1961 - TWILIGHT ZONE: A Quality of Mercy

Lt. Katell: Dean Stockwell
Sgt. Causarno: Albert Salmi
Hansen: Leonard Nimoy

Japanese soldier: Dale Ishimoto

"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination . It is an area we call .....The Twilight Zone." 

End of world war II. An American platoon where Sgt. Causarno is in charge of is stationed on an island. All men are sick and tired of the war and not enthusiastic about preying on a group of Japanese soldiers hiding in the nearby cave. Hansen is operating the radio and trying to convince the sergeant of the uselessness of the operation. All soldiers are warned and threatened by the sergeant who obviously is new and trying to earn himself awards and reputations by killing the starving Japanese soldiers in the cave. He even wears his insignia of rank which the others warned him about to keep on his helmet, since it is too easy a target to be seen. Ignoring all he asks for a pair of binoculars to look at the cave again and orders an attack. 

As they are handed over, they drop down. 

He bows down to pick them up and as he gets up again, he faces the other soldier: A Japanese soldier. Wondering and nearly petrified he looks around: All soldiers are Japanese and obviously they treat him as one of their own. One soldier tries to convince him to stop hunting the starving American soldiers down there in the cave. In panic he runs away - in the direction of the cave where he is welcomed by gunshots. Hiding behind a rock, he sees the wooden boxes in front of the cave - clearly indicating the origin of the people in there: American. They keep on firing at him. As he makes it back to the hideout of the others, the Japanese soldiers, he is warmly welcomed and congratulated for his brave action. In total disbelieve he takes the binoculars again in order to watch the cave again. 

They drop down. 

Picking them up and looking up again, he sees the American soldier besides him where the Japanese was standing right before. And - looking around - he sees his old pals again. Now the binoculars reveal the wooden boxes in front of the cave as Japanese ones, the usual sight he looked at so often before. The reluctant soldiers were readily disguised for the ordered attack, with obvious lack of motivation. Still deep in thoughts the sergeant takes back the order. As the relieved and tired soldiers try to get some rest again, Hansen gets a call: The atomic bomb has been used and ended the war, they will be fetched soon. Happily the soldiers get ready to leave, the sergeant still wondering about what happened.