2014 Zach Tretter

The Silent Soldier

Zach Tretter




























2014 Zach Tretter




Characters

George Aimes
George is the main character. Hes got nothing to lose. The men in his platoon ask who he is,
where hes from. He answers with silence and then says later that this wastes their time that half
of the people here are going to die. George is a cynical pessimist. He believes that he is there to
die.

Jack Foren
He always was a rebel, never really thought he would be anybody, but hides that he always did,
when he gets mortally wounded, he tells his platoon that he always wanted to be a doctor, so he
could make peoples lives better and healthier than his.

Ronald Schwartz
Ronald is the Silent soldier, he doesnt speak until the end of Georges speech about his view.
He is an optimist. He does his duty and accepts what there is and makes the best of it.

Captain Austin
He is an older man (35 years) who believes he has nothing to do here but die. He uses his last
strengths to save his platoon but dies in the end. He solely believes that death is a reward, for
living through life.

Scene I: Credits

Scene II: Walking to North Vietnam

JACK FOREN
Ok so let me get this straight, you want to be in this shithole?

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
I volunteered, Im 35, Ive seen everything I wanted to see, except the Jungle.

JACK FOREN
Like what?

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
Ya know, Paris, Wall of China, Grand Canyon, you name it.

JACK FOREN
And you just wanted to see the fuckin jungle?

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
Yep, just wanted to see the trees. (I guess)

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JACK FOREN
What a load of shit! Haha, cmon guy, the jungle, just look in a magazine or something, it really
aint that special.

CAPTAIN AUSTIN (To Himself)
Its special to me.

The scene shows the PLATOON moving through some trees as some HELICOPTERS fly by.
The scene instantly shows the faces of RONALD SCHWARTZ and GEORGE AIMES looking
up towards the SOUND of the HELICOPTERS.

JACK FOREN
So uh, Capm where ya think we headed?

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
Up towards Vinh.

GEORGE AIMES
(nudges at JACK)
Hey loud guy,(to JACK), call the Captain sir.

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
Its fine kid, I dont care, I just want to move up without getting fried.

JACK FOREN
Dont we all.

The scene shows the PLATOON coming up to a TRENCH in which the rest of the movie will be
shot. They REST and CAPTAIN AUSITN pulls out his canteen and begins to drink.

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
Well rest up here for a while, looks as if its gonna pour.

JACK FOREN
Aw shit what is this? (He hits his arm)

GEORGE AIMES
Its probably just a mosquito, calm down.

JACK FOREN
Fuckin hurt.

GEORGE AIMES
Not as much as a bullet, man.

2014 Zach Tretter


JACK FOREN
youve been shot?

GEORGE AIMES
Nah, but Im countin on it.

JACK FOREN
Why?

GEORGE AIMES
Why else, were in the middle of the god damn jungle, weve got barely any ammo, not much
water left, were just waiting for those bullets to come and make everything right again.

JACK FOREN
Sounds like a load of shit to me.

GEORGE AIMES
What doesnt sound like a load of shit to you?

JACK FOREN
Not a lot of things, I mean I get it, but dont you have family, ma an pop?

GEORGE AIMES
(SILENT)

JACK FOREN
I got some family back down in Georgia, my pop said that I need to get on my feet after the war,
but knowing me, thats not happening, yea.

GEORGE AIMES
got nothing going for you, eh?

JACK FOREN
Not much that interests me; everythings a load of crap.

Both LAUGH then stare at RONALD SCHWARTZ who is just sitting by, minding his own
business.

JACK AIMES
An how bout you? (to GEORGE) who is this guy?

GEORGE AIMES
No idea.

2014 Zach Tretter


RONALD is just sitting by silently minding his own business. He looks just like any
AVERAGE soldier. CAPTAIN AUSTIN returns from his walk and looks up at the sky to still
see RAIN CLOUDS. TINY crackles of thunder are heard.



CAPTAIN AUSTIN
Just wait for it.

