The Gospel of John Rambo

1: It was a bad time for everyone, Rambo. It's all in the past now.

2: It's good to hear your voice Johnny, it's been a long time. Look John, you've done some damage here, they don't want anymore trouble. That's why I've come. I want to come in there and fly you the hell out. Just you and me. We'll work this thing out together. Is that fair enough?
3: Where did you come from Sir?
4: Bragg.
5: I tried to get in touch with you, but the guy's in Bragg never knew where to find you.
6: You know I haven't been spending much time there lately, they've got me down in D.C. I'm shining a seat with my ass.
7: I wish I was back in Bragg now.
8: We'll talk about that when you come in.
9: I can't do that Sir.
10: Look John, we can't have you running around out there killing friendly civilians.
11: There are no friendly civilians!
12: But I'm your friend Johnny! I was there with you knee-deep in all that blood and guts. I covered your ass more than once. Seems like baling you out of trouble's got to be a life-time achievement for me.
13: There wouldn't be no trouble except for that king shit cop! All I wanted was something to eat. But the man kept pushing Sir.
14: Well you did some pushing on your own John.
15: They drew first blood, not me.
16: Look Johnny, let me come in and get you the hell out of there!
17: They drew first blood...
18: Rambo, are you still reading me? Company leader to Raven! Rambo! Acknowledge!

19: He was just another drifter who broke the law!
20: Vagrancy wasn't it? That's gonna look real good on his grave stone in Arlington: Here lies John Rambo, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, survivor of countless incursions behind enemy lines. Killed for vagrancy in Jerkwater, USA.
21: Now don't give me any of that crap Trautman. Do you think Rambo was the only guy who had a tough time in Vietnam? He killed a police officer for Christ's sake!
22: You're goddamn lucky he didn't kill all of you.

23: You are the last of an elite group, don't end it like this.

24: Back there I could fly a gunship, I could drive a tank, I was in charge of million dollar equipment, back here I can't even hold a job washin' cars.

25: For me civilian life is nothing! In the field we had a code of honor, you watch my back, I watch yours. Back here there's nothing.

26: What obsessed God in heaven to make a man like Rambo?
27: God didn't make Rambo, I made him!

28: I don't think you understand. I didn't come to rescue Rambo from you. I came here to rescue you from him.
29: Well, we all appreciate your concern Colonel, I will try to be extra careful!
30: I'm just amazed he allowed any of your posse to live.
31: Is that right?
32: Strictly speaking, he slipped up. You're lucky to be breathing.
33: That's just great! Colonel, you came out here to find out why one of your machines blew a gasket!
34: You don't seem to want to accept the fact that you're dealing with an expert in guerilla warfare. With a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, to ignore weather, to live off the land. To eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In Vietnam his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill, period! Win by attrition. Well, Rambo was the best!

35: I could have killed 'em all, I could kill you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it. Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go. Let it go.

36: Are you telling me that 200 of our men against your boy is a no-win situation for us?
37: You bring that many men, just remember one thing.
38: Oh yeah? What?
39: A good supply of body bags.

40: Company leader to identify Baker Team - Rambo, Messner, Ortega, Coletta, Jurgensen, Barry, Krakauer confirm! This is Colonel Trautman.
41: They're all gone Sir.
42: Not Barry, he made it.
43: Barry's gone too Sir. Got himself killed in Nam, didn't even know it. Cancer ate him down to the bone.
44: I'm sorry, I didn't know.
45: I'm the last one Sir.

46: There's one man dead! It was not my fault! I don't want anymore hurt!
47: Freeze! Give yourself up!
48: But I didn't do anything!
49: I'm warning you boy, don't make a move or I'll blow your head off!
50: "I didn't do anything!

51: "Let's do some huntin'!
52: Hunting!? We ain't huntin' him, he's huntin' us!

53: You did everything to make this private war happen. You've done enough damage. This mission is over, Rambo. Do you understand me? This mission is over! Look at them out there! Look at them! If you won't end this now, they will kill you. Is that what you want? It's over Johnny. It's over!
54: Nothing is over!!! Nothing!!! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win! But somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world and I see all those maggots at the airport, protesting me, spitting. Calling me baby killer and all kinds of crap! Who are they to protest me?! Who are they?! Unless they've been me and been there and know what the hell they're yelling about!

