"Here." "Right here. just wait." "Sorry." "I'm late." "I" "I ain't dead yet." "It's also for healing." "And celebration, you know?" "." "Hey." "Yeah." " Thank you." " I'd like to sit at that table." " Why?" "." " I'd like to sit at that table." " I know, but they're still eating." "It's fine" " I can see that." "I don't know, I think" "I think in, like, a year or so, you know, I think I'll be ready... but, you know, I really- I want to get married." "I just- like, eventually, you know." "I don't" "I just don't want to right now." "Plus, we're kind of on this, like, cruise control, you know?" "." "Which is normal." "I mean, it happens to every couple." "It happened to us." "Where did you tell him you were going?" "." " To visit you." " Yeah, right." "To visit my dad." " And he believed that?" "." " I invited him actually, but... it turns out he was really, really busy." "You always were a terrific liar." "That's not fair." " I really do love him, you know?" "." " Well, I do." "He's the right guy for you." "I mean, what do you want to do?" "." "Are you thinking... family?" "." "Bachelorhood?" "." "College?" ". job?" "." "You don't have to worry about me." "The world's my fucking oyster." "Thanks for coming." "I really wanted to see you." "I'm glad you came." "Say hi to Alan for me." "I don't think so." "Somewhere you gotta be?" "." "No, sir." "How long has he been waiting?" "." "Seventeen minutes, sir." "Send him in." "Yes, sir." "Come in." "Sir, Staff Sergeant Montgomery reports." "At ease." "How you getting on, Montgomery?" "." " It's going well, sir." " I have an assignment for you, Montgomery." "It so happens that over the few months you have left on your enlistment... you will get your chance to render some of your most valuable service to your country." "I'm assigning you to a Casualty Notification team." "Sir?" "." "Captain Stone will show you the ropes." "He is the expert." "But until he does, I just want to make myself very clear... that although most of your time will remain occupied by your other duties..." "CNO is to be your absolute priority." "This mission is not simply important." "It is sacred." " Sir, if I may?" "." " Go ahead." "I've never received any grief counseling, let alone given it." "I'm not a religious man, sir." "We're just there for notification." "Not God." "Not heaven." "Montgomery... this job is about character." "Now I have had soldiers go out on notification and break into a stutter." "Men so nervous they read from a script or get the name wrong... or the address." "Too many tears." "I need men of solid stature." "Now you are a model soldier." "Hell, you're a goddamn hero." "Casualty is a soldier who's been killed, wounded, missing... captured, beleaguered or besieged." "Of course, our job's mainly about killed." "What you actually need to do is pretty simple- read the guidebook, learn the script... stick to the script, fill in the blanks from the casualty report." " Can you do that?" "." " Yes, sir." "Can you look at me when I speak with you?" "." "Much appreciated." "Never say stuff like lost or expired or passed away... things people misunderstand." "I knew this guy once told this old lady that her grandson was no longer with us." "She thought he had defected to the enemy, started calling him a traitor." "We need to be clear." "Need to say killed or died." "What we don't say is the deceased or the body." "We call each casualty by name." "We honor them." "You with me?" "." " Yes, sir." " Then look at me, Sergeant." "You do not speak with anybody other than the next of kin." "No friend, no neighbor, no coworker or mistress." "Hours of operation are 0600 to 2200 hours." "We don't want to wake anybody up in the middle of the night... though if you ask me, hitting them with the news at the crack of dawn... is not exactly a great way to start their day, breakfast wise." "What do we do if the next of kin isn't around?" "." "We leave." "We don't wait." "We don't lurk." "We come back later." "This is a zero-defect mission." "A pure hit-and-git operation." "Is that it, sir?" "." "One more thing." "You do not touch the NOK." "Avoid physical contact with the next of kin... unless it's a medical emergency, like if they were having a heart attack or something." "You're representing the Secretary of the Army, not Will Montgomery." "So in case you feel like offering a hug or something, don't." "It'll only get you in trouble." "I'm not gonna be offering any hugs, sir." " Is that's it?" "." " No." "These are the rules." "It's not the job." "The job is about... something else." "You gotta do it before you can understand." "You a head case?" "." "No, sir." "I surely hope not." "Then that's it." "You can go." "Sergeant, one more thing." "We make it our business to deliver the news within 24 hours of positive I D." "The ideal is within four." "We're racing FOX, CNN, Drudge Report, what-have-you." "Not to mention any soldier with a cell phone or a webcam." "The whole point is we gotta be first." "So, if you're in bed... or church or the ballet, this baby stays on." "Yes, sir." "Tried and true." "A long battery life too." "Can't be beat." "I know what you're thinking." "You're thinking- ""Shit, I'm a goddamn decorated war hero... with three months left to serve and they draft me into the Angels of Death squadron." "I get a beeper, a canned speech... and a lunatic commanding officer to surf a fucking ocean of grief."" "Am I right?" "." "More or less, sir." "Am I right?" "." "It's the middle of the fucking night!" "Turn that fucking music off!" "." "There's your problem." "Attention to detail, Private!" "Read the fucking manual!" "You have 1 30-degree heat." "You have sand