"Hanks:" "September 18th, 1944" "After three days of fighting, the airfield on Peleliu was captured." "Veteran #5:" "The immediate reports back were that it would be over in a day or two." "That was not the case at all." "The worst was waiting for us." "Hanks:" "As casualties mounted, it became clear that U.S Intelligence had failed to anticipate the level of Japanese resistance." "Looming behind the airfield were high coral ridges that spanned the island." "The Japanese had created an elaborate system of underground fortresses." "Veteran #4:" "Intelligence didn't have a clue what we were going into." "If the intelligence had been what it should have been," "I don't think we'd have ever hit that island." "Veteran #5:" "Their whole cave system on Peleliu is unbelievable." "We had never seen anything like that before in the war." "Veteran #4:" "There was over 500 caves." "It was one cave right after another." "You had to dig them out one at a time." "We were fighting a ruthless enemy and he'll die before he'll be taken prisoner." "So you've got to make sure he dies instead of you." "( gunshot )" "Veteran #4:" "And it was a fight to the finish for 30 straight days-- day and night." "We lost a lot of men." "An unsettling amount killed and a tremendous amount wounded." "It's something you never forget." " You handle it well." " Handle what well?" "Membership in the famous people's club." "Just don't be surprised if it's not quite what you expect." "The entire division's moving across the airfield." "The only way to stop this Jap artillery is to get into those hills." "And the only way into those hills is across this airfield." "We have to cross that?" " Move out!" " Go go go!" "Keep moving!" "Let's go!" "Oswalt!" "We need cover fire!" "Sir, coming across the airfield today..." "I've never been more scared in my entire life." "History is full of wars, fought for 100 of reasons." "But this war, I have to believe that every step across that airfield, every man I lose, that it's all worthwhile because our cause is just." "Moving into the hills." "( gunfire )" "We can't take this objective without unacceptable casualties." " ( man screaming )" " Sounds like some guy having a nightmare." " God damn it, shut up!" " ( screams )" "I guess better him than all of us." "Sledgehammer's right." "It had to be done." "( orchestral music playing )" "( thunder cracking )" "( man shouting orders )" "( gunfire )" "Man:" "Hanging, fire!" "Sledge, drop..." " ( bullet zings )" " Ahh!" "( indistinct shouting )" "Thanks." " Burgin." " Hillbilly." "You used to not smoke." "Guess I do now." "I need volunteers!" "N.C.O.s report to me at 1050." "Corpsman, do blister checks." "Draw ammo and be resupplied, and ready to move at 1100." "Room service awaits and there's time to savor every bite." "Go get your chow." "1100?" "Ack ack just gave us the fucking morning off." "Man:" "Let's go get some breakfast!" "I can't even recognize this place." "Judging from those planes," "I think it's the airfield we took a while back." "Oh, yeah, now I remember." "We were over there and the Japs were over there." " The Japs were where we're sittin'." " Right." "It's all coming back to me now." "Why didn't I enlist in the Seabees?" "I could have come to Peleliu in the seat of a bulldozer." "Any of you guys got a Jap sword or flag?" "I'll pay good money for it." "Or a Jap bayonet?" "Any kind of Jap weapon-- I'll take it." "Sure." "I keep them in my ass." "Reach up, grab what you want." "Seriously." "I gotta get me a Jap sword." "I can't go home from the war empty-handed." "I can arrange for a purple heart." "Ain't nobody going home." "Any of you guys got a Jap sword?" "Fuck off!" " Boys." " Hello, sir." " Hey, Skipper." " Hey, Skip." "Skip." "Never run when you could walk." "Never walk when you could stand." "Never stand when you can sit." "Never sit when you can lay