"Good morning." "Hello, Mr Stirn." "Follow me, I'll show you where your cabin is." "Okey dokey." "When I was nine years old," "My family moved from the banks of the Mississippi river," "To the woods of Wisconsin." "It was the summer of 1944." "The war was being fought in faraway places like Italy" "And new guinea, and my family wanted to help here at home." "My father was a barber, and we were headed to the army base" "And prisoner of war camp called Fort McCoy." "There, he would cut the hair of soldiers and prisoners," "And these strangers would change our lives forever." "Through the fence I saw prisoners." "Some were just boys, not much older than I." "And others looked like no one I'd ever seen before." "Sargent Dominic Rossi." "My wife Ruby, Gertie, Lester, and my wife's sister Anna." "Ma'am." "And please call me Dom." "And if you folks ever need anything," "I'm posted at the mp gate." "I didn't realize the prison camp was going to be so close." "I was surprised to see them out." "Work detail." "And don't worry, ma'am, they are well guarded." "How many are there?" "We have about 3,000 Germans and all the japs captured so far," "Including Sac Machi, the first PW of the war." "Why are they bringing the Germans all the way" "To the states?" "England ran out of room." "Plus, they wanted them here because of all the rumors." "What rumors?" "That Hitler was planning on air-dropping weapons" "To the German PWs in England." "They've been bringing over every German captured" "Since November of '42." "Let's go find Goldilocks." "It's all so much bigger than I expected." "We always have around 35,000 of our guys in basic," "All ready to ship out." "So we definitely appreciate having" "A new barber on the base." "Glad to be of service, in some way." "And a new operator." "It was nice meeting you, sir." "My pleasure, miss." "Do you think there might be some work for my sister?" "Travel pay office always needs help." "I'll look into it." "Thanks." "I have to pee." "Then go." "There you are." "You all right?" "Fine daddy." "Don't be running off like that, you scared your mamma." "And your daddy." "What were you doing?" "I had to pee." "There's a toilet in the house." "Darling, they're going to love it here." "My dad fought for Germany in the great war." "Before he came over." "He thought Kaiser was bad." "Now Hitler, Nazis, something else." "I've got cousins over in Germany, for all I know." "And why the japs took their side?" "My brother signed up the day pearl harbor got bombed." "He got killed in Italy." "I'm sorry." "Herb got sent to the south pacific, though." "My wife's brother bud got sent there too." "Hey, I hope herb makes it back." "My dad's taking care of the farm all by himself." "My dad tried to sign up twice, but they said he can't fight." "But he's so strong, he can lift me" "And my sister in the air at the same time." "Why don't you take your brother over to the PX," "Get yourselves a treat?" "OK daddy." "I'm, uh, 4-f." "I've got a heart murmur." "Sorry." "I need a bus ticket to Chicago for the weekend," "And petty cash for three days." "Grab his file, honey." "Put his furlough pass in it." "Then you've got to type up a travel pay voucher," "Get it over finance." "And then a bus voucher, and get it processed." "And the tickets will be sent here." "OK?" "Oh great, first day?" "It's her first client too, you got a problem with that, bud?" "OK, Sam Dolnick." "Aren't you violating some child labor law?" "I'm 18." "OK, that's it." "You'll just have to come back once it goes through finance." "OK, well I'm leaving tomorrow, so, uh." "Now we'll just take that and put it" "At the bottom of the stack." "That way he might have to come back a few more times." "Ha ha." "Fort McCoy." "Please hold while I connect your call." "Oh, darn." "I lost him." "Fort McCoy." "Please hold." "Fort McCoy." "About 2 o'clock, sure." "Right." "I think you have a visitor, doll." "Oh, lunch time." "I'm so honored you found the time" "To slot me into your very first lunch break, madame." "Nice joint." "Thank you." "Shampoo." "Eight cents." "There you go." "Thank you." "Why does her skin stick up?" "It's her bosom." "Fort McCoy." "Certainly, one moment." "Fort McCoy." "Please hold." "Hey, my favorite kids on the base." "We're the only kids on the base." "Looks like tank likes somebody besides you there, slim." "Is this your dog, mister?" "Yeah." "He adopted me when I got here." "That's because you let him sleep with you." "Heard him barking inside a tank down for repairs." "Don't know how he got in there, though." "Kids, this is Texas Slim." "Like the comic strip?" "Oh yeah, Texas Slim and dirty Dalton, like in the funnies." "Yeah." "You kind of look like a dirty Dalton, partner." "We have to pick up our mom from her shift." "Say hi to her for