blasting." "It's baked the hose right under the housing." "Break the suction." "Every second you're on the side of the road... increases your chances of getting shot... your boys shot, your boys blown up." "No haji armor's gonna protect you." "Plus you're fucking up a five billion dollar a week operation... because you don't have a 25 cent cooling hose." "So you think ahead." "You have 1 0 in the back." "You think ahead." "You prepare." "You think ahead." "Yeah, well, should be in the next couple blocks." "We should just ask someone." "No." "First offal, men don't ask for directions, much less soldiers." "Soldiers on a notification, definitely, positively do not ask for freaking directions." "No GPS." "No MapQest." "We navigate." "Second, you never wanna park too close." "They hear a car park, go to the window, see two soldiers getting out... it's just a minute of torture." "Now I should warn you some of them do have guns." "Knocking is ominous, but ringing is jarring." "Or worse, sometimes you get one of those god-awful chirping doorbells... some singsongy shit throws you right off your game." "Yankee Doodle went to town A riding' on a pony" "And "Sorry your husband is dead" doesn't flow." "So I knock." "I don't really like to say good morning or good afternoon either." "There ain't nothing good about it." "I used to introduce myself, that's standard, but now I think it's rude." "It ain't about me." "Lose the shades." "We're looking for Mrs. Tina Burrell." "Is she in?" "." "Is Leroy in trouble again?" "." "I'm his girlfriend." "We need to speak with Mrs. Burrell." "Okay, Come in." "Come in." "Please, sit down." "I just made some tea." "Do you want some?" "." "Ma'am, could you please get Mrs. Burrell?" "." "Yeah, she's down the block." "She just called." "She'll be back in a minute." "I thought you said we don't wait." "If she's not here in 30 seconds, we're gone." "Sit." "I'm Monica." "I'm Leroy's girlfriend." "And this is his baby." "He's a boy." "But he don't know that yet, so don't tell him because I ain't calling him junior." "Two cell phones." "One was $209.75, and the other" "What did he do?" "." "I'm sorry, ma'am." "Our orders are to speak with Mrs. Burrell." "Well, I am too." "I mean, I was gonna be." "We were supposed to get married, but then my father got laid off and" "Look, I know Leroy's always saying the wrong thing, but he's a good man." "Please, just tell me." "I got an envelope with these sheets of paper." "Could I see those papers, please?" "We'll be back." "You sent her the money and this envelope came with these two pictures" "Sir, tell me." "Oh, why?" "." "Oh, no, please, God, no!" "My, God, why?" "." " What's going" " I have bad news, Mrs. Burrell." "The Secretary of the Army has asked me to express his deepest regret... that your son, Private First Class Leroy Burrell" "No, no, no!" "You got to go!" "You got to go!" " I'm very sorry, Mrs. Burrell." " No." "Listen." "No!" "That's my baby." "That's my baby." "We can't do this right" " Your son was killed yesterday" " Monica" " Oh, my God!" "My house is a mess." " A Casualty Assistance" " No!" "Don't you say that about my baby!" "Don't you say that about my baby!" " I'm very sorry for your loss, ma'am." " No!" "Make him go!" "A Casualty Assistance Officer will contact you shortly..." " to help you arrange for the funeral." " Tell him to stop saying that!" "We left them with the next-door neighbor." " How'd she take it?" " Hard." "Very hard." " Okay." " Yep." "We'll be there by 1 000 hours." "All right, thanks." "Good luck." "CAO is on the way." "No such thing as a satisfied customer." "Ice cream!" "Ice cream!" "Ice cream!" "Ice cream!" "Double whiskey, please." " Hot water and lemon?" "." " And a glass of ice." "I'm in AA, if you're asking." "Been sober three years." "Mind you, I never drank anything stronger than pop." "Of course, my pop would drink just about anything." "Oh, they tell them to get ready when their kids deploy... but they never really listen, do they?" "." "Soldiers go to war and everyone waves flags and applauds..." "Look at charts, study strategies, have ""informed opinions."" "And then bullets fly and soldiers die and it's such a shock." "Fuck that!" "What did they think it was gonna be like, FearFactor?" " Where'd you see action?" "." " Desert Storm/Desert Shield." "Never got a crack at Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom, much to my chagrin." "Wasn't much of a war, but..." "I got my baptism too." "You weren't the only one getting shot at." "So they say you saved your buddies." "You want to know what I think?" "." "I think they ought to show every goddamn funeral on TV, live." "Have the president come around from time to time and eulogize... the vice president, get people used to it." "I mean, are we at war or not?" "." " Thank you." " Sure thing." " Let me know if you guys need anything else." " Oh, you know it already, Emily." "I'd like to strap her on and wear her like a government-issue gas mask." " I got my sights on her, so don't even go there." " Roger that." "I figure I could play the sensitivity card." "Tell her what my day was like down in death valley." "Then again, sympathy backfires... she'll never leave." "Trust me, I've been married three times." "Twice to the same woman." "So now you know what the mission is." "Yeah." "Hey, if you're not cut out for it... you're not cut out for it." "So you have a girl?" "." "You got to think about it?" "." "Kelly." "We were together since we were little kids." "Then when I was deployed, everything" "She wanted you to commit, you balked... and the minute you were gone, jody plunked his ass down in the La-Z-Boy." "You probably dodged a bullet." "The only reason to get married like that is the extra pay." "Cut them in, then cut them loose." "Of course, they can always get pregnant and bleed you dry." "It's too easy." "I just told her she was free." "I didn't want you knocking on her door." "Yeah, well." "Anyway, lot of Shellys out there." "Kelly." "You know, up to Vietnam, they used send a telegram." "If it was your wife, what would she want?" "." "Why don't you just kill me, you son of a bitch!" "Yeah!