Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson, & Henry Fonda in “Too Late the Hero“ (1970)

In the 1942 Pacific theatre of World War II, Lieutenant Junior Grade Sam Lawson, USN, (Cliff Robertson) is a Japanese-language interpreter who has avoided combat. His commanding officer, Captain John G. Nolan (Henry Fonda), cancels Lawson’s leave and assigns him to a combat mission with the British infantry commando unit in the New Hebrides Islands. The British base is at the edge of the jungle, and on the other side of the jungle is a Japanese observation and communications post. Lawson arrives at the base, a patrol of British soldiers sprint out of the jungle and across the open field, pursued by the Japanese. The base commander, Colonel Thompson (Harry Andrews), instructs his men to keep out of enemy range, and watch the patrol get cut down by Japanese rifle fire. Lawson’s commando group is instructed to destroy the Japanese radio transmitter to prevent them from sounding the alarm, warning about an American naval convoy which is scheduled to appear on the horizon in three days.