55 We Were Soldiers Quotes (2024)

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [Hal Moore speaks to his men before going into battle] Look around you. In the 7th cavalry, we've got a captain from the Ukraine; another from Puerto Rico. We've got Japanese, Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians. Jews and Gentiles. All Americans. Now here in the states, some of you in this unit may have experienced discrimination because of race or

creed. But for you and me now, all that is gone. We're moving into the valley of the shadow of death, where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours. And you won't care what color he is, or by what name he calls God. They say we're leaving home. We're going to what home was always supposed to be. Now let us understand the situation. We are going into battle against a

tough and determined enemy.
[pauses]
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear, before you and before Almighty God, that when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off, and I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together. So help

me, God.

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I wonder what was going through Custer's mind when he realized that he'd led his men into a slaughter?
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: Sir, Custer was a pussy. You ain't.

We Were Soldiers

Sergeant Ernie Savage: Beautiful morning, Sergeant!
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: What are you a fucking weatherman now?

We Were Soldiers

[Moore and Geoghegan a prayer before leaving for Vietnam]
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: 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

you watch over the young 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're men like this one beside me, deserving of a future in your blessing and goodwill. Amen.
2nd Lieutenant Jack Geoghegan: Amen.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Oh, yes, and one more thing, dear Lord,

about our enemies, ignore their heathen prayers and help us blow those little bastards straight to Hell. Amen.

We Were Soldiers

Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: If any of you sons of bitches calls me grandpa, I'll kill you.

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I think you oughta get yourself an M-16.
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: Sir, if the time comes I need one, there'll be plenty lying on the ground.

We Were Soldiers

Sgt. Ernie Savage: Good morning, Sergeant Major.
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: How do you know what kind of goddamn day it is?

We Were Soldiers

[after savage is rescued]
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: That's a nice day, Sergeant Savage.

We Were Soldiers

Joe Galloway: [narrating] We who have seen war, will never stop seeing it. In the silence of the night, we will always hear the screams. So this is our story, for we were soldiers once, and young.

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: They attack us; no casualties. They run and hide in the mountains. Naturally we chase them, of course. Smell like an ambush to you?
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: If they're trying to get us close enough to kill, I rekon we'll be close enough to kill them.

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I'll never forgive myself.
Joseph Galloway: For what, sir?
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: That my men... that my men died and I didn't.

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Glad you made it son.
Joe Galloway: Thank you, Sir, You too.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [after a short pause] I'll never forgive myself.
Joe Galloway: For what, Sir.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: That my men - that my men died and I didn't.
Joe

Galloway: Sir, I don't - I don't know how to tell this story.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Well you got to Joe. You tell the American people what these men did here. You tell them how my troopers died.
Joe Galloway: Yes, Sir.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Thank you.

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I got a problem, Snake Shit, and I think you're the solution.
Maj. Bruce Crandall: I've been called a lot of things, Colonel, never a solution.

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: You know what Air Cavalry really means? You fly into hostile territory, outnumbered, 10,000 miles from home. Sometimes the battleground is no bigger than a football field, and if the choppers stop coming, we all get slaughtered. Now, I figure chopper pilots won't fly into Hell for strangers, so, I'm Hal Moore.

We Were Soldiers

Medevac CO: Crandall! You led my men into a hot LZ!
Crandall: Yeah, somebody had to fly out the wounded...
Medevac CO: 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]
Crandall: [pulls out his

revolver] You've got the balls to face me but not enough balls to face the enemy?
Capt. Ed 'Too Tall' Freeman: Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Whoa!
[seperates the two and maintains the distance]
Crandall: If I ever see you again, I'll kill you! That's right...
Medevac CO: [walks off in silence]
Capt. Ed 'Too Tall'

Freeman: Hey... what a day, huh?
Crandall: Tomorrow will get worse. If they make it to tomorrow.

We Were Soldiers

Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: [about to face an onslaught of attacking NVA soldiers] Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves!

We Were Soldiers

[On the radio]
Colonel Tim Brown: Colonel, what's the situation down there?
[Colonel Moore spins around and shoots a North Vietnamese soldier that was just about to bayonet him]
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: It's getting pretty sporty down here, sir!

We Were Soldiers

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Broken Arrow!

We Were Soldiers

Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: Seen the new rifles too, the M-16.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: That's supposed to be a pretty good weapon.
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: Ahh, lotsa plastic. Feels like a BB gun to me. Believe I'm gonna stick with my pistol.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Think we're gonna get close enough to

the enemy to use that?
Sergeant Major Basil Plumley: What do you think, sir?