down." "Both:" "Never lay down when you can sleep." "And never pass a supply of clean water." "Amen." "( grunts )" "You get enough to eat?" "I did, sir." "You're a Southern man, right?" "Yes, sir." "Mobile, Alabama." "You realize our ancestors probably shot at each other at Gettysburg or bull run?" "My great-grandfather served with General Bragg." "Yeah?" "What's your old man do?" "He's a doctor, internal medicine." "Treated vets from the first world war." "Might have patched up Gunny Haney." "My dad's a shop foreman at a textile mill in Massachusetts." "He weaved wool fabric for the military" "All that marine greens, our blankets." "It's nice to think my father might have had something to do with the blankets we sleep in." "( flies buzzing )" "( explosion )" " Man:" "Fuck shit!" "(- man #2:" "Damn.)" "I got a detail for you." "Yes, sir." "No no, as you were." "As you were." "You got a watch?" "Yes, sir." "You show 0950?" "I do, sir." "Good." "Wake me up in 20 minutes." "Will do, sir." " Look at that." " Haney:" "Let's go!" "Let's go!" "You heard the Skipper!" "Let's go!" "That's the way to kill Japs" "Buzz in, fry 'em, buzz back." "Man:" "Hey, look, it's Colonel Puller." "It's the 1st marines." " Man:" "Sir." " Puller:" "You're up, boys." "Colonel." "Hello, sir." "Puller:" "Go get 'em!" " Good job." " You've got it." "Man:" "Way to go, 1st." " Here you go." " Thanks, man." "Semper fi." "Hey." "How you doin'?" "Man:" "Let's go!" "Man:" "What kind of man walks into a field of fire in defense of his country?" "What kind of man has already served his country as a soldier in the Philippines way before Pearl Harbor, then volunteers to fight the Japs as a Marine in the islands of the Pacific?" "What kind of man risked his life, throughout a night of combat," "running barefoot much-needed ammunition back and forth to his buddy on the frontlines..." "Manning his machine gun throughout the fight, suffering horrible wounds, while killing countless savage Japs in the key battle that won us Guadalcanal?" "I will tell you, brothers..." "A fighting man like no other, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor," "America's own Sergeant John Basilone!" "A little RR, Johnny?" "Reporter:" "How long's he been here for?" "( golf club striking )" "Reporter:" "A whole lot of buckets." "John!" "( distant explosions )" "( explosions continue )" "( twigs breaking )" "( man shouts in Japanese )" "( men grunting, shouting in Japanese )" "Ugh!" "What was that?" "What happened?" " What the fuck's going on out there?" " I don't know." "Who the hell was that?" "Two Japs, I think." "One ran down the road." "The other jumped in Packer's foxhole." "All right, stay in your foxholes." " Man:" "Stay in your holes." " Stay alert." "There might be more." "How long you people been doing this!" "?" "You don't get out of your fucking hole at night because this is what happens!" "One of us gets tired." "One of us gets lazy." "One of us doesn't keep his edge on, and this-- this is what happens." "What kind of guy gets out of his hole at night without sounding off?" "The kind with two Japs up his ass." "Just one." "Leyden knows what it's like to have a Jap up his ass." " Fuck off!" " Canned it, Bill." "Wh-- what kind of asshole shoots the guy?" "An asshole like you." " ( gun fires )" " Ahh!" "Move out!" "Down line!" "Go for cover!" "Let's go!" "Man:" "Move down line!" "We're moving left!" "Burgin!" "Plant your mine behind that bunker!" " Move out!" " ( explosions )" "Man:" "Move down the line!" "Let's go, let's go!" "Ahh!" "God damn it!" "Oh, God!" " Get the bunker cleared!" " We got it!" "It's been cleared." "( machine-gun fire )" "( explosion )" "( chattering )" "( explosions continue )" "( gunfire grows distant )" "Burgie." "Burgie." "Japs in the bunker." "First platoon cleared it with grenades." " They must have checked." " No, listen." "Wake up, Sledge." "Burgie..." "I'm