Stripes (1981) - Quotes

A Man's Quest for Democracy and Romance

Tagline: The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls.

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Plans and Consequences in Uncertain Times

Russell: Do the words "Act of War" mean anything to you?

Winger: I have a plan.

Russell: [[w:George Armstrong Custer|Custer] Great! ] had a plan.

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A Comparison of Locations and Experiences

Winger: [[w:Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia] C'mon, it's ]. We zip in, we pick em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia. It's like we're going into Wisconsin.

Russell: Well, I got the shit kicked out of me in Wisconsin once. Forget it.

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Military Training Under Questioning

Gen. Barnicke: Where the hell have you been, soldier?

Winger: Traaaaaaaining, sir!

Soldiers: Training, sir!

Gen. Barnicke: What kind of training, son?

Winger: Aaaaaaarmy training, sir!

Soldiers: Army training, sir!

Winger: [leading them through drill] Platoon, just like last night, only better! And...right shoulder, ho! Order, ho! Sidestep, right! Why did the chicken cross the road?

Winger: Right!

Soldiers: Hey! Hey! Hut!

Winger: He stepped out of rank, got hit by a tank!

Soldiers: He ain't no chicken no more!

Winger, Soldiers: No!

Winger: Left flank, left! Queen Anne salute! Three...five...seven...port, ho! Razzle-dazzle!

Gen. Barnicke: Where's your drill sergeant, men?

Winger: Blown up, sir!

Soldiers: Blown up, sir!

Capt. Stillman: Yes, sir, these are Sgt. Hulka's men. He was injured during basic training.

Gen. Barnicke: I see. So am I to understand that you men completed your training on your own?

Winger: That's the fact, Jack!

Soldiers: That's the fact, Jack!

Gen. Barnicke: Captain?

Capt. Stillman: Yes, sir.

Gen. Barnicke: These are exactly the kind of go-getters I want working on my EM-50 project in Italy.

Capt. Stillman: But, sir, these men are--

Gen. Barnicke: Don't "but" me, Captain. I want them on the plane. Tonight!

Winger: Gentlemen, it's party time, Italian style!

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Miscommunication Leads to Unexpected Consequences

Capt. Stillman: [after the men were arrested in a women's mud wrestling bar fight] Well, explain yourselves.

Oxberger: Well sir, we were going to this bingo parlor at the YMCA, well one thing led to another, and the instructions got all fouled up there and we ended up...

Capt. Stillman: Shut up.

Oxberger: Okay, Sir.

Capt. Stillman: You men are a disgrace. Maybe a few days in the stockade will help you change your rotten attitudes.

Cruiser: But, um, we're supposed to graduate tomorrow, sir.

Capt. Stillman: That's even better. Tomorrow, you'll be on parade in front of General Barnicke. And when he sees what total fuck-ups you are, I will recommend that your whole platoon repeat the entire course of basic training.

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Military Training and Peer Pressure Dynamics

Sgt. Hulka: [The soldier falls off] Move it! Do it! Why, boy. We got women can climb that thing better than you! Get up! Get on your feet!

Winger: [Passing the rope to Hulka] He said he couldn't make it, why don’t you do it?

Sgt. Hulka: [Begins climbing the rope] Take one step back, Winger. Move it!

Capt. Stillman: Alright, soldier. Let’s see how you fire that mortar.

Mortar Soldier: What co-ordinates, sir?

Capt. Stillman: Co-ordinates?

Mortar Soldier: Yes, sir, they determine where the mortar’s going to-

Capt. Stillman: Ah, soldier, the army has spent a lot of money teaching you how to the fire that thing. Now, set it, then, fire it.

Mortar Soldier: Sir, we don’t know where the shell’s going to-

Capt. Stillman: [hands him a mortar shell] Soldier! The only way to learn anything is to do it! Now fire the weapon.

Sgt. Hulka: Alright. Any of ya suck-holes wanna come up here and knock me off?

Sgt. Hulka: [seeing the shell headed for their position] Oh shit. INCOMING!

Oxberger: [Hulka reaches up and grabs him by the throat as the other soldiers try on intervene] Sergeant does this mean we’re through for the day? Get him off me! Get him off!

Russell: Save your strength, Sarge!

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Desertion and Consequences in Military Life

Russell: [tackling Winger who is trying to escape] Where do you think you're going? Are you going AWOL? Are you going AWOL?

Winger: No, I'm deserting.

Russell: You idiot! You desert now, it's a federal offense!

Winger: I'll take my chances with the feds!

Russell: You're not going anywhere! You listen to me! You're gonna finish basic training! You're gonna keep your mouth shut, and you're gonna do everything he tells you! You know why?

Winger: Why?

Russell: Because you talked me into this, you idiot! It was your idea!

