1. The Purple Testament
First Aired: 12 February 1960
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2. You're traveling
to another dimension.
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3. A dimension not only of sight
and sound, but of mind.
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4. A journey into a wondrous land
of imagination.
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5. Next stop: The Twilight Zone
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6. Keep those trucks coming.
Close it up.
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7. I said close it up.
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8. Infantry platoon, U.S. Army,
Philippine Islands, 1945.
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9. These are the faces of
the young men who fight.
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10. As if some omniscient painter
had mixed a tube of oils.
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11. That were at one time earth-brown,
dust-grey. And fear, yellow-white.
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12. And these men were the models.
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13. For this is the province of combat.
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14. And these are the faces of war.
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15. Evening, captain.
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16. Ain't it a crummy night?
- Rough?
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17. We've got the bridge,
whatever they want it for.
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18. Japs have got naval guns. That
bridge gets it every three minutes.
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19. The Jap fleet is dug in
on the road to Manila.
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20. Sergeant, who'd we lose?
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21. Lots of wounded.
Maybe ten, twelve. Four dead.
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22. Hibbard, Horton, Morgan and Levy.
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23. All right, sergeant, bed them down.
Check with the mess.
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24. Get them hot coffee and a meal.
If they're not hungry, eat anyway.
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25. A-company, first platoon, chow down.
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26. Fitz.
- Sir?
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27. Look, I have got me a bottle
of Philippine tu pa in my tent.
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28. It's the best. But you'd be surprised
what it does to a man's outlook.
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29. Come on.
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30. Cheers.
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31. Bad day, Fitz?
- A lot of wounded, four dead.
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32. All in two and a half hours.
12 wounded, four dead.
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33. Anything special about the four?
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34. Anything special?
What do you mean?
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35. We've lost four men before.
We've lost eight and ten.
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36. You seem to be taking this
a little harder than usual.
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37. I just wondered if there was
something special.
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38. These four men were all under 21.
Does it have to be more special?
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39. No, but this has gotten to you.
More than I've ever seen.
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40. I'd just like to know why.
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41. You're a perceptive man, Phil.
It's the mark of a good officer.
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42. To ward off trouble by anticipating.
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43. Are you gonna give me a hard time?
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44. I don't think so. You're a good
officer. You got guts and brains.
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45. But something has gotten to you.
I'd like to know what it is.
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46. Would you?
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47. Hibbard, Horton, Morgan, Levy.
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48. Killed in action,
Luzon, P.I., 13 January 1945.
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49. So you want to know
what's gotten into me.
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50. I wrote those names down yesterday.
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51. I wrote them down before we went up.
- Why did you write down the names?
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52. We had a weapons check
and I looked into their faces.
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53. And those four men...
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54. Feel better?
- I looked into 44 faces yesterday.
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55. And when I got to those four,
there was something special.
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56. A light or something.
There isn't any description.
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57. I looked into their faces and I knew.
I knew this was their last day.
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58. I knew they were going to get it.
There wasn't any doubt about it.
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59. Well, that's funny.
That's real funny.
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60. I haven't slept much.
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61. I keep wondering:
Is this the way it's going to be?
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62. If every time I stand
in front of a platoon...
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63. am I going to look down the line and
know which ones aren't coming back?
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64. When did you write these names down?
You're sure it was yesterday?
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65. And not today on the way back?
- Yesterday.
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66. Yesterday morning, I swear to you.
I wrote those names down yesterday.
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67. I can't tell. The stuff you've
given me is inconclusive.
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68. He's never been wounded.
Looks like a pretty steady customer.
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69. No evidence of battle fatigue or so.
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70. Why he should suddenly get
this weird idea is hard to say.
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71. But we better run some checks.
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72. He believes it. You hear him tell it
you almost believe it yourself.
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73. I'd appreciate you taking a
look at him. He's a good man.
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74. He's one of the best officers
we've got.
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75. I'll do what I can. He's here now.
- No, I didn't know.
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76. He's in the ward visiting one
of the boys from his platoon.
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77. I'm fine, lieutenant.
How's the rest of the boys?
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78. Oh, they're all fine. Porky got a
piece of shrapnel on his finger.
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79. You know Porky, that's about
as bad as he ever got.
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80. He's a lucky kid.
- That he is.
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81. You're doing okay too. You get all
patched up and you'll be going home.
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82. That's not so hard to take, is it?
- No, sir.
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83. It sure isn't.
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84. No, no.
Thank you, sir.
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85. Please, lay it down over there.
I won't be needing it for a while.
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86. Listen, Smitty, I got some stuff
to do so I'll see you tomorrow.
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87. You take it easy, you hear?
- Yes, sir.
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88. Anything you need? Stuff to read?
- All I need.
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89. You take care, Smitty.
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90. Thanks for coming, lieutenant.
Good-bye.
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91. Good-bye, Smitty.
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92. You okay, lieutenant?
- Yeah, I'm okay.
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93. He's dead.
Just like that.
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94. They go awful quick sometimes.
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95. Fitz?
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96. I was up seeing Smitty.
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97. Yeah, I know. I read his tag.
Doc said he's going to be okay.
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98. I took a look at his face.
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99. I took a look at his face,
and I knew.
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100. And a minute later, he's gone.
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101. Same thing?
- Same thing. The look.
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102. The funny light or whatever it is.
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103. And I knew, Phil.
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104. Fitz, I can't explain this, but...
- I don't want you to explain it.
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105. How can you explain it?
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106. How can anybody explain it?
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107. I just want you to believe it,
captain.
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108. I want you to believe it.
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109. Bed five, sir. Smith.
He just died.
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110. I'll have a look at him.
- For what?
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111. There's nothing to look at
but a body. He's dead.
