The Winds of War (TV Mini Series)

The Changing of the Guard (1983)

Robert Mitchum: Victor 'Pug' Henry

Quotes 

• Adm. Ernest King : So, captain... you are quite prepared to get the United States of America into this war all by yourself. Well, that's one way for an obscure individual to go down in history.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : The president and the CNO feel this exercise can go off without incident.

  Adm. Ernest King : So you said. Suppose that judgment is wrong. Suppose a U-boat fires a fish at you. What then?

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : I propose to fire back. That shouldn't start a war unless Hitler wants one.

  Adm. Ernest King : Well, we're in this war anyway. It doesn't matter too much when or how the whistle blows, the Japs are gonna kick off against us when it suits them. And probably when it least suits us. Well, at least this Lend-Lease business is going to get us building factories we need to fight the damn war.

  [Admiral King pauses for a moment, then picks up his phone] 

  Adm. Ernest King : Get me Admiral Bristol.

  [to Pug] 

  Adm. Ernest King : You've got nothing in writing?

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : No, sir.

  Adm. Ernest King : OK, you're hereby to discontinue all references to the president.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : Aye, sir.

  Adm. Ernest King : [to phone]  Hello. Admiral, I am sending to your office one Captain Victor Henry, special observer from war plans. He is to be regarded as my... assistant chief of staff... with all the appropriate authority.

  [pause] 

  Adm. Ernest King : Affirmative. He'll be in your office within the hour. Thank you.

  [King hangs up the phone] 

  Adm. Ernest King : Captain, I desire that you now form out of DesRon 8 an anti-submarine screen and proceed to sea to conduct realistic tests and drills in the Newfoundland-Iceland area. This is to include forming up screens on cooperative merchant vessels should you encounter them. And of course, you will avoid provoking belligerent vessels if they are to sight you. I desire that you keep security at a maximum, paperwork at a minimum, that you will conduct yourself similarly.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : Aye-aye, sir.

  Adm. Ernest King : All perfect horse manure, but that's the story. In the event of an incident, it'll be a hanging party for all hands.

• Aloysius Whitman : Well now, the business of Dr. Aaron Jastrow's passport. As it turns out, it was no problem whatsoever. In fact... the authorization for clearance went out quite a while ago. It may have been delayed a bit en route, but we've double-checked by cable and it's all set. He can pick up his passport whenever he wishes in Rome, and he's been so informed.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : Good. That was fast work.

  Aloysius Whitman : As I say, there was no work to do. It had already been taken care of.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : Well, my boy will be mighty glad to hear about this.

  Aloysius Whitman : Oh, about your son. I hope you'll take this in the right spirit. The undersecretary was a bit disconcerted to have this thing raised at the president's table.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : So was I. I gave the boy holy hell about it afterwards.

  Aloysius Whitman : I'm awfully glad you feel that way. Suppose you just drop a little note to the president, captain, sort of apologizing for your son's gaffe, and mentioning you've learned the whole thing was taken care of long ago.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : The president asked for a report from Mr. Welles.

  Aloysius Whitman : We made a rather dramatic effort this morning just to make sure that young Mrs. Henry could get home. Literally thousands of these cases of Jewish refugees come to us all the time. The pressure is enormous, it's absolutely unbelievable. Now, the problem in your family is settled. We'd hoped you'd be more appreciative.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : Natalie and her uncle are not Jewish refugees. They're a couple of Americans.

  Aloysius Whitman : Now, in the case of the uncle, that was technically far from clear. But it's all been set straight. And in return, captain, I really think you should write that little note.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : An unsolicited letter from me to the president of the United States. Sorry.

  Aloysius Whitman : Let me be frank, captain. The undersecretary wants a report from me to forward to the president. Now just a word from you would conclude the matter...

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : Mr. Whitman, why was a distinguished man like Aaron Jastrow stopped on a passport technicality when he wanted to come home? Certainly that's what the president wants to know and I can't give him the answer, can you? OK. Obviously, you can't either. I suggest that whoever can had better try. Now is there anything else?

  Aloysius Whitman : Captain Henry, the undersecretary may find your refusal hard to understand. You're flouting a direct request from the State Department.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : I work for the Navy Department! Many thanks.

• Adm. Ernest King : All right, Henry... what are you doing here? I ordered all the war planners berthed together on the Tuscaloosa. You're nothing but a passenger here.

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : I was awakened at 0500 aboard the Tuscaloosa, sir, and told that the president desired my transfer along with my gear aboard the Augusta. So I complied.

  Adm. Ernest King : The president, huh?

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : Yes, sir.

  Adm. Ernest King : Tell me something, Henry, you're not by some chance a distant relative or an old family friend of Mr. Roosevelt?

  Victor 'Pug' Henry : No, admiral.

  Adm. Ernest King : I see. Well, you might remember, when the occasion offers, that you still work for the United States Navy.