Air date: December 6, 1963
June 25, 1876: Three of Gen. George Custer's men encounter a recently-abandoned Sioux dwelling on the plain and try to go back to warn their commander.
June 25, 1964: A trio from the Montana Army National guard – Master Sgt. William Connors (Ron Foster), Pvt. Michael McCluskey (Randy Boone), and Cpl. Richard Langsford (Warren Oates) – are on patrol in their tank somewhere out near the Little Bighorn monument, but they take a wrong turn and the tank stalls. One of them remarks that they're in the area where the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place. The youngest, McCluskey and Connors, turn out to be history buffs, recounting how Custer had divided up his men, hoping to ambush a seemingly small group of Sioux, only for the Sioux to have vastly superior numbers and slaughter Custer and most of his men. Wandering in the direction of the base, the three come across a wigwam from 1876... in remarkably good shape, as is a canteen from the 7th Regiment. They also hear distant sounds of horses and Sioux war cries. While the sergeant and McCluskey are unsettled, Langsford thinks that they've both gone crazy. After they return from patrol, Connors tries to report on what they experienced and gets a reprimand from their commander Capt. Dennet (Robert Bray), who is of the same opinion as Langsford.
The following day the trio goes out and again experiences strange phenomena, hearing horses and sounds of battle. Dennet contacts them via radio and orders them to return to base when Connors tries to explain what is happening, but Connors breaks contact and Dennet sends Lt. Woodard (Greg Morris) and two other men to bring them in. However, the tank crew abandon their tank and continue on foot with their sidearms and rifles. They find a small village and McCluskey goes to investigate. He soon returns with an arrow protruding from his back. The three men climb a ridge where they see a battle – the battle – taking place below. Drawing their weapons, they decide that they have no better option than to charge in.
In the present day, Woodard reports to base. The tank was abandoned, with no sign of the men. Dennet goes to write them up for desertion, but passes by the Custer memorial and sees three names that he swears weren't there before – William Connors, Michael McCluskey, and Richard Langsford. Dennet just shakes his head and grumbles that it's a pity his soldiers couldn't have taken the tank with them into the fight.
The 7th is Made up of Tropes:
- Cassandra Truth: Connors and McCluskey, both of whom are extremely knowledgeable about the Battle of Little Bighorn, believe that they have gone back in time. Langsford thinks that it is nothing more than an illusion but he eventually realizes the truth of the situation. When they return to base camp, Captain Dennet does not believe them either, but he is later convinced when he sees the three soldiers' names on the Custer Battlefield National Memorial.
- Chromosome Casting: Given its military theme, this episode has an all-male cast.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: Three National Guardsmen find themselves reliving the Battle of Little Bighorn. Predictably, they fail to survive the ensuing massacre.
- Honor Before Reason: Upon seeing the Battle of Little Bighorn taking place, the three soldiers join in presumably because they are soldiers coming to the aid of a surrounded US Army unit.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: McCluskey is a white Army man walking into a Sioux encampment. This inevitably results.
- Mildly Military: When Lieutenant Woodard and Captain Dennet interact, neither salute before or after their talk. Since they are National Guardsmen, it can be somewhat excused.
- Next Sunday A.D.: This episode aired on December 6, 1963 but the present day scenes take place on June 25, 1964.
- Stable Time Loop: Connors, McCluskey and Langsford travel back in time to the Battle of Little Bighorn and are killed by the Sioux. Dennet and Woodard later find their names engraved on the Custer Battlefield National Memorial, though Woodard believes that it is merely a coincidence. Dennet regrets that they couldn't bring their tank back with them.
- Too Dumb to Live: All three of them.
- A white Army guy walking into a Sioux village alone and unarmed. Yeah. Great idea.
- If you realize you're witnessing a historical bloodbath, the smart idea isn't to walk in guns blazing.