us." "OK." "Bye, Lester." "I'm back." "Wondering if my ticket and pay vouchers are ready." "I haven't gotten to it." "Heavy workload?" "I was hoping to leave for Chicago on the 6:00 am bus" "Tomorrow, so I kind of need it today." "You seem pretty anxious to get to Chicago," "You'd think it was Shangri-la." "I'll send it over to finance for processing." "Thanks." "Fine then, Dolnick." "These are purple cone flowers, and those" "Are black-eyed Susans." "See the dark middle?" "What are the little purple ones?" "Those are wild clover." "Monarch butterflies love them." "But these are my favorite." "Queen Anne's lace." "Every may my mother put them in a vase next" "To a statue of the virgin Mary." "Why?" "Because may is the month of Mary." "Aren't they pretty?" "It's still may for a few more days." "Yes, it is, should we pick a bouquet?" "Let's get home." "Come on, sweetie." "Next stop, Elkhorn," "And then on to Chicago." "A letter came from bud today, he was on the island of Saipan." "Loose lips sink ships." "He's not there anymore." "Good." "Is uncle Bud gonna kill some japs?" "Honey, don't say that." "He told me today he wants to grow up to be a soldier." "So?" "So?" "Darling, all boys want to grow up to be soldiers." "I'm going to buy some smokes." "You need anything?" "No, thanks." "Anna, can I ask you something?" "Of course." "How old were you when you first kissed a boy?" "I was 15." "Why?" "Just asking." "But don't tell your mom or my mom, OK?" "Why not?" "Hang them out the window to dry." "Things are just a little different nowadays." "Our moms are a little old fashioned." "Aah!" "Aah!" "Mamma!" "Aah!" "Don't make me shoot you." "We got him locked down." "What was he doing?" "The japs keep trying to run away." "Either to kill themselves, or to get killed." "They want to die?" "For them it's shameful to return home alive." "They all want to be kamikazes." "Ruby?" "Oh, honey." "I heard." "Evening, frank." "Sargent." "Well, I'll let you folks get some sleep." "And not to worry, we've added two extra guards" "To the Japanese barracks." "So if there's anything you need." "Thank you, we'll be fine." "Thank you." "They're trying to die?" "I never heard of such a thing." "I have to show you something." "What the hell is that?" "I bought it, to be safe." "I wasn't even going to tell you about it," "Because I don't think we'll ever need it." "But I want to show you how it works." "Put your hands like this." "Now, look at my nose through the triangle." "Close one eye, then the other." "Now, whichever eye sees my nose, that's your dominant one." "That's the one that you aim with." "It's kind of neat." "Which eye is dominant?" "My left." "Oh, southpaw." "My little southpaw sharp shooter." "Now, you want to, to hold it with both hands." "All right?" "Hold it up." "OK." "And close your right eye." "Now look down the barrel at this little thing at the end." "And you aim." "And then you pull the trigger." "It's not loaded." "Ugh, take it." "You're going to hide a gun next to our sleeping children?" "Now look, I'll take it down to the table in the kitchen" "Tomorrow morning, OK?" "Don't worry, we'll keep the bullets up here," "It will be safe." "Thank goodness." "All we need is a loaded gun around Lester." "He thinks the war is a game." "What are we doing here?" "Sweetheart." "There's prisoners wandering around, tanks driving by," "Soldiers and guns in our home." "Shh." "Christ in a sidecar!" "Psst!" "Honey, can you train the new guy?" "I've got to go into Sparta and fatty some cheese curds." "No problem, Florie." "What the, god damn it!" "How am I supposed to keep track of this shit!" "Stupid asses." "I can't believe he was ever a minister." "Beloved by his congregation, no doubt." "I'm gonna see you later." "Get a move on!" "I'm starving in here." "Did you know when you left, that you" "Were going to be working here?" "I was observing." "Hey look, it's the boy!" "Is he in jail?" "He's not in jail, he's a PW." "What's that?" "Well you don't know." "Shut up." "What are you doing?" "Get down!" "How did you get up there?" "Sam, I need those documents!" "Yes, sir." "We just him to swine them." "I mean sign." "Well, it's a pig order." "Don't let him hog the inventory." "Sam!" "One little apple and two small leaves, and that" "Was the last of those valiant thieves." "The end." "Good night, pumpkin." "Daddy, what's a PW?" "It means prisoner of war." "So it's a camp?" "Yes, it is, in a way." "Well, what did they do?" "They fought in the war." "Did they kill people?" "I suppose they did." "A lot of innocent people have died in this war." "Even the kids?" "The boy PWs, did they kill?" "I don't know." "I don't know everyone's past." "Is uncle Bud killing people?" "Well I, I guess he probably is." "Could he be a PW?" "If he were captured, yeah." "Good