The climax packs a punch even to this day and it's easy to see the filmmakers were going for a comparison to the infamous 1968 Mai Lai massacre and the cinematography turns jerky handheld looking like the Vietnam newsreel footage that was showing up nightly on network news. Upon leaving the town, it's discovered that Fatback's money is missing, and this leads to a brutally violent climax in a small town ironically called 'Hope' which is instigated by something as unassuming as a locked gas pump. Feeling they are being taken advantage of and becoming more & more at odds with the townsfolk, including an ugly barroom scene with Korean War veterans chiding 'We didn't come home until we won', the sheriff (Billy Green Bush FIVE EASY PIECES) places them in jail for protection. Later their car breaks down in a small town and finding the car needs major repairs. It's here that the story takes a progressively dark turn, and this continues with a stop at Danny's home and a family reunion with his parents (With his father played by character actor Lonny Chapman) that turns out ugly as the family scoff at their idea of the cattle ranch. In one of the film's gentler moments, Baker relates to one of the women that the only thing he knows how to do anymore is 'killing' and Vint shares a battered picture of their ranch with another.

There's a point where they stop at a totally vacant motel run by (in a very weird performance) Geoffrey Lewis and a bevy of prostitutes appear (including Luanne Roberts from THE PSYCHO LOVER and BONNIE'S KIDS) turning in to an orgy. Although she is most likely killed the men don't seem to give it much concern and drive on. They offer her $100.00 but she demands $500.00, bringing up the Mann Act as they have crossed state lines whereupon Baker angrily throws her out of the fast-moving car. The first night on the road they pick up a woman (Jennifer Billingsley WHITE LIGHTNING) and take turns having sex with her in the backseat. Danny seems to be the leader of the men (he's the only one referred to by his actual name) not because of their service rank as the others just defer to his decisions and each of them seems unable to function socially outside of the group. They purchase a used Cadillac in a humorous scene (in stark contrast to future events) in which they keep bartering down the price as the car is disassembled by Shooter and finds mechanical flaws.

Welcome home soldier boys 1971