Courage Under Fire Quotes

Don Boylar I guess we've been expecting you.

Nathaniel Serling Ahem. First of all, let me, um. Let me just say that, uh, there was nothing that, uh, Tom and I wouldn't do for each other. Nothing. He was a good soldier. He was like a brother to me. That night, uh, 25 February, there were enemy tanks in our lines. We thought... I... I thought that, uh, Tom's tank was an enemy tank. And, uh... I gave the order to fire. God help me. I, um... Yeah, I killed him. As for the funeral, the lies the Army told, and the lies that I told, to you, I can only beg for your forgiveness. As far as the, as far as that night, um, I guess there's no way that, uh, I can even begin to ask you to forgive me.

Boylar I know that, but it's a burden you're going to have to put down sometime.

Serling Thank you, sir.

Nathaniel Serling Will there be a public statement of the facts when the Al Bathra investigation is over sir?

General Hershberg There's been a decision not to release any of these findings until every case has been thoroughly reviewed.

Serling Well how long do you imagine that will be sir? I mean the next time I see Lieutenant Boylar's parents, I'd like to be able to tell them the whole truth.

Hershberg Do you want to know how many grieving parents I had to deal with during Vietnam?

Serling With all due respect sir, this is not Vietnam. Lieutenant Boylar's tank was hit by uranium-depleted shells. We're the only country in the world that uses them. We got these reporters from the Washington Post sniffing around his parents, looking for the truth, and the only person that knows the truth is not allowed to say it because these investigators are dragging their backsides. Someone has got to be accountable for this. Sir.

Monfriez You ever kill anyone at close range with a small arm, sir? It's messy. No. We're not talking about one of your great big tank guns here. Oh, that's OK. I know what you did. Your own men. Guys under your command. How'd it feel? Bad, right?

Nathaniel Serling Very bad, son.

Monfriez Very bad. And you didn't even mean to kill them. I've been a good soldier. A good soldier. Listen to that whistle. Johnny "Night Train" Monfriez. Say it.

Serling Johnny "Night Train" Monfriez.

Monfriez Now get out.

Serling You don't want to do this, son. Let me help you.

Monfriez It's too late.

Nathaniel Serling It's never too late. Look at me. Things get fucked up in war. I don't give a damn what happened to you. You can't do this.

Monfriez Wrong! I can't do anything else.

Nathaniel Serling Yes, you can. You can put the car in reverse. Put the gun down. We can help each other. I don't want to lose another good soldier.

Monfriez I strongly urge you to dismount the vehicle, sir!

Nathaniel Serling Monfriez. Monfriez!

Monfriez Aah!

Taglines A medal for honor. A search for justice. A battle for truth.

Capt. Karen Walden Dear Mom and Dad, well, this is it - the big push. Looks like it's gonna really happen. And I'm afraid, not of being hurt or killed, well, kind of, but not much. My only regret will be to never see you two again and that I'll never see Anne Marie grow up. But I know she's in good hands, the best. What I'm really afraid of is that I might let my people down, my crew. These people depend on me. They put their lives in my hands. I just can't fail em. Now, I know if you get this letter, it means I'm dead. I only hope that I've made you proud, that I did my job, and I didn't let down my country, my crew, my fellow soldiers. I love you guys. Never stop telling Anne Marie how much I love her. Your daughter, Karen.

Specialist Ilario It's not the doing shit that gets to you. It's the consequences. Imagine a life without consequences.

Taglines In wartime, the first casualty is always truth.

Tony Gartner General, Colonel Serling's order to activate lights, was that a standard response to enemy infiltration of the lines?

General Hershberg At the critical moment, in spite of terrible losses, Colonel Serling didn't hesitate to act. Ordering those tanks to turn on their lights saved the lives of God knows how many of our men. Heroic acts arise out of desperate circumstances.

Gartner I have no trouble at all believing Colonel Serling is a hero.

Hershberg Like Captain Karen Walden. Did you know, Mr Gartner, that for the first time, a woman is being considered for the Medal of Honor for her performance under fire? And, um... Colonel Serling is just finishing up the inquiry. How's that going, Nat?

Serling I think, uh... in order to honor a soldier like Karen Walden, we have to tell the truth, General, about what happened over there. The whole, hard... cold truth. And until we do that, uh, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. My full report, General.

Monfriez Just what the fuck do you think you're doing, soldier? Where are your men?

Recruit Right there, sir!

Monfriez Yeah? What do you call that? You see that man? You and he are brothers! He depends on you! You depend on him! You never leave a man behind!

Staff Sergeant John Monfriez Sir, if you get a hangfire on your weapon, what do you do? You wait, with your weapon pointed in a safe direction, cause sometimes the primer bursts, and if you open the chamber it blows up in your face. Leave this round in the chamber, sir.

Lt. Col. Nathaniel Serling I work at the Pentagon, Sergeant, so I'll admit I'm a little slow on the uptake, otherwise I'd say that you just threatened me. Did you just threaten me, soldier? Because if you did, let me respond to you... Let me respond to you this way. I'm an officer, and therefore, by proclamation, a gentleman, but don't abuse that, son. Don't get in my crosshairs, because I'll have no compunction whatsoever about getting up to my neck in yo ass. Do you understand me?

Capt. Karen Walden I gave birth to a nine-pound baby, asshole. I think I can handle it.