You're traveling through another dimension...
A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind, a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.
Your next stop, the twilight zone.
Short.
Yards: 5-0.
Short, yards: 5-0.
That's right, still.
They say that's their limit.
Hello. This is baker company f.o.
You've wrecked some rice paddies, you've knocked down a grove of palm trees.
What we're trying to figure out is if there's something in your religion that says you're not supposed to send a shell into a cave.
How's that?
Yeah, we can bypass it.
Well, look, all you've done so far is ruin some real estate and kept some japs awake.
Anybody back there figure out how long it takes the enemy to die of insomnia?
Yeah.
Yeah, all right.
Okay. Well, keep in touch.
Hey, sarge, what goes?
They're going to fire for effect until late this afternoon.
If they can't smoke them out, maybe we'll bypass it.
Yeah.
Well, that's what I like to hear.
Amen.
Well, I feel better already.
I've got no big yen to run into anything anymore, not at this stage of the game.
Let's go up.
You don't think they'd expect us to go at that frontally, do you?
Well, when two air strikes and an afternoon of lobbing shells doesn't accomplish anything, you'd better start counting your cartridges
‘cause we are the bottom of the barrel.
When they can't move an enemy with the big stuff, that's when they call out the queen of battle...
The everloving infantry.
Yeah, well, what do you think?
A month? More? Less?
I don't know. We got them ringed.
They're finished on Okinawa.
The trouble with these little bandy-legged buzzards is that they just don't know when to quit.
Look at them.
They're in there, holed up in that cave, beaten, sick, starved, and yet there's no one in there to tell them that the w*r's over for them.
Those poor guys.
It's august, 1945, the last grimy pages of a dirty, torn book of w*r.
The place is the Philippine islands.
The men are what's left of a platoon of American infantry whose dulled and tired eyes, set deep in dulled and tired faces, can now look toward a miracle...
That moment when the nightmare appears to be coming to an end.
But they've got one more battle to fight, and in a moment, we'll observe that battle.
August, 1945, Philippine islands.
But in reality it's high noon in the twilight zone.
Which one of you is sergeant causarano?
That'd be me.
I'm lieutenant katell.
I'm taking over the platoon.
What's your situation here, sergeant?
Well, we're observing for a mortar company, lieutenant.
That cave down there...
A bunch of japs holed up in it.
We've been trying to get them out of there for two days. Nothing doing.
Your binoculars, please, sergeant.
Tough little item.
We'll have to do a little mopping up by ourselves.
Sir?
We'll go at it frontally.
Move right in there and wipe them out.
Hey, lieutenant, you sure you got the right platoon?
What about it, sergeant, can we go it alone?
Go it alone?
Pardon me, sir, but you've just inherited a pretty good outfit, but we're not that good.
This is infantry, not kamikaze.
I told you he had the wrong platoon.
I think he's got the wrong army.
Your name Is what?
Watkins, Andrew j. Watkins.
Are you accustomed to talking to an officer lying on your back?
I'm not accustomed to talking to an officer any way.
We lost the last three we had, and there's usually a little space of time...
You've been assigned another.
You've got to learn to live with him.
We'll start off with a little reminder.
When you talk to an officer, you stand up on your two feet.
We've been in the line 33 days.
We haven't had much sleep.
You have my sympathy, sergeant.
My job is to lead this platoon, and I intend to lead it my way.
When I tell you to jump, you'll jump.
If I tell you to stand up, you'll stand up.
If I tell you to head toward that cave, that's exactly what you're gonna be doing.
Begging the lieutenant's pardon, sergeant?
What are your orders, lieutenant?
We'll have to move up, go right in there and wipe them out.
What about it, sergeant?
You asking my opinion, lieutenant?
I'm willing to discuss it.
Well, chronologically, lieutenant, first thing you should do is take that gold bar off your helmet and take the one off your collar and put it in your pocket.
The japs may be half-beaten, half-starved, but they're not dumb.
They're tough and they're shrewd and they got eyes.
We lost three platoon officers because they made slight motions of commands with their hands, and that's what the japs look for...
The guy in command.
I intended to remove the insignia.
Now what about attacking the cave?
Well, maybe we'll have to do it eventually, but the w*r isn't gonna end before dinnertime.
I say we sit on it the rest of the day and see what some 105's can do.
Maybe you're right.
But it strikes me we could move in there and wipe 'em out inside of an hour.
Get in close enough to lob grenades and pulverize them.
Lieutenant...
How long have you been out here?
What's that got to do with it?
Well, not a heck of a lot, I suppose, but you talk like it's a football game and this is no football game.
