"I have bogeys approaching" "Thirty miles." "Twofourzero degrees." "Come right 40." "Okay, let's not get too anxious today" "This is Marines against Navy." "One v. one." "Try not to shoot down your wingman." "Watch out." "You watch out, squids!" "I'm hot today!" "Okay, Meechum, close it up." "I have Navy bearing one-two-zero, 20 miles." "Come right 30." "Spread to fighting wing." "Navy four, I have bogeys closing." "Eighteen miles, twofourzero degrees." "Roger, I got him." "He must be under this stuff." "It's breaking up ahead." "Bogeys, eight miles." "Come right 90." "Leader has tally." "One o'clock low" "Preacher has tally." "Fight's on." "Go get them." "Buenos Dias . rust-pickers!" "Came an, make your move." "Let's see what you've got, buddy." "Let's see it." "Let's see it." "Nat bad." "That's not bad." "Nat bad." "You better kick it, Navy!" "Too late!" "Go!" "you now, sucker!" " You watching us, leader?" "Affirmative" "Hold still." "Smile." "Okay, I take a shot right there!" "Bang ,1" "Right up your six, rust-picker!" "That's a kill, Meechum." "Okay, I got this guy nailed." "Press him." "Stay with him." "Coming up for the shot." "And coming up, and right..." "Right there!" "Beautiful!" "That's a kill!" "It looked good, sweetheart!" "Okay, you clowns, knack it off." "The fight's over." "Jain an me." "Dead bug!" "Dead bug!" "Outstanding. gentlemen!" "On your feet!" "To the greatest Marine fighter pilot that ever crapped between two shoes." "Thank you, thank you!" "Some of you know him by his nom de guerre, the Great Santini." "Some of you know him by names that are too foul to be repeated outside of this august company." "Here's to our victory today over Navy!" "Here's to his new assignment as commander of 312th Squadron." "I give you Bull Meechum!" "The noise is too much!" "The other guests complain." "Please!" "Dearie!" "They don't like to hear us throw glasses?" "No, senor !" "Marines!" "I'd hate for you to gel in trouble the last night you're in Spain." "That would be just awful, wouldn't it?" "To the Corps Elite!" "To that special breed of sky devil feared throughout the world the Marine dogfighter." "To the bravest men who ever lived." "There's not a force who can defeat us in battle deny us victory or interrupt our destiny!" "Marines!" "Who's in charge here?" "He is. sir." "Right through there." "What's wrong with this man?" "He's had the flu, sir." "It's weakened him." "Don't get smart with me, colonel." "My wife and other people out there would like to have a pleasant dinner." "We'd appreciate your clearing out and taking your ungentlemanly conduct with you." "Sir. this is a going-away party for me." "Then I suggest you drink up and move out." "Yes, sir." "Could we have one last drink at the bar if we promise to behave?" "One." "I don't want to see you anywhere near the place after that." "Thank you, sir." "Okay, you sweet young things." "I want you to go out to the bar and act like perfect gentlemen." "You'll see a floor show, the likes of which will make Marine Corps history." "Button up and go on out." "Two of you take care of the skipper." "Let's go." "There you go." "After you, colonel." "To all squids and rust-pickers!" "Would you care lo dance with the Great Santini, ma'am?" "Get your hands off my wife!" "Chow down on me, hogs!" "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." "Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary." "Mother of God." "pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." "Amen." "There." "If Dad's plane crashed, we'd never forgive ourselves for not saying that extra Hail Mary." "Stand up straight, Ben!" "Come on, don't slouch." "That's it." "I don't wanna leave Grandma's house." "I wanna stay here in Atlanta." "We'll be back to visit." "You said that when we left Cherry Point." "We'll be back to Cherry Point as well." "You told Karen that when we left Camp Lejeune." "Don't you spread dissension, Mary Anne." "I want Dad's homecoming perfect." "Do you hear?" "Want me to punch her?" "You do and they'll bury you in a matchbox, runt!" "Did you hear that?" "Mary Anne, stop it!" "I don't know why Matt's so sensitive." "He's practically a giant, for a midget." "I mean it." " Let's take a walk." " That is a splendid idea." "You know, Benny-boy, I've been thinking lately." "Mind against mind." "I maul you every time." "Remember, I could knock every tooth out of your face and there's little you can do about it." " Big brave jock!" "I'd get you back." " How?" "I'd sneak into the bathroom and steal your Clearasil." "Within 48 hours, your pimples would multiply so fast you'd be dead!" "There it is." "There it is." "Hey, Mom!" "There it is!" "I see it, sugar!" "Hurry up now!" "Get in line." "He'll probably hold inspection." "Ben. please stand up straight." "He'll be on you about that." "Girls, check your hair." "Now remember, when he gels off." "we will walk, please walk to meet him." "I'll go first, then the girls." "and then the boys." "I'll give him a big juicy, then the girls give him one and you boys shake hands firmly and say, "Welcome home, colonel!"" "Get a chair for Matt to stand on if he's shaking hands." "Okay, you're going to get it!" "For heavens sake!" "Stand up and let me get your hair." "All right, take it now." "Hurry up!" "Stand by for a fighter pilot!" "Hey, Petunia!" "I missed you, Lil." "Well, me too." "Do you know the worst...?" "Know when the worst times were?" "In the morning, just like now, before the kids got up." "Just lying here, listening to that quiet staring up at the ceiling aching for the feel of you." "We've got a lot of catching up to do, lady." "Colonel, sir, I'm at your disposal." "You've waited a long time for this command." "Too long." "Too long." "I'm so proud of you." "Proud of you." "Proud of you." "Colonel, sir?" "Think we'd try a little bit of