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112. And I knew he was going to die
- Go on back. I'll be right in.
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113. So you knew, lieutenant?
- You bet I did.
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114. I tabbed four men the other day.
- That's odd, don't you think?
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115. Odd? That's not odd, captain.
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116. Odd is when you go 30 days on
the line and you don't lose a man.
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117. Odd is when you walk 25 miles and
you don't get a blister. That's odd.
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118. This isn't odd, captain.
This is nightmare.
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119. This is a lousy, dog-faced officer
who can see death on people's faces.
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120. You're a dog-faced officer who's
cracking under the strain.
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121. And finally having to succumb to it.
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122. I'm five for five, captain. How many
coincidences add up to a fact?
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123. How many men do I have to tab
as the least likely to succeed?
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124. How many more faces do
I have to look into?
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125. When do you guys realize
that somewhere along the line...
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126. I picked up a talent they
don't teach at O.C.S.
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127. One thing you might do while
you're waiting and scratching:
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128. Put tape over my eyes or poke them
out. So I won't be able to see.
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129. So I won't have to look
at any more faces.
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130. Now we spearhead the attack moving
across at the point.
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131. Followed by Baker and Charlie
company. At this point to the east...
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132. Some Filipino guerrillas will
be crossing the river by boat.
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133. Their job will be to knock out all
Jap guns on that side of the river.
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134. We should be able to move across the
bridge against only small arms fire.
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135. We've got about 22 minutes
before we load up the trucks.
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136. Give your platoons a good briefing.
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137. Make sure that each man has a belt,
five grenades, six ammo clips.
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138. And no backpacks.
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139. All right.
That's it. Good luck.
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140. Captain, you still want my platoon
to take the point?
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141. I don't know yet, Fitz.
I think that probably...
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142. What's the matter, Fitz?
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143. Are you well enough
to take the platoon?
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144. Gunther thinks you'd be better off
with three weeks back at division.
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145. This thing will take a few hours
but it will be messy.
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146. Captain, you better not go.
- Why, Fitz?
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147. Yeah. It's on your face too.
If you go, you won't be coming back.
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148. Fitz, get your platoons set.
You've only got about 15 minutes left.
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149. I'll tell you what we'll do.
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150. We'll talk about it when we get back.
We'll drink to an illusion.
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151. That's it. I'll see you at the trucks.
- You won't be drinking to anything.
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152. Because you're not coming back.
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153. Lieutenant?
What about it?
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154. Everybody says you can tell.
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155. Everybody says you know who's
going to get it. And who isn't.
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156. How about it, lieutenant?
Give us a break, huh?
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157. Come on. It ain't fair...
- Knock it off, Freeman.
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158. All right, sergeant.
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159. Somebody started this wild gag and
somebody will get burned for it.
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160. There's nobody in this company
who's a mind-reader.
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161. Including lieutenant Fitzgerald.
All right, lieutenant?
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162. Yeah. That's right, sir.
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163. All right, sergeant, let's go.
- Yes, sir. Let's go.
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164. Okay, load 'em up. Let's go.
In the trucks, everybody.
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165. Close it up.
All right, close it up.
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166. Okay, first platoon, fall in.
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167. Forget about extra details.
Let's do it the same.
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168. Come on, hurry it up. Fall in.
Roll call.
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169. Verall. Ashbar.
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170. Blackman. Connolly.
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171. Fitz.
Just thought I'd drop around..
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172. and congratulate you boys
on the good job you did.
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173. The odds fell on our side.
Those guerrillas blew up those guns.
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174. And you fellows walked right across.
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175. That's fortunate. The air force must
have picked off seven of those 25s.
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176. If those guns were operating, that
had been your longest bridge ever.
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177. Or the shortest.
Sniper fire, that's all you had?
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178. We lost one man.
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179. Oh, that's a pity.
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180. He was a good man.
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181. You were good friends,
weren't you, Fitzgerald?
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182. So much for Mrs Riker's
lovely wedding.
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183. Seven happy years.
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184. Two fine sons.
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185. Man, war stinks.
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186. Lieutenant?
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187. Captain Gunther wants to see you.
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188. You are to report back to division,
lieutenant.
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189. They want to look you over. It'll
be a nice couple weeks rest for you.
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190. Take your gear with you.
- Okay. Thank you, captain.
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191. Lieutenant Fitzgerald?
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192. The jeep's ready to take you back
to division. Any time you're ready.
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193. Lieutenant Fitzgerald?
This your bag, sir?
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194. Yes, that's my bag.
- May I put it in the jeep for you?
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195. Well, sir, we're ready
any time you are.
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196. Well, it's a little bouncy, sir.
But it sure beats walking.
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197. You're going back to division?
- Yeah. The further back, the better.
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198. You're taking the convenient road?
- I got to. There's a bridge up there.
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199. The engineers spotted some mines
there. They haven't dug them up yet.
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200. So take it easy and stay
close to the shoulders.
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201. I want you to take good care
of the lieutenant here.
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202. I'm the most careful driver
in the United States Army.
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203. If I can lift this jeep and walk
tippytoe carrying it, I'd do it.
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204. You may as well get comfortable.
We got a four-hour ride ahead of us.
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205. Do we?
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206. I doubt it.
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207. You play that pretty good.
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208. One hand.
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209. Did you hear that?
- Thunder?
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210. I don't think so.
It sounded more like an explosion.
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211. Maybe it was thunder. Yeah.
That's what it was probably thunder.
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212. From William Shakespeare.
A line from Richard the Third.
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213. 'He has come to open the purple
testament of bleeding war.'
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214. For lieutenant William Fitzgerald,
A-company, first platoon...
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215. the testament is closed.
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216. Lieutenant Fitzgerald has found
the Twilight Zone.
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