“AT THE YALU”

FADE IN:

EXT. NORTH KOREAN/CHINESE BORDER - DAY

Winter, 1950. Deathly cold. A young American, GI, PFC. DiMARCO, 19, emerges from behind a snowy hill. He is sloppily outfitted for the cold. His M1 rifle is at ready. He fights to keep his teeth from chattering.

DiMARCO

(under breath)

Christ, can it get any colder?

He suddenly spots something from across the river...

DiMARCO(cont.)

Shit!

...and drops face-down to the snow. He crawls backward behind the hill.

DiMARCO(cont.)

Sarge!

SGT. EDWARDS, 20 and slight, similarly outfitted as comes by and crouches next to DiMarco.

EDWARDS

What?

DiMARCO

Chinese. Across the river.

EDWARDS

We’re at the border. Why wouldn’t there be Chinese?

DIMARCO

In uniform??

EDWARDS

Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. Watch this:

Edwards steps out from the hill and waves his arms at the distant Chinese soldiers gathering wood on the other side.

DiMARCO

Sarge??

The Chinese scarcely pay Edwards any mind. Edwards looks back at DiMarco and shrugs.

CPL. SANDOVAL, 19, approaches. He carries a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).

SANDOVAL

We clear?

(spots Chinese)

Aw, fuck!

(to Edwards)

Say, ain’t those enemy?

DiMARCO

I thought so.

EDWARDS

These bunch haven’t gotten their orders, yet.

(to DiMarco)

Go back & tell the squad we’re heading back to camp.

DiMARCO

Yessir.

DiMarco trudges O.S.

Edwards & Sandoval gaze at the vast ice bridge and the increasing number of Chinese soldiers on the other side. Edwards and Sandoval return to behind the hill.

SANDOVAL

So Sarge, what are we supposed to do, blow up the fuckin’ border?

EDWARDS

Without dynamite? We’ve not been getting much in the drops.

Sandoval crosses himself. The two GIs then HEAR a growing sound of voices from across the river and ECHOing through the canyon.

SANDOVAL(cont.)

What are they doing?

EDWARDS

Sounds like... they’re laughing?

They come out from behind the hill for a glimpse...

There are now thousands of Chinese massed at the border, all filling the mountains with their laughter. When they catch sight of the dumbfounded GIs, they laugh even harder.

SANDOVAL

You know, they just might have a point, here.

EDWARDS

We have to bug out. We’re not defending against this.

Edwards & Sandoval sarcastically wave and smile at the Chinese and move away from the border.

SANDOVAL

Gonna be one helluva Christmas.

EDWARDS

You’re telling me.

They head into the woods.

FADE OUT