Lesson 20

[Kenneth Johnson]

Kenneth Johnson – Completed Act 3

I learned that I need to create more scenes to give the characters more chance to interact. What I have is the bare bones of the story and the character relationships.

Beginning: Over dinner, Michael tells Lee about his meeting with Melvin and feels they should talk.

Middle: He also shares that Melvin connected him with a veteran’s advocate who wants to honor all living Korean War veterans.

End: Lee explains that he doesn’t want to be honored. Tells the story of shipping out from San Francisco and arriving in Okinawa, Japan to join the 24th Infantry Regiment as a new recruit.

INT. LOCAL DINER – WINDOW BOOTH – NIGHT

Lee and Michael are looking at their menus. Lee is squinting and trying to run his finger under the words. Michael notices.

MICHAEL
Dad, it would be easier if you use your glasses.

LEE
Oh, it’s just dark in here.

MICHAEL
Dad…

LEE
Oh, all right.

Lee pulls out a pair of prescription sunglasses that he holds in front of the menu rather than putting them on. Michael starts to say something but thinks better of it.

An older waitress arrives at the table. She has a warm smile and has clearly served them before.

WAITRESS
Well hey you two. How have you been?

MICHAEL
Just fine, Sally. How about you?

SALLY
Keeping the masses fed. Are you ready to order?

LEE
Oh, I don’t know…

MICHAEL
We both know you’re going to have the Yankee Pot Roast and I’m going to have the California Club sandwich. You’re going to have an iced tea and I’m going to have a hot tea. Sound about right?

LEE
Oh… I guess.

Lee an Michael hand over their menus and the waitress takes them, beaming a motherly smile. She turns to leave.

WAITRESS
I’ll be back with those drinks.

After a pregnant pause.

LEE
So, what’s going on?

Michael pulls out Melvin’s BOOK.

MICHAEL
I found this book.

Lee take sees the book and turns away.

LEE
You’re still on about this?

MICHAEL
Wait, Dad, I met the author. He served in the 24th Infantry, too. He was there about the time you were. He’d like to talk to you.

Michael opens the book to the fly page where there is a note to Lee. Lee takes the book, scans the note and closes the book on the table.

LEE
I don’t need anymore friends.

MICHAEL
There’s one more thing, Dad. Melvin put me in touch with a woman from the U.S. State Department who is on a mission to honor every living Korean War veteran she can find.

LEE
Why would she do that?

MICHAEL
She’s Korean. There’s a meeting at the American Legion Post tomorrow and she’s going to be there. Will you come?

LEE
You talked to this woman already, right? What did you tell her?

MICHAEL
I told her what I know. I told her that you don’t sleep at night. I told her that you still wake up calling for your friends. She thinks she can help.

LEE
Nobody can help. She probably thinks telling my story will ease my mind or some such non-sense. My story is like so many others.

FLASH BACK

EXT. TROOP SHIP – SAN FRANCISCO BAY – DAY

A WWII liberty ship sails out past the Golden Gate Bridge loaded with troops.

EXT. TROOP SHIP – SIDE RAILING – DAY

Lee and his friends are all in their uniforms, laughing, pointing and punching each other in the shoulder.
LEE
(V.O. Narration)
We were young and stupid. In basic training they tried to warn us about what we were going into, but we thought we were invincible. What did we know? Most of us had never been more than 50 miles from where we were born.

EXT. TROOP SHIP – OKINAWA DOCK

Troops unload from the ship onto the dock.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
It took us just over two weeks to sail to Okinawa.

EXT. U.S. ARMY CAMP – TRAINING GROUND – DAY

Lee and his fellow Black troops are lined up at attention with all of their gear, while each in turn presents his orders as the officer who steps in front of them.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
When we got there, a white Lieutenant accepted our orders and introduced us to the 24th Infantry Regiment.

INT. U.S. ARMY CAMP – BARRACKS – DAY

Lee and his friends enter the barracks. The place is a mess. Guys are playing cards, drinking, and shooting craps.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
There was a lot of smoking, drinking, and drug use, but I focused on the training.

