[Blithe gets out of his foxhole to investigate a noise. He hears a click and fumbles around trying to find his own clicker]
Capt. Ronald Speirs: [offscreen] Flash?
Pvt. Albert Blithe: Thunder... thunder!
[Speirs emerges from the woods]
Pvt. Albert Blithe: Lieutenant Speirs, sir.
Capt. Ronald Speirs: Where you goin', Private?
Pvt. Albert Blithe: Just... check out the noise, sir.
Capt. Ronald Speirs: I just came from there, everything's under control.
Pvt. Albert Blithe: Yes, sir.
[they walk back to Blithe's foxhole]
Capt. Ronald Speirs: Got some nervous privates in your company.
Pvt. Albert Blithe: We do, sir. W-we do, I can vouch for that.
Capt. Ronald Speirs: They just don't see how simple it is.
Pvt. Albert Blithe: Simple what is, sir?
Capt. Ronald Speirs: Just do what you have to do.
Pvt. Albert Blithe: Like you did on D-Day, sir?
[Speirs turns to go, but Blithe stops him]
Pvt. Albert Blithe: Lieutenant... sir, when I landed on D-Day, I found myself in a ditch all by myself. I fell asleep. I think it was, it was... airsickness pills they gave us. When I woke up, I didn't really... try to find my unit... to fight. I just... I just kinda stayed put.
[Speirs silently regards him for a moment]
Capt. Ronald Speirs: What's your name, trooper?
Pvt. Albert Blithe: I'm Blithe, sir. Albert Blithe.
Capt. Ronald Speirs: You know why you hid in that ditch, Blithe?
Pvt. Albert Blithe: [quietly] I was scared.
Capt. Ronald Speirs: We're all scared. You hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope. But Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier's supposed to function. Without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it.