Winger: I didn't talk you into this. You NEEDED this.

Russell: [drags John back to the ground] I'm gonna kill you, damn you! Where's the great pay? Where's the travel? Where's the Winnebago, Goddamnit!

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Conflict Between Duty and Rebellion

Sgt. Hulka: I'm talking about something important, like discipline and duty and honor and courage. And you ain't got none of it!

Winger: Those words mean so much to a man who scrubs garbage cans. Look, if you don't want me in your Army, kick me out, but get off my back.

Sgt. Hulka: Maybe you'd like to take a swing at me.

Winger: I d like to take a big swing at you, sarge.

Sgt. Hulka: Well, go ahead and give it your best shot.

Winger: I don't think I want to go to the stockade.

Sgt. Hulka: [does so, sets it on a sink] I'll take my hat off. There we are, Winger. Ain't no more drill sergeant. It's just you and me, kid, man to man. So go ahead, give it your best shot. Swing at me. Gutless. Punk.

Sgt. Hulka: [putting his hat back on] I'm willing to forget this little incident. And I want you to think real hard about it. And maybe someday you'll understand what the hell I'm talking about.

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Morning Drill and Team Dynamics

Sgt. Hulka: [''banging the lid against a metal garbage can''] Out of them bunks! We got a full day ahead of us. We're gonna start out with a five-mile run.

Winger: I know that I'm speaking for the entire platoon when I say this run should be postponed until this platoon is better rested.

Sgt. Hulka: Well, I'll tell you what, soldier. Let's make it ten miles. Anymore complaints!?

Oxberger: [angrily grabs and shakes Winger] Thanks a lot Winger!

Soldier: Nice goin’, asshole.

Russell: Making friends fast around here John.

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Leadership and Humor in Military Training

Sgt. Hulka: Okay, Mr. Push-ups, let's hear your story.

Winger: [points to the soldier next to him] Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual. But now I know why I have always lost women to guys like you. I mean, it's not just the uniform. It's the stories that you tell. So much fun and imagination. Lee Harvey, you are a madman. When you stole that cow, and your friend tried to make it with the cow. I want to party with you, cowboy. But the two of us together? Forget it! I'm gonna go out on a limb here. I'm gonna volunteer my leadership to this platoon. An army without leaders is like a foot without a big toe. And Sergeant Hulka isn't always gonna be there to be that big toe for us. I think that we owe a big round of applause to our newest, bestest buddy, and big toe... Sergeant Hulka.

Sgt. Hulka: [laughing sarcastically] Well, okay, hotshot. We're gonna see what kind of soldier you are. Reveille is O five hundred. We're going to fall out with locker boxes and we're going to have a locker box inspection. And then we're going to do ten miles. Rain or shine! So, you better hit them bunks my little babies. Or, Sgt Hulka with the big toe is going to see how far he can stick it up your ass!

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A Humorous Take on Weight and Army Life

Oxberger: My name's Dewey Oxberger. My friends call me Ox. You might have noticed that, uh, I've got a slight weight problem.

Soldiers: Nooo! Noooo!

Oxberger: Yeah, yeah I do. Yeah, I do. I went to this doctor. Well, he told me I swallow a lot of aggression... along with a lot of pizzas! Ha Ha Ha! Pizzas! I'm basically a shy person, I'm a shy guy. Uh, he suggested taking one these uh, aggression training courses. You know these aggression training courses like EST, those type of things. Anyway, it cost 400 bucks! 400 bucks to join this thing? Well I didn't have the money and I thought to myself, "Join the army"! It's free. So I figured while I'm here I'll lose a few pounds. And you got what, a 6 to 8 week training program here? A real tough one. Which is perfect for me. I'm going to walk out of here a Lean, Mean, Fightin Machine! Ha ha ha ha!

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Psycho's Warning Against Personal Boundaries

Psycho: The name's Francis Soyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you.

Leon: Ooooooh.

Psycho: You just made the list, buddy. And I don't like nobody touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. Also, I don't like nobody touching me. Now, any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you.

Sgt. Hulka: Lighten up, Francis. One of these men may save your life one day, ya understand that?

Winger: Then again, maybe one of us won’t.

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Pacing Strategy in Military Training

Sgt. Hulka: You know something, soldier, I've noticed that you're always last.

Winger: I'm pacing myself, Sergeant.

Sgt. Hulka: MOVE IT!!

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Welcome to the United States Army

Sgt. Hulka: Men, welcome to the United States Army. I'm Sergeant Hulka. I'm your drill sergeant. Before we proceed any further, we gotta get something straight. Your mamas are not here to take care of you now. It's just you, me, and Uncle Sam. And before I leave you, you're gonna find out that me and Uncle Sam are one and the same.