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Hey, that was quick." "Are you awake?" "." "just making sure you're on your toes." " Is this a joke, sir?" " No, no." "I just" "You know, since I stopped drinking, I stay up nights... especially after notifying someone." "So you think you might stay on after your enlistment's up?" "I mean... hell, you" "What's your e-mail anyway?" "." "Do you I M?" "." "I don't have a computer." "Really?" "." "How does that work?" "." "Hey, you're funny." " What?" " You calling my beeper." " No, I'm not." " Oh, shit." "Get ready." "I'll meet you on post." "What's going on?" "." "You gotta get out of here." "Don't look at me like that." "I gotta go, so you gotta go." "Come on, let's go." "I don't get it." "You married or something?" "." "No, no." "I just got... work." "Work?" "." "In the middle of the night all of a sudden?" "." "What the do you do?" "." "Deliver babies?" "." "Dale Martin." "Dale Martin." "Dale." "Dale." "Specialist Eric Martin, killed in action" " I got it covered." " I'm doing this one." "...in southern Iraq" " It's okay." "I'll do it." "I'm assigned to do something, I'm going to do it, sir." "Specialist Eric Martin, southern Iraq." "Well, okay." "It's a man this time." "So?" "." "Men try harder to keep it together." "They're also the ones that can hurt you." "You cannot be a burden to taxpayers!" " You're not entitled to welfare" " I'm doing this." "...assistance that comes in any way out of my pocket." "Well, then, reach down in your pants... grab a double handful of balls and do it right." "Freeloader, got it!" "You can come here if you can invest here..." "Around, let's say, 50 times the current minimum wage." "If you can do that, ha, come!" "Let's go." "Let's go." "Excuse me?" "." "Mr. Martin?" "." "Oh, shit!" "Dale Martin?" "." "The Secretary of the Army has asked me to express his deep regret... that your son, Specialist Eric Martin, was killed in action yesterday... in southern Iraq by sniper fire." "You will receive a more complete report as soon as possible, sir." "What we can tell you right now is that his platoon came under sniper fire... and it was an instant death." "I'm so sorry." "Look at that tree." "I said look at that fucking tree." "It's the same age as my son." ""If I don't go, who's gonna go in place of me?"'" "That's what he said." "A Casualty Assistance Officer will contact you in four hours" " Fucking bastards!" " Will notify you in" "Will notify you in four hours." "Is there a neighbor or a friend or a family member" " You fucking idiot!" " that can come and help you in your trying time?" "." "Why aren't you there?" "." "Why aren't you dead?" "." " I'm sorry, sir." " Why aren't you there now?" "." " I'm sorry." " Fucking cowards." " Let's go." " I don't care if you're fucking sorry!" "We're done here." "Don't you fucking say you're sorry to me." "You want to tell his mother?" "." "Are you gonna tell his mother?" "." "He's fucking 20 years old!" "Keep walking." " You fucking coward!" " Keep walking." " I said" " I don't fucking care!" "Sergeant, he touches you again, I'll handle it." "What?" "." "Fucking handle what?" "." "You'll fucking handle what?" "." "You fucking cowards!" "Well, I guess one way or another we're all God's children." "It's all fortune cookies to me, sir." "I'm not really happy with these drops." "I'm gonna prescribe something else." "What's the doctor saying about the leg?" "." "It's getting better." "Though but I'm sort of rooting for the eye." "It's not a race." "Polytrauma takes a lot of patience." "The body parts are literally on different schedules." """And all the king's horses and all the king's men-" How does it go?" "." """Couldn't put Humpty back together again."" "Kelly's phone." "This is Alan." "Answer off." "Shit." " Son of a bitch." "...for sentencing tomorrow." "We'll keep you posted." "And the State Supreme Court" "Don't say anything." "I'll do the talking." "Sergeant." " License and registration." " What'd I do?" "." "You went through a red light about a half a mile back." " It was yellow." " It was red when he went through it." " It's an emergency." " What kind of emergency?" "." "A soldier died." "We're going to notify the widow." " That's not an emergency." " It's about timing." "You know that." "Yeah, well, you get into a wreck on your way to a notification... you kill somebody, you get yourself killed, how's that gonna feel?" "." "That's a jackass move." " Can you believe this shit?" "." " Excuse me?" "." "No, he's right." "He's right." "I don't want to do this anyway." "You want to do it?" "." "Go to this address, her name is Olivia Pitterson." "Knock on her door and break her little heart." "Fuck it." "Well, let's pretend it didn't happen." "Let her find out that he got blown up from some kid at the local news desk." "Let him put her on hold, 'cause you don't give a fuck about her, do you?" "." "No." "No!" "You are just doing your job." "Get the hell out of here." " All right." "Hey!" " Yeah, me too." "Last one's is ready!" "Pretty high up, isn't it, huh?" "." "Could be worse." "It could be Christmas." "Jesus." "Mrs. Pitterson?" "." "Mrs. Pitterson." "Are you Mrs. Pitterson?" "." "How