It's one long, hard gut ache with a lot of torn-up, m*nled guys.
It's gonna take a long time for us to forget it.
You have to remember, lieutenant, you haven't been sh*t at yet.
And you haven't sh*t anybody either.
You got out here ahead of me, I'll concede you that, but when it comes to k*lling Japanese, I think you'll find me a pretty efficient officer.
That's a filthy piece, soldier.
I want clean weapons in this platoon because we're gonna k*ll japs. That's my job.
This outfit better shape up.
This one is bloodthirsty.
You don't think he'll want us to scalp 'em?
No sleep or no guts, which is it?
You're tired of k*lling japs, is that it?
Or you just got no stomach for it?
Lieutenant...
We're about 24 months up on you.
Now we've seen enough dead men to last us for the rest of our lives.
The rest of our lives, lieutenant, and then some.
Now, you got a big yen to do some k*lling?
Okay, we'll do some k*lling for you, but don't ask us to stand up and cheer.
Causarano.
Those flamethrowers arrive yet?
Yes, sir.
Figure we can move in behind the next barrage and get within 50 yards of the opening.
Those flamethrowers can do a lot of damage, can't they?
They can, indeed, sir.
What about the phosphorous grenades?
I'd hate to be hit by one.
Check with company about the time of the next mortar barrage, and we'll move in there.
You're gonna have to double-time this one, sergeant.
That is, if you're gonna keep up with me.
Yeah.
Well?
Nothing, lieutenant.
I'm not your cup of tea, am I, sergeant?
You got a little bit too much vinegar for me, lieutenant.
Look, we could bypass them.
There aren't 20 japs in there, and they're sick and half-starved.
But they're japs.
They're men, lieutenant.
You've got a funny group here, sergeant, and you're the oddball of the bunch.
If I had to size you up, I'd say you've either got battle fatigue or you're chicken.
Well, maybe neither and maybe a little bit of both.
I don't know, but the way I size you...
Go ahead, sergeant, how do you size me up?
All right. You're a pea green shavetail just fresh from some campus.
You're afraid you won't bag your limit or worse, all shook up because somebody might spot you as a johnny-come-lately instead of a k*ller of men.
I think that ought to do it.
You asked me, you're gonna get it.
You wanna prove your manhood, but it's a little late in the day, and there aren't many choices left as to how to do it.
It all boils down to that lousy cave full of sick, pitiful, half-dead losers and a platoon of dirty, tired men that have their craw full of this w*r.
You're a lousy soldier, and that goes for the rest of these poor, sad, sensitive sick boys you want me to bottle-feed.
When you fight a w*r, you fight a w*r.
And you k*ll until you're ordered to stop.
I got your message, lieutenant.
The miserable fact being there's always someone like you that sneaks in before they close the door to grind an a* before he gives that final order.
What's your pleasure, lieutenant?
How many men have to die before you're satisfied?
Offhand, I'd say all of them.
No matter who they are or where they are, if they're the enemy, they get it!
First day of the w*r or last day of the w*r, they get it!
Lieutenant yamuri, you dropped your glasses, sir.
Lieutenant yamuri, sir, that was exceedingly brave, sir, trying to get at the Americans that way and single-handedly.
The Americans?
Those are Americans in the cave?
Yes, sir.
We figure there are 20 or 30 of them.
Most of them wounded.
Are you... are you all right, sir?
Where are we?
Who are you?
Who... am I, sir?
Sergeant Yamasaki.
Are you all right, lieutenant?
Are you... Feeling well?
Where are we?
I asked you a question.
Where are we?!
Why... Why... Corregidor, sir.
When?
"when," sir?
You mean, what is the day's date.
May 4th... sir.
May... 4th, sir.
It can't be may.
It's august.
August 6.
I... Humbly ask the lieutenant to forgive me, but I must correct him.
The day is may 4th.
May 4th, when? What year?
The year 1942.
Is...
Is the lieutenant all right?
Perhaps... Perhaps a touch of malaria.
What did you call me?
You called me by a name.
Lieutenant yamuri, sir.
I called you lieutenant yamuri.
I called you by your name, sir.
No.
No!
No!!
What happened to me?
What's going on? What happened?
Yamuri, are you sick?
I require an answer, lieutenant.
I asked you if you were sick.
We shall be moving out shortly, and if you are too ill to move, we shall leave you here.
Leave me here?
We have no transport for the wounded.
We shall shortly move up, and you shall remain here.
My name is not yamuri, I swear to you.
Something's happened.
My name is not yamuri. My name is...