Winger: [Softly] Uncle Hulka?

Sgt. Hulka: When I tell you to move, you'll move fast. When I tell you to jump, you're gonna say, "How high?" And make no mistake. I don't care where you come from, I don't care what color you are, I don't care how smart you are, I don't care how dumb you are, cause I'm gonna teach every last one of you how to eat, sleep, walk, talk, shoot, shit like a United States soldier. Understand!?

Cruiser: Yes, sir?

Sgt. Hulka: I didn't hear you.

Soldiers: Yes, sir.

Sgt. Hulka: You don't say sir to me, I'm a Sergeant, I work for a living!

Soldiers: Yes, Sergeant.

Sgt. Hulka: I didn't hear you!

Soldiers: YES, SERGEANT!!

Sgt. Hulka: Now that's what I wanna hear!

Winger: [Softly, under his breath] Think this guy's over doing it a bit?

Sgt. Hulka: We got a problem, boy?

Winger: No problem, Sergeant

Sgt. Hulka: On your feet, boy.

Sgt. Hulka: What's your problem, boy?

Winger: I was just making a joke, Sergeant.

Sgt. Hulka: Well why don't you tell me your joke, son?

Winger: I don't think you'd think it's funny, Sergeant.

Sgt. Hulka: How do you know? I got a hell of a sense of humor. Ain't I, Corporal Briggs?

Cpl. Briggs: Yes, Sergeant!

Sgt. Hulka: Corporal Briggs, we have a comedian in our midst. Will you take this comedian outside and watch him do fifty push-ups?

Cpl. Briggs: [Ushering Winger outside] Get your goat-smelling ass outta here!!

Sgt. Hulka: [Addressing the rest of the soldiers] MOVE IT! HUT! HO! HUT! Anybody else gonna be a comedian in here!?

Soldiers: No, Sergeant!

Sgt. Hulka: I didn't hear you!!

Soldiers: NO, SERGEANT!!

Joining the Army: A Personal Assessment

Recruiter: I'm not saying the army will do for you what it did for me. All I'm saying is you get out of it exactly what you put into it. Sometimes, the army's your best shot. Now there a couple of questions I have to ask you, they're a little personal; Have you ever been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor? That's robbery, rape, car theft, that sort of thing.

Winger: Convicted? No.

Russell: Never convicted.

Recruiter: That's good. Are either of you, uh, homosexual?

Winger: You mean like flaming?

Recruiter: Well, it's a standard question we have to ask.

Russell: No, we're not homosexual, but we are willing to learn.

Winger: Yeah ... would they send us someplace special?

Recruiter: I guess that's "no" on both. Now if you could just give Uncle Sam your autograph here.

Winger: [signing] Sammy, get well soon

Recruiter: That's good, now your name.

Monastery Life vs. Wild Experiences

Russell: You could join a monastery.

Winger: Did you ever see a monk get wildly fucked by some teenage girls?

Russell: Never.

Winger: So much for the monastery.

Hopeful Anticipation in the Mess Hall

Dewey Oxberger: [after stepping off the bus; looks at Captain Stillman; [Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower] Boy, I hope this is the mess hall. How’s it goin’ ]?

Pacifism and Commitment in Combat

Russell Ziskey: I've always been kind of a pacifist. When I was a kid, my father told me, "Never hit anyone in anger, unless you're absolutely sure you can get away with it." I don't know what kind of soldier I'm gonna make, but I want you guys to know that if we ever get into real heavy combat... I'll be right behind you guys. Every step of the way.

Lost in Austria's Confusion

John Winger: [at Czech border crossing, holding map pretending to be lost tourist, talking to Czech soldiers] We're so goddamn lost. Where the hell is Innsbruck, Austria?

Embracing American Identity and Soldierhood

John Winger: [breaking up a fight; [Old Yeller; raises his hand; hands are reluctantly raised; even more hands go up] Cut it out! Cut it out! Cut it out! The hell's the matter with you?! Stupid! We're all very different people. We're not Watusi. We're not Spartans. We're Americans, with a capital A', huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts! Here's proof: his nose is cold! But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more loveable than the mutt. Who saw ]? Who cried when Old Yeller got shot at the end? Nobody cried when Old Yeller got shot? I'm sure. I cried my eyes out. So we're all dogfaces. We're all very, very different, but there is one thing that we all have in common: we were all stupid enough to enlist in the Army. We're mutants. There's something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us! We're soldiers, but we're American soldiers! We've been kickin ass for 200 years! We're 10 and 1! Now we don't have to worry about whether or not we practiced. We don't have to worry about whether Captain Stillman wants to have us hung. All we have to do is to be the great American fighting soldier that is inside each one of us. Now do what I do, and say what I say. And make me proud. Fall in!