that catching up now?" "Honey sugar-dumpling, Bull Meechum don't try nothing." "He just do!" "I know that." "For heaven's sake, Bull!" "What time is it?" "I'm not going anywhere." "I'm not going anywhere at three in the morning!" "I'm not moving!" "I'm sorry." "Come back to bed." "This is ridiculous!" "It doesn't make any sense!" "No!" "Moving day!" "Let's go, hogs!" "Breaking camp!" "Everybody at the car in five minutes!" "Great to have you home, Dad." "Move it!" "Move it!" "First to fight for right and freedom" "And to keep our honor clean" "We are proud to claim the title" "Of United States Marines" "What's the next song, sports fans?" ""Dixie."" " What a horseshit song." " Watch your language." ""Dixie" is a loser's song." "Let's sing something else." "No! "Dixie"!" "You sing it." "I'll sing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."" "I'll sing a winner's song, you sing a laser's." "It's not a loser's song." "Ben, wake up." "Quit pretending you're asleep." "Come on." "I am asleep." "Let's talk." "What do you want to talk about?" "The White Sox won yesterday." "That's great, Dad." "Dad, are you ever afraid when you fly?" "Hell, yes." "That's what makes me so damn good." "You'll know what I'm talking about when you're a pilot." "What if I decide not to go into the Corps?" "You're going in." "Four years, right after college." "If you want out after that." "well, that's your choice." "But you're going in." "Would you like lo be killed in action, Dad?" "It's better than dying of piles." "Yeah." "I hate this place." "Now. sugar. you have got to open yourself to a town." "You've been in the Corps long enough to know that." "I am not in the Corps." "Says you!" "Shut your yaps!" "This is it, sports fans- Beaufort, S-C-." "And lo think I mistook it for Paris, France." "O some the wildflower" "Came the sweet daffodil" "Look!" "Look at this guy." "Came the good honey Come the ripe berry" "Come the wildflower" "See if you can guess which house the Great Santini has rented-." "Since the Great Santini has the worst taste in the world, it should be easy." "Has the Great Santini ever let his family down?" "Yes!" " You do not trust the Great Santini?" " No!" "Then have a look at this!" "Oh, Bull!" "Oh, my God!" "Care to have a look, Scarlett?" "I'd be charmed, sir!" "Just like you always wanted." "I got a cheap lease from a colonel who got a Far East assignment." "He was looking for a classy tenant." "I probably reminded him of Rhett Butler." "I'm sure!" "What have you done?" "They don't build them like this anymore." "You can say that again." "What did you do?" "All for you, Petunia." "You have outdone yourself!" "Give us a big juicy!" "Okay, hogs." "I've listened to you bellyache about moving to this town." "This said bellyaching will end as of 1530 hours-.- and will not affect this squadron's morale henceforth." "Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, sir!" "I know it's rough to leave your friends and move every year." "But you are Marine kids and can chew nails while other kids are sucking cotton candy." "And you're Meechums." "A Meechum is a thoroughbred." "a winner all the way." "Gets the best grades." "wins the most awards and excels in sports." "A Meechum never gives up." "I want you hogs to let this burg know you're here!" "I want these crackers to wake up and wonder what blew into town!" "Okay. hogs. by nightfall I want this camp in inspection order." "Do you read me loud and clear?" "Yes, sir." "I said, do you read me loud and clear?" "Yes, sir!" "Outstanding." "Sergeant, dismiss the troops." "Dismissed." "He does remind me of someone from the movies, but not Rhett Butler." " Who's that?" " Godzilla!" " Colonel Hedgepath in, sergeant?" " No, sir." " Where is he?" " He's indisposed at the moment, sir." "I asked you where he was, not for your mastery of the English language." "I think he's in the head down the hall, sir." "Got you!" "Probably wondering why I attacked you, right?" "Yes, sir." " What's your name, corporal?" " Atchley, sir." "Do you know several Marines were killed by Japanese at Pearl Harbor while taking craps?" "No, sir." "A fighting man must be vigilant to surprise attack no matter where he is." "The survival of our nation depends on the readiness of Marines." "More important, you only wiped yourself twice." "Grossly insufficient!" "Right now, germs with names you can't pronounce are launching an attack..." "to render you helpless in your country's defense." " Do you read me?" " Yes, sir!" "Good!" "I'm Jones." "Colonel John J. Jones." "I'm here for the day." "I fly around the country testing the readiness of troops for combat." "This is a strictly confidential test." "Classified top-secret." "Tell no one, Atchley." "If you attack a senior officer again." "you'll be courtmartialed." "But you attacked me, sir!" "Dismissed!" "Good luck in your career." "Be proud, Atchley." "Proud of yourself and proud of the Corps." "Now get out!" "Yes, sir." "You silver-tongued bastard." "Shame on you!" "Is he back yet?" "Yes. sir." "He's expecting you." "Bonsai!" "Close that door, sergeant!" "I don't want to humiliate this man any more than I have to!" "Now, colonel, repeat after me." ""Bull Meechum has menstrual cramps."" "Kiss me where the skin turns pink." "you worthless scum!" "What kind of man assaults corporals with their pants down?" "I want to know about that one." " How are you, Virg?" " I'm good." "Good to see you, buddy." "Welcome aboard, Bull." "Tell me who put me in Varney's group." "He hates my guts." "I know, I know." "The squadron's in trouble." "ll was one of the best but the last two C.O.s let it slip." "Varney's in line for a star." "He knows if he's to make general, he'll have to shape up the 312th." "It's that simple." "You heard I got passed over?" "Passed over?" "You're lucky you didn't get busted!" "I heard about that mushroom soup stunt." "Go ahead and grin, dummy." "You better watch your six from now on." "You've got your squadron." "Keep your nose clean for a change." "And don't go raping any more corporals in that latrine, "Colonel Jones"!" "My God, you never change!" "My God, you never change!" "What are you thinking, colonel?" "Nothing. sir." "Yes, you are, Wilbur." "You're thinking, "Why doesn't that son of a bitch quit reading and welcome me?" isn't that what you were thinking?" "Yes, sir." "That's exactly what I was thinking." "Sit down." "Now understand this, Wilbur." "The only reason I picked you for this job, despite the fact that you're a disgrace to the Corps and on your way to being an alcoholic is that you're a fair leader and a crackerjack pilot." "Thank you, sir." "Just sit there and shut up!" "Cuba is hot." "Very hot." "If it pops, we'll be right in the middle of it." "I want you to start gelling these pilots into shape." "Much as I need this job done it won'!" "break my heart if you fall on your butt again." "That way." "I can end your career with a poor fitness report." " You read me?" " Yes, sir." "That's all." "Dismissed." "Get your trousers pressed, colonel." "Yes, sir." "It's time to gel up in the morning!" "Rise and shine, split tails!" "Inspection at 0900 by commanding officer!" "0900!" "Lillian." "I'm hungry!" "Rise and shine!" "Jesus!" "Hey, Lillian, the little homo is sleeping naked!" "Let's go. up and out!" "Let's shake it up, hog." "Inspection at 0900." "Let's go!" "Stand by for a fighter pilot!" "What you say, captain?" "I an'!" "the Great Santini!" "I's Arrabelle Smalls, your new maid." "Never worked for no Italian." "Pure Irish." "You're a solid-looking woman." "I can punch as hard as a man." "You want to hit my shoulder?" "This is a Marine you're talking to." "I might cause internal bleeding." "Hit Arrabelle's shoulder." "Come on down here!" "Okay, lady." "Watch out." "You are solid as a rock!" "Now ifs my turn." "Right here on the cobra." " Wait!" "You call that punching?" " Want me to do it again?" "No!" "If you hurl your hand." "I'll have to pay the doctor bills." "What is going on out here?" "Why, you must be Mrs. Smalls." "I'm Lillian Meechum and this is my husband, Lt. Col. "Bull" Meechum." "My kind of woman." "That says a lot." "Erline Grantham spoke very highly of you." "She said you spent time in jail for stealing silver out of nice houses." "Miss Erline don't put no trash mouth on me." "You'll gel used to his teasing, or you won't." "But it'll be there one way or the other." "I want chow." "It is I, Santini!" "The Great Santini!" "Beast of Beaufort and Minister of Death wants his breakfast." "Eat!" "Eat!" "I hope you like children." "We have four." "Seems like children is the only perfect people there is." "I got me a fine boy." "He sells honey and flowers hereabouts." "Does he drive a wagon and mule?" "That's him." "That's my boy, Toomer." "Castro, you bearded fag!" "I'd like to chase you down the main street of Havana in my F-4!" "And De Gaulle!" "God!" "God!" "Why do you put so many jerks in the world at the same time?" " Kind of peculiar, ain't he?" "He's just reading the paper." " Kind of peculiar, ain't he?" "He's just reading the paper." "Attention on deck." "Seats. gentlemen." "You now have the privilege of serving under the toughest squadron commander in the Marine Corps..." "me!" "Don'!" "consider me just your commanding officer." "I want you to look on me like I was well..." ""God!" "If I say something, pretend ifs coming from the burning bush." "We're the most elite fighters in the history of the world." "We are Marines." "Marine Corps fighter pilots." "We have no other function." "That is our mission and you're either gonna hack it or pack it." "Do you read me?" "Within 30 days, I'll lead the toughest sons of bitches in the world." "The 312th Werewolf Squadron will make history or it will die trying." "You're flying with Bull Meechum." "and I kid you not this is the eye of the storm." "Welcome aboard." "Carry on." "Come on, come on!" "Okay, Benny-boy!" "Come on, now." "The reason I'll beat you is because you're getting fat." "Says you, jocko." "How about that, sports fans?" "We know you can do that." "Foul!" "Now he's starting to cheat!" "Two-one, no foul." "Did you see that?" "Two to one." "No foul." "All right, who's for me?" "Let's hear it." "That's dirty play!" "Eight-six, hog!" "You're finished!" "Says you." "How do you feel, Dad?" "You look a little tired." "You look a little ragged." "Nine-nine!" "Don'!" "worry." "You can always get a disability pension." "Don'!" "goad him, Ben." "Don't goad him." "Come on." "Let's play." "Last shot of the game, jocko!" "Give up?" "Stay close, Ben." "Watch him!" "Whip his fanny!" "It is I, the Great Bentini!" "Not one of us has ever beaten you in a single game." "Not checkers." "Not dominoes." "Not softball." "Nothing." "He's getting that look." "Come over here to Daddy Bull." "It's all over, colonel." "You played a great game!" "Gel away before I knock your freckles off!" "That's mean!" "Wasn't that great?" "Jocko. you gotta win by two baskets." "You said one." "I changed my mind." "Let's go." "You can'!" "cheat the boy out of his victory." "Be a good sport." "Who the hell asked you anything?" "Don't you talk to me like that!" " I'll play him, Mom." " No!" "Now, he beat you and it was beautiful!" "Gel in the house before I kick your butt!" "It was just beautiful." "Come on, let's go!" "Don't touch that ball!" "You'd better move, woman!" "Jerk!" "He beat you." "Gel out of here!" "You kind of like winning." "Gel smart with me." "I'll kick your butt!" "Guard me." "You gotta win by two." "I'm not gonna guard you." "I won!" "Mama's boy!" "I'll bet you're gonna cry." "Come on, Mama's boy." "Let's see you cry." "Come on, squirt a