night, pumpkin." "Good night, daddy." "The summer I was nine, do you know what I did?" "I used to go night crawling with Bud." "Do you know what that is?" "No." "It's when you go looking for earthworms" "That come out at night." "Yuck." "We'd fill a coffee tin with dirt, take a lantern," "And go find them." "And in the morning, our mother packed us each a sandwich," "And we'd take our fishing poles, our sandwiches, and our coffee" "Tin down to the river." "We caught sunfish, sturgeon, catfish." "That's what I did all summer." "Night crawling and fishing with my brother." "You shouldn't have to be here." "But I'm having fun here." "Oh, mom, it's OK." "Sweet dreams, angel." "Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah," "Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah." "Heavenly father, we come today, before you," "To pray for our boys overseas, and for the boys here with us." "That you will guide them, and watch over them here," "And wherever they are sent." "And for their loved ones who are left behind." "The wives, the mothers, and the children." "Lord Jesus, we ask that you bring an end to this war," "And let your perpetual light shine upon us." "Amen." "Amen." "Nice to see you, Arlene." "Thank you for a good sermon." "Thank you, sir." "You must come for dinner, father." "Do you play cards?" "I love a good hand of bridge." "Oh, me too." "I'm going to go to the club and get a pop." "Can we go?" "Can we go?" "You may go." "We'll be right back." "Be good." "Goodbye, Lester." "Five ball, corner pocket, soldier." "Man, nice shot, buddy." "I didn't see you in church." "Either you're not catholic, or you're naughty" "And you don't go to church." "Both." "Hello, Anna, I'm bob." "Nice to meet you, bob." "It's nice to meet you, too." "Well, I should get going." "See you around, kiddo." "I'm not a kid." "Come on, Lester, let's go." "You're supposed to brush up and down." "It's getting late." "Finish up and get to bed, sweet peas." "Keep your mouth shut." "All right." "One heart." "Did he ask you out yet?" "The way you two flirt?" "We don't flirt, we fight." "Who's that?" "Oh, Sam Dolnick, who works with us." "Sam's a nice guy." "Just got back from the front, Sicily and Italy." "Poor guy." "Heard he saw some rough stuff." "And to be Jewish too?" "Yeah, he don't announce that, though." "Now he's stationed next to a bunch of krauts." "No offense." "None taken." "We're Americans." "He he." "Go to bed." "Spades, your call." "You've got to tell me what to play." "Mom, there's the buzzer." "Oh, my apple kuchen." "Hey, come on over." "What's your name?" "I'm Gertie." "Gertie?" "Heinrich." "Heinrich, can you play with me?" "My mom is making apple kuchen." "Want some?" "It's a dessert." "Hold on." "I hope it tastes all right." "I had to use maple sugar." "Here." "Mmm, mmm." "What happened to you?" "Heinrich!" "You're all set." "You keep those cubbies out of that slump." "Fingers crossed." "Oh, hey!" "You left a minute early." "I'm going to have to report you to fatty for a flogging." "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "I was just joking." "No, it's not that." "I... about Sunday." "I saw your Mary medal, and just assumed." "It was a gift." "Oh." "So." "It's nice." "Thanks." "I was thinking, um, do you want to do something some time," "Or do you think your sister?" "OK." "I know you're really young." "Look, buster, just because you had a big birthday in March," "Quit thinking you're so mature." "You memorized my birthday?" "No, I processed your furlough, remember?" "Yeah, I've processed about 100, I" "Can't remember when one of those guys was born." "How rude." "So, do you want to do something some time, or not?" "I already said OK." "OK then, tomorrow, 7 o'clock?" "OK." "Do you want to know where I live?" "I already know." "You memorized where I live?" "How rude." "Where are you going?" "To a dance in Sparta with daddy." "Can I borrow that lipstick tomorrow night?" "All right." "I'm doing something with the soldier that I work with." "The one back from Italy?" "Yes." "Do you have a date?" "Will we have the pleasure of meeting him?" "Of course, at 7:00." "After you've gone and left me crying," "After you've gone there's no denying, you'll feel blue," "You'll feel sad, you'll miss the dearest pal." "Frank, do you mind if I ask your wife to dance?" "Oh." "Fine with me." "Thank you, Dominic, but I'll just wait with Frank." "Aw, go ahead, you love this song." "Go ahead." "OK." "Damn, Frank, I could feel the guns going off from here." "You'd better put your dancing shoes on." "I'm a lousy dancer, I'd just get up there" "And embarrass myself." "Penny, look at Delilah." "Goodness, could that dress get any lower?" "Somebody needs to stitch that up." "What a beautiful lady." "Yeah, if you want to call her that." "What's the matter with you?" "Hey, I just calls them as I sees them." "Why don't you calls them someplace else?" "Why are you so sore?" "Would you care to dance?" "I'd like that." "It's rather warm, I'd love some punch first." "Allow me." "I just want to ask you, why can't girls be altar boys?" "Because they're called altar boys." "Why don't they just call them altar girls?" "Girls are doing all sorts of jobs nowadays." "Some of the PWs are so young." "Hitler will take about anyone." "One minute I'm filled with hope," "Seeing them out playing like any boys." "Next minute I'm terrified." "I just hope our captured boys are being treated this well." "We've adhered to the Geneva convention to a T. Equal" "Housing, food, even letting the officers wear their uniforms," "And I mean that..." "I mean that just burns me up." "I heard the Germans are making our guys" "Sleep outside like farm animals, and well, I can't even" "Say in front of a lady how the japs are treating our boys." "My brother's over there." "I'm sorry." "All right, boys, this is the last song of the night," "So live it up." "Thank you for the dance." "Thank you." "Thank you, Frank." "It must be tough being escorted by a barber with two left feet" "With all these dashing young soldiers around." "I didn't even want to dance, Frank." "I won't feel sorry for you." "I thank god every night for your heart murmur." "If you didn't have it, I swear I'd break both your legs." "Oh, thank you, I guess." "Count your blessings, baby." "You're married." "Who's the lucky guy?" "Charlie Wakefeild, from Higginsville, Missouri." "He had a weekend leave to say goodbye to his folks," "Before finishing up his last days at basic." "I was singing across the river, at the back velvet club," "In Kansas City." "We fell in love, at 2:00 am, after I got off work." "Married the next day." "I thought his mother would have a heart attack when" "We dropped by to tell her." "We had six days together, if you count the night that we met." "I'm not even sure I'll remember his face," "We never did take a photograph." "So you're a widow." "Can't you tell?" "I'm in mourning, wearing the color of death, blood red." "You wear that ring, they all think you're married." "Well I am, aren't I?" "There's no rulebook on this." "I didn't know what I was supposed to do." "Married two months, he dies." "Am I going to take off the ring, apply" "To have my name changed back to what" "It was just a few weeks ago?" "They charge a fee for that." "I actually asked." "So why do you stay here?" "Slim, where I'm from, the question is more, why not?" "Well, it's getting late." "I'll be right back." "We haven't officially met." "I'm Ruby Stirn." "Delilah Wakefield." "It's nice to meet you, Mrs Stirn." "Call me ruby." "Do you play bridge?" "Almighty god, our sons," "Pride of our nation, this day have" "Set upon a mighty endeavor." "A struggle to preserve our republic, our religion," "And our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity." "Lead them straight and true." "What are we listening to?" "Shh!" "Give strength to their arms," "Stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith." "They will need thy blessings." "Their road will be long and hard, for the enemy is cross." "While our country listened" "To president Roosevelt, as thousands of our soldiers" "Landed on the beaches of Normandy." "My world was small, and magical, filled" "With my family, the woods by our cabin, and my new friend," "Heinrich." "Oh no, please don't be broken." "If I touch you, your mommy won't hatch you." "Thank you." "Hil..." "Hilfe?" "Hilfe." "Thy will be done, almighty god." "You've been listening to President Franklin" "Delano Roosevelt." "You need a bath, dirty Dalton." "What's Hilfe?" "What?" "Hilfe, in German." "What does it mean in English?" "I don't know." "I thought you knew German." "But grandma said when you were little," "You only knew German, because auntie Florence and uncle" "Art thought it was cute to hear you speak it." "I don't know it, Gertie." "But grandma said." "I forgot." "OK, sweetie?" "OK, daddy." "Wait, where'd you hear that?" "Your turn." "Hello?" "This place is filthy, and the heat, the drills." "Yeah, speaking of drills, sweetheart." "I just want one cup of hot coffee." "I want to go home." "What's going on?" "What's wrong?" "Bud is injured." "The navy sent a letter to mother." "He kept his ship afloat for two days in a typhoon." "Where is he?" "In a hospital, in San Fransisco." "Oh, my god." "His leg is broken, and his skin has jungle rot." "What the hell is that?" "They're pouring liquid penicillin on it" "To try to save it." "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." "At least he's alive." "I know." "Did you hear, dad?" "Uncle bud is a hero." "What in the?" "No, no, wait, wait, wait, wait." "We can't go outside." "What is going on out there?" "They're, they're dropping flower sacks on our roof." "Target practice." "The planes." "You let them drop fake bombs on our home?" "Woo!" "I came home to warn you." "I hope they don't hit my date." "Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream." "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream." "Row, row, row your boat." "Here, take these." "Ruby, I know the number." "Just in case." "It's just a date." "Well, be careful." "Oh." "Hello, Sam." "I'm Frank Stirn." "Nice to meet you, sir." "Nice to meet you." "Ma'am." "Nice to meet you, too." "Those are our children, Gertie and Lester." "Um." "OK, so we should go." "I like your scooter, mister." "Oh, um, sorry, I thought I had a car, but it wouldn't start." "Uh, that's OK." "Yeah." "Take my car." "Oh, no, sir, we're just going to Sparta." "We insist." "Nonsense." "Please." "Uh, thank you so much." "I really thought I had a... uh, thank you." "Can we drive the scooter?" "Lester!" "No." "Have fun." "Buh-bye." "Oh, and I'm sure you'll be back at 11:00 or so?" "Goodbye." "You look nice." "Thank you." "Your family's nice." "Why don't you get a little closer?" "You'll see better." "So I finished high school in may," "And my mother said that I could move" "In with Ruby and her family for the summer." "Do something important, dolling out travel pay." "But what I really want to do is join the women's army core." "But my brother Bud told my mom that the WAC girls are wild." "I still might, though." "Can they end up near the front line?" "The nurses can, I guess." "You, you've really done something." "I mean, really fighting." "Four years?" "I'm done in August." "What do you want to do when you're done?" "Be a radio announcer in California." "Please bless my grandma Josephine, and my other grandma" "Josephine, my grandpa John, my grandpa Paul, my mom" "And my dad, my uncle Bud in a hospital in San Francisco," "My aunt Anna on her date, wherever she is." "And my brother." "And my friend Heinrich, so he can stop being a PW" "And go home." "Amen." "Did you think Sam was nice?" "Sounds good." "That's not an answer." "No!" "What is it?" "Cubs lost." "Big surprise." "You're kinda purdy." "Shh!" "Ha!" "Britain's powerful Lancaster bombers" "Preparing for another night raid on Nazi Germany." "Raids calculated to smash the heart of the Nazi war industry." "Away, and over the sea they roar, loaded with bombs." "Each bomb big enough to blast an area of 10 city blocks." "Heinrich?" "Heinrich!" "Ya?" "Gertie!" "I like you." "Hey, Heinrich!" "Judy Garland is amazing." "I also love her in for me and my gal." "Didn't you?" "I never saw it." "You never saw it?" "Mm-mm" "Oh, you were fighting." "How stupid of me." "It's all right." "No, it's not." "I was in a movie theater eating popcorn," "And you were on the other side of the world fighting" "For your life." "You were a kid." "You should have been in a movie theater." "Please quit making reference to my youth." "Hold on." "What?" "Wait, I see it." "You grew up." "More PWs." "That's good, that means we're catching them." "Yeah." "We ship 20,000 Nazi PWs to safety in America every month." "Do you know how many spots we've used in our ships" "To rescue Jews in Europe?" "No." "874." "What?" "One ship." "874 Jews have been brought over here to safety." "I didn't know." "Oh my, what was that?" "I'm not sure." "Aw, a flat?" "This thing was bare." "Of course, no spare, rubber's so short these days." "I can't believe I blew your family's tire." "Neither a lender nor a borrower be." "Sam." "If I had a nickel for every time my." "You said yourself, the tire was bare." "What kind of a knucklehead shows up" "For a date on a scooter?" "We don't have a choice." "You lose something?" "Be careful on that think." "Okey doke." "Lester?" "Get out!" "Get out." "Get out." "I will use it." "Get away from my children." "Dominic Rossi, please." "He said he got lost on work detail," "And he needed directions back to the camp." "Someone lost knocks on your door," "And waits outside to ask for directions." "They don't break into your home and accost you." "Ruby, I'm not defending him." "He's an SS officer for Christ's sake." "Sorry." "Are you OK?" "I'll be OK." "Sorry." "Can I get you a cup of coffee?" "No, thank you." "Please, of course." "So, where are you from?" "Brooklyn." "We've all been thrown into this place." "Most of us would have never met if it weren't for the war." "I can honestly say I probably would have never found myself" "In Wisconsin." "Did you have a girl back in new york?" "Not particularly." "What did you do there, before?" "Ha, ha." "I'm kind of embarrassed to say." "Why?" "What did you do?" "I ran a wicker furniture store." "Why is that funny?" "I don't know." "I didn't find it funny while I was doing it," "But I guess after a year in Tunisia," "And another guarding a PW camp, wicker furniture." "You know, it just seems kind of funny to me now." "You know?" "Yeah, I can see that." "What about you?" "What did you do before?" "I was a girl, then a wife, then a mother." "So was that the first time you used a gun?" "Yes." "I just need to find out where Frank hid the bullets." "You mean it wasn't loaded?" "No." "Wow, that's uh, impressive." "Anna, are you OK?" "We had a great time, but we had to ride on the rims." "Sam is so sorry, he's really embarrassed." "Well, I should get going." "Oh, thank you so much, Dominic, for everything." "Sure." "I'll tell you once we get Anna settled." "What am I, two years old?" "Frank." "Sargent." "We're like sitting ducks out here." "I'm just sorry I wasn't here." "You couldn't have known." "It was nice of Dominic." "Why did you call him?" "I was afraid." "No, I mean, instead of somebody else." "How dare you?" "We live in the middle of nowhere." "I have soldiers on one side, and prisoners on the other." "Why did I call him?" "Who the hell was I supposed to call, Frank?" "Florie's tiny husband, who lives 20 minutes away and delivers" "Milk for a living?" "Dominic is a military police officer," "Whose job is to protect us." "And he's our friend, Frank." "He's my friend." "You know better, Frances Stirn." "Why are we here?" "Because they asked me." "If being a measly base barber helps the war effort," "It's the least I can do." "Stop doing that." "What?" "Putting yourself down." "Do you know how bad I feel for these kids?" "Half of them I'm giving the last haircut they'll ever get." "But it's not your fault." "They won't take you on age alone, Frank." "You're too old." "No, just this month they started taking men my age." "Is that really what you want?" "To be in a ditch somewhere in Italy," "Killing boys like the ones living next door?" "Or on a ship in the middle of the ocean, a floating" "Target waiting for a Japanese plane?" "Is that where you'd rather be, frank?" "Why are you doing that, daddy?" "Just to be safe, sweetheart." "From now on, you and your brother" "Need to stay in the yard if you're going to play." "What about the ducks?" "No, you need to stay in the yard, sweetie." "I should get going." "Slim, you shouldn't have had to put up fence on your last day" "Here." "Oh, I wanted to." "I appreciate it." "There's meat, bread, berries, jam," "And maple cookies for the train ride." "Oh, thank you, Mrs Stirn." "Hey, slim!" "Excuse me, ma'am, I've got some business with my buddy." "Hey little guy." "I've got a really big favor to ask you." "But that's what best buddies are for, right?" "Texas slim, dirty Dalton." "I'll do whatever you want." "I need you to take care of tank for me while I'm gone." "You mean it?" "On one condition." "You gotta let him sleep with you." "Every night." "He gets a little scared at night." "We all do, sometimes." "Bye, Slim." "Bye, Gertie." "I'll get your bag." "Do you really want to go?" "Oh yeah, got an important job to do." "Thanks, buddy." "Besides, when else could I get to see a beach in France?" "Next." "Ow!" "Man!" "Oh!" "You OK?" "Yeah, sorry." "Do you want another, Frank?" "Hey, it's the barber." "Frank, uh, Stirn, right?" "That's right." "Stirn, that's like, a German name, isn't it?" "That's right." "You know, I found it real peculiar" "That you chose to cut hair of soldiers" "Like me, instead of fighting with the rest of us." "You know, I propose we start a German internment camp," "Like they've got for the japs trying to pass themselves off" "As Americans." "The only problem is, it's hard to pick out" "The pretty-boy krauts from the rest of us." "You blend right in there, don't you, Herr Stirn?" "Aufwidersehen!" "What is it, daddy?" "It says, help, only it's spelled with an E." "Hmm, I thought it meant something like that." "Who said this?" "My friend Heinrich." "Who's that?" "He's a PW." "It's about baby birds." "Sweetie, you know the new rule." "I know, stay in the fence to play." "Smell funny, Bob." "Good night, pumpkin." "Oh, Lester." "No, no." "Is he bothering you, Dom?" "No, he's fine." "Oh, watch out." "We'd better head home." "But what about the fireworks?" "We can watch them from home." "I think we're going to stay." "Stay dry." "All right." "OK." "Bye, Lester." "See you around." "Ready?" "Come on, Lester." "Bye." "Bye, have fun." "Heinrich!" "Gertie!" "Danke." "Gertie!" "Bye, Heinrich." "See you later, Heinrich." "Bye." "Got an extra blanket?" "Sure, there's room for three." "No there isn't, get lost." "Hey, hey." "Who shared his care package with you last night?" "No, you didn't share it, I won it with a straight flush." "Gambling is illegal, boys." "That's right, Sam." "Oh, it's so pretty." "Wow." "Wow." "Where