I'm all right.
Forgive me, sir. I'm all right now.
You what?
I was feverish for a moment.
I'm all right now.
You sure?
Yes, sir. Very sure.
Sergeant...
We move out in five minutes.
Yes, sir.
Be ready to move out in five minutes.
Unfortunately, the a*tillery was unable to do its job.
We will att*ck the cave in force.
Prisoners, sir?
What?
Are we to take any prisoners if any surrender?
If any do, I suppose we can.
Yamuri. You take the first section.
Move forward as quickly as you can.
Drop down 50 yards in front of the opening.
Watch for my signal.
We will cover you with a*t*matic fire for two minutes before you make the att*ck.
Then section two and three will follow you in.
Understood?
Yes.
I didn't hear you.
I understand, sir.
Your section, sir.
You said there were wounded in there.
I think so, lieutenant.
When they ran inside, they were carrying each other.
There are no more than 20 or 30 men inside.
It shouldn't be too difficult.
Americans.
20 or 30 Americans.
I didn't hear what you said, yamuri.
What did you just say?
There are wounded in there, sir.
Perhaps...
Perhaps what?
Perhaps we can let them surrender or perhaps...
Or? Or what?
Or perhaps we can leave them there... Bypass them.
"bypass them," lieutenant?
Is that tactical?
Or is that some sudden nugget of compassion that you have unearthed in your fever?
But they-they are wounded.
They can't do us much harm.
Neither can they sink a battleship, but nevertheless, we have to destroy them.
A reminder, lieutenant...
The identity of the men in the cave, they are Americans, they are enemy...
Healthy, wounded, walking or lying, they are the enemy.
The Japanese army does not bypass.
The Japanese army att*cks.
They Japanese army wipes out its opponents.
But... they are wounded, sir.
They are wounded and beaten.
Lieutenant yamuri, odd that you should require this reminder, but the comparative health and well-being of the enemy, his comfort or his discomfort, the degree of his anguish or his incapacities...
Have no more bearing on a m*llitary action, a tactical move or a decision of command than the fortunes of an anthill that you step on when we move out to att*ck.
They are the enemy.
They are American.
If, when we enter the cave and they are lying on the ground, I can assure you I will have no more compunction about making them a head shorter than I would stepping on that anthill.
But they are men.
They are enemy, and this is w*r, and in w*r, you k*ll.
You k*ll, lieutenant.
You k*ll until you are ordered to stop k*lling.
You k*ll until you are ordered to stop k*lling.
No!
Sections, assemble.
Sergeant Yamasaki, you will handle the first section.
Sergeant Hiro, you will take the second section.
Lieutenant ishimoto, yours is the third section.
All right? We move out.
I will take care of you when we return.
Captain!
What you do to those men in the cave, will it shorten the w*r by a week, by a day, by an hour?
May I ask the captain what is his pleasure?
How many must die before he's satisfied.
Offhand, lieutenant yamuri, I would say all of them.
I don't care where they are or who they are.
If they are the enemy, they are to be destroyed.
First day of the w*r, last day of the w*r, we destroy them!
Any time you say, lieutenant.
Any time you say, lieutenant.
Form lines for the duck sh**t.
Causarano...
Something happened.
Something... lieutenant katell.
Orders, lieutenant. They want us off the hill.
Who says?
Colonel Hardin at headquarters.
The air force dropped a b*mb on japan this morning.
They call it an atomic b*mb.
Hello. What's all this about?
They figure the b*mb will end the w*r in a couple of days.
They want the units to pull back and see what happens.
Let's get ready to move out of here.
You with us, lieutenant?
Yeah, I'm with you.
Is it something, lieutenant?
Yeah, it's something.
Well, / wouldn't fret.
There will be other caves and other wars, other human beings you can knock off.
I hope not.
God help us, I hope not.
"the quality of mercy is not strained.
“it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
"upon the place beneath.
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
Shakespeare, the merchant of Venice, but applicable to any moment in time to any group of soldiery, to any nation on the face of the earth, or, as in this case, to the twilight zone.
Rod serling, creator of the twilight zone, will tell you about next week's story after this message.
And now, Mr. Serling.
Next week, an excursion into the shadowland of the hereafter.
Miss Gladys cooper and Mr. Robert Redford combine sizable talents to bring you a script by George Clayton Johnson entitled, nothing in the dark.
The dark, in this case, being the little nooks, crannies and closets of those regions presided over by mr. Death.
I hope you'll be with us next week for nothing in the dark.
Our population's expanding faster than our colleges.
For more classrooms and finest professors, help the college of your choice.