few." "Come on, cry!" "Come on." "Just a few." "Come on." "Squirt a few." "One, two, three, cry!" "One, two, three, cry!" "Come on, little girl, cry!" "You're my favorite daughter!" "You're my sweetest little girl!" "This little "girl" just whipped your ass good!" "How are you feeling, sugar?" "I'm okay, Mama." "How are you?" "I'll live through the night." "You know what I was thinking?" "I was praying we'd all go to war again so "King Kong" out there could fight somebody besides me." "Shame on you." "That's a terrible thing to say." "Your father loves you very much." "He's got a fabulous way of showing it." "You're going to cut off all your circulation doing that." "Do you love him?" "Of course I do." "I think he treats you crappy." "Harsh words were never fatal to anybody." "What about harsh kicks, Mama?" " He was gelling ready." " Well, he didn't." "Your father has never hit me during our entire married life." "What happened today won't make any difference in five years." "He does what he does because he loves you and he wants you to be the best." ""L love you, Ben!"" "Punch!" ""I want you lo be the best, Ben!"" "Kick!" ""And." "Ben." "I think you're great!"" "Bounce a basketball off of my head!" "Stop it!" "Hasn't there been enough?" "Come over here." "Do you know why he's down there?" "Well, I'll tell you." "He is admitting to you that the gap is closing that he'll have to practice if he beats you from now on." "He's admitting to you that he's getting older." "That's the hardest thing in the world for a man like Bull." "That doesn't change anything." "Well, it should!" "Don'!" "you think he knows you're up here watching him?" "You've got a strange father, Ben." "That's the only way he knows how to say, "I'm sorry, son."" "Let me tell you, there isn't'!" "another person in God's good world..." "that he would do that for-." "Think of that when you feel he doesn't love you." "And get out of those clothes, huh?" "Take a shower." "Do you want anything to eat?" "Sure?" "I love you." "Close it up." "I want you right up his six." "Stay on him, Wizard!" "Close!" "Close!" "Left, Milkman, lift!" "Now turn." "Turn!" "No, anticipate!" "Bleed that bogey, Wizard." "Bleed him, bleed him!" "Okay, you're lined up." "He's an you, Milkman." "Do something!" "Came left." "Tighter!" "Tighter, Wizard." "Press him!" "Push him!" "There's a shat." "There it is." "It's all aver, Milkman." "Bang!" "That's a kill!" "Go lav down and die, Milkman." "You're finished." "That's a kill." "What are you boys doing down there?" "Take him into the sun, Barstool." "Up, that's it!" "Watch your six!" "Watch your six!" "What the hell?" "!" "Watch it!" "What's the matter with you guys?" "Kill the bogey, not your leader!" "You fight like a bunch of pussies!" "Hush!" "Hush." "That's about the ugliest cat I ever did see." "That's the ugliest looking cow pulling that wagon I ever did see." "A cow?" "!" "Why, this here is Man O'War a winner of the Kentucky Derby." "That there is Rin Tin Tin star of stage, screen and TV." "Mrs. Meechum, this here is my son, Toomer." "Why, Toomer, it is a pleasure." " How are you, ma'am?" " I'm fine." "These here are for you." "Why, how lovely." "Bless your heart." "Where you heading?" "I thought I'd do me some fishing." "Bring me back some flounder so I can fix it for this family." "You done much fishing, Ben?" " Not in salt water." " Why don't you go?" "You want to come along, dribbling man?" "We'd be out all night." " Could I, Mom?" " Sure. get your jacket and blankets." "Be right with you." "That boy has been living in cities and on bases so long he's never really tasted the South." "Thank you, Toomer." "I'm gonna fix you some sweet potato pie this weekend." " Thank you!" " You're welcome." "Thank you for these." "See you, Mama." "Bye." "Look who coming here." "How you doing, boss?" "Who is that?" "He ain't nobody." "Name's Red Pettus." "Him and his family hale a black man just for being black." "They's shrimp folk." "Old Red can't even talk to him." "How many dogs you got here?" "Don't rightly know." "Twelve, fourteen." "Maybe more." "Some comes and goes." "Is that where you live?" "Home sweet home." "You gotta make friends with The Gray." "Who's The Gray?" "See him?" "What's he mad about?" "He don't like while folks much." "Come on, boy!" "Come on!" "Here, feed him this." "You act like you're feeding a alligator!" "He looks kind of mean." "What you talking about, "mean"?" "He just prejudice!" "Good boy." "You know what, Toomer?" "This is terrific." "There's a shooting star." "That ain't no star, boy." "That's the tear of infant Jesus falling on account of such a sinful and hateful world." "This sure is one fine night, ain't it. white boy?" "Yeah this is one fine night, Toomer." "Good God, they're all staring at us like we're freaks!" "No, they're not." "Just pick someone out, go up to them and say "Hi." "My name is Mary Anne Meechum." "I'm new in town." "I'd like you for a friend." Just like that." "Why don't you?" "Look at this, look at this!" "That's Ansley Matthews Jim Don Cooper." "the varsity fullback." "So what?" "Jesus!" "I'm in love!" "Have you told him yet?" "That's funny." "Very funny." "Mr. and Mrs. Neanderthal." "Cute!" "Shake it out, hog." "Let's go!" "What's the matter?" "God, Dad, ifs 4:00." "Happy birthday, boy." "You woke me up at 4 a.m. to give me my present?" "That's great." "What is it?" "It's a training bra." "Open it." "I've been saving it for you for 18 years." "Looks good." "That was my first." "I wore it in WWII when I flew with the Cobras." "It's great, Dad." "Thanks." "They don't make them like that anymore." "It's part of the old Corps." "Christ!" "You're 18, Ben." "I woke up thinking about the day you were born." "I was on a hop and all I heard when I landed was that your mother was in a hospital." "I went crazy." "I