"There were long periods on Guadalcanal when we really and truly figured none of us uh, would survive, uh, or that we were expandable." "The Japanese navy came in and sank all of our escorts." "The American navy suffered one of their worst defeats in history." "And our supplies, food, and most of our ammunition went down with it." "By September of 1942, the Marines had been left to fight the battle for Guadalcanal alone." "They were vastly under supplied." "And many were on the verge of starvation." "We knew that our navy had left and that the Japanese had control of the sea." "And that they could supply their troops, and we... we couldn't." "With thousands of Japanese reinforcements pouring onto the island..." "The Marines were strafed and bombed continuously." "Pressure was on us from the Japanese, 24 hours a day, and they bombed every day in big formations." "They just kept coming in and the guns just pounding." "At the mercy of the Japanese bombers, and without any naval support, the Marines battled yet another enemy:" "the jungle on Guadalcanal." "The jungle on Guadalcanal was practically impenetrable." "The malaria was vicious, boys would come down with chills, have temperatures of 105." "But the whole Gudalcanal campaign was one of near starvation as I recall it." "After enduring more than a month of jungle warfare, the Marines faced the Japanese offensive to retake their lost airfield." "On Guadalcanal I developed a sort of a... formula in life, in which there're times, uh, that you just pray and hold on." "And that's what we did on Guadalcanal." "Uh, repeatedly, you would just pray and hold on." "Eugene, I..." "I'm sorry." "Murmur's still there." "The boy's disappointed." "I wish we were going together." "I joined the Marines." "Take care of yourself." "Maybe I'll write you." "The Pacific will be our theater of war." "The Marines will do battle with the Japs on tiny specs of turf that we have never heard of." "Welcome to Guadalcanal." "Let's assume the Japs are watching right now, preparing to come at us." "Assume?" "They are." "Wait?" "Look, look, look." "Open up!" "Look at 'em all." "They just kept on coming." "Morning, boys." "Colonel Puller!" " Where you headin'?" " Tokyo." "Care to join us?" "I don't know." "It's a ways, sir." "Write us when you get there." "I will!" "You seen those guys?" "They look like they been through the wringer." "That's one way of putting it." "You see Briggs?" "His men?" "No, sir." "Hold that front." "Guard that front." "Cease fire!" "Cease fire!" "Cease fire." "Break 'em down." " Give 'em the damn password." " Lorelei, Lorelei." " Cover the rear." " Make a hole!" "Make a hole!" "Jesus Christ." "Fuckers really are sneaky." "Hey." "Are you hit?" "No." "Chesty wants your squad to hang back with Abel Company, see if the nips follow us." "Then we'll rejoin the battalion further north." "Yeah." " J.P.?" " Yeah?" " Set up on that trail." " On it." "Manny, hand that piece to Garland and dig in next to me and Moe." "Come on, let's go." "Deploy." "You heard him." "Let's go, let's go." " Evans, on me." " Yes, Sergeant." "Supper's on." "Supper's on." "Got anything good?" " What are those?" " Army rations from 1918." "Quartermaster over in Dog Company claims they're edible." "After you suck on them for about an hour or two." "This is all you could find?" "You fuckin' forage next time." "Hey, who you writing to, Leckie?" "Is it a broad?" "Aw, come on, Leckie." "Read it." "I'd do it for you." ""Dear Vera..."" " I knew it." "It's a broad." ""Dear Vera, it's raining." "I'm entertaining Runner by reading him this letter." "Can't wait to see you and ever so slowly strip you of your..."" "Uh, you don't need to hear that part." "Oh, that's precisely what I need to hear." "Tell her how handsome I am." "I'm gonna tell her the truth." "We've been swallowed by the jungle and 5,000 Japs are waiting to kill us." "Hey, thanks for brightening the mood." "Well, I do what I can." "...unless it's somebody with B.O." "That's really dismal." "Yes, and the most dismal thing about B.O. is..." "Keep that line moving." "Let's go." "...especially the ladies." "Well, Mr. May, the ladies know how easy my pancakes are to make." "Turn that shit off." "I don't wanna hear about B.O. and pancakes." "I don't