wasn't it?

Out of St. Louis,

out of Chicago, out of New Orleans.

We been kicked out

of lots of places.

Well, as they say in that

other service, I'm glad to have you aboard.

I'm gratified to be ridin'

with a man with your drivin' background.

But after the Rockies,

this'll probably seem like a soapbox derby.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes