FIRST LEAVE

oh we go first shortly and boy how you've been looking forward to it from now on it's Christmas and fourth of July every day for days and days and days no more boot camp you're over the hump now you're solving your Navy now you feel it and you look she's not a long time since you were lined up over there at the city and of course you were not naturally briefed [Applause] remember your first day at the induction Center gosh was that just a few weeks ago seems like years you didn't look much like Navy then but somewhere way down inside you you can't help it all right man let's line up for your row and as you lined up to take the oath of induction raise your right hand go feet after me face and I I your name in full I Steve Harris do solemnly swear to bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully and that I will serve them honestly in that moment again until their enemies you weren't a kid anymore it's grown-up and remember when you reported at the station you wanted to march through the gate get tried but you kept tangling with the others you wondered whether you ought to salute and if so who and how you wondered what would happen next you found out [Music] bend over and pull out your cheeks [Music] remember the first time you saw yourself in uniform Navy uniform you are pretty proud that's gone and that phrase let's go set the tempo for a new life with a strange life at first maybe a world of clumsy just a little [Music] yeah you weren't exactly 400 at birth it was pretty hard to see how that eternal March calisthenics and manual of arms had anything to do with the complex teamwork of a ship in action when the sweats running into your eyes and your leggings are sandpapering your ankle you're so tired your tongue tastes like a dead herring the drill field seems an awful long way from blue water and fighting Navy but you took it and after while you found the more you took the more you could take and then you are changing in more than muscle all the talk about discipline and precision began to mean something you were beginning to fit you had the feeling of being part of something something big it was a good thing then you began counting the days until the day it tried to be nonchalant you weren't excited much and finally one morning that's right Ariel a flavors hang on - yes sir it has yes I remember you and maybe while you're on leave be a credit to the negative yes sir and that is yes sir put back on time and that means on time sir and as it see don't do anything I wouldn't do yes sir I mean no sir so now at last you're shoving off you didn't sleep much last night too busy planning how to make every minute count now you get it - over any delay come on pull the cord let's go [Music] at last you're on the home stretch sitting on top of the world you've noticed how high is turned to that uniform mmm mighty pretty eyes - so you start tracking my office oh hey I don't belong you know if I were a man I want to give a favor I think it's so much cuter than the army you know they say if you want action you join an ad ah don't you have some of the most hair-raising experiences the last eight weeks were awful just plain hell did you get wounded shot or anything sure I in both arms and in the back and in the back how horrible don't you see what at the time frankly yes but we get over it you know that's war just the way you say it makes me stay tell me what it's like when the guns are going off on a battleship very very simple oh well to tell you the truth I am I can't tell you very much about it he said honey he can't tell you why because because of the military secret our biggest four guys say is a guess I better be going up my seat on the bone I remember mm-hmm mother want to follow your line say last time you saved my life you're a human I wrong well enough to ready to leave anyway first time home in over a year guys with all that stuff you're right absolutely alcohol take it easy tell me how's things around home I'll abide like always a few more girls wearing pants working at the Mills yeah I suppose so gee I hope they haven't forgotten about feeling they're closed altogether I like my girls look like women what started taking on throwing my weight around a little nunchuck stacked up against those ribbons I'm not even in the Navy listen once you climb into uniform your navy and don't ever forget it haven't given these oh they'll come you can talk you've got a ship I was a boot once too you know the thing that gets me is always snapping into everything like a doggone machine when your ship is an action then you'll understand why couple of seconds margin is all it takes to put in that first stop maybe to think of ship maybe deciding on gage Minh and I see that but you get that way on a ship and you can't wait to get aboard to work up that kind of snap maybe don't seem so important not to believe me it pays off at the finish I know I've been there yeah but don't you see hey cease firing will ya I came home for fun tell me how you're gonna spend your leave well maybe it sounds nuts but first of all I'm gonna have me a breakfast in bed 1200 hmm breakfast in bed well why not no bugle no assembly no calisthenics no drill or work detail your breakfast in bed and you've got the appetite to do justice to a hero's breakfast oh so you don't think you're a hero you've got a lot to learn about the magic of the uniform [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] let's see don't worry about him he'll be back oh we haven't seen him all week go grab yourself another drink and have some fun [Music] sorry die [Music] night [Music] with the galaxy oh that's enticing don't you remember them I haven't seen us you been away at school oh come on let's go inside have a drink okay what's cooking in the Navy drill drill dress undress hey sweetie constable young two minutes okay what is it well [Music] [Applause] right [Music] honey I guess you don't remember should I say maybe it's the uniform well a uniform to make a lot of difference there yeah why don't we get out of here well if you saw us just [Music] but a lovely evening oh yeah and with a dull party oh look we can do something about that I know a beautiful spot tonight Oh tada uh-huh I always go home with a guy with drawn me oh well listen we can take care of that too now come on mmm not for me I'm shutting off tomorrow come on this is our night moonlight music let's do something about it sure we could do a lot about it tomorrow and on it I can't you understand I'm due back tomorrow night you're in the Admiral got a date with a battle gosh why don't I meet you before well you have none but I guess it's too late um listen come on talk me into it [Music] I wonder why Steve doesn't hurry um you know I guess I'd better break that up it's about time if you ask me Oh give the kid a break what says last night but you stay right there honey not fine now okay good night okay Damo ghetto give must have been a terrific fight we are all cut and bloody can i beautiful your night sailor until tomorrow night soil boy I really had myself a gun what's the matter with you Mac you ain't talking this is Steve yo shoving off in the morning aren't you that's what's bothering well I suddenly wouldn't let any dizzy then make a chump out of me hey wait a minute shore Patrol when I get a date with a dame like that I keep it okay look that day on the train together when I shut off my mouth about the Navy remember so what well I wished I'd told you about the Briggs and the B CDs hey wait a minute [Music] in the Navy they don't iron clothes they roll yes fill them all full of wrinkles come on dance clothes team was just telling your mother your gear isn't exactly according to regulations but I guess you can pick them mom you don't now you shush I've been washing and ironing clothes for 25 years my way maybe you're no lady what's all this for she don't trust maybe cook wants to make sure you don't starve now don't tell me the Navy's above pie there Apple why not look for that Navy captain that you were talking about you know he seems to be an awful nice fella no look mom I can't take a PI data thinking of fight of the captain that I want to see well never you mind I'll bet he liked it yeah but what do you see mom I see you've been drinking mom I'm not a kid anymore that's 15 bodies for you always showing off with their fancy punch we're a little sad you're ready to get sick at your stomach no mother I thought you looked funny the last night Holman where is it sir to be feeling fine in the morning mom I'm all right it's just tonight Steve guess you better take a couple of turns around the block just to settle your mother's stomach okay daddy I guess I will be back in a few minutes honey I don't think I bear down on him quite so strong can't follow them all through the Navy making sure he's clean behind the ears and such but after all you lookee here that's always been a credit to us all his life [Music] anything else no Charlie's [Music] there's Steve glass appearing of the family say Charlie how's about a check can't hold up the work you know ya mean by that crying just that I got 200 miles to drive the load of supercharges before morning what do you suggest to your bus sailor [Music] Wow well a shipmate are there Mac come on beat it on your way a store with ship meeting we surely yeah but you better get out before the Night Watch comes by and LEM I see Mac husband let me ship me have a couple fun night one a couple of days over you know oh yeah you've done the same thing the Navy expects that event on them yeah well what happens when you get there aa couple of taste of brig couple days pay maybe a little extra duty so what you're kind on then those who would do the dirty jobs around ship yeah seems that way yeah this Navy is no place for a Ronald boy you have your fun you do your turn in to bring everybody square place clean so what can you lose what can you move stay back about that sighs um hey and you lose to you the police car just drove up in front yes we're the head you know max don't go ways I'll be right back better get out before he makes you for a 10-spot you've been hanging around all night kind of Mucha ride with a trucker baby help he's probably trying to get back with that phone I could bring more salt water out of this towel than the other salt oh hello Steve I'm the feel to be back home again I suppose you're just itching to get back when you do back why don't you try minding your own business now what the devil did I say [Music] [Music] you [Music] you and the the Admiral got a dick is a battle to solemnly swear I am very brave and allegiance to the United States of America report back on time and that means I'm telling mr. Clifton when you climb into uniform your navy and don't ever forget it I guess it's too late Oh [Music] come on talk me into it so what can you lose well this is your extra day of fun go ahead get about it you couldn't hang around home you had a duck the way your folks looked at you but on the street people look at you two and you wonder what they're thinking how much they know get away get away careful there's a cop suppose he asked you for your past that's right duck get out of sight and the girl we've planned a big evening but how are you going to entertain you figure to hit the high spots but somebody sure to know you're here and know you ought to be back at station no chance here either the shore patrols at that company so finally you wind up where you hope you'll be safe hey this was supposed to be a big night what's the idea of this dump what's beautiful