did it happen?" "." "Did anyone talk with you already, ma'am?" "." "How did he die?" "." "He was killed in action yesterday in the city of Mosul." "That's all the information we have now, ma'am." "But the Secretary of the Army extends his deepest sympathy to you" "There's no need." "But..." "I would ask you in, but my little boy" "Am I supposed to call Phil's parents?" "." "Not unless you want to, ma'am." "Your husband's DD-93 has you listed as the primary NOK... and them as secondary." "They moved to Florida." "Is that still accurate?" "." "Yes." "A local notification team has been alerted... and they're waiting for us to give them the go-ahead." "Okay, thanks a lot." "Good-bye." "The Casualty Assistance Officer will contact you shortly... to help make arrangements for the funeral." "Okay." "Thanks." "Good-bye." "Ma'am, would you like us to notify your child?" "." "What?" "." "No, no." "I can tell my little boy." "Okay, good-bye." "I know this can't be easy for you." " If you have any further questions, just" " No." "No." "No, thanks." "Sergeant!" """I know this can't be easy for you." Can you believe that?" "." "That's a first." "She's banging someone." "You see the shirt she was hanging?" "." "Her husband dies 1 0,000 miles away, she's got a man on the clothesline already." "Hey, we getting in this vehicle sometime today?" "." "We walk into these people's lives, we don't know shit." "Trust me." "You don't want to know." "Come on." "From now on we take the silver bullet." "Your wheels are crap." "Why are you giving me pancakes?" "." "'Cause you're my baby and I love you." "What's wrong?" "." "You going to pretend you don't have one?" "." "I know you have her picture." "I'm willing to bet the next round on it." "What have we here?" "." "Nice." "You can afford the next round." "Nice." "Very nice." "Table grade." "I could slop her up with a biscuit." "Yeah, well, she has a very serious boyfriend." "No, I don't buy it." "Not this girl." "There's nothing serious about her." "She's having a ball down in Nowheresville while you pine for her." "You still got her number?" "." "Oh, wait." "Hey, hey." "Come here." "Sit." "Will you sit?" "." "Listen, I thought we had a great time the other night." "You were amazing, as was I... and I'm sorry I had to go, but tonight's another night." "I'm pregnant." "I'm just fucking with you." " Have a good life." " A good life." "Hey, you got my hopes up." "A glass of ice, hot water, lemon." "Paid in full." "I think I'm gonna head out." "Where you going?" "." " I'm gonna go home." " What for?" "." "Internet porn?" "." "Come on, you don't even have a computer." "What" "I was bullshitting." "No, stay." "Forget women." "We'll talk about something else, right?" "." "Sleep when you're dead." "What's your deal?" "." "Your folks around?" "." "My father's gone." "My mom's a... nut." "I haven't seen her in years." "Another lost child looking for family, huh?" "." "I guess so." "Why did you join?" "." " A dare." " A dare?" "." "Why are you still here?" "." "Well, they offered me a commission and no one dared me to leave." "And I dare you to stay." "Hey, we're not gonna lie to you" " Iraq, Afghanistan-wherever we go next, hostile." "Hey, it's crazy, but it's real." "Hey, the army's hard work." "Fighting terrorists, rebuilding countries, saving lives." "And risking our lives?" "." "I don't have to remind you how many Americans lost their lives... just showing up for work one morning in September, do I?" "." " That's right." " No, I didn't think so." "Shoot, there's risk in the army, there's risk in life." "But we're talking about rewards here... and we're talking about a feeling that you can get... but not from flinging hot dogs at a ball game or bagging groceries at a supermarket." "We're talking about honor and discipline." " Self-respect." " Thank you." "I just wanna fuck some shit up." " That does come with the job sometimes." " Oh, come on." "You have any sort of skills you want to bring to the army?" "." "Leave them alone." "They're just kids." "Oh, ma'am, these young men want to serve their country." " They're here by their free will." " Oh, do you want to take a look?" "." " You want to take a look at this, see?" "." " Okay, ma'am" " You want to guess what it's for?" "." " Ma'am" "There's a sticker on my husband's coffin that says "remains unviewable."" " Ma'am, we're very sorry" " Nice big tall boys like you." " And what's left could fit in a shoe box." " I understand you're upset." " Why don't you calm down?" "." " Ma'am, why don't you take your son home" "Why don't you take your son home and calm down?" "." "Why don't you go home?" "." "In fact, why doesn't everybody just go home?" "." " That's right go home!" " We're all in this together." " Sergeant." "Take a walk." " Why doesn't everybody just go home?" "." " Yes, sir." " You guys know where to find us." " What are you looking at?" ". just go home!" " You okay?" "." "Yeah." " Do you need anything?" "." " What?" "." "No, thank you." "I'm sorry, sweetheart." "Come on." " Come on." " I hate this suit!" "Pick it up." "I've asked you to pick that up." "Pick it up." "Now." "Do not do that." "I was getting a prescription... at the mall." "And that's why I was at the mall." "I have this eye" "I gotta get- take drops... for" "It's okay now?" "." "Is it okay now?" "." "Yeah." "Gets dry." "It's kinda... spotty." "You'll need a new transmission soon." "Can I pay you something?" "." "No." "I should get a new car at some point, but... it just feels wrong, you know, with the new money." "Do you play?" "." "No." "I work at Lock and Keep." "It's a storage space on Third Street and Battalion." "You know, sometimes