 Family Theatre presents Action Was Limited. Good, the mutual network in cooperation with Family Theatre presents Action Was Limited with Bing Prosby as your host. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray, pray together as a family. And now to our drama, Action Was Limited. But with the usual result, no progress was reported. Elsewhere in the fighting front, Action Was Limited. There was only minor patrol activity and casualties were reported light. On the home front, all lines were green. Jamison? Here. Nagle? Nagle? Negalesco. Aren't you ever going to learn how to say my name, Sarge? Your own mother couldn't pronounce that name. Peters? Yeah. We're all out, Peters, you're on patrol. What, again? Yeah, again. What's the matter, Peter, if you don't like your job here, why don't you resign? Jolin? Jolin? Jolin? Who's that? New replacement, General Francis Jolin. Where is he? Jolin! Right here, sir. Sir, we'll get that sir yet. You don't have to call me, sir, son. Yes, sir. Sergeant. I guess I forgot. All right, you guys, be ready to roll in 20 minutes. Where are we going this time? The old man wants us to poke around up in the hills and see what we can find. Oh, this is silly. He knows what we'll find. Glad us risen are next to prove it. Sure, we'll find commies. How many? That's the question he's paying us all the dollars for. Well, I'll just take the box of Snickers and stay here. If you don't mind, Doctor, I ain't curious. You'll all go and like it. I may go, but I won't like it. Jolin, this is your first day at the front, isn't it? Yes, Sergeant. What do you mean by patrol? Well, that's army lingo for picnic in the hills. Yeah. Only instead of ants, we have commies. Oh, we'll have a jolly time, Jolin. Yeah, I'll bet. I only hope I know what to do when we get out to the picnic grounds. Anything these guys tell you, Jolin, you do the opposite and you'll be okay. Says there really much chance of running into some, well, some rough action? Don't know. Sometimes, sometimes not. It all depends. Some reporters in the area, Jolin, you may get written up in your hometown papers. Hey, you really think so, boy, wouldn't that be something? Sure, we've been in print lots of times in the last few months. This, I mean, our outfit, what's it say? Well, that's the only catch. It's always the same thing. Action was limited to minor patrol activity. Casualties were reported light. Yeah. Rosenberg, the guy you replaced, he was one of those light casualties. All right, all right, you guys ring off. Now you're just rubbing it in. Oh, that's okay, Sarge. I'm not scared. I don't think... Oh, you're kidding. You're quaking in your boots just like all the rest of us. Why, Sarge, and do you mean that clicking noise is your knees knocking together? And here I thought all the time you were entertaining us with an imitation of Xavier Kougat. Ah, dry up. Now, look, we may be going several days or pack accordingly. Get your gear together and be ready to roll when I get back. I'm going to check in and get our orders. Now, say, if you see if you can get some new ones while you're there, I don't much care for the ones we've got now. Hey, now, there's an idea, Sarge. See if you can't get them to let the flyboys take a look-see over those hills today. In this weather? There. You see, Hewlin, there's the inequality of this whole war. The Air Force stays and drinks hot coffee on cloudy days, and we do all their work for them. Ah, quit griping. You know what you were getting into when you joined up. Joined up? You mean you actually enlisted, Peters? Ah, that recruit impostor caught me with a weak moment. At the time, it seemed like a good way to get out of paying my income tax. Say, Sarge, you think we're... Hey, where'd he go? He's checking in with the CEO. Ah, you better get ready. Army to work, to work, men. Last one ready, you see, you know what? Ah, very funny. Let's see, you... Jameson? No, you're Neg... Negalesco. Negalesco. It's a tough one. Just make it Nick. Well, uh, if I got all the gear I'll need, Nick. Ah, let's see. Yeah, you seem ready for action. You think we'll see any action today, you know what? I mean, real action? You never can tell. Some days, we don't see a soul. Other times, they make it pretty hot for us. What are we supposed to do on the patrol? I guess I should remember a lot of that stuff from my basic training. Now that we scout the enemy positions, try and find out how many troops there are in any given spot, what kind of guns they're sporting, stuff like that. We may not fire a shot, then, huh? Maybe. Sometimes they resent our poking around, though, and make it kind of hot, like I say. Sounds like a guy could get killed doing this. It's been known to happen. What are you going to do? Just duck, I guess. That's the general idea. Now relax, Chum. The first one's always the hardest. I remember my first day. How long have you been at the front? Too long. Five or six months, I guess. Seems like forever. I imagine. You married? Yeah. Got a little baby I've never seen. You? Oh, no, no. I didn't think so. How old are you? Nineteen. You are on the young side. Well, what are you going to do? Yeah. When we get underway. You nervous? Yeah, I guess. There's nothing to these little John's, really. This'll probably be just a good limbering up hike for us. What's your first name? Jerry. All right? Jerry it is. You, boys, I'm ready. We can get on with the war now. You know, be it soldiers like you that make me have doubts about our sight. With you on our team, we can lose this, Frank. Touch, touch, my friend. With me on the team, victory is assured. In spite of the handicap of having to coach you water boys through the maneuver. Pete's quite a clown. Yeah. He gets on your nerves once in a while, but I guess it's good to have someone like him around. Takes your mind off your troubles, at least. All right, guys. Fall in. Let's get with it. Watch the scoop, sir. See you as you will scout around, see if we can find out. Yeah, but where? Hills 312, 314, 315. 312? Hey, that's a baby that gave us a going over last week. So what? Maybe the commies are pulled out now. Yeah, maybe not. Well, I don't make up these assignments. You're not happy. You'll have to get someone else to punch your cut. Ready, Yellen? Ready as I'll ever be. I'd relax, boy. One patrol under your belt, and you'll feel like a veteran. Tell me, Sarge, how does a veteran feel? With his hands laughing, boy. Whoa, no material. This kid's improving all the time. With you, anything should improve, man. Oh, I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal. How can you joke about... He doesn't mean anything. Forget it. Why don't you shut up for a while, Pete? As you wish, Món Capitán. Forward men. And don't fire until you see the slants of their eye. That's right. Let's go, then. Now it's spread out a little. We're getting close. Now, let's hope all the boys are busy in the laundry right now. Hey, speaking of laundry, you owe me a pair of socks, Pete. I know. If they'll ever give us a break, I've been meaning to rinse out a few dainty. Yeah, that's too darn close for the first of those guys to have been practicing. Steady as you go, men. All enlisted personnel will ensume pose of sitting duck. Keep low and make a run for that little ravine there. All hands safe? Yeah. Now, as long as they've spotted us so soon, we may as well move on. Whenever we get close enough to do anything in this sector, do any good. I move we admit we're poor gumshoes and adjourn back to camp. You'll adjourn back to camp when I tell you. Eulen, you and I... Hey, where is Eulen? He's here. You don't have to hug the ground quite that close, boy. Looks like he's down there checking on the snail's outlook. Well, you said to keep low. We're only kidding. You got the right idea. Keep at it. Let's get going, huh, Sarge? What's your hurry? There's nothing but trouble where we're going. Yeah, but they're liable to start lobbing mortars at us any minute. He's right. We better scare him out of here, Pronto. Eulen, you and Nick and I will take this side of the ridge and we'll work our way around that far to the ridge there. Peter, you and Jameson take the other and we'll meet there to compare nuts. What's the idea of splitting up? There's few enough of us on this clam baker's day. I know, I know, but since they've spotted us, they've just... Well, they may have sent out a few of their boys. There's a happy thought. Anyway, there's no use in getting caught in a bunch if they do jump us. This way we'll have a chance to cover each other. We'll have a better chance against them if we were all together, wouldn't we? Kid, right. Sure he is. But who's going to go back and tell them what happened if we're all together? Do you have any other cheery words of farewell? Look, Sarge, I aim to go back just like I came out here, not feet first. So all we do. So let's play it safe and make sure, eh? Okay, you're the doctor. Come on, feet. Let's get moving. It's only a hundred yards or so. We'll make it okay. Let's go. See you later, man. Last one to the ridge is a sissy. Okay, boys. Let's us up the road, too. Okay. I still think we should have all stayed together. Yeah, just two guys with chance or they got to run into trouble. Will you two dry up and let me run this show? Single file along, you know, and keep your eyes open. Okay. How often we get mail out here, Nick? Not pretty regular. Not good about that. Get it here whenever they can. You get a lot of mail? As much as anybody, I guess. They're pretty good about writing. Sure makes a difference. My wife writes almost every day. Well, sometimes I wish I had a wife just so I could get letters from her. I just said you got plenty of mail. I do, but it's different. You mean your mother goes overboard on the soft stuff? No, no. My family's