I take it we can make the bright spots I might get picked up listen please God I didn't date a uniform to hide in a dark this is your idea of a wonderful time take me home okay that your big adventure you can't hang around town too many people know you you know you got to get back to your station sometime in fact now you'll want to get back but how you sure to meet the shore Patrol on the train so maybe assign some bombing takes a lot longer that way and people have a way of asking a man in uniform of flocking questions you tell a phony story and you wonder if he's catching on you figure you'd better not take a chance on him turning you in at the uniform sticks out like a flag that's it the uniform you forgive better ditching you suppose that chip believed your story how'd he have the nerve to soak you double for that mafia optic get going before he turns again got to keep moving but how you fresh out of money well you can always go to work for a while just a few days and some defense job you'll have money to get back yeah but if you dare ask for a job be sure to ask a lot of questions you don't dare answer your best bet is some job that nobody else wants but they're not so particular so you put out a fast line about your draft status and give a phony name and hope you're getting away with it [Music] tis much of a job worse than any job you ever had at the station but you keep promising yourself you won't have to stick at it very long and you don't you don't even find out who it was it turned you in then it turns out that the days you spend in this crummy civilian Jail are added on to your AOL days while the city police get in touch with the Navy days waiting for the Navy to pick you up so at last you're back on station yeah but it's not exactly a hero's return you sure don't feel Navy now you're only wishing to god nobody could see you and when you tell your story to the district officer it sounds just plain dumb you wanted an extra day and somehow it stretched into weeks an extra day for fun that you never had now all you want is to settle up and get back to duty I'm willing to pay up for whatever I've done you still don't realize how serious this is do you why would you mean sir you're in trouble Harris real trouble you may even be charged with desertion in time of war desertion I was just a few days it wasn't just a few days there was a lot of important days to Uncle Sam each and every one of those days that you were over the hill you might just as well have been on the other side working for Hitler and the Japs you're enough hurry but you wait wait for the Navy Department to investigate your case wait day after day takes time to get all the facts and the Navy doesn't guess so you wait [Music] you keep hearing the drums other men doing things maybe just a work detail maybe some boots off the grill maybe some other leave party [Music] maybe some detail going to see maybe you're on camping [Music] so you wait and wonder then one day you began to learn what you were up against you learned a lot of things like the difference between a few hours a few days overly and you're kind of overly you learn the meaning of B CDs and you DS and Deedee's you learn about loss of citizenship and the blot on a man's record and on his life and not even the President of the United States forever they assigned an officer to defend you but what defense could you give you stayed over an extra day and then something happened sounded silly even to you you found out how much better off you'd have been to have turned yourself in that first day instead of waiting to be picked up yeah you learned a lot of things too late and you wondered what would happen to you you wondered and waited until finally [Music] there in the Steven Harris apprentice in the United States Naval Reserve also served on active duty at the United States Naval Training station leans on was just boot training but it was active duty dessert from said station from the United States Naval Service and remained a deserter until he's delivered and I heard they will train human oh no that's wrong they just don't understand United States them being state award yes this is war that makes a difference listen the president you've heard the charges specification preferred against you I'll tell you the specification of the chocolate builder you're not guilty you were coming back I'll say to the charge guilty company on that song not guilty you never intended to come back to the Navy did you object to that question because of invades of profits of this Court gentlemen this accused wants you to believe that he had no intention to permanently abandon the Naval Service they merely wanted overstays leave by one day for one more day of fun in all during this period of unauthorized absence he made no effort to turn himself over to naval authorities although there are innumerable opportunities to do so the fact that he removed his naval uniform that he assumed the fictitious names and sought employment on the side all indicate that he did have such an intention to permanently abandon the service and I submit to this court that Q should be found guilty the charge preferred against him he should be found guilty of desertion in time of war the trial is finished the court is cleared any discussion gentlemen now you're beginning to realize what you've got to lose do you figure it's worth it Oh No [Applause] well take a little ride with he usually gets there gosh I never figured you would so I got the car off next well I ain't got time for breakfast my humor I got a hurry well we'll pick that ma you say to that captain here's the pie from home and just see what he said yes sir that I want to hear are you going to keep your mom to die [Music] I can carry on and put your chicken [Music] [Music]