sure." "They're in there." "( distant gunfire continues )" "( men whisper in Japanese )" " Son of a bitch!" " ( firing )" "( men shout in Japanese )" "( gunfire continues )" "Sledgehammer, check that side!" "Ahhh!" "Sledgehammer, Burgie, up here!" "Keep 'em bottled up till I come back!" "( machine-gun fire )" "( firing )" "Leyden." "Both:" "Fire in the hole!" " ( explodes ) - ( Japanese soldiers scream )" " ( speaks Japanese )" " To your right!" "Grenade!" "Grenade!" "( grunts )" " Oh, fuck!" " Look at me, look at me." "Look at me." " I can't fucking see." " You're all right." "Burgin:" "Target 100yds to your right!" "Look at me, look at me." "You're all right." " You're all right." " I can't fucking see." "You're gonna be all right." "Burgin:" "Get off the bunker, God damn it!" " Ahh!" " Come on." "Bill, come on." "You gotta help me." "We gotta move." "Come on." " No no." " Hold on, Bill." "( Japanese soldiers screaming )" "( fires )" " ( firing ) - ( men screaming )" "Look at me." "Look at me." "Gene!" "Gene!" "Ahh!" " ( shouts in Japanese )" " Gene!" "Ahh!" "Leyden:" "Gene?" "Gene?" "Gene!" " Gene?" " Burgin:" "Fry 'em, Womack!" "Ahhhh!" "Leyden:" "Gene!" "( Japanese men scream )" "Let the bastards burn!" "Ahhh!" "( men scream in Japanese )" "Die, you Jap fuck!" "Fuckin' die!" "Fuckin' die!" "You okay?" "Why don't they just surrender?" "Because they're Japs." "We're gonna have to root 'em out one by one." "Fucking rats." "Man:" "Look at the gold teeth on this one." "What have you got there?" "( plane passes overhead )" "( shouts in Japanese )" "( Japanese soldier gagging )" " Ahh!" " Christ!" "Put him out of his misery." "Fuck off." "( groaning )" "Makes it easier." "( distant explosions continue )" "Snafu:" "Bullshit." "The McCulloch boosted my old man military V8 by 40%." "It only adds four P.S.I., Snaf." "You get better torque, you know that." "Yeah, well, you run that thing for a while and it'll get noisy." "So?" " How you doin', boys?" " Skipper." "Gunny made some coffee if anyone wants some." "It's actually pretty good." "Burgie here says superchargers are worthless." "What you think, Skipper?" "Out here, I'd have to agree with him." "Here, take this." "I'll get some more." "Go on, take it." "Any word on Leyten, Skipper?" "They already cleaned him up." "That New York Irish hide of his is tougher than any little bit of Jap shrapnel." "He'll be back soon." "We're moving into the hills come dawn." "Aye aye, sir." "Burgie, I'm gonna need some of your mortar squad to volunteer as stretcher-bearers." "You can't dwell on it." "You can't dwell on any of it." "Try and get some rest, boys." "( gunfire )" "Gotta move!" "Move it up there!" "Russo, get up there and find Hillbilly!" "Pull him back!" "Go!" "( explosions )" "Stretchers, go!" "Go!" "( shouts order )" "Direct run!" "Man:" "Go go go!" "Ahh!" "( bombs whistling )" "( indistinct shouting )" "Man:" "Don't stop!" "Keep moving!" "Keep moving!" "Here!" "Pick him up!" "Move!" "Sledge, Snafu, up here!" "Sledge, get your stretcher up here now!" "Come on, go!" "Man:" "I need more ammo!" "Give me more ammo!" "Man:" "Corpsman!" "Over here!" "Get that shirt opened up!" "Man:" "Let's get him back." " Boys." " I got the sulfur." "( grunts )" "Corpsman:" "We're good to go." "Get him on the stretcher." "Man:" "We're gonna need to move him fast!" "( gunfire continues )" "God damn it." "Ah!" "Get him up!" " Clear." " Oh!" "Ahhh!" " Oh, fuck!" " Man:" "Fall back!" " Get up here." " Fall back!" "Let's go!" "Let's go!" "Let's go!" "Man:" "Let's go!" "( man shouting, indistinct )" "Call them back, now!" "Eddie?" "( panting )" "Eddie." "( grunting )" "Take him back." "( gunfire continues )" "Let me help you." "Come on." "Let's get you out of here." "Come on." "Jay:" "Did you see Haney?" "Sledge:" "I saw him." "Haney is the old breed." "If a guy like that breaks... ( distant