are they?" "I don't know." "Let's go!" "We'd better go this way." "Come on!" "Sam?" "Sam!" "Sam!" "Come on, let's go." "How come you don't tell me anything?" "What are you talking about?" "I sit across from you for eight hours a day," "Talking your ear off." "And then almost every night after work," "Except if we're in the movies." "No, even then I usually say stuff too." "I mean about the war." "Anna, it's just something I don't like to talk about." "You can respect that, can't you?" "Of course, but." "I know you have nightmares." "What?" "Bob told me." "Idiot." "He was just worried about you." "He should be worried about himself," "He ships out next month." "That is a terrible thing to say." "It's true." "What's true, Sam?" "I don't need to tell you." "You've seen how many guys leave here, never to return." "There's a telegram a day, just in the little town of Sparta." "How many travel pay vouchers do you" "Process for guys without arms, legs, eyes?" "Wake up, Anna." "Well, you made it back all right." "I did?" "Lucky me, huh?" "What is it, Sam?" "We talk too much, Anna." "I'd better get you home." "I know." "I love you." "Good night." "Good night." "Sam!" "I love you too." "Ugh, it's slow today, hon." "You were funny at the picnic yesterday." "Wasn't that a hoot?" "Fort McCoy." "Oh, sweet Jesus." "Slim didn't make it." "No, he, he promised that he was going to come back." "I'm so sorry." "No, he said he was going to come back." "I just heard it on the switchboard." "Tank!" "Tank." "Come here, tank." "Sit, tank." "It's not funny, sit." "It's not funny, sit!" "OK, you're my dog now." "You understand?" "You're my dog now." "Because Slim isn't coming back." "You've got to do what I say." "Slim, like so many of our soldiers," "Died on the beaches in France." "Slim was our friend, and it brought the war home." "You're boring." "Go!" "Go!" "I heard Slim made it past the ramparts before he got hit." "Florie's brother was mowed down before he made it to the sand." "She said he." "Hey, sweetie." "Do you want to go into Sparta for some ice cream," "Or something?" "No, thank you." "I know it's hard, honey." "Do you want to go play with your brother?" "I, I'm really upset." "I know, pumpkin." "We're all very sad about Slim." "Why don't you go outside and get some sunshine?" "Poor kid." "Let's swim." "We have to keep clothes on." "You can." "But it's sprinkling." "You're gonna get cold." "Come on." "I will not." "Yes, you will." "Come on!" "Oh!" "It's amazing!" "I'm coming out here every night." "Come on." "I6124248." "It starts with I if you enlist." "But weren't even at war yet." "We were." "It's a Muzuzah." "It contains part of the Torah." "Why do you have a Mary medal?" "It belonged to my friend from my battalion." "His mom wanted me to have it." "Sam, I want to know." "His name was Dan griffin." "We were breaking through at Monte Casino," "And everything turned, we all got split up." "It started raining." "Danny and I were running." "We couldn't tell Jerry from our guys." "Gunfire, tankfire, bombs, grenades." "The line got blurred." "We jumped into a foxhole under some trees," "And just shot toward the lights going off everywhere." "I didn't think we'd make it, but Dan did." "A round only caught my hand, but Danny, it lifted him up," "Threw him back in the hole." "It all happened so fast." "The last thing he said was, Mary." "Mary." "I thought maybe he had a girl back in Chicago, or a sister" "Named Mary." "His mom said no." "He was an altar boy who always said those prayers" "With the beads." "The rosary." "So the last thing he did was call out to Mary." "Hail Mary." "We were caught in the fox hole two more days." "Well, me and Dan's body." "I had to..." "I had to pretend." "I laid under Dan's body to pretend I was dead." "His body saved my life." "I'm so sorry, Sam." "Me too." "He was a really good guy." "Sam." "I want to marry you." "Yes, please." "Ruby!" "Ruby." "What?" "I'm getting married." "I'm not saying I'm against it." "I'm saying there's a lot to consider." "Marriage is a huge responsibility." "Sam's a nice guy but, Anna, you barely know him." "I mean, his culture, his religion." "You have to think about children." "How would they be raised?" "Would they be baptized?" "Anna, you're too young to be making these decisions." "I can't believe, you, of all people." "I'm just saying you're a much different person at 18 then" "You'll be in your 20's or 30's." "Who's to say what choices you'd make." "You met Frank at the same age, and you'd" "Make the same decision now." "I don't know that I would." "I'm the ring bearer in my aunt Anna's wedding." "That means I bear the rings." "Gertie, I think it's time for you two" "To go pick up your mamma." "Fort McCoy." "One moment please." "Fort McCoy." "Oh." "Perfect timing." "Yes, sir." "Two