Court Martial (TV Series) Taps for the Sergeant (1966) User Reviews

At the Front

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 3 November 2014]

COURT MARTIAL – Taps for the Sergeant - 1965

Court Martial was a U.S. Military series that ran during 1965- 66 It followed a group on Army lawyers based in England during the latter half of World War Two. The lawyers are played by Peter Graves and Bradford Dillman. They are helped in their duties by Kenneth J Warren and Diane Clare. The series ran for a total of 26 episodes and one pilot film. The series was produced in the UK. This particular episode is the second one of the run.

Peter Graves is sent to the front lines in France to defend a Sergeant charged with assaulting his commanding officer. The Sergeant, Lee Montague, was upset with the actions of his Lt. George Roubicek. He blames Roubicek for the death of 12 of his soldiers. Roubieck had ordered a bridge destroyed before all his men had returned from patrol. Montague had attacked the Lt and had been arrested for the assault.

Graves listens to the man and asks him about witnesses etc. Just then, a German air raid hits the area, and Montague escapes in the confusion. The next few days are spent looking for the man. They hunt him down at the farm of a girl Montague was known to have taken a fancy to.

Graves and the MP's swoop in and put the grab on Montague. While on the way back to Headquarters, the group run into a patrol of German's laying mines on the roadway. The Americans are quickly captured and locked in the cellar of a bombed house. The Germans are a bit busy with planting their mines to deal with them at the moment.

Veteran soldier, Montague devises a plan for them to escape. The plan works and the men soon turn the tables on the Germans after a brisk firefight. Montague tells Graves they must destroy the newly laid mines as an American tank battalion is due any time.

Montague sets off the mines in sequence to clear the danger but is killed doing so. Graves returns to Headquarters and puts Montague up for a Bronze Star Medal.

Grave Decision

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 29 August 2017]

***SPOILERS*** Given the job of defending Sgt. Joe Rios, Lee Montague,who in a fit of drunken rage, after downing some half dozen shots of 86% Yukon Jack whiskey, belted his company commander Lt. Jeffery Ames, George Roublcek, Maj.Frank Whittker, Peter Graves, tries to have Rios plead guilty and throw himself on the mercy of court in order to keep himself from getting shot for insubordination. Rios feels that what he did to Ames was a lot less harmful then what Ames did to his men of whom 12 ended up getting killed by the Germans when their only way of escape,the bridge, was blown up on Ames orders thus not giving them the chance to cross it.

It's just then that the German troops, some disguised as US GI's, open up an offensive on the GI's together with Sgt. Rios and Maj. Whittker trapping them in the wine basement of the house that their hiding in. It's then that Rios a seasoned guerrilla fighter as well as explosive expert goes into action detonation the mines that the Germans planted in and around the besieged town that's to annihilate the US armored unit that's coming to the trapped GI's rescue. Working against the clock Sgt. Rios tries to disarm the German explosives only to end up getting blown to pieces but saving those, including Maj. Whittker, trapped in the wine basement.

****SPOILERS*** With the danger Now over in pops Let.Ames demanding that the late Sgt. Rios still be court martial-ed for his insubordination. It's then that an outraged Maj.Whittker lets Let. Ames have it in what a unfeeling and 1st class jerk he is. Not in him being responsible in letting 12 of Sgt. Rios' men get killed by having the bridge blown up preventing their escape from the German Army. But now not dropping the charges against Sgt. Rios who kept the Germans for ambushing the US Army unit out to save not only him but Maj. Whittker and fellow GI's trapped in the wine basement! In the end Sgt. Rios' French girlfriend Yvette, Molra Redmond, ended up getting the silver star that he earned and as for Let. Ames he ended up doing KP & motor pool duty for the remainder of war.