different the most. How do you mean? I thought mothers were pretty much the same all over. I haven't got a real family. No kidding. How about the mail? You know what comes from Boys Town? They're my family. Well, I'll be. I've always wanted to meet a guy from there. I've heard a lot about it. It's a great place. Just made the order for me. You, uh, you an orphan? Can't away. Mom and dad split up when I was a baby. He's a 1-1 in me, I guess. So I find we end up in Boys Town. Gee, that's tough, Jerry. Oh, it could have been worse. No, that's for sure. You know, that's one thing I've always wanted to know. What's up? Tommy Petro just ahead. Think they saw us? No. They headed over the hill. Must be 20 or 30 of them. Hey, that's the direction our guys went. Yeah, I know. I know, but we can't just lay here. Let's warn them. Oh, we'll give ourselves away if we do. But we gotta do something. Two against 20. There's only three of us here. Yeah, but we can... Come on. Maybe we can work our way above them and do some good. Careful now. Okay. Sarge, if we make those trees, we'll be able to blast them from behind. Let's make a dash for them. Ready? Go. What was that? My gun had went off. I took the safety off. Oh, brother, that did it. They'll be all over us in a minute. I'll put it back to the rocks and then head for the ridge. It's every man for himself. Step on it. Everybody make it okay? Yeah, I guess so. Hulun, what in the Sam Hill happened anyway? I don't know. I guess I got excited and it just went off. That's all. Well, you sure lost up our little scheme to mop up those commies. I'm sorry, Sergeant Honest. I am. It's just that I... Yeah, I know. I know what you're first time out. But anyway, the other guys know they got company. Yeah, Hulun, you didn't fire that shot deliberately just to warn them, did you? Oh, no, no. It was an accident, Honest. If I thought for one moment that you did, I'd break every bone in your body. Play off the kid, Sarge. He got flustered and the thing went off. We all make a boo-boo once in a while. Yeah, but he had to pick that particular time. I said I was sorry. Oh, all right, kid. All right. Forget it. Well, as soon as Pete and Jameson get here, we'll move in and get this thing over with. Yeah. I sure wish they'd hurry up. Me too. Ain't healthy right here. Well, give him and stuff. Uh-oh. What's that? I'll give you one guess. You know, it's a poison. You guys wait here. I'm gonna poke my head over that ridge and see what's up. I guess... I guess you and the sergeant wish you'd never seen my face. Oh, forget it. Accidents happen. Nobody got killed, so there's no harm done. You know what really happened? Huh? I got scared. That's what. I was so scared I didn't hardly know what the gun in my hand was for. Then when we started running... I didn't get it. It's all over. Here comes the sergeant. Let's go, guys. We better get out of here. What about Jameson and Pete? They won't be coming. Let's go. Paising how good these lousy rations can taste when you're really hungry. I must not have been hungry, then. Speaking of rations, sergeant, I'm fresh out of sane. How about heading back toward home base? Yeah, that's where we're going. We've covered about everything we were supposed to. I should hope so. I feel like we walked all over Korea the last few days. You went a hike at that. And, Hulun, you did yourself proud. Not a peep out of you all the way. I guess I don't feel much like talking. What's eating you, Jerry? I keep thinking of those other guys. We all feel bad about it. But that's war for you. There's something else in your mind, kid. What is it? If you hadn't sent those guys out by themselves, we'd all been together. You mean you'd rather be where they are now than sitting here? No, but if we'd all been together, we might have held them off. Look, we only had five guys to begin with. The group so some of us had lived to tell about it if we did get ambushed. Just be glad you were with this bunch instead of the other. But if we'd all been together, we could have fought them off. Five against 20? And you so scared you were shooting at your own shadow, don't make me laugh. Oh, knock it off, both of you. We were lucky and they weren't, that's all. We got enough to worry about without scrapping among ourselves. All right, Nick. I'm sorry, kid. Shake and forget it. It's a deal. Come on. Get your gear together and let's head for home. It's a long road. Let's go. Well, to have it fairly quiet going back, oh, Sergeant. I hope so, but don't make any foolish bets. Man, that sack is gonna feel real good after this. I'm gonna sleep for a week. Man, I'll bet on that either. Man, I never knew a country could have so many hills. Yeah, me neither. Now, in Germany, it wasn't so bad. Lots of flat land. At least where I was. You were in the last war? Yep, all the way. What are you doing here, then? You ever hear of the reserves? I'm gonna let someone else have a chance to fight for their country. No use in me being greedy about this soldiering. How long have you been married, Nick? Two years. Got out in 46, started a little business and didn't have the money to get married. So we had to wait till 48. Imagine, I was 30 before I was even engaged. 30 is not old. It is when you're just starting and everything. Now look at me. Another year's so short. Oh, it's a tough life, I tell you. Yeah. I wonder when people are gonna learn how to live with one another. That ain't the people, Jerry. There's always a few jerks that get hold of the power and start the trouble. Those guys over there would probably just as soon go back to their rice patties if they had their way. Hey, after you've been out here a while, do you get so you really hate them? You better hate them, you won't live long. That's the truth. You see, Jerry, it ain't so much a question I hate in them. It's just a matter of survival. Come on, guys, come on, let's pick up the pace a bit. They knew our luck wouldn't last. I think that's the same bunch we saw the other day. Who knows? Looks like too many for us to tangle with anyway. Hey, Sarge, you remember that cave we just passed? Hey, good idea, Nick. Let's backtrack and hide out there for a while. Come on, none of the double but people hit. I dropped something. Never mind, we'll get it later. You can watch him from here. Hey, Sarge, you know there might be another exit to this cave. We should be so lucky. Let's go and scot around back there and see if you can find some kind of passageway. Right. They know, Sarge. Headed right this way. I hope we don't have to stay in here too long. This place gives me the creeps. Let's hope they don't get curious about this cave and decide to have a look. Yeah. Maybe they'll go on past it. What's that? What? Out there by the mouth of the cave. Something shining in the light. Oh, that's it. It's a misket. That must be what you and I dropped. I'll drop the flashlight. I better get it before they spot it. You want to get killed? Stay where you are and pray they don't see it. No luck, fellas. No luck. It goes back about 30 feet and stops. Yeah, I'm afraid of that. How are we doing so far? They're too close for comfort to say the least. Hey, that's my... That's my misket out there. They'll see it. No somebody's in here. I got to get it back. Stay where you are. But Sarge said stay where you are. We know it's there but they don't yet. Hey, they've seen it. Looks like we're done for. What are we going to do, Sarge? Nothing yet. We'll see what they do first. They're having some kind of pow-wow about it. Shoot them into the cave. Stay down. Anybody hit? No. All right. Not coming in after all. I've decided to move on. Funny they didn't come in for a look. Our luck is holding it that. They're going on past. Let's get out of here as soon as we can. I'm soaked to the skin. Well, wait and I'll nightfall. Night, why? It just doesn't figure that they'd go on past without even poking around in this cave. Oh, I get it. You think maybe they're being clever? Want us to think they've gone and then when we come on... I must be a jinx. If I hadn't dropped that mess kit, they might never have given us a second thought. Don't start that again. It could have happened any of this. Yeah, but it had to be me. Quiet. We may have trouble out there. No use asking for more of it. Night's cooperating. It's black as pitch out there. You may as well find out where we stand right now. Everybody ready? Let's go. All right. Don't go out single-filing fast. Take a sharp right when you get to the mouth of the cave. Keep flowing. Run to that bunch of tree stumps just above us there. After that, well, let's see what happens to there first. Set. Let's go. All right. I'm not gonna let you... I'm not gonna let it have been like pigeon for anyone. I'll just sit it out among these tree stumps till it heats off and then me and Nick... Nick, right behind me coming out of the cave. Better go back and find him. He may be hurt. If I go back, I'll probably run right into the commies. They may be picking over the guy's bodies right now. And if Nick is... Oh, that doesn't... All right, which way do I go? I'll turn around in the excitement. Blast his knife. I ought to hear him if they're still around. I must be over this way. We're all through that, right? Better be real quiet now. Is that you, Jerry? Hey! Hey, take it easy. It's me, Nick. Oh, no. Almost did it again. I'm sorry, Nick. It's so dark again. Man, you're the most trigger-happy soldier I ever saw. Oh, I guess I'm a pretty punk soldier at that. It's all right to aim that thing, boy. But point it north when you do. Those bullets have a habit of doing a lot of damage when they hit. Hey, I guess it... Nick, you've been hit. It's just my leg. I can't tell how bad yet. Here, I'll light a match. We can tell them. Put that light out! Holy