o'clock, right, just dial me." "Fort McCoy." "Yes sir, one moment." "Perfect." "My mom was crying." "Good or bad?" "I think both." "And my dad wants to know if you have insurance." "What about my being Jewish?" "I forgot to tell them." "Now your parents." "Can I just write them?" "Frank, we don't always know what God's plan for us is." "No, father." "I believe he calls us in different ways." "Yes, father." "You know, each person makes a unique contribution" "To this world." "Each person has to find the value" "Of their unique contribution." "And, you know it's not so much what you have," "It's what you can give." "Father!" "I've been looking for you." "Anna." "I have big news." "Sam and I are getting married on the 19th." "Oh, congratulations." "Thank you." "We'd like you to perform the ceremony." "I'm sorry, I I can't, but I'd love to be there as a guest." "Anna, Sam's Jewish." "So?" "The church won't allow it." "He would have to convert, and that takes time." "Anna, I'm sorry." "I wish you and Sam all the best." "I forgive you." "No, no she's not." "Well that shouldn't." "Pop." "Pop, listen to." "Yeah, that's, that's, that's not going to affect my decision." "Because I love her." "I'm sorry you feel that way." "They can't make it." "Hello, Dominic." "Afternoon, ma'am." "How are my favorite kids on the base?" "We're the only." "Ah." "Well I've got some jerky that both you and Tank like." "There you go, Buddy." "What do you say?" "Thanks." "You're welcome." "Bye." "OK." "Look, Tank." "Look." "No, Tank." "No, bad Tank." "Bad Tank." "No!" "Go back." "Go back!" "Go back." "Dominic!" "Oh my god." "Oh my god." "Oh my god." "Hey!" "Gertie?" "Gertie." "He did it." "I tried to tell you." "What, sweetie?" "What?" "The Nazi in the uniform." "He did it." "I saw him." "Daddy, he did it." "It's OK." "Baby?" "Baby?" "What did you see?" "I want to leave this place." "I know." "I don't care if they have to get local sheep" "Shearer to cut hair." "Frank?" "Sweet dreams." "Ha ha ha." "So, uh, do you, Sam, uh, Simon Dolnick," "Take Anna Gerkey to be your lawful wedded wife?" "I do." "Do you, Anna Gerkey, take Sam, uh, Simon Dolnick" "To be your lawful wedded husband?" "I do." "Then, by the power vested in me by the state of Wisconsin," "I now pronounce you man and wife." "You may kiss the bride." "Uncle Bud!" "Sorry I'm late." "Buddy, you made it." "Oh, I'm so glad you're here." "Oh, look at you!" "Buddy." "Are you OK?" "Poor Buddy." "Look at you." "This is Sam." "Hi, I'm bud." "And he manned the engines all alone for 48 hours," "On a broken leg." "My leg wasn't broken until the end." "You liar." "And he received the bronze star." "That's amazing." "You girls are embarrassing your brother." "Go, go dance or something." "Is that what you're planning on driving my daughter" "Out west in?" "Yes, sir." "It needs some work, but uh." "Here." "Take mine." "What?" "Just count it as a wedding gift," "On top of whatever Josie got you two." "I can't take your car, sir." "Just get my little girl to California safe and sound." "You hear?" "Yes, sir." "You know, they do have radio stations" "Right here in the Midwest." "Yes, sir." "But you're still planning on going to California." "Yes, sir." "Come dance, daddy." "I don't know what these kids are thinking." "They're in love." "Your collar's crooked, father." "Thank you, ma'am." "Woo!" "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha." "That's the way I like it." "Florie." "Ha, ha, ha, ha." "How you doing, doll?" "I knew those two were going to get married the minute" "They started arguing over that travel pay voucher." "Bickering." "A sure sign of love." "To the bride and groom!" "To the bride and groom." "Cheers." "You know, you're the only single one left around here," "Doll." "Don't waste your time talking to me." "All right, I'm going." "Well, put a step in that giddy-up, go on." "Delilah, would you like to dance?" "I don't know." "I think having me as a dance partner might be a curse." "I don't believe in superstition." "May I?" "See?" "It's not so bad." "No." "No, I could make a habit of this." "Many times I've" "Tried to rewrite the end of that summer," "But it was Nazi in the uniform in the casket, and my friend" "Heinrich who marched behind." "I dreamed that after the war, Heinrich would visit me" "And we could finally play." "And that Slim would come back to pick up tank." "Gertie!" "And Sam would forget" "What happened in the foxhole." "Come on, tank." "And that no one was hurt." "The innocent millions had lived." "But always, I wake from that dream, another day older." "And despite the losses and pain, we still" "Found laughter and love." "I've learned that evil cannot conquer the human spirit." "It exists, but so does goodness." "And in between lies a long, blurred line."