55: It's over, Johnny. It's over!
56: Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! You asked me I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win, for somebody who wouldn't let us win! Then I come back to the world, and I see all those maggots at the airport, protestin' me, spittin', callin' me a baby killer and all kinds of vile crap! Who are they to protest me?! Huh?! Who are they?! Unless they been me and been there and know what the hell they yellin' about!

57: It's over, Johnny. It's over!
58: Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off!

59: We were in this bar in Saigon and this kid comes up, this kid carrying shoe shining box and it says "shine please, shine!" I said no you can pass and Joey said yeah and I went to get a couple of beers and the box was wired and he opened up the box fucking blew his body all over the place. And he's laying there fucking screaming, his pieces all over me, just like this, and I tried to pull him off you know, and my friend he's all over me and I got blood and everything and I kinda tried to hold him together, put him together and nobody would help! Nobody would help!

60: Sometimes I wake up and I don't know where I am. And I don't talk to anybody. Sometimes a day. Sometimes a week. Can't put it out of my mind.

61: [Shouting] I don't like it here, I mean, the people, there is no brotherhood between them. I flew choppers and drove tanks, back there, they let me operate million dollar equipment, back here I'm nothing! Nothing! I can't even hold down a job at a car wash!

62: If you don't fly this thing right, I swear to god I'm going to kill you.

1: Sir, do we get to win this time?

2: [reading Rambo's file] Rambo, John J. Born 7-6-47 in Boey, Arizona. Of Indian-German descent - that's a hell of a combination. Joined the army 8-6-64. Accepted special forces, specialization: light weapon, medic, helicopter and language qualified, 59 confirmed kills, two Silver Stars, four Browns, four Purple Hearts, Distinguished Service Cross and Medal of Honor. You got around, didn't you? Incredible.

3: Now if there's any of our men in this POW target camp you confirm their presence by taking photographs.
4: Photographs?
5: Just photographs. Under no circumstances are you to engage the enemy!
6: I'm supposed to leave'em there?
7: I repeat: don't engage the enemy!

8: John I want you to try and forget the war. Remember the mission. The old Vietnam's dead.
9: Sir I'm alive, it's still alive, ain't it?

10: "Colonel are you sure Rambo's still in balance with the war? We can't afford having him involved in this mission and than crack in the pressure of that hell."
11: "Pressure? Let me just say that Rambo is the best combat vet I've ever seen. A pure fighting machine with only a desire - to win a war that someone else lost. And if winning means he has to die - he'll die. No fear, no regrets. And one more thing, what you choose to call hell, he calls home."

12: "Good luck son."
13: "Thanks. You remember, Murdock said he's been in the second bataillon, third marine in Comtun in 66?"
14: "Yeah."
15: "The second bataillon was in Cuzank. You're the only one I trust."

16: Why did they pick you? Because you like to fight?
17: I'm expendable.
18: Expendable, what mean expendable?
19: It's like someone invites you to a party and you don't show up. It doesn't really matter.

20: What are you doing? Do you know what the hell you've done?
21: Don't act so innocent, Colonel. You had your suspicions, and if you suspected then you're sort of an accessory aren't ya?
22: Don't ever count me with you and your scum! It was a lie wasn't it? Just like the whole damn war, it was a lie!
23: What are you talking about?
24: That camp... was supposed to be empty. Rambo goes in, a decorated vet, he finds no POWs, the Congress buys it -- case closed! And if he happens to get caught, nobody knows he's alive except you and your computers... and you can reprogram that can't you?
25: Who the hell do you think you're talking to, Trautman?
26: A stinkin' bureaucrat who's tryin to cover his ass!
27: No, not just mine Trautman. We're talkin' about a nation here! Besides, it was your hero's fault. Now if your warrior had gone in and done what the hell he was supposed to do, we'd be out of this clean and simple. He was just supposed to take pictures!
27: And if those pictures showed something they would have been... lost... wouldn't they?
28: Oh Trautman, I still don't think you understand what this is all about.
29: The same as it always is! Money! In '72 we were supposed to pay the Cong four-and-a-half billion in war reparations. We reneged, they kept the POWs... and you're doing the same thing all over again.
30: And what the hell would you do, Trautman? Pay blackmail money to ransom our own men and finance the war effort against our allies? What if some burn-out POW shows up on the six o-clock news? What do you want to do... start the war all over again? You wanna bomb Hanoi? You want everybody screaming for armed invasion? Do you honestly think somebody's gonna get up on the floor of the United States Senate, and ask for billions of dollars for a couple of forgotten ghosts?
31: MEN, GODDAMN IT! MEN... who fought for their country!
32: THAT'S ENOUGH! Trautman, I'm gonna forget this conversation ever took place.
33: You bastard!
34: And if I were you... I'd never make the mistake of bringing this subject up again.
35: Oh you're the one who's making the mistake.
36: Yeah? What mistake?
37: Rambo.

