A Few Good Men

Hugo's mind was always filled with memories of the past and the events between the previous persona and Tracey. He attempted to depict the original truth, but unfortunately, he still had no clue. However, the film intro of Columbia Pictures, with the goddess holding a torch high, had already started, forcing Hugo to focus his attention on the big screen.

For Hugo, the experience of filming "A Few Good Men" was enjoyable, and the breakthrough in his acting skills was the greatest boon. He was curious about how the breakthrough he felt would be portrayed on the big screen—whether it was his illusion or a genuine effect.

The movie began by capturing everyone's attention with a dark and stormy night case. Two soldiers broke into a room, gagged another soldier with a cloth, and then bound him. It was clearly an ill-intentioned act. In the eyes of the victimized soldier, filled with fear, the movie unfolded.

In Washington, D.C., the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Lt. Commander Joanne Galloway, in military attire, reported a criminal case that occurred in Cuba to her superior. Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey entered Private First Class William Santiago's barracks and assaulted him. One hour later, Santiago died in the base hospital. After the investigation, the investigators believed that Dawson and Downey were attempting to prevent Santiago from reporting Dawson's illegal shooting incident on the border, and a hearing was about to take place.

Although this seemed to be a case without any doubts, Lt. Commander Galloway suspected it was a "code red", so she requested the assignment of a lawyer for the case and volunteered to be Dawson and Downey's defense attorney. Unfortunately, her superior believed that Galloway would be an outstanding investigator but not suitable to be a lawyer. As a result, the command assigned a lawyer for the case: Daniel Kaffee.

Kaffee—this was Hugo's appearance on the big screen, wearing a baseball uniform and a baseball cap, practicing hitting and catching a baseball. Kaffee was undoubtedly a skilled negotiator. He argued with the defense attorneys while playing baseball and effortlessly fought for the maximum rights for his clients, reducing the punishment from 30 days of confinement to 15 days of restricted punishment.

Although Kaffee was a remarkable lawyer, having successfully handled 44 cases during his nine months of naval service, his work attitude was clearly unsatisfactory. He was frivolous and joined the Navy solely due to his father's reputation and pressure. He was always late for meetings and never brought a pen, and he ate apples when meeting with superiors. His enthusiasm for baseball clearly surpassed that for lawsuits. Perhaps he had agile thinking and exceptional eloquence, making him a good lawyer, but not a dedicated one.

Kaffee had only been to court once for a suspended driver's license. In his opinion, if a case had to go to court, what they needed was not a lawyer but a priest. In his view, a lawyer's duty was not to uphold justice but to resolve matters for clients at the lowest cost before going to court. As Kaffee's assistant, Sam Weinberg was responsible for "paperwork" and did not want to take any responsibility. He merely provided basic assistance to Kaffee.

Kaffee only listened to Galloway's description of the case. Santiago, who had a terrible performance in the military, believed he had a severe medical condition. He wrote letters to various departments seeking help to be transferred from the base, but his pleas went unanswered. Finally, Santiago wrote to the Naval Investigative Service, offering evidence of Dawson's illegal shooting in exchange for his own transfer.

Upon learning all of this, Kaffee made a judgment. He believed that this case could likely expose the unsavory aspects of Guantanamo Bay and embarrass security members, including Colonel Nathan Jessep. Thus, he reached the conclusion, "Twelve years. I can get it knocked down to Involuntary Manslaughter. Twelve years."

In Kaffee's view, this was the best choice for Dawson and Downey. However, his attitude greatly displeased Galloway. Moreover, the defendants had already arrived in Washington, while Kaffee was still practicing baseball. This thoroughly angered Galloway, and she briefly considered submitting a request to the command for a lawyer replacement because she firmly believed that Dawson and Downey were innocent. She hoped there would be a lawyer who would stand up and clear their names, but evidently, Kaffee was not the best choice.

Lt. Commander Galloway believed that Dawson and Downey had no motive for the crime, and there was something suspicious about Santiago's cause of death. Within two hours of Santiago's death, the medical examiner couldn't determine the cause, but two hours later, they concluded that Santiago died from poisoning. Galloway suspected it was a "code red" case, but ironically, Kaffee had no idea what "code red" meant.

The story went back to the moment when Santiago wrote a letter to the Naval Investigative Service. Naturally, this matter became known to the military officers, and Colonel Jessep was furious. In his view, Santiago was not only an incompetent sailor but also a traitor to his fellow soldiers. Reporting his teammates to higher authorities and attempting to expose the questionable incidents within the military were unforgivable acts in a military where obedience was the primary principle.

Regarding this matter, the three officers had a dispute. Lt. Colonel Markinson believed that Santiago should be transferred from the base, not only because his request deserved a response but also because once Santiago's betrayal of his teammates became known, his fellow soldiers would not spare him.

However, Colonel Jessep and 2nd. Lt. Kendrick disagreed. Jessup believed that transferring Santiago would be a cowardly way to avoid the problem. He thought that Santiago should undergo intensified training to meet military standards, and internal matters within the military should be resolved using military means. In order to achieve the goal of protecting the country, it was a necessary measure. 2nd. Lt. Kendrick was a loyal supporter of Colonel Jessep.

