THE WALKLING WOUNDED

This episode is about the value of life, and the reality of death and more importantly, the virtue of knowing one from the other.

In this episode we see Saunders shot then we see his body roll down the side of a hill into a fence of barbed wire. Then the scene fades to black and then opening credits.  This teaser makes the point of casualties.  People get injured.  They go through some motions, then we have to wait to see the result.

The Walking wounded is a term that ranges from those who get flesh wounds, to those who are literally "SHELL SHOCKED".  Meaning they have a valid injury, yet they are ambulatory.  A painful migraine headache is considered a walking wounded disposition.  Those who have been psychologically traumatized also fall into that category.  I've seen video of both Allies and German soldiers who both suffered mental damage from the constant firing of heavy artillery.

In the Episode of Combat called "The Walking Wounded", the story begins with Sgt.Saunders taking a flesh wound to his leg.  It's not that bad as he is walking on his wounded leg without much of a limp in the next scene.  Saunders finds himself hitch hiking to the fictitious town of "Orre".

A caravan of U.S. trucks and finally an ambulance go screaming by.  The driver of the ambulance notices Saunders, Stops, and says hop in, and that he can take the Sarge to Orre. When the Sarge gets in the back of the ambulance, he sees a middle aged doctor

, a patient hooked up to plasma from the 361st division,

and the most beautiful brunette who catches Saunder's attention and leaves him not only speechless but breathless in the middle of a sentence.  If ever there was a scene that was suppose to

represent love at first sight, it was 

 

  Vic Morrow staring into the eyes of

 Geraldine Brooks.

 

On the road to Orre, (Yes I know, it sounds like a Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope show), two very observant German look outs spot the caravan and call in a Stuka attack to destroy the convoy. 

In Orre, a town already blown back to the stone ages; Saunders is seeking medical attention when the Stuka's unleash their wrath on the convoy.

After everyone has scrambled for cover, Saunders who was knocked harmlessly unconscious regains his consciousness and finds the ambulance evacuated with the exception of the Patient who  slept through it all.  His plasma bottle ran dry and Saunders seems to know exactly what Type to hook him up to as he hangs another bottle.

Saunders gets inside the ambulance and drive through the town of Orre and find the medical crew at the other end of town. The driver "cowardly sold out" as he keeps saying he didn't.  Saunders orders them all in the back of ambulance.  The cowardly driver tries to give saunders and excuse but the Sarge knows he is lying.

 

* Editors Note

This still shot makes me think that this episode was a WWII version of the wizard of OZ. On the left we see the tin man, a strong brave war doctor who has lost his heart. On the right, we see the cowardly lion searching for his courage.  The patient in the back is the strawman, who having been torn apart by the flying monkeys is unconscious and in need of his brain.  The nurse in the middle represents Dorothy, who is trying to please everyone.  Finally Saunders, The Wizard, brings them all to OZ (Orre) In doing so, the patient gets his brains, the doctor finds his heart and the driver gets his courage back. In retrospect, there are also visual symbols that Burt Kennedy "Borrows" from the Wizard of Oz suah as that meaningless (not shown) white dog that looks like toto.  The Stukas hit Orre like a tornado.  In the tornado The Sarge in knocked unconscious, which makes me wonder if the Sarge is not meant to be Dorothy........Nah

 

The Wizard? He's just a man that brings out the best in all of them. * End of Editors note.

 

 

 

 



This is pretty much how the stage is set for the rest of the episode.  The decision is, do we take the safe but longer 70 kilometers rout to Jerome or do we risk it and take the shorter route to L'eal which is only 30 Kilometers away.  The problem with the latter/shorter route is that it's "flanked by the Germans".  Saunders says he's use to being shot at and justifies making the voyage to L'eal because the patient in the back needs surgery now. 


This is where we get to the real walking wounded.  The doctor.  On Omaha beach was "Super-doctor" saving everyone with a GSW.  Then in the following weeks, he learns he can't save them all.  Then he's told he has to "Prioritize" who gets care and who gets one last dose of morphine.  This prioritization is where the french word "Triage" comes from; actually the french word was originally trier which meant "sort".  Triage is used in a medical disaster when the wounded are divided or "sorted" out into 3 groups. 1. Those who need surgery now, 2. Those who need surgery but are relatively stable. 3. Those who are not expected to survive their wounds.

The conflict in this episode is that Saunders wants to save everyman he can.  The Doctor who has become a walking wounded case himself, repeats that the patient in the ambulance is dead. (or category 3).  The doctor is willing to let him die on the safe road to Jerome while Saunders sees the need of outrunning the German flank to make it to the hospital in L'eal in an attempt to save the wounded soldier. When the doctor says: "That soldier is as good as dead" Saunders responds: "who made you god"?  When Saunders says: "we're going to L'eal, even if it kills us", the doctors replies: "Now who's playing god"? 

 

 

On the road to L'eal we see what appears to be a superfluous scene.where Saunders stops the truck for a wagon that is obstructing the road.  In the back of the hay filled wagon is an old Frenchman.  Saunders orders the nurse to put him in the ambulance, and the Frenchman replies in French: "I'm too old for war.  Just leave me here to die peacefully. As superfluous as it may appear, Burt Kennedy (who wrote and directed this episode)throws in the angle of dealing with the eminence or reality of death. Amongst the race to save the wounded soldier's life, the attempt to restore the doctor's confidence and the driver's courage, we're reminded that we will all die someday. 

The old Frenchman decided his war fighting days were over and if he was to die, then so be it.  A complete opposite, yet similar situation laying inside the ambulance.  Yet the injured soldier is young and not in control of his decisions.  Saunders knows this and is acting as the patients "Advocate". When the doctor asks Saunders: "Why are you so concerned about this patient"? Saunders replies emphatically: "Because that could be me laying in there".


 Our journey to L'eal continues with the Ambulance and party getting stuck in the mud. (Conveniently next to a barn) Saunders thinks it's best to wait until morning to try and get the ambulance out of the mud hole. During the night, nurse Ann tries talking the shell shocked doctor into removing the patient's shrapnel in the barn. The doctor exposes his frustration of trying to save everyone, then being told he has to "prioritize" who gets care and who is left to heal themselves. 

 

 

 

We then see Nurse Ann in the hay loft with Saunders talking about what a courageous doctor he "use" to be. At this point Saunders begins to understand that the doctor is struggling with traumatic stress syndrome. When he says: "I've seen it before"


.

Just to throw one more aspect of death into the plot; Saunders and crew are awaken to Germans trying to get the Ambulance out of the mud hole.  Saunders tells the driver: "Wait; let them finish first".  Then he proceeds to cut down all of the Germans that were working to free up the transport with his Thompson. * This is one blooper that doesn't get noticed.  Saunders in seen shooting the troops pushing the ambulance, but the driver is never seen leaving the cabin.  WHAT A SHOT?

The doctor shows his confusion at how Saunders will risk all 4 of their lives to save one of their own, yet has no problem taking the lives of 4 Germans without thinking about it.

In the final scene, the ambulance has over heated.  Saunders is seen refilling the radiator.  Just as he finishes, the sound of a half track approaches.  "It's one of our guys". A half-track driver tells Saunders the raod to L'eal is cut off unless you know how to speak German.

Saunders says thank you and gets behind the wheel. "I'm going to L'eal are you coming"? The doctor says: "You heard what he said"?  Saunders brags: "I've been shot at before".  The driver wants to prove his courage.  The nurse says she'll need to watch the patient.  Saunders tells the doctor: "If you run fast enough you can catch up with that half-track".  The doctor replies: "You'ld like that".  So having found out what time the U.S. guns were going to start firing, Saunders knows he's got 10 minutes to make it to L'eal. 

The closing scene looks like a cross between the battle of Normandy and the Daytona 500.  Saunders dodges the friendly fire and all make it to L'eal safely. 










The patient lives, the dog gets a new owner and the nurse and doctor live happily ever after. 

Sgt. Saunders? 

 He gets reconnected with K company as his squad tells him: "Some guys have all the luck".

 In the closing shot; Saunders is looking with admiration at the hospital saying to himself: "Yep, some guys have all the luck".

 

In this episode, we see how casually we take death and how seriously we take life. (And visa versa)  And No I didn't forget; I left the little white dog (Toto) out on purpose.