people leave things behind." "Nice things." "A new mattress, coffee table... framed pictures of strangers." "I'm gonna get going." "Thanks for your help." "Yeah." "Get a new transmission." "Soon." "Seriously." "Thanks for the ride." "Thanks." "Bye." "That's it!" "Yeah, come on!" "Yeah!" "That's not what I said." "But you are trying to fuck her, aren't you?" "." "I'm not trying anything, sir." "I fixed her car." "You saw the shirt." "She's got someone." "Who?" "." " I don't know." " You don't know?" "." "Jesus, why is it always the quiet ones?" "." "Where are your morals, hero?" "." "It's just too easy." "You bring her her husband's death and then you try to fuck her." "And by the way, if she's into you, she's into some really weird twists." "She's a real head case." "You've been warned." "Thank you, sir." "I will make a note of that." "I bet her husband couldn't wait to get away from her and back in theater." "For Central, a stalled car blocking the middle lane." "Traffic slowing down from" "We're here to speak with Mrs. Galindo." "What, this some kind of joke?" "." " No, sir." " There's no Mrs. Galindo here." " Marla Galindo?" "." "Are you saying she moved or" " Hold it." "Marla!" "Marla!" " Marla!" " What?" "." " I'm so tired of this shit from you." " What?" "." "What did I do?" "." "There are a couple of soldiers downstairs." "They're asking for a Mrs. Galindo." "Dad, we were gonna, but I" "Tell me what?" "." "What are you talking about?" "." "Wait a minute." "Wait a minute." "What's going on?" "." "We were gonna tell you, but I" "I knew how you felt and there was just so little time before" " What, you married that little grease ball?" "." " Please, don't call him that!" " You always do that!" " Mrs. Galindo" "Hold it!" "I'm dealing with some family stuff here!" " Could you step outside?" "." "just let them say what they need to say!" " I have bad news for you, Mrs. Galindo." "just leave us for a second?" "." "Your husband, Corporal Mario Galindo, was killed last night in Iraq... by an improvised explosive device." "The Secretary of the Army has asked me to express his deepest sympathy to you." "A Casualty Assistance Officer will contact you in the next few hours." " We're very sorry for your loss, ma'am." " All right, all right." "Daddy." " I'm so sorry." " I know." "I know." "I was gonna tell you." "I'm" " I'm" "Here's a good one!" "Here's a good one!" "So this tribal chief, he's this old-looking guy, I figured he's around 50." "Maybe older." "Maybe 60." "His face is all sagging and fucking gray." "He's got a bunch of teeth missing." "The guy's got fucking scurvy." "All kinds of, you know, desert shit." "We called him Haji-Wan Kenobi." "So he tells me he's not used to making deals like this with a kid." "So I tell him, ""Hey, man, I'm 28."" "Twenty-nine next month." "Yeah, I'm no kid, gramps." "But then, so, the chief says..." """Twenty-eight?" "." "You can't be 28." "You're a beautiful man." "You must be 20, 21."" "I'm thinking, what is he talking about?" "." "What is this?" "." "What is this, he likes me?" "." "He wants to get in my pants?" "." "But the guy, he's getting all depressed." "He starts saying, ""This country's shit." "This country's cursed."" "I try to tell him, ""Hey, man, it ain't that bad... since we came in and liberated your sandy asses."" "And then he goes- And then he goes, ""Not that bad?" "." "Look at me." "I'm 27!"'" "It's all the goat fucking, man!" "The poor asshole." "He got one here, a couple here, one went through his chest." "You could almost hear the lungs deflate, like, swoosh." "One of his own men did it." "Anyway, he was a funny guy." "Haji-Wan Kenobi." "I liked him." "What's going on?" "." "What is this?" "." "A funeral all of a sudden?" "." "I'll be right back." "You okay?" "." "Yeah, sure." "Night." "Good night, guys." "See you Monday." "See you Monday." "It's like coming back from another planet." "What are you talking about, man?" "." "I'm fine." "I'm fine." "I'm home, baby." "I'm fucking home, sweet home." "Every American generation has to have a war, you know." "We just need it." "Because we gotta use up our weapons, so we can make more." "Easy." "And we gotta take warriors through wars so they can command the next batch." "Nothing wrong with that." "Hey, Sergeant." "Ladies, this is the guy I told you about." "Will, this is Claire and Laura." " It's Lara." " Hey, baby." " Lara." "I'm sorry." " No." " Nice to meet you, Will." " I'm not sure I can." "Yeah, likewise, Lara." " Are you coming in?" "." " Yeah, in a minute." " I'm buying." " I'll be in." " Yeah, I'm fine." " Ladies." "Everybody's all fucking concerned." "What?" "." "Why are you looking at me like that?" "." "Ready, aim, fire!" "Ready, aim... fire!" "Ready." "Present arms." "Excuse me." "Are you Angel Vasquez?" "." "Do you speak English?" "." "No." "Mr. Vasquez, the Secretary of the Army has asked me to extend his deepest regret... that your daughter, Patricia- was killed in a helicopter crash... at 7:00 a.m. our time in the Anbar province of Iraq." "You will be further advised as more information becomes available." "The Secretary of the Army extends his deepest sympathy to you... and your family in your tragic loss." "He's asking if we're sure about it." "Positive identification has been made, sir." "He's saying, ""It can't be"'" "I'm very sorry, sir." "Hey, it's Kelly." "I'm sorry I sent that invitation." "That was really" " That was really dumb." "You know, I wanted us to be able" "I don't know." "I hope you're not mad, okay?" "You didn't RSVP, so" "I guess, you know, I was scared to tell you And..." "I don't know, there's, like, All this stress." "You know, I don't even