hit '100 miles an hour with the MPs chasing me." "Knocking nurses out of the way, running over the small children crashing into the patients on their way to the operating room." "And you're screaming your head off!" "I'm banging on the window, trying to get your attention bragging to everybody who'd listen that the toughest little fighter pilot in the world had been born!" "I expected your mother to look like horseshit from hell after punching you out of her system." "Hell. she was sitting up. looking prettier than I'd ever seen her." "That was 18 years ago." "18 years ago today." "I was 23." "That was some day!" "I gotta register for the draft within 10 days." "I'll take you down." "I want you to meet me at the club at 1700 for a little celebration." "Tell Mama we'll be home for supper and the cake-cutting at 1830." "And wear a coat and tie, sports fan." "Go back to sleep." ""My dear son my dear Ben my dear friend, who becomes a man today." "I wanted ta write you a letter about being a man and what that means in a fuller sense." "I wanted ta tell you that gentleness is the quality I mast admired in men." "And then I remembered how gentle you were so I decided ta write something else." "It's just this:" "I want you ta know that whatever you do 0!" "Wherever you go you walk with my blessing and love." "I've had my regrets and many sadnesses but I will never regret the night you were born." "I thought I knew about love, and the boundaries of lave until I raised you fa!" "these pas!" "18 years." "I knew nothing about love." "This has been your gift to me." "Happy birthday." "Mama. "" "Hey, sports fan, over here!" "What the hell you grinning about?" "This is really my day." "I made the varsity team this afternoon." "Of course!" "You had the best coach in the world!" "Congratulations, Ben!" "And on your 18." "Thanks, colonel." "Thanks." " What'll you have?" " Dr. Pepper." "I didn't bring you here to drink soda pop." "You're old enough to drink now." "Mom will gel mad." "Besides." "I'm in training now." "If he doesn't want to drink..." "There's those that have them and those that don't." "What?" "Gonads. son." "Big brass ones." "Bartender!" "I'll have a double martini, up, with a twist." "Do you know what a double martini is?" "Will you leave him alone?" "!" "It's made out of liquor." "You bet!" "You got an I.D., son?" "Sure." "I got an I.D." "Happy birthday, kid." "Just a minute, Ben." "Gentlemen!" "I would like you to join me in a toast to my oldest son, who is 18 today." "He's just ordered his first drink." "Before he begins drinking it I would like to wish him a long life a wife as fine as his mother and a son as fine as he has been." "To my son!" " Happy birthday, kid!" " Congratulations!" "How is it, big man?" "It's fit to drink." "but I've tasted better." "Bartender?" "Let's have another here." "I'd slow down a bit." "That's an alligator of a drink." "That's why I ordered it, Virgil." "That's Colonel Hedgepath to you. mister." "Sir. my apologies." "This is great." "Really great." "Waiter, another drink for my son." "Lillian's gonna scalp you both!" "Virg. come on!" "I don't even have a buzz on yet." " This is really great, Dad." " You like it?" "Really great!" "Sober up, Dad." " Drink up. son." " Drink up, huh?" "You know what I was thinking?" "I think ifs really great!" "I think ifs great!" "I think this is great." "Great!" "How about it?" "Here they come!" "Turn off the light!" "All right, remember." "when I say "now" turn on the lights, Mary Anne, and then we start singing." "For heavens sake!" "I blew one out." "Look at that. isn't that silly?" "They won't go fast enough when you need them to." "Okay, down!" "Quickly!" "Happy birthday to you" "On behalf of my illustrious, though somewhat inebriated son I thank you for this joyous display." "However, as the hour is late, and seeing as how Ben made the varsity basketball team today he is in training, badly in need of rest." "Therefore, I will take him to bed where he can partake of same straightaway." "We thank you all." "We love you." "Happy birthday, Son of Santini" "Happy birthday to you" "He's got it all." "He's fast, he's got balance, he's got smarts." "But I think you gentled him too much." "It screws up his instincts and his timing." "I want to give my sons the gift of fury." "I want them lo gobble up the world." "Eat life, or it'll eat them." "So this fellow says, "Who was that woman I seen you with last night?"" "He say that, "She one of the Lee sisters."" ""Yeah, well, then her first name must be Ug!"" ""Us?" "I get n." "What you dancing around like that for?" "A bee ain't going to mess with you." "He doing his job." "Bee's like the preacher man." "He go from the girl flower to the boy flower and everywhere he touch." "they be married." "And they say "Thank you, preacher bee." "Won't you have some honey for your pay?"" "And that's the perfect way of it." "You are a poet, you know that?" "Ain't every natural-born liar?" "Well, I'll see you folks with the sun." "Good luck, Ben." "Good night, Mrs. Meechum." "Better check her purse for the silver before she leaves." "Good night, captain." "Ben Meechum sees his mother making an apple pie." "Dribbles left." "Well, there's Dad, reading the newspaper." "Look out!" " Go take a nap." " This helps me relax." "It doesn't help me relax!" "Scram!" "I just couldn't'!" "sleep last night." "I was so worried about the big game." "I woke up in a cold sweat, with a fever and three different types of cancer and a touch of rabies!" "Dad." "I got an "A" on my English theme." "Would you like to read it?" "I'm reading my Paper." "I can eat a whole can of peaches in less than 6O seconds." "Wanna bet me?" "Would you two please go on upstairs and do your homework so you'll have it done by the game?" "Go on now, off with you!" "Your father is very