PRECISELY after the line is spoken a gunshot is heard and a BULLET rips through the TREES.
The scene turns into a GRITTY nightmare.

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
Get down!

GEORGE AIMES
(to JACK) did you see where it came from? (then to RONALD) (Whispering) Hey! Did you see
where it came from?

RONALD holds his weapon and looks forward. About 3 more GUNSHOTS are heard. ALL the
soldiers look FRIGHTEND.

CAPTAIN AUSTIN
(Fidgetty freightened, ducking down, camera shows him wetting his pants). IM DONE.

CAPTAIN AUSTIN runs out of the trench SPRAYING bullets. More GUNSHOTS are heard
and the CAPTAIN is gunned down.

JACK FOREN
Captain? Captain?!

GEORGE AIMES
Shit, Shit man!

RONALD walks quietly up towards the trench.

JACK FOREN
I guess he saw the jungle!
Cmon George, fuck this! Ahhhh (storms out of trench frantically)

GEORGE AIMES
What! What are you doing? Wait! Come back!

JACK FOREN gets up to his feet and starts spraying into the woods. More bullets are heard and
JACK is hit. HE falls close to the trench. GEORGE is at first startled then moves to aid JACK.

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GEORGE AIMES
Jack!

In front of GEORGE, RONALD is aiming his weapon and fires a few bullets.

JACK FOREN
Oh shit, is it bad?!

GEORGE AIMES
Its fine! Its fine!

JACK FOREN
Fuck it; I wanna go home, I wanna be a doctor I want to help people

GEORGE AIMES
Shut up, shut up!

JACK FOREN
I, wann. (he dies)

GEORGE AIMES
Jack? Jack! Ahh shit. (Freaking out)

NOISE is heard from the brush surrounding the TRENCH. GEORGE frantically aims his gun at
the brush and begins to open fire. An UNFAMILIAR voice is heard.

RONALD
Hey! Hey! Cease fire!

GEORGE
C-Captain?

RONALD
No, its Ronald!

GEORGE
Who?

RONALD
Im in your damn platoon!

RONALD creeps slowly out of the brush with his hands up.

RONALD
Its me.

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RONALD comes over by GEORGEs side. RONALD jumps over the ridge and gunshots are
heard. RONALD comes over the ridge and looks over at GEORGE.

RONALD SCHWARTZ
I got him, it was only one guy.

GEORGE AIMES
Huh? Only one guy?

RONALD SCHWARTZ
Yea (sighs), he did all this. Such a shame.
(begins to walk away)

GEORGE AIMES
Hey? Where are you going?

RONALD SCHWARTZ
The same way weve been moving since dawn, north.

GEORGE AIMES
Dont you wanna show these guys some respect


RONALD
I am by following orders.

GEORGE
But theyre your friends!

RONALD
No, they were your friends, they were to me, a small town rookie with a big opportunity who
failed to realize it and a nave captain who thought he saw everything. Its just a shame that they
didnt live to realize it.

GEORGE
They didnt deserve this.

RONALD
No one does, but thats the reality

GEORGE
But they didnt want this

RONALD
Why are you talking like theyre still alive, hes gone now, theres nothing we can do except
move on.
2014 Zach Tretter



GEORGE
Ok, you dont talk at all this whole time and now when you finally speak you lecture me about
life and death.

RONALD
(Edit this) Were here to do what we gotta do, and when it comes down to it, thats all we can
do(Walk away)
The way I see it, if I made conversation with them and made friends, it would make fighting here
a feelings fight. Im here to fight the war and hope I dont get killed, does that satisfy?

GEORGE
But we cant leave them like this!

RONALD
What else do you want to do, eh? Wait for another one of these guys to show up? Like I said,
theres nothing better we can do then just to move on.

GEORGE
They didnt deserve this.

RONALD
No they didnt, but this is real life, this is war, no one deserves shit.
(walks away)

FADE OUT