want this stupid party anyways, And his parents" "Sorry, it's, like, not even your problem." "I'm crazy, I know." "Alan And I got in a big fight About it And" "Don't come, okay?" "just forget the invitation And forget me. just" "I'm sorry." "Matt?" "." "Hey, pal." "I bet the other kid got it pretty good, huh?" "." "I brought you this." "It was my unit's flag." "I already have two." "Matt, say thanks." "Thanks." "Thanks a lot." "You know, flags and casseroles, I can't seem to get enough of them." "If I can... do anything" "I know where to find you." "Anyway, we're leaving town." "Where you going?" "." "I haven't decided." "You know, it's funny." "We always had to move wherever the army sent us... and now I don't know where to go." "If you need help with any, you know, packing boxes or putting things in boxes" "You know, I can pack up this house in a day and unpack it in two." "Plenty of practice." " Thanks for the flag." " Sure." "We were thinking about getting some pizza." " Can I watch TV?" "." " After you finish your broccoli." "Mom, there's no broccoli." "Oh, I must've left it on the microwave." "I should probably go... but thank you... for the pizza." "And it was nice hangin' with you, Matt." "How come he doesn't have to eat his broccoli?" "." "I could eat broccoli." "I'm not eating mine." "Then I'll have yours." "Stain Spray-Away, the only instant stain remover... that can spray away stains Anywhere stains can happen." "Worry-free Oxy-clean uses the power of oxygen." "It gently lifts stains out without rubbing And scrubbing." "You can't avoid stains like coffee And ketchup" "It's like you never got them in the first place." "Because Friday's my last day..." "I thought that you could take some of this stuff, you know?" "." "It's just left here, and it seems such a waste." "Anybody looking at us right now... would say that you're a lowlife trying to take advantage of my grief... and that I'm a slut and that I'm not really grieving." "You ever lose anybody?" "." "Yeah." "Friends, over there." "My father during peacetime." "A drunk driver." "Did they catch him?" "." "No, my father was the drunk driver." "My mom woke me up in the middle of the night... and she said his brakes failed." "Never saw her cry." "But it made me want to be a mechanic by age 1 0." "So your mom notified you." "Do you want to dance?" "." "There's no music." "I'm gonna go get a shower." "But why?" "." "'Cause I smell." "I'm going to get a cup of coffee." "Do you want one?" "." " Do you want a cup of coffee?" "." " No, thanks." "I can't." "I'm sorry." "It's okay." "When Phil reenlisted for a third tour... it was like he needed to go." "Staying home was no longer an option." "I was relieved to see him go." "I missed him, but I didn't" "I didn't miss the guy that just left... because I missed the man he was a long time ago." "One morning, I opened the closet... and a shirt fell out... and I smelled it." "And it smelled awful." "It smelled horrible." "Not of, like, another woman or booze or cigarettes or" "It smelled of rage... and fear." "It smelled of the man that he had become over there, you know?" "." "And he didn't treat me or his little boy very good when he was at home." "So in a way, in my mind, it was like he was dead already." "Anyway, I washed the shirt... and then you came." "I loved him once." "And it's weird because now he's dead." "I just" " I love him again." "But more for my little boy." "I'm sorry." "I should never have brought you here." "God, I'm sorry." "Don't be." "And it's not that I don't want to." "I just" "I know." "Me too." "I'm gonna go and get Matt and pick him up early." "He loves that, and the other kids go green with envy." "Okay." "Okay." "Is it okay if I... stay here for a few minutes?" "." "Sure." "just slam the door real hard." "The lock's kinda funky." "Okay." "Thanks." "A soldier dies in a black-op mission someplace we never admitted being... the army calls his death an accident." "Why?" "." "To protect the next one." "Another soldier dies slipping into a ditch, we call it a combat death... just to give it a meaning." "What's your point?" "." "My point?" "." "My point is that sometimes the army... has to be concerned with something bigger than the truth." "And it's not that they don't care about you." "On the contrary, there is not a family on God's green Earth... that takes better care of you than the US Army." "Really?" "." "Really." "Civilian life's for people who ain't seen shit." "It's too late for you." "You've already seen the shit." "You can't unsee it anymore." "You can't be an insurance salesman now, brother." "It's too fucking late." "How's that beautiful garden?" "." "Oh, it's doing well." "It's his pride and joy." "Oh, yes." "He must have you working on it." "The size of those strawberries." "I'll see you, Ralph." "Good-bye, Mrs. Flanigan." "Good-bye, now." "Ralph Flanigan?" "." "Do I know you?" "." "You're Walton Flanigan's father?" "." "Yes?" "." "Oh, God!" "Oh, my God, what's wrong?" "." "Ralph?" "." "Ralph?" "." " Ralph?" "." " Oh, God." " Ma'am" " No." " No." " Talk to me, sweetheart." "The Secretary of the Army has asked me to express... his deep regret that your son, Walton Flanigan... died yesterday in Iraq." "He" " No." "The Secretary of the Army extends his deepest sympathy... to you and your family in your tragic loss." "No." "A Casualty Assistance Officer will contact you within a few hours." "Do you need anything?" "." "Do you need a ride?" "." "Do you want us to call someone?" "." " No." " I'm so sorry, ma'am." "I'm so sorry, sir." "Where'd they go?" "." "They took off." " What?" "." " What'd I tell you from day one?" "." "You do not touch the