nervous about this game." "Look at me, young lady." "Look at me!" "You've got to learn to interpret the signals he gives off." "He gives out the signals of a psychopathic killer so it doesn't matter how you interpret them." "Shame on you!" "Hey, Dad why do you love me more than your other children?" "Beat it." "I'm reading the sports page." "Let's have a conversation, Dad." "Let's bare our souls, get to know one another." "I don't want you to know me." "I like being an enigma." "Like a Chink." "Now, scram." "Am I a Meechum, Dad?" "Can girls be real Meechums?" "Girls without jump shots?" "Or am I a simple form of Meechum, like in biology?" "Mary Anne, the one-celled Meechum." "Mary Anne, scram." "I'm starting to lose my temper!" "Lillian!" "Dad." "I'm pregnant." "I'm pregnant by a Negro, Daddy." "His name is Rufus." "I didn't wanna tell you, but since we're baring our souls to each other Rufus is a pacifist a pacifist homosexual." "Jesus H. Christ!" "I'm going to the club." "I'll see you all at the game." "I can't stand it around here!" "You'll gel lo like him after a while, Dad." "Dwarfs are easy to like, especially when they're bald and cross-eyed." "Dad!" "Hey!" "I hear Louella Alston's got the hot uterus for you." "There are scouts out there from four different colleges." "We're trying to get ready." " We want at least 40 big ones tonight." " We'll get them." "Attaboy, Art!" "Remember, the best ballplayers have the greatest games against the best teams." "Thanks, Dad." "See you out there." "He gets excited at times like this." "You think he's excited?" "My dad hasn't taken a crap for three days." "Boy, he's really tanked up, isn't he?" "No, he's just excited." "I know a drunk when I see one." "Shut that thing off." " Get your buns around here!" " All right, coach." "I want you boys to hit that court hungry." "I want you starving." "I want us to win, and win big!" "I wanna make our school proud." "I wanna make our parents proud, our grandparents proud our first and second cousins proud our poontang proud and ourselves proud!" "Do you hear what I'm saying?" "Get out there and eat them up!" "Go. go. go. go!" "You ain't gonna score a single point." "I'll be on you like stink on shit." "Stink is the word." "Hey, that's a foul!" "Foul!" "That's a foul!" "Foul!" "We'll take three on that one, ref!" "That's okay, we'll gel the second half!" "You're doing good." "I'm real proud of you." "You're doing good." "We'll get the second half." "Look at that son of a bitch!" "Look at that son" "That's a foul!" "That's a foul!" "Let's gel with it, ref!" "Let's get with it!" "Foul!" "Foul!" "One shot!" "Let's go!" "Meechum, I'm taking you out of this game, bulldozer-style." "It's a shame the rest of you don't work as good as your mouth." "That's a foul!" "That's a foul!" "He did that on purpose!" "You okay, Meechum?" " Sure." "I'm fine." " Give him some air." "Get that punk." "Put him on the deck!" "Get him or I'm gonna get you!" "Get him or you don'!" "come home!" "All right?" "Number 25!" "Number 25!" "You gotta put him on the floor or don't come home!" "You can sleep in the locker room." "Put him down, Benny!" "Put him down!" "Abbot's got a broken arm. pissant." "They're out there beating our tails off." "I'm sorry." "God I'm sorry!" "You messed up bad, boy." "I know." "This team had a chance tonight against a school..." "that's been crapping on us for ten years." "Along comes the idiot who hash'!" "the guts to tell his dad to get lost when that father is wrong." "What do you think I ought to do?" "Kill me." "What if I dump you from the team for the season?" "You think that's fair?" "Yes, sir." "Well, I don't!" "I don't think ifs a fair exchange for a broken arm." "But we're just gonna leave it like that." "Hi, Toomer!" "Hey, Toomer, how you doing?" "Morning." "Toomer." "Mr. Simms, I need two pails." " Right there." "I brung four jars of honey." "Put them on the bench." "I never heard of a p-p-pail before." "Is that some kind of a new word?" "I hear your friend Meechum got kicked off the team last night for good." "Where is he?" "You two have been tight as ticks." "I figured it must be love." "Here, let me help you." "I don't need no help from you." "Y-y-y-you don't?" "All right, then." "I won't help you." "There's two more jars." "Here's the difference." "Let it go, Toomer." "It just ain't worth it." "Damn, that's clumsy of me." "I was just trying to be a good neighbor." "You ain't mad at me, are you, Toomer?" "You move, Red and I'm gonna tell Man O'War here to get going and she's gonna take your head with her!" "Hey. nigger!" "Don't touch him!" "He'll do it!" "Let him go, Toomer." "Just do it, son." "None of these boys gonna hurt you." "Go on." "I'll get you, you gimp nigger!" "I'll gel you for that!" "I'll get you, you hear?" "You hear me?" "You make me sick, Pettus." "I'll gel you!" "You hear me talking to you?" "Get up!" "Look at me!" "Thanks a lot, Pinkie." "Guys, see you." "Ben!" "Ben, hurry!" " What's the matter?" "It's Toomer." "He grabbed hold of Red Pettus today and made him holler." "Miss Erline heard them Pettus boys talking about paying him back tonight." "With all them dogs, they ain't going out there empty-handed." "You got to gel him and bring him back to my house!" "Mom home?" "Gone to novena with Mrs. Grantham." " Where's Dad?" " at the base." "I better let him know, just in case I run into some trouble." "Negative. negative, negative!" "Dad, they might have guns." "I'm gonna take Mama's car." "Don't get between niggers and grits when they go for each other." "I've gotta go!" "Toomer can take care of himself." "Don't leave that house!" "Acknowledge!" "Acknowledge!" "I gave you a direct order, hag!" "Acknowledge!" "Ben?" "Don'!" "answer when he calls back." "Don't you worry." "I'll get him." "Son of a bitch!" "Give me the bottle." "Where's them damn dogs?" "I thought they'd be all over us." "Just remember, Daddy said you're just to scare him." "I'm gonna scare him, all right." "Come on." "Come on." "Oh, yes." "We got a surprise for you all." "Don't we?" "Come on." "He's got them all inside." "Good!" "That'll make things easier." "What are you gonna do?" "Shoot me some hounds." "Come on, now." "Come on." "Come right ahead, Pettus." "Son of a bitch!" "Let's get the hell out of here!" "No, sir." "I ain't gonna let that trash hurt my children." "This is plain dumb, Red!" "Get out of there!" "Let's go home!" "I've got business to take care of here." "You want to go, then go!" "Just leave my car!" " Come on, Red!" " Come on, will you?" "NO!" "till I kick that son of a bitch's ass!" "Do it on your own!" "I'm tired of fighting your fights!" "You go to hell." "And same to you!" "Hush up!" "Hush, hush, hush!" "They's gone!" "Ain't nobody out there!" "They're gone, I told you!" "Gel down!" "Gel down!" "I've gotta hurt you, Toomer." "Just like you hurt me." "Even Steven." "Ain't you done had enough of this, Red?" "Why don'!" "you go on now, before something happens?" "You made them people laugh at me." "Now I got to teach you a lesson." "I'm gonna get you!" "I'm gonna hurt you for that." "That was just the first one." "By the time I gel done, you ain't gonna have one left." "Get away!" "Jesus!" "Toomer!" "I didn't'!" "mean to hit you!" "It was the dog!" "Oh, God!" "I didn't mean to hit you." "Toomer I didn't mean it!" "Okay, Red." "Even Steven." "Oh, God!" "Toomer?" "God!" "Ben...?" "It looks like--- we can't go shrimping on Friday." "Sure we can." "You promised." "Dead men don't make too good a fishermen." "Horseshit!" "I'm taking you to the hospital." "Doctors are gonna fix you right up." "God, I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, man." "I'm sorry." "Jesus. you lost a lot of blood, Toomer!" "Oh, God!" "God!" "Goddamn!" "All right." "I'm trying to be careful." "Honest, Toomer, honest!" "God!" "Don't worry about a thing." "They'll fix you up in no time." "Toomer?" "Dad?" "Dad..." "Toomer, Dad" "You disobeyed a direct order, hog!" "A direct order from your commanding officer!" "You knew you'd catch hell for it!" "You did it anyway!" "I wanna know why!" "Because I thought..." "I promised Arrabelle." "I thought Toomer might be in trouble and..." "And what?" "And because I was your son!" "What's that gotta do with it?" "Because you would have done it!" "We're not talking about me, goddamn it!" "We're talking about you!" "Oh, sure!" "And I'm a Meechum!" "A thoroughbred, a winner!" "He chews nails while the other kids eat candy!" " He never surrenders, he never gives up!" " You disobeyed a direct order!" " I thought Toomer might be in trouble." " He could take care of himself!" "Yes, sir." "That's what you told me." " Is that him in the car?" " Yes, sir!" "How you doing, sports fan?" "Jesus H. Christ!" "Better take him to the hospital." "I'll get the sheriff and tell Arrabelle." "Why didn't you tell me?" "Why didn't you say something?" "Nobody tells you anything, Dad." "It took a lot of guts for him to go out there tonight." "You should be proud." "Look, Virg if you wanna drink with me, fine!" "But skip the bilge, okay?" "Sir?" "Virg. old buddy I've recently observed..." "that for certain throwbacks of the species certain gung-ho dinosaurs of which I proudly number myself as one being a warrior without a war has its problems." "Don't you think ifs smart of me to observe that?" "Bartender." "Bartender!" "Bastard!" "You got drunk!" "You shut up." "Lillian!" "You just shut up!" "You didn't have a conscience!" "You know he did what was right!" "You don'!" "have any concern for life!" "You don't feel anything!" "Just shut up!" "Just shut up!" "I'm a fighter pilot." "Don't you understand?" "How long's it gonna take you to understand that?" "Take your hands off her!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Get him, get him!" "Stop it, Daddy!" "Stop it!" "I'm gonna fight my Daddy!" "All right now, hush." "H's all over now." "It's all over." "Hush, now." "I'm getting worried." "I hope he dies out there with the rest of the snakes." "I want you to go look for him." "Give me a gun and I might oblige you." "I want you to go and bring your father home." " I'm not gonna do that, Mama." " Yes, you are!" "Please." "Now. before the sun comes up and somebody finds him." "Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." "Happy birthday to you." "Defense." "Defense." "Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." "Yes, sir..." "Colonel W.P. Meechum reporting as ordered, as ordered." "Sir!" "No, Lil, honey, you don'!" "understand." "It's dangerous out there." "You gentle him too much." "Too much." "He won't make it." "Colonel W.P. Meechum." "Terror of the Skies." "Father." "Daddy." "Papa." "Hey. you guys." "Lil. kids." "I'll tell you what." "You do my carrying for me." "Deal?" "Deal?" "Papa." "I'm no papa." "They'll break you." "Watch out." "You gotta be fast..." ""because a bum usually gets you." "Defense." "Defense." "You gotta work that defense, Benny." "You gotta watch your six." "Now you guard me." "Okay, buddy." "Benny, you guard me, will you?" "Hey, I'm sick." "Jesus!" "I'm sick, boy." "Come on, Dad." "Come on, let's go home." "You and me." "I think I understand now." "I love you, Dad." "Did you hear what I said?" "I love you!" "Did you hear me?" "Did you hear me, Santini?" "Watch your six now." "Guard me." "Dad. guard me!" "Guard me." "Here I come!" "Come on, take another swing." "Come on, I'm right here." "This bogey's got you zeroed." "Come and get me!" "Come and get me!" "This bogey." "Dad!" "This one!" "I love you, Dad." "I love you." "And there's nothing you're gonna do about it." "I love you." "Come on, look out!" "Look out." "Dead bug!" "The