Against the Sun

1942.

The South Pacific.

The New Year finds USS Enterprise

and her crew of 2000 men

preparing to deliver greetings to the Japanese

in the form of

torpedo bombers and fighter planes.

With last month's attack

on Pearl Harbor still fresh

in the minds of these American aviators

that revenge is a dish best served...

Piping hot!

Chief, this is Aldrich.

Uh, I'm losing her on the Hayrake.

Come on. Where you going?

Chief, I've lost the beacon, over.

Are we close, Chief?

I'll give him a tap. Maybe his comm is down.

Chief?

Can you hear us, over?

Loud and clear, boys.

Just waiting for this wind to tell me which direction

she wants to blow.

Pastula, take another drift sight. That's not how I'm

reading those wave tops.

Yes, Chief.

15 degrees.

Same read as the outbound, Chief.

If that's correct

she's off to the east.

I had her west.

I'm taking her east.

6-Tare-14 requesting an inbound bearing, over?

Chief, we've broken radio silence!

Affirmative. We need a bearing.

Confirm you're on 79.

Seven-niner confirmed. I reckon we're still too far out.

Well, keep trying.

Blue Base, this is 6-Tare-14.

Do you read? Come in, Blue Base.

Over.

Chief?

Go.

On the MF.

I heard Jap talk.

I pulled the plug.

Roger that. Let's go silent on Morse.

Silent on Morse, affirmative.

How are we on fuel, Chief?

Low.

Pastula, we need to make altitude. Drop the ordnance.

Aye-aye, Chief.

Bombs away.

Aldrich

hit that MF.

But the Japs, Chief.

Do it!

Blue Base

this is 6-Tare-14. Do you read? 6-Tare-14

to Blue Base. Come in, Blue Base, over.

Like hell she's east.

Enterprise, this is 6-Tare-14.

Do you read?

Get on it, Aldrich!

I'm on it.

We're out of range.

Boys...

before we run out of fuel.

Snug up your vests

and stand by for a water landing. Understood?

Damn!

Affirmative, Chief.

Pastula?

Aldrich, gather the flares, the smoke candles

and the first aid kit.

We're going to need the flashlights.

Pastula, grab the rations and the water

and ready the life raft.

And keep your heads, boys.

Pass this back.

Got it.

Coming through.

Grab a parachute!

A parachute?

Prepare to ditch.

Brace for impact!

Ahhh!

Pastula!

Here, chief.

Aldrich!

Here!

Step lively, boys!

C'mon!

Chief!

Ahh!

Oh, no!

Come here.

Damn thing won't inflate!

Ahh!

The valve is jammed! Train that beam.

Unship your weapons.

They're dragging us down.

I can't get it!

There goes mine!

Mine too.

That makes a difference.

This...

Damn thing.

There it goes!

It's too heavy to lift!

Maybe if we--

Aldrich!

If you get trapped under there again

just deflate the vest a little bit.

Swim down and out. Understood?

I can't swim much.

You're kidding.

You?

Not really, Chief.

Oh!

For crying out--

Okay.

This is gonna be hard to turn over in these swells.

If we take off our vests

string 'em together, tie one on here

and throw the other across

then we go around and pull.

Good idea.

Except neither one of you can swim.

Just have to hold tight to the hand rail.

Real tight.

Okay, let's give it a go.

Here.

Alright.

Okay, go around and I'll toss it over.

Okay. Ready?

Yeah.

Here it comes!

You got it?

Alright we got it.

Alright, get a grip.

Now heave like you mean it!

One, two, three!

Hold her down.

I'll go around the other side and climb in.

Kippers in a can got more space.

Let's try laying athwart.

Aldrich...

when I was on deck. Didn't get a good look at you.

Harold Dixon.

Gene Aldrich.

You'll get a gander in the morning, Chief.

I'm sure I'll be here.

Pastula. Is that Italian?

Polish, Chief.

I've made a couple of hops with you before.

Oh, yeah?

I don't remember.

We'll be picked up come morning.

You reckon, Chief?

That's what I'm hoping.

Hoping?

Come early morning, they'll be on us like an old hound dog.

It's so damn hot inside that plane.

It's freezing out here.

Cock-a-doodle-doo, boys.

Well, we made it.

I worried she wouldn't keep us afloat

but she's still ship-shape.

Thank God.

Gene Aldrich.

Now I know you.

I couldn't put a face to the name.

In all my glory, Chief.

Who's up for a fresh cup of coffee?

Henree!

Time to put on the pot.

Yeah.

Thanks, Henry.

'Henry'. Why Henry?

Oh, it's

that show, you know, off the radio!

Henree!

Henry Aldrich!

Nah. Never heard of it.

you were gonna land in the drink, I thought 'Boy...

Thought I couldn't land her, huh?

Wasn't that some flying!

I mean he just laid her right down.

Yeah, he sure did.

You know, Aldrich

I've been wondering...

I don't understand how you couldn't raise that carrier.

We couldn't have been more than 20 miles out

at one point.

Even at 40

you should've caught something, right?

You tell me, Chief. How far out were we?

We should keep our eyes peeled.

Right?