64 INT. VILLAGE.LAUNDRY - DAY
A BELL TINKLES and MRS. EMMA LAMB, a harried English woman in her thirties, glides across her tiny home laundry. TWO SMALL KIDS are helping her with sorting and pressing.
MALARKEY painfully hungover, is standing out front. He smiles politely when the door opens and removes his hat.
MALARKEY
Morning, Mrs. Lamb. I'm sorry to bother you so early -�
MRS. LAMB
Oh, Private Malarkey. Come in.
65 INT. VILLAGE LAUNDRY - DAY
MALARKEY
It's Sergeant Malarkey now, ma'am. Just got promoted.
MRS. LAMB
Lovely. I imagine you'll be wanting your laundry. I heard the trucks rumbling by all night. Figured the Yanks must be on their way off again.
MALARKEY
Looks like for good this time.
She goes behind the counter and pulls out a package wrapped in brown paper and string. Scrawled across it is the name MALARKEY.
MRS. LAMB
Sorry to hear that. Here you are, two shirts, two pairs of trousers. Light starch. That's two bob, tuppence.
Malarkey holds out a handful of change. Mrs. Lamb picks out the correct amount.
MR. LAMB
Would you like a cup of tea? I've got the water boiling.
MALARKEY
No thank you. I'm in a hel - I mean - a bit of a hurry. But thank you anyway.
He starts for the door.
MRS. LAMB
Private?
MALARKEY (turning)
Ma'am?
The old lady pulls out another brown paper package and places it on the counter.
MRS. LAMB
Lt. Meehan is one of yours, isn't he? I hope he hasn't forgotten his laundry.
Malarkey looks at the brown paper package and the name MEEHAN scribbled on it. He swallows.
MALARKEY
I'll take it.
He puts some coins down and picks up Meehan's laundry.
MRS. LAMB
And the others?
She smiles and, one after another, places brown paper packages on the counter.
Malarkey looks at the names: EVANS, ROBERT, MURRAY, OWEN, RIGGS, WENTZEL, WIMER, COLLINS, MOYA,_MILLE_R, SNIDER, MCGONIGAL, OATS, TELSTAD, ELLIOT, WARREN ... and finally ... BLITHE.
TRANSITION TO:
66 EXT. WHITE CLOUDS - DAY
float peacefully across a blue Normandy sky.
SUPER: Private Albert Blithe of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was shipped.to an Army hospital in the United States later that summer. Never fully recovering from the wounds he received in Normandy, he died in 1948.
FADE OUT