Three veterans at three New Year's Eve celebrations that span 100 years.

SYNOPSIS:

Captain Mary Murphy returns with her unit from duty in Afghanistan. Her parents Bill and Carol, along with family and friends of other members of Murphy’s unit, are at the airport when the plane lands. After a short ceremony Murphy and the rest of the unit meet their families.

The Murphy family has a New Year’s Eve party at their house. Among the relatives is Uncle Joe.

Mary tells of an insider attack in Afghanistan. In the attack she kills the attacker in an exchange of gunfire.

Uncle Joe thinks back to his younger days.

In 1969 then Airman First Class Joseph Rossi, 19, and his working dog Mike were patrolling the base perimeter. Mike alerts and Rossi sees a sapper trying to get through the razor wire. Rossi opens fire and the underbrush lights up with North Vietnamese gunfire. Rossi is severely wounded and Mike is killed. After time in hospitals in Vietnam and Hawaii he returns home. His parents meet him at the airport.

Airman First Class Rossi had duties processing recruits into the military.

At a New Year’s Eve party, December 31, 1969, high school students talk about people can and have gotten out of the draft. His uncles talk about their World War II experiences. Grandpa Rossi quietly smokes.

In 1917 Private Giovanni Rossi and the other Italian soldiers are hunkered down in a bunker as artillery shells explode. When the barrage stops the men scramble out of the bunker. Austrian soldiers advance into “No man’s land”. The Italians retreat.

When the Italians reach the next trench line some stay, others keep running. Private Rossi mans a machine gun. The Austrians stop their advance.

On guard duty Private Rossi’s gun backfires. His commanding officer threatens a court martial for a self-inflicted wound. Rossi’s Lieutenant talks him out of it.

In 1919 Giovanni Rossi steps out of a train at a station near his home. On Rossi’s walk home a neighbor in a cart sees Rossi walking alone and gives him a lift to his family’s farm.

On New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1920, a neighbor salutes Giovanni’s first New Year in America.

Early New Year’s Day, 2020, the party is breaking up. The visitors are going home. Uncle Joe tells Mary to make sure she takes all the benefits she has coming to her.

Early New Year’s Day, 1970, the visitors are going home. Grandpa Rossi tells Joe he did the right thing.

Midnight January 1, 1920, a man gives the traditional Italian toast, “100 years.”

THE END

NEW YEAR'S EVE: 50 YEARS APART