The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms
Encyclopedia
"The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms" is an episode of the CBS American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
, created by Rod Serling
.
National Guard soldiers (MSgt. William Connors, Pvt. Michael McCluskey, Cpl. Richard Langsford) are a tank
crew participating in a war game
being conducted near the Battle of Little Bighorn site of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer's last stand. Their orders coincide with the route of Custer and his men. As they follow the route, they have several strange occurrences such as Indian battle cries, and horses running. As there is nobody there, the men examine the possibilities and come to the conclusion that they've somehow gone back in time. They report to their commanding officer what had occurred and are reprimanded. The following day they again begin to experience the same strange occurrences. Their commanding officer contacts them via radio and orders them to return to base when they try to explain what is happening. They break contact, and the commanding officer sends out MP
's to search for them. The three men, however, abandon their tank and continue along on foot with their side arm
s and rifle
s. They find a group of tepees and one of the soldiers goes to investigate; he soon returns, with an arrow protruding from his back. The troops climb up a ridge where they find the battle. They join it and are never seen again. Later, the commanding officer finds the Custer Battlefield National Monument
and the graveyard of the soldiers killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn. An MP reports back that all they found was the abandoned tank. The officers then notice the names of the missing soldiers on the monument with the names of the men killed in the battle. The commanding officer states that it was a pity that the missing soldiers could not have taken the tank back with them to the battle.
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, created by Rod Serling
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
.
Summary
Three United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
National Guard soldiers (MSgt. William Connors, Pvt. Michael McCluskey, Cpl. Richard Langsford) are a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
crew participating in a war game
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
being conducted near the Battle of Little Bighorn site of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer's last stand. Their orders coincide with the route of Custer and his men. As they follow the route, they have several strange occurrences such as Indian battle cries, and horses running. As there is nobody there, the men examine the possibilities and come to the conclusion that they've somehow gone back in time. They report to their commanding officer what had occurred and are reprimanded. The following day they again begin to experience the same strange occurrences. Their commanding officer contacts them via radio and orders them to return to base when they try to explain what is happening. They break contact, and the commanding officer sends out MP
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
's to search for them. The three men, however, abandon their tank and continue along on foot with their side arm
Side arm
A side arm is a weapon, usually a pistol but can be a dagger, as used in pre-modern times, which is worn on the body in a holster to permit immediate access and use. A side arm is typically required equipment for military personnel and sometimes carried by law enforcement personnel...
s and rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s. They find a group of tepees and one of the soldiers goes to investigate; he soon returns, with an arrow protruding from his back. The troops climb up a ridge where they find the battle. They join it and are never seen again. Later, the commanding officer finds the Custer Battlefield National Monument
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument preserves the site of the June 25, 1876, Battle of the Little Bighorn, near Crow Agency, Montana, in the United States. It also serves as a memorial to those who fought in the battle: George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry and a combined Lakota-Northern...
and the graveyard of the soldiers killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn. An MP reports back that all they found was the abandoned tank. The officers then notice the names of the missing soldiers on the monument with the names of the men killed in the battle. The commanding officer states that it was a pity that the missing soldiers could not have taken the tank back with them to the battle.