We Were Soldiers quotes

View Quote Hal: [praying] Our Father in Heaven, before we go into battle every soldier among us will approach You, each in his own way. Our enemies too, according to their own understanding, will ask for protection and for victory. And so we bow before Your infinite wisdom. We offer our prayers as best we can. I pray that You watch over the young men like Jack Geoghegan that I lead into battle; You use me as Your instrument in this awful hell of war, to watch over them. Especially if they are men like this one beside me deserving of a future in Your blessing and good will. Amen.
Jack: Amen.
Hal: Oh, yes, and one more thing, dear Lord — about our enemies? Ignore their heathen prayers and help us blow those little bas**** straight to hell. Amen again.
Jack: Uh... Amen.

View Quote Hal: I'll never forgive myself.
Galloway: For what, sir?
Hal: For the fact that... my men died... and I didn't.

View Quote Hal: When Crazy Horse was a baby, he nursed at the breast of every woman in the tribe. The Sioux raised their children that way. Every warrior called every woman in the tribe "Mother". Every older warrior, they called him "Grandfather". Now, the point here is that they fought as a family. Take care of your men. Teach them to take care of each other. 'Cause when this starts... each other is all we're gonna have. [Moore goes aside with new radio operator]
Plumley: Any of you sons-of-bitches calls me "Grandpa"... I'll kill ya.

View Quote Maj. Crandall: It's the last flight for the night, Colonel — but you need us, you call us.
[Later, after Crandall lands, one of the Medevac pilots from earlier in the day finds him]
Medevac Pilot: Crandall! You led my men into a hot LZ!
Maj. Crandall: Yeah, somebody had to fly out the wounded...
Medevac Pilot: No, no, don't you play hotshot with me! Now, you know the rules. You suckered us in there. You ever do it again, I'm gonna have you busted! [shoves Crandall]
Maj. Crandall: [pulls out his revolver] You've got the BALLS to face me but not enough balls to face the enemy?!
Capt. Freeman: Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Whoa! [separates the two and maintains the distance]
Maj. Crandall: If I ever see you again, I'll kill you. [The Medevac pilot looks at him, then walks away] That's right.
Capt. Freeman: Hey... what a day, huh?
Maj. Crandall: Tomorrow will get worse. If they make it to tomorrow.

View Quote [Face-down on the ground under a storm of enemy fire, photographer Joe Galloway gets a combat boot in the stomach.]
Sgt.Maj. Plumley: Can't take no pictures lyin' down there, Sonny!
...
[Plumley hands Galloway an M-16 and several magazines.]
Galloway: Uh, sir? I-I'm a noncombatant, sir.
Plumley: Ain't no such thing today, boy.
...
[Vietnamese troops are advancing on the termite mound where casualties have been collected.]
Plumley: [chambering a round in his .45] Gentlemen — prepare to defend yourselves!

View Quote [In a flashback sequence: after ambushing a French column, Viet Minh troops stand over the wounded survivors.]
Viet Minh soldier: [in subtitles] Do we take prisoners?
Lt. Nguyen Huu An: [in subtitles] No. Kill all they send, and they will stop coming.
[The Viet Minh troops proceed to execute the surviving French soldiers.]

View Quote [Julie Moore is hosting a meeting of officers' wives.]
Catherine: The laundromat in town's okay, but they won't let you wash your colored things in their machines.
Barbara: At a public laundromat?
Catherine: Didn't make any sense to me either, but I'm telling you — they have a big sign right in the window, says "Whites Only". [an awkward silence]) What?
Alma: Honey, they mean white people only.
Catherine: That's awful. Your husband is wearing the uniform of a country that allows a place to... to say that his laundry's not good enough, when he could die for... I'm sorry, I just —
Alma: That's all right, honey. I know what my husband's fighting for, and that's why I can smile. My husband will never ask for respect, and he'll give respect to no man who hasn't earned it. The rest of his family's the same way. And anybody who doesn't respect that can keep his goddamn washing machine, 'cause my baby's clothes are gonna be clean anyway!
Julie: [amid general laughter] Well, I guess that takes care of item number two!

View Quote [Lt. Herrick's men, isolated from the rest of the unit, are under heavy fire.]
Lt. Herrick: Grab the wounded! Break contact! Fall back, get to high ground! Cover fire! Get to high ground, come on! Come on, get up here! Bring the wounded up to the middle! Cover fire, cover fire! (more enemy troops open fire from the rear) Everybody down! DOWN! (after a heavy exchange of gunfire, Herrick jumps to his feet) Come on! I'll get us out of here! AH! (shot, he falls)
Platoon Sergeant: Grab the wounded! We'll make a run — (shot, he falls)
Senior Sergeant: We gotta get out of here — (shot, he falls)
Sgt. Savage: STAY DOWN! Don't anybody move — Bungum, stay down! Form a perimeter, conserve your ammo, and stay down!

View Quote [Taxicabs have been delivering death-notice telegrams to military families; when a cab arrives at her house, Julie Moore reluctantly answers the door.]
Driver: [removes his hat] Mrs. Moore? Colonel Moore's wife?
Julie Moore: Yes.
Driver: I need help finding an address. I'm looking for —
Julie: You JACKASS! Do you know what this is?! Do you know what you just did to me?!
[The driver sheepishly walks toward his cab, but stops at the curb.]
Driver: I-I don't like this job, Ma'am. I'm just trying to do it. [continues toward cab]
Julie: Wait. Wait! [runs to the cab] I'll take it to her. [she takes the telegram] And tell the cab company if there are any others, just bring them to me.