On the other hand, Dawson and Downey arrived in Washington, and clearly, these two soldiers did not grasp the seriousness of the situation. Downey even looked excited as he admired the fact that he had arrived in the capital. They had no idea where they stood or why they were arrested, believing that it was all simply following orders.

After Kaffee arrived at the interrogation room, he observed the strict obedience of the two soldiers, which made him uncomfortable. However, he patiently asked his question, "What is "code red"?"

"It's a disciplinary measure," Dawson answered without hesitation. "If a Marine falls behind, teammates can use it to help them catch up with the unit."

"What exactly does "code red" entail?" Kaffee still didn't quite understand these internal military matters. "Explain it clearly, what does "code red" mean?"

"Sir," despite Kaffee's insistence not to be called "sir", Dawson persisted, "For example, if a teammate refuses to take a shower as required, the others will give them a military shower—using a brush and wire brush to scrub them."

"Did Santiago also receive "code red" regulations?" Kaffee asked.

"Yes, sir!" Dawson answered definitively.

Then Kaffee proceeded to inquire about more details from Downey. Downey clarified that they didn't apply any poison or substances to the cloth. They only intended to shave Santiago's head, but suddenly Santiago started bleeding from the mouth. That's when they called for an ambulance, but unfortunately, no one saw them make the call, and by the time the ambulance arrived, they had already been arrested.

Under Weinberg's questioning, Dawson admitted that on August 2nd, he fired shots towards the Cuban border because he observed suspicious activities at the Cuban outpost corresponding to his position. The reason he subjected Santiago to "code red" was not because Santiago was going to report him, but because Santiago took unauthorized action by bypassing his chain of command. According to Dawson, Santiago abandoned his unit and should have reported any issues to his superiors, escalating them through the proper channels. Dawson's execution of "code red" was merely intended to educate Santiago on the importance of considering the collective and respecting the order.

"Unit, Corps, God, Country." That's the Marine Corps order.

The prosecuting attorney, Jack Ross, was an old friend of Kaffee's. Ross offered a plea deal on behalf of the prosecution: if they pleaded guilty, they would receive a twenty-year sentence. However, Kaffee declined and only accepted a twelve-year sentence. Kaffee and Weinberg both believed that Dawson and Downey were guilty, but they were trying to find a way to mitigate their punishment. Weinberg even believed that the two Marines should spend the rest of their lives in prison.

When Kaffee mentioned "code red" to Ross, Ross initially agreed to the "twelve years" sentence but then reminded his friend, "2nd. Lt. Jonathan Kendrick gathered his men and specifically instructed them not to touch Santiago." Although Ross had accepted the plea deal, Kaffee hesitated and sensed that there might be more to the situation. He felt that something was off, so Kaffee decided to go to Guantanamo Bay and then make a decision upon his return.

Meanwhile, under Aunt Ginny's authorization, Galloway became Downey's attorney and joined Kaffee and Weinberg on their trip to Guantanamo Bay.

Considering the hot weather in Cuba, Weinberg suggested to Kaffee that they wear white uniforms when going to Guantanamo Bay to avoid absorbing heat. However, as soon as they got off the plane, the soldiers advised them to wear camouflage because officers in white uniforms would be mistaken for important personnel in Cuba, making them easy targets.

Such a lack of common sense naturally disgusted Colonel Jessep. The formal meeting between Kaffee and Jessep was already filled with tension. Jessep mentioned Kaffee's father, saying to Kendrick, "Son, this man's dad once made a lot of enemies down in your neck of the woods. Jefferson vs. Madison County School District. The folks down there said a little black girl couldn't go to an all-white school, Lionel Kaffee said "we'll just see about that"." From Jessep's tone, it was apparent that he held Kaffee's father's actions in disdain, considering him someone who had nothing better to do and was just causing trouble.

Led by 2nd. Lt. Kendrick, Kaffee and the others thoroughly examined the crime scene and reviewed the timeline of events. They also gained a deep understanding of Kendrick's meeting about "no contact with Santiago" and realized Kendrick's disregard for Santiago's death.

Furthermore, Kaffee unexpectedly learned that Jessep had signed the transfer order for Santiago and would be leaving the base on the first flight to the United States at six in the morning the next day. Unfortunately, Santiago couldn't wait for the next day's sunrise.

However, Galloway remained fixated on "code red" because in February of this year, Jessep received a memo from the commanding officer prohibiting the use of "code red". This obviously angered Jessep, and he declared, "I eat breakfast 80 yards away from 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me. So don't for one second think you're gonna come down here, flash a badge, and make me nervous!" He gave Galloway a strong warning that left her speechless and unable to say anything.

Before leaving, Kaffee requested Jessep to present a copy of the transfer order, which angered Jessep once again. "You have to ask me nicely. You see, Danny, I can deal with the bullets and the bombs and the blood. I can deal with the heat and the stress and the fear. I don't want money and I don't want medals. What I want is for you to stand there in that faggoty white uniform, and with your Harvard mouth, extend me some f*ckin' courtesy. You gotta ask me nicely." Kaffee was puzzled but politely voiced his request once again, this time receiving an affirmative response from Jessep.