smoke, Jerry. Won't you hide it? I'm sorry. Again. Yeah. We'd better get out of here and head for darker and safer spots. Can you travel? I've got to. Help me up. Enough to give me a lift. I'm afraid. Sure, Nick. Sure. All right, that's it now. Which way, Nick? This way. I'm fast. That's the way, Nick. You're doing fine. We're out of the woods now. They think they've seen something, but we're gonna be all... Put me down, Jerry. Nick, we gotta make tracks. This is the end of the line for me. What? I'll listen to Jerry. But, Nick... Shut up and listen. Okay, okay, sure, Nick. I'll try not to sound like a cheap melodrama saying this, but you've got to go down back alone. Leave you here for those Holland Banshees not in your life. If they're looking for prisoners, they'll be disappointed by the... I'm they find me. Nick, I can't hear you. Look, take this back with you. And when you get back, if you're ever around Kansas City, will you drop my wife, will you? Give this stuff to her. It's just one of those little trinkets that a man and woman give to each other when they're in love. She'll know what it is. She'll understand. Sure, sure, Nick. Anything you say on your ear, sure you can. Yeah, I'm sure. All right. You better go and get... Good luck. Nick? I'll stay and make a stand with you right here. Don't be silly. We wouldn't have a chance. Now go on, beat it. There's something to think about while you're going. So long, kid. So long. That's it, sir. It's all my fault. And I'll take what's coming to me. Court martial, whatever you say. Mm-hmm. Wilson, you did get quite a baptism of fire at that. But, sir, I tell you, those four guys might all be alive right now if I hadn't lost things up for them. But we're shooting the gun at the wrong time, dropping the mess kit, the matches. That's not the attitude to take. It could have happened to anyone. I grant, you did have more than your share of bad breaks, but I can't punish you for a freak of fate. But, sir... It was your first day at the front, and I dare say you've learned a lot about soldiering from it all. Just don't forget it, that's all. Forget? I'll never forget these last few days as long as I live. Hey, you better get some rest, son. I was counting on that patrol getting back all right. I'm pretty short-handed now. You'll probably have to go out again tomorrow. Mission was limited. There's a few patrols here and there, but nothing of importance. In Washington, we learned tonight that Congress has voted... Bing Crosby. I imagine by now listening to the family theaters become sort of a habit with you folks. Of course, it should be, because family theater is your program dedicated to your family, and its basic idea came from among you, our listeners. You ask that we, the performers in radio and pictures and the technical people, get together and bring you a weekly series like this to acknowledge all the fundamental, all the plain American things that we sincerely believe in. We know, as you do, that a happy family is just about the greatest thing a man could wish for. And we genuinely believe that family prayer, asking God for His help and giving thanks for that help, will keep our families together and keep them happy. General Omar Bradley had this to say on the subject of family life, and I quote, because the family is the basic unit of society, it is there that responsibility begins. Unless the young man of this generation can feel that the security, the well-being, and the happiness of his family is in part the responsibility of his, there is no hope in tutoring him later on his broader obligations. End of the quote. And that's the very thing that family theater tells us each week, that and more. Family theater gives us the reminder that daily family prayer will bring God's help and protection on your home. Family prayer will help build family responsibility and help guarantee family happiness. The family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood, Family Theater has brought you Action was Limited, with Bing Crosby as your host. In our cast were Ted DeCorsia, Howard Culver, Eddie Firestone, Tom Holland, Billy Balkam, and Baden Powell. The script was written by William Lutz, with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman, and was directed for Family Theater by Joseph F. Mansfield. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible for the thousands of you who felt the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded to this need, and by the hundreds of stars of state, screen and radio who give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Charles Arlington expressing the wish of Family Theater, that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home, and inviting you to join us next week when Family Theater will present the fledgling, starring Jane Powell and J. Carol Mash. Join us, won't you? This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.