38: I see you are no stranger to pain. Perhaps you have been among my Vietnamese comrades before, hmm? No answer. Do you wish to give your name? Now, what possible harm can that cause? Pride is a poor substitute for intelligence. What you must understand is that we have to interrogate you. To Sergeant Yushin here, you are a piece of meat. A laboratory experiment. But to me, you are a comrade, similar to myself, just opposed by an act of fate. I know you are trying to facilitate the release of war criminals held by this republic. I can appreciate this. But this incident, your capture is. . . embarrassing. We must have explanation. First of all, I wish you to radio your headquarters and say that you have been captured and condemned for espionage activities, and that no such criminal aggression should be attempted in the future or they will meet with the same fate as yours.
[Podovsky arrogantly turns on radio transmitter]
39: Fuck you.

40: "Murdock... "
41: "He's here."
42: "Rambo, this is Murdock, we're glad you're alive. Where are ya? Give us your position and we'll come to pick you up!"
43: "Murdock... I'm coming to get YOU!"

44: Wolf den this lone wolf, over.
45: Yes, we hear you lone wolf over.
46: Prepare for emergency landing, arriving with American POWs.

47: Rambo, I swear to God, I didn't know it was supposed to happen like this. It was just supposed to be another assignment!
48: Mission... accomplished. You know there's more men out there and you know where they are. Find'em. Or I'll find you.

49: John where are you going?
50: I don't know.
51: You get a second medal of honor for this.
[Rambo looks over at the rescued POWs]
52: You should give it to them. They deserve it more.
53: You can't keep running John. Your free now, go back with us.
54: Back to what? My friends died here, part of me died here.
55: The war, everything that happened here maybe wrong, but damn't don't hate your country for it.
56: Hate? I'd die for it.
57: Then what is it you want?
58: I want, what they want, and every other guy who came over here and spilt his guts and gave everything he had, wants! For our country to love us as much as we love it! That's what I want!
59: How will you live, John?
60: Day by day.

[Rambo and Colonel Trautman stand alone facing an enemy army.]
1: What do we do?
2: Well, surrounding them's out.

3: Why must you do this?
4: Cause he'd do it for me.

5: Who are you?
6: Your worst nightmare.

7: You do not look like men Griggs sent before. You not look like you are with military.
8: I'm not.
9: What you are? Mercenary?
10: No.
11: Your not with military, not mercenary - what you are? Lost tourist?
12: I'm no tourist.

13r: Now you see how it is here. Somewhere in the war there's supposed to be honor. Where's the honor here? Where? Now, we're taking the survivors to the border. Are you coming?
14: I'm going to the fort.
15: "Have you not seen enough death? Go! Go while you can! This isn't your war.
16: It is now.
17: So be it. You're a good friend.

18: "Drop your weapons! Now! You have no chance of escape! Come forward! I wish to take you back alive! This is your last warning! The choice is yours!"
19: "What do you say John?"
20: [loading his gun] "Fuck 'em!"

21: This is Afghanistan ... Alexander the Great try to conquer this country ... then Genghis Khan, then the British. Now Russia. But Afghan people fight hard, they never be defeated. Ancient enemy make prayer about these people ... you wish to hear?
22: Um-hum.
23: Very good. It says, 'May God deliver us from the venom of the Cobra, teeth of the tiger, and the vengeance of the Afghan.' Understand what this means?
24: That you guys don't take any shit?
25: Yes ... something like this.

26: How's the wound?
27: You taught us to ignore pain, right?
28: Is it working?
29: Not really.