dead bug is down." "Come on." "Let's go home." "Let's go home." "South Carolina?" " Columbia." " North Carolina?" " Raleigh." " Okay." "Good." "Uruguay?" "You were stuck last time." "Beaufort." " Montediveo?" "Montevideo ." "And Afghanistan?" "Kabul." "Looking good, sports fans!" "Where's Mary Anne?" "Getting dressed." "She's been dressing for three days." "She likes the gown you bought." " It was way too expensive." " Only the best for my hogs." "Go on so your mom can inspect you." "Madam, how do I look?" " Like a prince." "Turn around." " Like a queen." "Slop that." "Practice those dance steps once more." "Remember, left foot first." "No. now. don't look down." "Look up at me." "Not so close." "Not so close, huh?" "Any girl would be proud to go to the prom with you." "Wouldn't she?" "Honest." "Well. you just look so wonderful." "Well, you do." "Mary Anne acts like she's mad I asked her." "You look absolutely stunning, sugar." "I didn't know you were so stacked." "sports fans." "Hush, Bull!" "My God!" " How sicko-sexual can you get?" " Wait till I get my Kodak." "You look beautiful, Mary Anne." "I'm so tired of people admiring my beauty being homecoming queen for two years in a row." "You?" "A homecoming queen?" "Go find a toadstool to sit under, grub." "Old four-eyes gets a knuckle sandwich for that one-." " Shut your yap." " Get together." "Hold still." "All right." " Come on." " Where are your glasses?" "They detract from my heavenly beauty." "Smile." "You better hurry." "Your reservations are at 1900." " Flying tonight?" "Routine night flight." "Come on. give me a kiss." "Get going." "You look beautiful." "See you at breakfast, sports fans." "Have a nice time." "What?" "You..." "You look nice." "Thank you." "Have fun, sports fans!" "Goodbye." "Can you believe Dad bought me this dress?" "He can be so childishly sentimental sometimes." "Isn't this ridiculous?" "Get ready, sports fans." "My big-city move." "My darling. there's an enormous booger in your nose." "I am Santini, The Great Santini." "I come at night from the moon, from behind the clouds unannounced." "Out of the black." "Watch out." "Watch out." "Beaufort approach." "Werewolf One inbound to Sand Dollar fix." "Request TACAN approach." "Roger." "Werewolf One." "Descend and maintain flight level 2-4-0." "Cleared for TACAN penetration." "Beaufort approach, Werewolf One." "I have a fire warning light." "I'm declaring an emergency." "Request immediate penetration." "Roger." "Tum right to 3-3-0." "Clear to 2,000 feet." "Past control, Werewolf One..." "steady on the heading 3-3-0" "Request GOA pickup" "Roger." "Werewolf One." "Come on, sweetheart, settle down." "Don't do this to me." "Mayday!" "Mayday!" "Werewolf One." "I'm on fire!" "Skip the GCA." "I'm coming in." "This thing's coming apart." "I gotta get out." "Punch out!" "Punch out!" "Forget it, I'm over the town." "I'm gonna try ta get this thing to water." "I lost your boy." "Tower, any fires near the runway?" "Negative." "Angel Five." "Angel Five." "We have an aircraft down approximately five miles east of Runway 32." "...approximately five miles east of Runway 32." "Yes?" "Come on in, sugar." "Why are you up so early?" "Something's happened to Dad." "Col. Varney and Col. Hedgepath are downstairs." "What?" "Yes, Mama?" "Go and wake up the children." "Tell them to come down here." "I have something to tell you about your daddy." "Yes, ma'am." "Go on, now." "Holy Mary." "Mother of God." "pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." "Amen." "Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning." "Is now and ever shall be world without end." "Amen." "Now I want to say something." "Tomorrow will be very hard on all of us." "But the Meechum family will conduct itself honorably at the funeral." "We will not cry in public." "Bull would not have liked it." "He would want us to be strong." "Our grief will be private." "Now, if you wish to cry, you cry now." "Cry here at the house." "Cry with each other and with our friends but tomorrow there will be no tears." "You will remember at all limes that you are the children of Bull Meechum and you will act accordingly." "Can't I just sniffle once or twice?" "Don't you dare smart mouth me at a time like this, Mary Anne." "You and your brother take the children upstairs so I can pray in peace." "Yes, ma'am." "Come on. you guys." "Ain't you going to bed?" "In a while, sugar." "In a while." "Can't you sleep?" "Come and sit here." "Yes. darling?" "I gotta tell you something." "I used to pray for his plane to crash." "I really did." "And I just keep thinking that one of those prayers was up there floating around and he he accidentally ran into it." "No, it wasn't." "I feel so terrible..." "that he--." "...had to die for me to be free." "Now listen." "It was not his dying." "Listen to me now." "You were free the night that you went to help Toomer." "Now, look at me." "You know that's true, don't you?" "The long and short of it is that he died..." ""because he stayed with his plane until it was clear of the town." "Because he was a true Marine and because he cared." "I want to tell you, Ben Mary Anne..." ".Matthew.--..." "Karen and Lillian--- that I'll like the world less without Bull." "It'll be a duller." "more colorless place." "We'll all remember him and we'll honor that memory." "One's missing." "That's where Papa should be." "Goodbye, house." "Goodbye, Beaufort." "Matt. did Okra go to the bathroom?" " How should I know?" " You should all go to the bathroom." "You want an affidavit?" "I'm not gonna be stopping every 15 seconds." "Why do we always have to leave at 3 a.m.?" "There's no traffic and we make better time, so stop complaining." "I'll never see Mary, Helen or Alice again." "Oh, we'll come back for a visit." "That's what you said about Cherry Point." "Hush, now, hush."