gunfire continues )" "And Hillbilly's dead." "You can't dwell on it, Jay." "You can't dwell on any of it." "We go into those hills again, I'm gonna get hit." "I know it." "I don't care anymore..." "Just as long as it's quick." " ( gunfire ) - ( screaming )" " Man:" "Get that fucker!" " Man #2:" "Everywhere!" " ( man shouts in Japanese ) - ( marine shouting )" " Fucking Japs!" " Japs are everywhere." "Japanese soldier:" "Yankee... ( speaks Japanese )" " ( gunfire ) - ( soldier screams )" "( sobbing )" "Hey hey." "Hey, you're okay." "You're okay." "You're okay." "You're okay." "You'll be okay." " ( plane flying overhead ) - ( distant gunfire )" "How you holdin' up?" "( grunts )" "Oh, God." " ( man screams in Japanese )" " Oh, shit!" " ( gun fires )" " Oh!" " ( screaming )" " Jay:" "Somebody fucking shoot him." "Man:" "Jap!" "Jap!" "Get that bastard!" "Jay:" "Shoot!" "Shoot!" "Shoot him!" "What the fuck is the matter with you?" "Why'd you take so long to shoot him?" "Damn, Jay, if it ain't coming out your mouth, it's coming out your ass." "( men laugh )" "Looks like you in a sack race, Jay." "Aw, shit." "I shit myself." " ( all laughing )" " No kidding." "Fuck" " I fuckin' shit myself." "You guys are fucking nuts." "Go back and get some new dungarees, Jay." "It's all over my hands." "You left a trail, boy." "They gonna find us now." "( gunfire continues )" " Who's up ahead?" " Their platoon is on point, sir." "Right up there." "All right, Kelmar, what do we got?" "Men in the hill, right up there... covering from that ridge all the way to the left." "That's good." "Go slow." "( distant gunfire continues )" "Mortar!" "Hold it up here!" "( guns firing )" "Man:" "Corpsman!" "Sniper got the Skipper." "Captain Haldane?" "Ack ack's dead." "( sobbing )" "Man:" "Skipper's dead." "Burgin:" "All right, let's get your shit together!" "Man:" "Squad leaders, let's go!" "Let's get it movin'!" " Burgin:" "We're going up!" " Man:" "Get your gear." "We're goin'." "( distant gunfire continues )" "Man:" "Let's go!" "Move up!" "( flies buzzing )" "( gunfire continues )" "Mortars, hold it here!" "Smarts with me, God damn it!" "See what's up top!" "Man:" "Let's go!" "( opening can )" "( dripping )" "( dripping )" "( distant gunfire )" "What you doin', Sledgehammer?" "I thought I'd bag me some Jap gold." "You don't want to do that." "Why not?" "I saw you do it." "Don't." "You shouldn't do it." "The germs." "Doc Caswell says all these dead nips have germs." " Germs." " Bad germs." "Diseases that'll make you sick." "Bad germs." "Well, is it all right with you if I cut out his insignia then?" "No danger in that I know of." "Yeah?" "That pass muster with you?" "Here, man." "( men chattering )" "Keep it." "Thanks." "( men chattering )" "Welcome back!" " Nurse:" "Welcome back." " Man:" "Thank you very much." "Welcome back." "You're a sight for sore eyes." " Welcome back." " Very kind of you." " Nurse:" "Here you go." " What the hell are they doing here?" "Nurse:" "Hi." " Hi." " Hi." "Thank you, ma'am." " Thank you very much." " Here you are." "Thank you, ma'am." "Hi, welcome back." "It's good to see you." " Thank you." " Mac:" "Okay, marine." "You've had your look-see." "Now move along." "Go!" "I'll see youself here in less than 6 months." "I'll tell you what, I'll push through your discharged." "No, sir!" "I want to go back and train the new kids." "We'd better start practising." "I just want to get out there and slap the Japs." "Well, let me tell you something..." "The Jap I know..." "The Japanese soldier..." "He'd has been at war... since you were in diapers." "I loved the marines." "And I can't imagined being anywhere or doing anything else." "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." "Let's be honest..." "They can shipped me out whenever they want." "Where do we go from here?" "Aim for the gun port." "You wanna live?" "Get off the beach!"