5بخش

How much longer would you like to wait, Dorothy?

I think it’s been long enough.

I’m so very sorry.

Sometimes men just get cold feet.

Some men might. Not my Desmond.

You probably think I’m a real son of a bitch

who cares only about regulations and not his men.

May I?

I believe in this book as much as any man.

And just like any man, I wrestle with my conscience,

but what do you do when everything you value in this world is under attack?

I don’t know, sir.

I ain’t got answers to questions that big,

but I also feel like my values are under attack,

and I don’t know why.

I don’t give a rat’s ass about your principles because the Japs don’t.

If one of them attacks you and some wounded soldier,

what are you gonna do?

Hit him with your Bible?

I’m prepared to give my life for my men.

You don’t win wars by giving up your life.

Look, I’m only here because I don’t want to see you rotting in a prison cell.

Plead guilty, throw yourself at the mercy of the court.

Maybe they’ll let you go home and pray.

Let the brave men out there go and win this war.

If I can’t convince you, maybe she can.

They’re saying you could go to prison, Desmond.

Leavenworth.

There must be some other way.

I don’t know what that could be.

I’ve done everything they asked me, except this one thing,

and I’m being treated like a criminal just ‘cause I won’t kill.

You tried. Nobody can say you didn’t.

But who are you going to save in prison?

Probably nobody.

Then why can’t you just pick up the stupid gun and wave it around?

You don’t have to use it, just meet them halfway.

I can’t do that. Yes, you can. It’s just pride.

Pride and stubbornness. Don’t confuse your will with the Lord’s.

Have I been prideful?

Maybe I am prideful.

But I don’t know how I’m going to live with myself if I don’t stay true to what I believe.

Much less how you could live with me.

I’d never be the man that I want to be in your eyes.

I fell in love with you because you weren’t like anyone else

and you didn’t try to be.

Do not think for one moment that you will disappoint me.

I will love you no matter what.

I don’t know what he’s gonna do. He loses no matter what.

They want him to plead guilty,

but then he’ll get a dishonorable discharge.

Otherwise he fights them, and he for sure goes to prison.

Either way, they’ll call him a coward

and I don’t see how he can live with that.

Well, thank you, Dorothy.

If you get to talk to him,

tell him that we love him and that we’re praying for him.

We’re praying for both of you.

I will. Bye-bye.

Of course, I’m out of my mind.

What do you think I am? I’m out of my mind.

You leave this room.

No, Tom! Put it down!

Get away from me, woman! Hey!

I got that, sir.

May I help you, sir?

I wish to speak to Brigadier General Musgrove.

Not without an appointment you can’t. That would be quite impossible.

Uh, if you would kindly tell him Corporal Thomas Doss would appreciate a brief word.

He’s in a very important meeting.

I fought with him in France at Belleau Wood. He was my captain.

Please, ma’am, it’s most vital.

Thank you, ma’am.

There’s a man out there, Tom Doss.

Doss?

Be over in a minute.

You’ll be home safe and sound, like nothing ever happened.

I love you.

This is a hearing into the matter of Private Desmond Doss.

The charge is disobeying a series of direct orders from his commanding officer.

How says the defendant?

Private Doss wishes to enter a “not guilty” plea.

Is that so, Private? I thought this was agreed.

You wanted to enter some sort of plea bargain.

Yes, sir, but I changed my mind. Just like that?

You wish to proceed to a court-martial?

Yes, sir. Ah.

Well, on your head, then, Private. Proceed.

Your Honor, Private Doss waves his morality at us like it’s some kind of badge of honor.

He flaunts his contempt by directly disobeying a series of direct orders from his commanding officer.

When the very best of our young men are sacrificing their lives against…

You okay? Yes.

Are they still deliberating?

Yes, sir.

Okay, now you go take this in there.

I can’t. It’s strictly military personnel.

Well, then you get one of them to take it in.

They ain’t out to help. They’re fixing to bury him.

There is only one question that any military court need ask of the accused.

Do you deny disobeying Colonel Sangston’s direct orders?

Well, do you, Private?

No, sir. I don’t. Why are you contesting it, then?

Why is it so important to you, given your refusal to even touch a weapon, to serve in a combat unit?

Because when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, I took it personal.

Everyone I knew was on fire to join up, including me.

There were two men in my home town… declared 4-F unfit.

They killed themselves because they couldn’t serve.

I had a job in a defense plant and I could’ve taken a deferment,

but that ain’t right.

It isn’t right that other men should fight and die,

that I would just be sitting at home safe.

I need to serve.

I got the energy and the passion to serve as a medic.

Right in the middle with the other guys. No less danger, just…

While everybody else is taking life, I’m going to be saving it.

With the world so set on tearing itself apart,

it doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together.

Hmm. Sorry, sir, nobody’s allowed to go…

No, you don’t understand. My son is the defendant.

I understand, sir, but nobody’s allowed…

I have information that’s important. Sir, you are not allowed…

While the sentiments expressed are laudable,

the facts of the charge seem incontestable, so…

What the hell is going on out there?

Let him go.