EXT. U.S. ARMY CAMP – TRAINING GROUND – DAY

Lee and his friends negotiate an obstacle course as a team of four with their weapons. They also climb ropes, and practice combat with fixed bayonets.

Taking a break, Lee relaxes with a cigarette as others in the background run laps.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
I did start smoking because anyone who wasn’t part of a smoke break had to run laps while the rest of us lit up.

EXT. U.S. ARMY CAMP – RIFLE RANGE – DAY

Laying in the prone position, Lee shoots his M1 Carbine rifle. The INSTRUCTOR, who is on a knee next him, pats Lee on the shoulder with a smile.
LEE
(V.O. Narration)
The Sergeants were really happy with the way I handled a rifle. They made me a marksmanship instructor.

END FLASH BACK

The waitress is standing there holding a tray with their food, and she is completely engrossed in Lee’s story, as are the people at the two closest tables.

LEE
Three weeks later, we got our orders to go into combat. When we got those orders, the scuttlebutt had it that or Executive Officer faked a heart attack so he wouldn’t have to lead a bunch of colored boys into battle. True or not, he did not go into combat with us.

Lee looks around. The waitress sets their plates down, smiles uncomfortably and quickly leaves. The folks at the other tables go back to their own business.

MICHAEL
This is exactly the kind of stuff we need to know.

LEE
I’m telling you, nobody needs this.

MICHAEL
This is history. Bob Marley sang about the Buffalo Soldier, and nobody around here knows that YOU were a Buffalo Soldier. You are the real thing. Please come to the meeting.

LEE
It only gets worse.

_________________________________

Beginning: Naomi Chun, the Korean American political attache addresses the American Legion to explain how the people of South Korea revere those veterans who served in the Korean War.

Middle: Naomi meets Lee and tells him of a special program where he can come to Korea and see what his efforts allowed to be created.

End: Lee tries to decline the offer, but Naomi gets down on her knees and implores Lee to come. He grudgingly agrees. Tells how he first went into Korea.

INT. AMERICAN LEGION POST – CABARET ROOM – NIGHT

The large room is dimly lit with about 20 Legionnaires and their loved ones seated at tables finishing their dinner. NAOMI CHUN is on the stage at the head of the room standing at a lectern. She is a tall and alarmingly good-looking Korean American woman. She is standing in front of a huge movie screen that project images of what she is discussing, currently a memorial in Kansas City.

NAOMI
I’ll be honest with you, traveling across the globe to do photo ops at more than 200 Korean War memorials in every country and U.S. state where I could find them was kind of a publicity stunt. I was trying to draw attention to an important chapter in history that many refer to as the forgotten war. During the Korean War, so many gave so much and then never got the recognition given to veterans of WWII or even Vietnam. Well, I can tell you there is an entire nation that owes its very existence to these brave men and women, and it is my mission to make sure they know how much we appreciate them.

There is a round of applause. Naomi smiles and nods.

Lee enters with Cheryl and sits down at a table where Michael is seated with his friend, Kevin, and his wife. All of the men are in jackets and ties, and the ladies are in evening wear.

Michael and Kevin rise to shake hands with Lee.

MICHAEL
I was afraid you weren’t going to come.

CHERYL
It wasn’t easy. Let’s just say it was the traffic and leave it at that.

LEE
Well, I’m here. Now what.

MICHAEL
I want you to meet Naomi Chun. She’s the lady I told you about.

LEE

I still don’t see the point to all of this.

Naomi has come down from the stage and has made a bee-line to Lee. The gentlemen all stand as she approaches. All except Lee who just stares her down.

NAOMI
You must be Lee.

She sits down next to Lee and puts a hand on his and leans in close.

NAOMI
It is such an honor to meet you. Michael has told me a little about you. I’m so glad we have this chance to meet.

There is a commotion by the stage as a photographer gathers some of the vets for a photo.

NAOMI
You must come with me. We are taking pictures with some of the other veterans. But you are special. You are the only veteran of the Korean War here tonight.

Lee is spellbound and to everyone’s surprise, he willingly follows her to join the others for a picture.
KEVIN
I thought you said he didn’t like taking pictures with veterans.

MICHAEL
I guess it just takes the right motivation.

CHERYL
How are you going to get from pictures with vets to flying to Korea. He’s not going along with that.

MICHAEL
We have a plan.

When the pictures are done, Naomi waves for Michael to join them. When Michael joins them, Naomi takes both of their hands but speaks directly to Lee.

NAOMI
I heard your time in Korea was hard. Your memories are not good ones. Your whole unit was wiped-out. But because of your sacrifice we have a country. We want you to know what an honor it is simply to be in your presence.

Naomi takes a step back, lowers herself to her knees and bows to gently touch her head to the floor. She raises up, still kneeling and looks Lee in the eye.

NAOMI
We want you to come to Seoul. You will be our guest.

Flummoxed, Lee looks around the room then looks to Michael.

LEE
Well, I don’t know.

MICHAEL
Sounds like a pretty amazing opportunity.

Naomi stands.

NAOMI
There is no cost. And Michael can accompany you. Will you come?

LEE
Can I think about it?

MICHAEL
What’s to think about? It doesn’t get much better than this.

LEE
Maybe, maybe not. The last time I was in Korea things were a lot worse.

FLASH BACK

EXT. KOREAN COUNTRYSIDE – ROAD – DAY

The Black soldiers march with their weapons as big six by six trucks drive by hauling equipment with artillery pieces towed behind.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
The first thing they told us was we had to walk into battle. Trucks are for equipment. And talking about equipment, everything we had was surplus left over from WWII.

EXT. KOREAN COUNTRYSIDE – CAMP – TWILIGHT

Lee cleans his old M1 Carbine rifle. Another soldier opens canned meat that looks like dog food.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
Our weapons, our uniforms, even our field rations. Some of the stuff we had was close to ten years old.

EXT. KOREAN COUNTRYSIDE – NIGHT

Lee and three other soldiers move warily through the underbrush with four more soldiers not far behind. All have their rifles at the ready.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
The toughest part was our assigned duty. Our job was to go out at night to where HQ thought the enemy might be.

Their Sergeant holds up a fist and they all stop. Then they all drop down. He pulls out a map and a small red flashlight. He taps Lee on the shoulder and points. Lee levels his weapon and fires one shot. Suddenly, the night is filled with gunfire. The Sergeant is handed a phone and he calls in the coordinates. He then orders a headlong retreat.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
We were to trigger an ambush, call in an artillery mission on our own position, and then run like hell. That was our job. Night after night: live bait.

Artillery shells arrive to devastate the area where they had been crouching.

END FLASH BACK

LEE
I guess I could go back.

Naomi gives Michael a not sure kind of look before confidently speaking to Lee.

NAOMI
This will be something special.

____________________________

Beginning: Lee and Michael clear customs at Inchon Airport and are greeted by their hosts.

Middle: Through the introductions, the photos and the gold neckerchiefs of honor, Lee sees some of the Korean War vets and he is uncomfortable, lets Michael do the talking.

End: They ride into Seoul on luxuriously appointed coach and stop at an expensive restaurant for a lavish banquet. Lee won’t touch the Korean food. Instead he pulls out packets of cheese and crackers that he brought from home.

INT. INCHON AIRPORT – LOBBY – DAY

Lee and Michael come out of customs into the brightly lit cavernous lobby of the airport. They are met with two young Korean PHOTOGRAPHERS, a man and a woman, both spotting long dreadlocks and smiling warmly as they click away.

An impeccably dressed Korean MAN and WOMAN approach Lee and Michael. This is PASTOR CHUN and KAREN PARK, elders with the local Christian mega church that is hosting the veterans on behalf of the South Korean government.

PASTOR CHUN
Are you Lee Jones and Michael Jones.

The Church Elder extends his hand. Lee just looks at him. Michael steps between them and shakes hands.

MICHAEL
Yes, this is Lee and I am Michael, his son.

He looks deeply into Lee’s eye, almost as if he is bearing his soul.

PASTOR CHUN
It is my honor to greet you as you return to this land for which you sacrifice so much.

The other church elder has an arm full of long yellow scarves held with a single golden ring. She opens a scarf wide between her hands and places it over Lee’s head and onto his shoulders. She does the same for Michael.

MICHAEL
Oh wait, I’m not a vet.

KAREN
You are his son. You do him honor by being here. So we are happy to honor you as well.

Michael is touched.

MICHAEL
I really wasn’t expecting that.

Karen has a clipboard which she marks off as she move Lee and Michael to join the rest of the group.

Lee leans over to Michael and says very quietly.

LEE
I don’t see any other Black people here.

MICHAEL
Don’t worry about it, Dad. I’m sure there will be some other folks along.

Lee sees some of the other veterans are there wearing their Korean War uniforms. This makes Lee very uncomfortable.

Karen and Pastor Chun herd everyone together for a group picture.

LEE
Don’t make me pose with them.

MICHAEL
We’ll just go on this side. OK?

Michael moves Lee away from the uniformed vets.

The two dreadlocked photographers snap away as Lee tries to blend in with the wallpaper.

EXT. INCHON AIRPORT BUS LOADING ZONE— DAY

The group of about 40 veterans and their families board three luxuriously appointed coaches for the trip into Seoul.

EXT. SOUTH KOREAN HIGHWAY – DAY

The coach cruise along immaculately clean highways with no trash and no graffiti.

INT. LUXURY COACH – DAY

Michael and Lee relax in the finely stitched white leather seats and take in the view of the countryside and small towns along the way. Lee still looks like a fish out of water.

EXT. RESTAURANT A – DAY

The very well dressed Korean church members guide their guests off of the coaches and into the restaurant.

INT. RESTAURANT A – DINING ROOM – DAY

Everyone finds seats around a huge circular table. Pastor Chun and several other local and national dignitaries get up to make speeches as sumptuous meal of Korean delicacies is laid out before them.

Lee won’t touch it. Instead he pulls out packets of cheese and crackers that he brought from home. Michael sees this and is not please. He speaks quickly in hushed tones.

MICHAEL
Is this some kind of protest?

LEE
I don’t know what that is.

MICHAEL
This is obviously a very expensive meal. Would you at least try some of the beef? You like beef, right?

LEE
No.

Lee gets up and walks into the bar.

INT. RESTAURANT A – BAR – DAY

The bar is empty. Lee sits on a bar stool. Michael just stands there looking at him.

MICHAEL
What are you doing, Dad?

LEE
I don’t like it here. I don’t like this. I want to go home.

MICHAEL
We just got here. Can you give it a chance?

LEE
It was bad when I was here before. Seemed like every time I turned around somebody was shootin’ at us. But I suppose there were good day, too.

FLASH BACK

EXT. KOREAN VILLAGE – DAY

Lee and seven other Black soldier on patrol move through a village. A couple of the kids have a ball made from a goat bladder and they are kicking it around. Lee slings his rifle and joins in. More kids come to watch and play.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
The best part for me was dealing with the locals. They seemed to like us OK. I mean they weren’t shootin’ at us and they weren’t tellin’ on us. At least I don’t think they were.

Sitting down, Lee gives a couple of the kid some of his Hershey bar. The kids are fascinated and the parents are curious.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
When I figured out they had never had chocolate before, I got my buddies to give up their Hershey bars, too.

Other members of the patrol pull out their Hershey bars and share.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
The kid’s parents got a kick out of the whole thing. That was a good day. Nobody died.

The adults in the village offer tea and share their food with the Lee and his patrol.

END FLASH BACK

INT. RESTAURANT A – BAR – DAY

Lee goes back to the dining room to listen to the speeches.

Michael follows not sure what to make of any of this.