answer to you, Morgan." " What?" " Shove it." " What?" " Whoa whoa whoa." " Tear his head off." " Get the fuck off me." "Relax relax." "Yeah, rice." "Just what I was hoping for." "What do you got against Aunt Jemima?" "Jap navy sails up and down this slot every night and plasters us." "That don't got nothing to do with her." "You know, the only radio reports I wanna hear is that a bunch of Jap ships have been sunk somewhere off some crappy island called Guadalcanal." "But then we'd need the Navy for that, wouldn't we?" " So fat chance." " Come on." "Hey hey." "So the Japs got us surrounded." "Is that what's buggin' you?" "John, I shit like 20 times a day." "My ass is killing me." "J.P.'s in a bad mood, Manny." "Next he'll be complaining about the mosquitoes." "Come here." "Hot chow'll cheer you up." "Think of it as meat." " Fuck it." " Next." "Boys, Division just translated some Jap newspapers that was found on the other side of the Matanikau." "Would you care to know what the nips think of us?" "Yes, sir." ""The Americans on this island"" ""are not ordinary troops, but Marines,"" ""a special force recruited from jails"" ""and insane asylums for bloodlust."" "They got that right." "I got some more good news." "Rumors that they would never get here are to the contrary." "The Army just landed." "I know, I know." "I want every man in my battalion shaved by 1600." "Yes, sir." "I guess there ain't nothing much we can do about our dungarees." "I figure we're just raggedy-ass Marines." "We look this way for a reason." "Yes, sir." "Well, we can't do it if they don't run." "Oh, Jesus Christ, Evans, you sound like my fucking wife." " Kinda looks like her too, huh?" " A little bit." "What's this?" "Hey." " Hey, whoa." "Hey hey hey!" " Whoa whoa whoa!" "Hey, fuck you!" " Fuck you guys." " Put your face right fuckin' here." " Thanks for coming, guys." " Fuckin' Army." "Just fuckin' wait." "See, Evans?" "The Army don't know the Japs bomb the airfield, but not the beach." "Stay low, get greedy." "Come on." " Come on, come on, come on." " Over here, over here." "Grab it, just grab it." " Hey, Manny, Manny." "Right here Manny" " Come on, come on." "Fill it up." "Let's go." "Jackpot, boys!" "Look at this!" "Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go." "Come on, J.P., get it in the bag." "Get it in, get it in." "Come on, J.P., come on." "J.P., make sure you get those cherries." " Hurry." " I got the cherries." "Hey, give me a hand." " Let's go." " Can't get it open." " Doesn't matter, any of it." " Hey, grab this." "Throw it in there." " Pop that locker." " I got it." "I'm trying." "Get moving!" "Army gets the new stuff and we fight with shit my grandfather used." "Hey, look what I got." "Hah!" "Crackers." " Look at this." "Give me a hand." " I got it." " Hey, you there, halt!" " Let's go, come on!" " I said halt!" " Come on, J.P.." " Halt!" "Stop right there." "That's Army gear." "Halt!" " Try and catch us." " Thanks for the chow." "Here." "There you go." " Private Leckie." " Sir." "The Army captain from the 164th's raising hell about somebody breaking into his trunk and stealing a box of cigars and shoes." "Not just any shoes, said they were his favorite pair of moccasins." "Well, bad luck for that captain." "Yeah, well, you might wanna watch where you wear those." "Or smoke any cigars you might not have." "Or drink any hooch you might not have." "Come on, come on, come on, come on." "Anything happen while I was prospecting?" "Betty Hutton stopped by, giving out blowjobs." "What'd you get?" "Well, these... are for me." "But if you're nice and mind your manners, I might give you a puff." "These... are for you miscreants." " Oh, my god." " Oh, yeah." "Traded the crackers with F Company." "Hey, peaches." "Peaches." "I got the goddamn runs and you had to get peaches." "They were all out of cheese, Runner." "Oh, my god, these are amazing." "Ah, ah, where have you been all my life, you beautiful can?" "Ah." "Peaches." "Your new name is Peaches." " Fuck you." " You got it, Peaches." "You gotta write Vera about this." "Runner, your new nickname is Old Faithful." "Fuck you, Peaches." "Bud..." "Bud, we gotta go." "Come on, Bud!" "Come on!" "We gotta go!" " Ahh!" " Shit." " Fuck!" " Fuck!" "Son of a bitch!" "Fuck!" "You're okay." "We're gonna make it through." " You're okay." "You're okay." " Shit." "Shit!" " I ain't going anywhere." " God damn it!" "Fuck you, fuck you!" "Ahh!" " Sound off!" " LaPointe." " Evans." " Upton." "Garland." "Come on, get up." "Help me out." "I got him." "Evans." "Start digging out." "I can't, I can't." " Miller." " Garcia." "Let's go." "Keep looking for bodies." "What about the Jeeps?" "Direct hit." "Some little Jap lady, weapons plant-- she puts in five more grams of explosives." "Man, that could've been us." "Basilone, Manny, J.P.." "Briggs, what is it?" "Briggs." "Chesty wants Dog Company NCO's at his CP." "Our battalion will join Hanneken's in our old position south of the airfield." "Now it's been a quiet sector." "It's rough terrain." "Topside thinks the Japs are going to attack up by the Matanikau, hoping that they can run their armor up the coast road right into the airfield." "If that happens, they might pull Hanneken, put him up north to reinforce the 5th and the 1st Marines." "And that is gonna leave us alone, singled up on the line." "Now, if the Japs do break through, and they retake the airfield, our orders are to take to the jungles and fight as guerrillas." "This is not going to happen." "Aye aye, sir." "Move your men into the line at sector 3." " Get it done." " Aye aye, sir!" "Basilone, you and Rodriguez stay behind." "Listen, can you spare this hombre?" "I need ather runner." "Hell, Colonel, we're sick of him." "Get your shit." "Meet me back at the CP." "Aye aye, sir." "Good luck, man." "Hanneken's being pulled up north to the Matanikau." "The Japs will make their push up there." "Where's Briggs headed?" "Setting up an outpost south of the line." "Fuck it." "We're on our own." "Let's go, Marines." "Move move move." "You'll be singled up." "Just like Chesty said." "Okay, Marines, let's get these supplies up the line." " How did Chesty get all the phones?" " God knows." "He wants every gun-pit on a party line, so we got a man listening at all times." "Hey, you want some limit stakes in there, Sergeant?" "Yeah, go get it." "The Japs are on the move." "Hoosier and Runner, I want you to set up an LP, 30 yards inside the tree line." "Aye aye, captain." "I want your MG smack up on the wire, but preset placements so you can move back." "How thin are we on the line, sir?" "We're putting the cooks on the line, but don't have enough cooks." "Best case, we hear the shit going off on the other side of the ridge." "Why the other side of the ridge?" "The Japs decided to go around us to hit the airfield." "We're too spread out, same as Puller and the 7th in Sector 3." "Well, same old story for the 1st Marines." "Two-hour watches tonight all along the line." "What you guys smokin'?" "Raleighs?" "That's our allotment." "Only the officers get the Lucky Strikes." "Well, I can't have my platoon suffering." "Eyes open, ears up." "Aye aye, sir." "That was a gesture of a gentleman." " We must really be fucked." " Yep." "Thanks, Evans." "Here, Sergeant, while it's still dry." "Thanks." "A buddy of mine's up there with the 5th." "Played the trumpet with me in the division band." "You any good on the trumpet?" "Nah, mostly because I play the trombone." "That was a joke." "Look at you." "We'll make a Marine out of you yet." "Sir, it's Briggs at the outpost." "Puller." "Report, over." "I got the whole fucking Jap army headed your way, over." "When they're past you, pull out and hook up with Abel Company." "1st Battalion, hold your fire as long as possible." "Say again, hold your fire." "Over." "We don't have enough men." " Get Division on the line." " Aye aye, sir." " Rodriguez." " Sir." "Run as much ammo down there as you can." "Aye aye, sir." "They're not just coming across the Matanikau." "They're coming right at us." "Squad leaders, give me a head count!" " First squad's up." " Second squad's up." " Everyone okay?" " Yes, Sergeant." "Japs!" "Japs left, crawling in!" "On your right!" " Reload!" " Changing the box!" "Cover!" "Reload!" "Medic!" "Reload!" "Cease fire!" "Cease fire!" "Contact on the left." "No shit." "That's J.P. for you." " How much ammo you got?" " Half a belt." " That's it?" " Yeah." "This is our last box too, Sergeant." "Fuck!" "Fuck!" "Reload!" "Fuck, my gun's jammed!" "Evans, mend the gun." "Grenades out there!" "You're up!" "Sergeant!" "Sergeant, they broke through!" "They overran us." "Both guns are out." "Conserve your ammo." "We're running low." "Evans, we're going." "We gotta help J.P.." "Where the hell is my glove?" "LaPointe, the tripod." "Aye aye, Sergeant." "Ahh." "Cover cover!" "To my right!" "To my right!" "Get it on there." "Fill in that gap!" "Let's go!" "Ammo ammo!" "Reload!" " How many got through?" " At least 50." " Ahh!" "Shit!" " You okay?" " Yeah, I'm fine." "I'm fine." " Here they come!" "Jesus Christ." "God damn!" "I need a head and ammo count." "First squad:" "Two down." "80 rounds remaining." "Third squad:" "Three casualties." "J.P., cover me." "John, wait." "What are you doing?" "John, what are you doing?" "John, move, left flank." "John, get outta there!" "Grenade!" " What the hell was that?" " Now you've got a clear field of fire." " A clear field..." " LaPointe, Evans, stay here, hold this position." " I'm gonna get more ammo." " Hurry back." "Ammo for the 30s!" "Come on, come on, come on!" "That's all we got." " Ahh!" " Ahh!" "Ugh!" "Ammo!" "I need cover!" "Is he okay?" "Yeah, he's okay." "He's sleeping." " Manny all right?" " Haven't seen him." "Guess I need a new one, huh?" "You and me both." " Has he had any morphine?" " No." "Thanks." "Hold him down." "Hey, Sergeant, hand me that pail." "Those are third-degree burns." "Have a seat over there and we'll get to you when we can." "Sir, anybody bring in Sergeant Rodriguez last night?" " Manny Rodriguez?" " I wish I could keep track." "Check the aid station?" "Doesn't take long to get ripe in this heat." "They're real damn stupid" "To keep running into a machine gun like that." " Morning, sir." " As you were." "Nice work." "I'm putting you in for a medal, John." "We're gonna be moving west towards Lunga, up on the ridge." "164th's gonna take this position." " Get yourselves some hot chow." " Aye aye, sir." "Captain." "It's gone, isn't it?" "It doesn't matter." "I'm enlisting tomorrow." "I'd do it tonight if they were open." "Eugene..." "I don't need your permission, Father." "I haven't for some time." "The worst thing about treating those combat boys from the great war wasn't that they had had their flesh torn." "It was that they had had their souls torn out." "I don't want to look in your eyes someday and see no spark, no love, no...no life." "That would break my heart." "Give me some time to break the news to your mother." "After supper I'll take Deacon for a walk." "That would do it." "Thank you, Father." "Come on, Deacon." ""The foe you gave was strong and brave and unafraid to die." "Speak to the Lord for our comrades, killed when the battle seemed lost." "They went to meet a bright defeat-- the hero's holocaust." "False is the vaunt of the victor, empty our living pride." "For those who fell there is no hell-- not for the brave who died."" "Say hi for me." " What?" " Vera." "Tell her Runner says howdy do." "It's not a letter, it's a poem." " An ode." " Hmm." "An epitaph in celebration of our glorious victory at Guadalcanal." "Must be tough to write that poem." "I mean what the hell rhymes with "Guadalcanal"?" "How fucked are we now on Guadalcanal?" "Get your gear and stand by to stand by." "We're finally leaving this shithole." "Clear the raft." "Squad leaders, make sure all your Marines have all their gear and all their equipment." "Jesus fucking christ, out with it." "First Squad, pick up your gear." "As fast as a bullet goes... it's just a split second." "Manny steps to the left instead of his right..." " He slows down." " Yeah, but he didn't." "I mean, he was where he was and, you know..." "He did what he did." "You don't ever think about that?" "You know me, John." "I try not to think." "If it happens, it happens." "We should get moving." "Yeah." "No chow till 1400." "I'm sorry." "Hey, we heard there was coffee." "Coffee?" "Shit, I can get you guys some coffee." "Milk and sugar?" "So how bad was it?" "'cause I heard it was bad." " From who?" " What do you mean?" "I mean before you got here, had you ever even heard of this place?" "Guadalcanal?" "Everybody's heard of Guadalcanal and the 1st Marine Division." "You guys are on the front page of every newspaper in America." "You're heroes back home."