NOK." "You gotta wake the fuck up." "You're not in high school." "You're not in a fucking rock band." "You're in the army." "Yeah, I know." "I know I'm in the army." "I gave blood to the army." "I got blown up in a firefight that lasted longer than your entire war." "I didn't sunbathe in Kuwait with the rest of the POG's." "I fought!" "That was not your job and you did not follow procedure." "Fuck procedure, Tony." "They're human beings." "They're just people." "They're not like you." "Get in." "It's gonna take you a week at this rate." "Get in." "Hey, guess what?" "." "I already let it go." "Hey, stubborn, get in the fucking car!" "Thanks." "Dorsett thinks you need some time away." "Clear your head." "He told me to look after you." "Yeah..." "I don't need anything." "You walked home." "You need it." "We're off till Tuesday." "I got everything planned out." "just bring your bathing suit and your ACU's and the girls are totally into it." "What girls?" "Into what?" "Come on." "They won't go if it's just me." "Milk in the bottle Milk in the bottle" "Well, that sounds like- That sounds really good." "What are you wearing?" "Hey, come on." "You're my buddy, right?" "I haven't had any in decades." "Okay, so don't make me beg, just" "I need to get laid and you do too, right?" "." "Can we take my car?" "." "I'll let you choose the girl." "How's that?" "." "You sure your step dad ain't gonna show up?" "." "No, he's fishing in Alaska till the end of the season." "Fishing." "In Alaska." "Nice." "That's not distracting." "How embarrassing." "God." "Yes!" " Want a piece of gum?" "." " Yeah." "Choke me." "Choke me." "Come on." "Come on." "I know." "I'm sorry." " Come on." " She doesn't ever close the door." "Yeah." "Keep going." "Come on." "Gross." "Hey." "Is there any more beer left in the car?" "." "What the hell you doing?" "." "It's okay." "It's all right." "I'm just... taking the edge off." "Extraordinary times, right?" "." "Hey, you can give me a break, can't you?" "." "You're my buddy, aren't you?" "." "Hey." "Come on." "We've been to hell and back together." "Three years just like that." "You know what?" "." "He knows what he's doing." "It's good." "Let's just go to sleep." "Yeah, lets go to bed." " Go to bed." " Fucking asshole." "I'm more fun when I drink." "Sergeant." "You missed out." "That's the whole problem." "That is the whole problem this time around in Iraq." "Vietnam, those guys got laid six ways from Sunday." "Bosnia- best brothels in the world." "Desert Storm-we had R and R ships with Filipino hookers... on call." "Yeah, but this war?" "." "I don't know." "All the religious bullshit, the Crusades and jihad and nobody getting laid." "I mean, that right there is half the reason why everybody's so angry, yeah?" "." "Hey, Charlie, don't surf!" "." " Let's get back." " Yeah." "I'm thinking maybe I ought to have a kid." "I shouldn't have let you drink." "No, see, that is your other problem right there, hero." "Everything's your fault." "Everything is your responsibility." "Somebody's gonna fall to pieces?" "." "Well, here's Will with a glue stick." "Some soldier gets drunk- Hey, let me tell you something." "I had a beer last month, okay?" "." "A few weeks ago, I had a few more." " The other day" " You serious?" "." "Today is not the day that I got off the wagon." "This is the day that I'm gonna not bother pretending anymore." "Stay the fuck away from us, you assholes!" "Motherfuckers!" "Goddamn it!" "It's okay." "Fuck you!" "Let's head back." "Stone, let's head back." "Where'd you learn about knots?" "." "Oh, Boy Scouts." "They sure love a good knot." "Easy to tie, easy to untie, hard to pull loose." "Dude, what's your fucking problem, anyway?" "." "You own this lake?" "." " Lock and load, Sergeant." " Yes, Sir." "Hey, ladies." " What sorority you girls belong to?" "." " What the fuck?" "." "Boy, those girls sure overreacted." "just a little fight is all." "I thought they was cool." "Sorry, buddy." "Hey, how far did you get with that girl, Laura?" "." " Lara." " Lara." "What a name, Lara." "Give me a home where the buffalo roam" "Where the deer And the Antelope play" "Where seldom is heard a discouraging word" "And the skies are not cloudy All day" "Home, home on the range" "Where the deer And the Antelope play" "Where seldom is heard a discouraging word" "And the skies Are not cloudy All day" "Whoo!" "Home, home on the range" "Bi I I!" "Hi." "Good to see you." "Thanks for coming." "You should have RSVP'd, okay?" "." "Alan is gonna freak." "Hey." "I didn't know you" "Alan, good to see you." "Long time." "Yeah." "Jesus, you look terrible." "I feel terrible." "Tony, this is Alan." "Alan, Tony, groom-to-be." "Hey, Tony." "What happened to you guys?" "." "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it." "We do all our own stunts, you know." "Kelly, Tony." "Tony, Kelly." "Bride." "Enchanté." "Hubba-hubba." "Well..." "Let's get these guys some drinks." " I was just about to sober up." "Come on." " Sounds good." "Let's go, Alan." "Come on." "All right?" "." " You look beautiful." " Don't." "You do." " What is this?" "." " It's nothing." "So, on behalf of everyone in the room... and those who couldn't make it here tonight..." "Kelly and Alan... here's to a lifetime together, huh?" "." "Hear!" "Hear!" "Whoo!" "Kelly and Alan." "Hey, there's a lot better things we could be doing right now than talking." "I would like to say something." "Jesus Christ." "Before you do..." "I would like everyone to toast our troops." "Hear!" "Hear!" "Love the war or hate it, we support you guys all the way." "Hear!" "Hear!" " They support us." " All the way." "Alan..." "Kelly... family and friends... the