The Last Rifleman

BIRDSONG

INSECTS BUZZ

Hold the line!

DISTANT EXPLOSION

DISTANT GUNFIRE

Do you know they eat snails in France?

Aye?

Whatever you say, Charlie.

See, when this is all done

me and you, we can go and get Maggie

and we can bring her to Paris and go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower

and we can drink champagne and all.

The Three Musketeers from East Belfast. Right?

CROW SQUAWKS

CROW SQUAWKS

GUNFIRE Incoming!

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

MEN SHOUT

Jesus Christ!

We're sitting ducks out here! Hold the line!

HEAVY BREATHING

Come on, Artie!

Oh...

Oh...

HE MURMURS

KNOCK ON DOOR

Mornin', Artie. - HE MOANS

And how are we today?

Not a bad morning.

You might get to sit out again.

Don't forget to take those tablets.

Can I give you a hand with anything?

No.

DOOR SHUTS

She's awake, Artie.

What?

Maggie's awake.

Oh.

Hi.

HE MUTTERS

There you go.

HE CHUCKLES

Charlie?

No, love.

No.

It's Artie.

It's Artie.

Oh...

Aye.

Thank you, Carol. You're watching Breakfast News

Friday, the 24th of May.

The time is ten past eight.

As the 75th anniversary of D-Day approaches, we look back...

Good morning, Artie.

...personal stories of young men and their families

touched by the horrors of war.

More than 150, 000 US, British, and Canadian soldiers

stormed the beaches of Normandy the 6th of June, 1944.

The massive movement of troops and artillery...

BIRDSONG

Raspberry ripple today, love.

Your favourite.

There you are.

Haven't had that in a long time.

Remember when we'd go to Bangor for the day, huh?

We got raspberry ripple there.

That one time with Gloria

when Caroline was wee.

Rained the whole day, so it did.

Not that you were bothered. HE CHUCKLES

You sang

The Day We Went To Bangor all the way home on the train.

Aye.

HE SIGHS

Night, night, love.

There you go.

Oh.

INAUDIBLE SPEECH

INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE

HE SIGHS

Oh...

I'm sorry, Artie.

Maggie's gone.

Oh...

She went peacefully in her sleep.

Oh!

Oh...

Oh, Maggie.

Oh, Maggie.

Maggie, I'm here.

I'm here, Maggie. I'm here, Maggie.

I'm here. Oh, Maggie.

I'm here, Maggie.

Oh, Maggie.

Oh, Maggie, Maggie.

I'm here.

I'm here, Maggie.

CROW CAWS

Mum, please.

Go on.

Come on, Granda-Daddy.

It's time to go.

You'll be OK now? - I will.

We'll come visit again next week.

Alright.

Now just you look after yourself.

And be nice to those nurses.

HE CHUCKLES

I will.

Bye, now.

Bye, Granda-Daddy.

OK. Bye.

Tomorrow on the eve of the 75th anniversary of D-Day

this very special group of veterans will travel to Portsmouth...

Load of old nonsense, if you ask me.

Still livin' off past glories, the lot of 'em.

The Royal British Legion has chartered this ship, the HMS...

You never went back there, Artie? In all this time?

Not that I blame you. I mean...

who in their right mind would go back to that place?

Leave the past where it bloody belongs

that's what I say.

... first time in Normandy since witnessing unspeakable horrors first-hand.

Oh.

Oh.

HE MURMURS

Good morning, Lough Valley Nursing Home. Tracy speaking.

Yeah, I'll transfer you now.

I'm sorry, Artie.

What?

Mrs Tedjury's a bit busy at the minute. Can I help you?

PHONE RINGS

Good morning, Lough Valley Nursing Home. Tracy speaking.

I'd love for you to go, Artie

but we've a responsibility to your family

and a duty of care to you.

I'm fitter than men half my age.

You're a 92-year-old diabetic. - Aye.

With erratic blood pressure.

HE SCOFFS - And a weak heart.

Well...

You've a dysfunctional kidney, arthritis...

and a medication plan so complex

that students use it for research.

HE HUFFS

Even if you could travel

I couldn't let you go without a medical team

and an air ambulance on standby.

Well, sounds like you have me dead and buried already.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

KNOCK ON DOOR

Hey, Artie. - Eh?

Oh.

What're you at?

You plannin' a wee excursion or something?

I am.

Where to?

Up your hole, pickin' daisies.

How in the name of God do you think you're going to get to Normandy?

You can't even find the bathroom on your own.

Very funny.

Listen, Artie.

We're all put out about Maggie.

She was a fine woman, no question.

But is this not a bit extreme?

You survived it once.

Goin' back there now is only asking for trouble.

TOM SIGHS

HE CHUCKLES

Well...

I wish you luck.

You're gonna need it.

If you say "during the war" once more

I'm gonna pour this cup of tea right over your head.

I wasn't gonna say "during the war."

Well, that's alright then. - Bloody little know-all.

Alright. - AUDIENCE LAUGHTER ON TV

I'm sorry. - Thank you.

During the 1939-1945 conflict with Germany...

"Dear Charlie.

When you get this letter..."

...played a critical role in the run up to D-Day...

Get off me.

Come on, let's go. Come on.

... delay by 24 hours after the prediction of bad weather.

Of course, the weather had to be taken into account

for sea, for air, for land...

TEACUP CLATTERS - Oh...

... the weather on the 5th of June in 1944 wasn't great

but today it's not bad at all, with many parts of the south coast...

VAN BEEPS

Artie?

Artie!

"Don't Fence Me In" by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

# Oh, give me land, lots of land #

# Under starry skies above #

# Don't fence me in #

# Let me ride through the wide open country that I love #

# Don't fence me in #

# Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze #