Page 9 - WHAT GENERALS DO AT NIGHT FIRST EDITION

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

III.

IN THE CHAPEL - ROCKLAND AIR FORCE BASE - DAY

It's a multi-faith altar with a plain bronze cross, above

which is a Hebrew star.

THE CONGREGATION: A room filled with Airmen,

Specialists, Sergeants, officers of every rank. On collars are

gold and silver bars, spaghetti on caps. The tense

atmosphere of a pre-military-engagement briefing.

The speaker is Maj. Gen. "Red Dog" Sorkin, handsome and

charismatic hero to these spellbound military men,

ennobled and spellbound by his stirring, evangelistic

military fervor.

MAJ. GEN. SORKIN: ...Lord, those were blessed times,

when words like DUTY and GOD and COUNTRY and

NATIONHOOD had meaning and were not diluted by

politicos and diluted by media but RAISED UP to

holiness by the fist of the LORD -- WHO GAVE US this

country, which tonight we are defending. FOR ALMOST

FIVE DEC- ADES --

He pauses, slowly pacing back and forth, looking into the

eyes of his men.

MAJ. GEN. SORKIN: -- We stood as the nuclear

deterrent to the Satans of the world! Rock- land Air Base

Firepower stood Sentry for the Globe! Our ICBMS and

TITANS have been the an- gels guarding this nation for