Letters from Iwo Jima (2007) - Quotes

Captain Tanida: Here is the uniform of the American medic. He should be your target. For, Americans will risk many lives to save this one.

Captain Tanida: [To Saigo when he fails to hit the target during target practice; Saigo shoots again and misses] My six year old son can shoot better! Do you call yourself an Imperial soldier?

Captain Tanida: [Before the soldiers commit suicide by holding hand grenades against their chests; [w:Yasukuni Shrine|Yasukuni Shrine; The men repeat 'banzai' each time he says it; Shoots himself] Men, we are honorable soldiers of the Emperor. Don't ever forget that. The only way left for us is to die with honor. This is our fate, to find our place at ]. I'll see you there. Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! Soldiers, farewell!

Admiral Ohsugi: Kuribayashi belongs behind a desk, not fighting a war.

Admiral Ohsugi: This is ridiculous, why waste time digging all these tunnels? They are all going to die anyway!

Admiral Ohsugi: [Referring to Kuribayashi] This one is trouble.

Lieutenant Fujita: The Fleet of Americans have left from Saipan.

Lieutenant Fujita: [reading letter] From headquarters. We regret that we are unable to send reinforcements to Iwo at this time. We earnestly hope you will fight honorably and die for your country.

Lieutenant Ito: [Waiting in vain for the American tanks to run over him] Where are you, American tanks? Come and get me!

Lieutenant Ito: [Strapping explosive to himself] I won't go back, I've had enough of cave fighting. You men are now under command of Lieutenant Colonel Nishi. I'll throw myself under a tank, I'll destroy one of their machines!

Lieutenant Ito: We will take back Suribachi, with or without Kuribayashi.

Lieutenant Ito: Don't hide here like rats, come out of your caves and attack!

Lieutenant Ito: It was your duty, hold your position until death, you should have died with your fellow troop members. You are a disgrace.

Colonel Adachi: It's inevitable that people will die.

Colonel Adachi: I have failed to hold Suribachi. Permit me to die with my men!

Lieutenant Okubo: Don't waste a bullet. Not one.

Lieutenant Okubo: [after finding the dead bodies of Shimizu and another Japanese soldier who tried to surrender] (sadly) Let this be a lesson to anyone else who wants to surrender.

Lieutenant Okubo: [to Nishi before he commits suicide] It has been a great honor to serve under you.

Lieutenant Colonel Takeichi Nishi: [moments before shooting himself] I'm sorry, Okubo.

Lieutenant Colonel Takeichi Nishi: I'm tired of sharing this cave with all of you, I'm a one-man show from now on.

Lieutenant Colonel Takeichi Nishi: If you want my honest opinion, General, the best thing to do would be to sink this island to the bottom of the sea.

Lieutenant Colonel Takeichi Nishi: Do what is right because it is right.

Saigo: Damn this island! The Americans can have it.

Saigo: There is no use for a dead soldier.

Saigo: [On Kuribayashi] He studied the Americans, so he knows how to beat them.

Saigo: [In response to a soldier saying death is honorable] Kashiwara died of honorable dysentery.

Saigo: [About Nishi's romancing skills] There are rumors about his womanizing...But there are no women left to woo.

Saigo: [Letter to his wife] We soldiers dig. We dig all day. This is the hole that we will fight and die in. Am I digging my own grave?

Saigo: [Convincing Shimizu not to kill himself] We can die here, or we can continue fighting. Which would better serve the emperor?

Saigo: [When the Allied forces fire on him; An Allied shell lands right next to him, knocking him over. He sees the shell is a dud] Why are you always messing with me. It's got to be a joke! Thank you, God! I take back what I said!