"The Last Kamikaze"
(Original air date 01/19/75)
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Steve rescues a World War II Japanese Kamikaze pilot from a remote island
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Writer: Judy Burns
Director: Richard Moder
In Oscar's office, Hayworth (Edmund Gilbert), the head of an organization that entered into an agreement with the Army to develop a new design for atomic warheads, plays the blackbox recording of one of their the planes that crashed on a remote South Pacific island. On board was a prototype on its way to their laboratory for an acid test. He stresses the importance of finding the bomb before whoever took it winds up deleting the entire island off the map.
Oscar briefs Steve on the situation. The injured pilot reports having seen a Japanese soldier in uniform roaming near the plane, one who appeared to have lost all contact with reality. Given the fact that the government is unaware of this illegal transit, Steve is sent to retrieve the warhead before word gets out.
Steve meets with his guide Tomas Francisco Gabella (Robert Ito) on the military plane flying them to the remote island where they parachute down.
Once out of their uniform, the plough on through the thick booby-trapped jungle.
One trap hurls a grenade at their feet. Steve is quick to dispose of the ticking bomb but the explosion wounds him in the head.
Believing that his companion is dead, Gabella breaks Steve's radio transmitter and contacts his own guerrilla group to happily inform them of the American's unfortunate demise. Therefore they can proceed freely with their plan to steal the warhead for their own government.
The trail of destruction left by his traps leads the Japanese soldier Kuroda (John Fujioka) to Steve, whom he finds unconscious but alive. After stripping him of his ID and backpack, he drags Steve to his dwelling inside a cave.
Hours later, Steve rouses to a throbbing headache and hands bound behind his back. Kuroda besets him with questions regarding his military mission on the island. Steve denies that he's on any assignment for the American government. He attempts to convince the soldier that the war is over, that the Japanese Emperor forfeited to the American people after the dropping of the atomic bombs.
Kuroda turns a deaf ear to Steve's words, calling them lies. He is however willing to keep him alive long enough to discover the real reason for his presence on the island.
Soon, Steve's vision becomes blurred and he passes out.
The next morning, Kuroda packs up the warhead and a small bomb inside his backpack before he orders Steve out of the cave to find his people, where he intends to blow himself up along with the Americans.
Gabella and his group find the spot where Steve was left for dead. Judging from the amount of blood on the blades of grass, Gabella surmises that his companion must be near collapse and not likely to escape the island.
As Steve and Kuroda march on, gunfire suddenly erupts. They seek cover from Gabella who informs Steve that he and his men are out to steal the warhead for their own country, and are prepared to kill anyone standing in their way.
In the diversion, Steve breaks out of his bond and saves Kuroda from a fatal bullet.
As they continue their trek toward the crash site, Steve experiences a dizzy spell. They take a short respite during which Steve makes another attempt at convincing the Japanese Zero pilot to lay down the arms. Kuroda mocks his stories of space travel and revolutionary technology.
As they uncover another booby trap, Steve seizes the moment to knock Kuroda out and snatches his backpack containing the warhead.
As the soldier slowly regains his senses, Steve takes a Polaroid picture of him to prove his point on the advanced technology in the past thirty years.
Steve insists Kuroda take him to the crash site where he hopes to contact Oscar by radio. During a short respite, Kuroda flees. When Steve takes off after him, he falls into a hole at the bottom of which sharp blades are erected.
When Kuroda aims to shoot Steve, he catches a glimpse of his bionic leg. His eyes widen in terror at the man he believes is the devil. Steve strives to make him see that his leg is part of that revolutionary technology, and that if he only agreed to follow him back to civilization, he could see for himself.
Kuroda won't believe it. Besides it's too late for him to return to his loved ones. They buried him. He would shame them if he were to show on their doorstep, knowing that he failed at his kamikaze mission.
At this moment, the guerrillas emerge from the bushes. For years, Gabella has sought revenge against Kamikaze pilots for killing his brother during the war, and now relishes the pleasure to even the score.
Kuroda gets shot as he tries to stop him from getting his hands on the warhead. He summons his strength to whip a knife out of his bag and drives it in one of Gabella's men's belly.
In the confusion, Steve jumps out of the hole and overpowers Gabella's men. After seeing to a wounded Kuroda, he takes off after Gabella who steps on a land mine, killing him instantly.
Steve returns to the dishonoured soldier to prevent him from committing hari-kiri.
A helicopter hovers above, prompting Steve to hurry out to the an open field and beckon the pilot down.
Back in Washington, Steve visits Kuroda at the hospital. He's pleased to inform him that the government won't prosecute him for war crimes given the fact that he was never ordered to surrender.
As a token of his utmost gratitude, Kuroda presents Steve with his treasured possession: the Thousand-Knot woven sash given to him before he left on his mission.
Steve returns the gesture with a special gift. Kuroda's mother and brother that were flown in to Washington.
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