Secretary of the Army... is pleased to congratulate you on your engagement." "We love it here We love it here" "You bet your ass We love it here" " Hoo-ahh!" " Hoo-ahh!" "Back away." "Go, Sergeant!" "Fuck me." "You just caught a.556 in your upper lip!" "Bang!" "Boom." "This is America!" "Hey." "Hey." "It's time to wake up." "Jesus, am I dead?" "." "No." "Oh, dear God, help me." "I gotta call my sponsor." "We should both get out of this together." "You could retire." "We'd go fishing in Alaska." "Nah, this Dorsett will never let me go." "He doesn't own you." "He saved my life." "Got me sober... until yesterday." "The army owns me and that's fine with me." "That's not fine with me." "Come on." "All I ever wanted... was to get shot at." "That too much to ask for on the battlefield?" "." "A battle?" "." "I thought you said you had your baptism." "Yeah, well, I lied." "Wasn't much of a war." "Heads up." "Dale Martin's my name." "Do you remember me?" "." "Yes, sir." "You know what's the last thing my son said to me?" "." "He said, ""I'll see you next week"' On the phone." "That's what he said, from over there." "And all I said was, "Yeah"" "I'm" "I'm not a good talker." "But" "Will you please forgive me?" "." "Sir, there's nothing to forgive." "Mama said there'd be days like these." "Our LT was taking fire two blocks down..." "And so I made a decision to move up this alleyway... so we could get into this haji market that I knew had roof access." "Sniper fire came down on us from everywhere." "It was just pop, pop, pop, pop." "And we're all scrambling around trying to get some cover... when an I ED goes off." "You know, blows us back." "And we're all" "But I can see Timmerman is still standing, and he has- he has this flap hanging off the side of his head... and when he turns around, I can see it's the" "I can see it's the side of his face." "Two of my guys behind us are hit and I'm yelling at them... you know, yelling, ""Get out of the road"... but they're screaming so loud they can't hear me." "So I take off." "I pick one of 'em up." "He was..." "I don't know, third month, fourth month, 1 8, 1 9." "Pull the other one with my free hand... take us and drop them behind these truck tires." "And we're all catching our breath, trying to radio the bird... when I see Derek... just bleeding out in the middle of the street." "Now, sniper fire had slowed... and he was on his back." "He had his hands up like this." "Looked like he was- like he was praying." "Nothing but noise from the radio, so I make a mad dash to him." "It's pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!" "Grab his wrist, drag him across the street behind this burned-out old car." "And he looking down at his hands." "He keeps looking down at his damn hands." "He keeps opening them and closing them... and he's opening, he keeps saying over and over..." """I can't feel my hands." "I can't feel my hands"'" "And I'm looking down at his hands." "His hands are fine." "There's not a spot on them... when his left leg is, you know, halfway down the block." "So I start pushing him underneath the car... and I'm saying, ""Derek, your hands are fine." "Your hands are fine." "just sit tight"'" "And he looked at me like I was" "He looked at me like I was lying to him." "And that's when the I ED went off under him." "Jesus." "I actually got pieces of him blasted right into me." "It was like... flesh shrapnel." "When I came to, I had already been to the FOB." "I was on my way to Ramstein." "In the hospital, I'm laid out and some guy comes in." "I can't see very well, and he drops this little- drops a little ribbon on my bare chest and I'm" "I'm all hooked up to wires and machines and heart rate monitors..." "IV's and shit." "Shit I, you know, shit I don't need." "And he- he says, ""Son... you're a hero"'" "Damn right, you are." "No." "No, I" " No." "I put him there." "I did that." "That was me." "I didn't mean to." "I didn't plan that." "There's no planning." "You can't plan." "You only have the moment, but that's what I did." "I" "I loaded him into the bomb." "That's not a hero in my book." "A couple weeks later, I'm on crutches." "Major surgery." "Fox eye shield patch." "And everything looks gray- the nurses, the flowers, blood." "I'm wandering the halls in the hospital." "My ears are ringing." "I take the elevator up to the roof and climb the stairs." "And we're not supposed to be up there... but that's where the doctors take their smoke breaks." "So the door was open." "And the whole- the whole living thing just didn't, you know, make sense anymore." "It was" "I was out there for a while... standing on the edge... and it was cold and it was dark... and I felt calm." "Why didn't you jump?" "." "The sun came up." "The sun came up?" "." "Yes." "The sun came up and- and I didn't feel like dying anymore." "Want another one?" "." "No, I just" "Pepsi." "This fake beer tastes like laundry." "Pass me the ball." "Pass me the ball." "Where you heading?" "." "Louisiana." "Taking the piano." "What?" "." "Why?" "." " Do you play?" "." " No." "A little bit." "My mom forced me when I was a kid." "I hated it." "Hey, you don't have to" "Thanks a lot." " Yes!" " Good-bye, Will." "Good luck." "Look, I've never been very good at timing." "I wouldn't say that." "Maybe... you'd let me know where you are, you know, your address?" "." "I don't mind driving." "I think I could handle that." "Okay?" "." "Okay." "E-mail?" "." "Yeah." "I just have to get a computer first." "I could check at Tony's, though." "You're staying on?" "." "Thinking about it." "Why don't you come inside and give me your address... and I'll write you a letter." "I'd like that." "Yeah."