Halls of Montezuma

Officer: Colonel gilfillan will address the men.

Aye, aye, sir.

Boatswain: Now hear this.

Now hear this.

Gilfillan: Marines, company b, first battalion,

this is colonel gilfillan.

We're gonna be landing on a jap-held island before long.

A couple of things I've said to you before

I think are worth repeating.

When you hit that beach,

there's gonna be a lot of noise and smoke and confusion.

You're gonna have to keep your eyes

on your squad leaders and platoon leaders.

I don't want any lost little lambs runnin' around.

You know where lambs end up.

And let's get it straight, this is a big island.

There's a lot about it we don't know yet,

and a lot we're gonna have to find out

from the japs themselves.

We used to say that the only good jap was a dead jap.

I'll remind you that that's changed.

From here on in,

a good jap is also a jap prisoner who tells us things.

Now, this is an order.

Whenever possible, you will take prisoners.

I say again, you will take prisoners.

Some of us were together at guadalcanal

and again at tarawa.

I was proud to be with you.

I know it will be the same after this.

Believe me,

this trip is necessary.

All hands, good luck.

I'll see you on the beach.

Wouldn't you know, I'd get a stinkin' cold.

What's the matter, Whitney?

I don't like the dreams I've been having.

Ah, don't let it worry you.

Pvelanded on two jap islands,

and I'm still here.

Yeah, but this guy I'm a replacement for,

where's he?

Got a half inch of whiskey.

It's all I got left in the world.

You want it? I don't drink.

You will.

Gonna make some more

the first minute I get.

No, thanks, I don't drink.

Ok, just take this ashore for me.

Come on.

What is it?

It's a gazintuh.

This goes into that.

It's a still!

Shh!

Just get it ashore.

Watch out for sergeant zelenko.

But I don't drink.

Yeah, I know. You told me, but I do.

Boatswain: Now hear this.

Now hear this.

All troops lay below and prepare to debark.

All troops lay below and prepare to debark.

Hey, you, Whitney.

What are you carrying, a still?

Sergeant, I don't...

Now, look, pal, we've a war to fight.

Yeah, and you're gonna fight it sober.

Sergeant, I don't drink.

Come with me.

Now, listen to me... You new men...

Step up here.

Don't let slattery give you a snow job

and get you into trouble.

He's got no more sense than a setting hen in a hurricane.

That's why he's been a private

longer than any man in the marine corps...

And he'll die a private.

Don't have nothin' to do with him.

Except when things get tough,

stick to him like plaster.

The best fighting man I know.

But before and after,

he's a no-good, money-burnin',

gin-drinkin' horsehead.

Now, let's get moving.

Got a lot of coal to dig.

Hey, zelenko!

Where's lieutenant Anderson?

Coffman, you shouldn't worry so much.

He'll be here.

Yeah, but he said he'd meet us on the deck, like always.

Take your pack off and loosen your leggings.

Did he ever miss a train before?

Conroy: Hey, where's the lieutenant?

Pharmacist's mate: I don't know.

Lieutenant, I...

Lieutenant, I... I can't make it.

I'm sick.

You gotta scratch me out.

Ewmd

please, lieutenant...

You've gotta get me out of this landing.

I can't get away with it anymore after...

Tarawa, the canal.

Call me a psycho, court-martial me.

I don't care!

The war's comin' out of my ears! I'm sick!

Anderson, thinking: So am I.

Do you hear me, lieutenant?

Do you hear me?

Anderson: I hear you.

Anderson: Both of us had it comin' out of our ears.

So what do I tell him, think of ice cream sodas,

fourth of July?

There are no bands playing here.

The first time I saw him he was just as scared...

A hundred years ago.

Greetings, on this first day of the new term.

Oh, I see we have a transfer from Clinton high school.

Mr. Conroy, have you ever had chemistry before?

Conroy.

Well, speak up. Are you tongue-tied?

He s-s-stutters.

Quiet.

I apologize, Mr. Conroy.

You may sit down.

All right, Conroy, repeat slowly after me,

hope is the mother of all men.

Hope... is the mother... Of all men.

Uh, h-h-hope is t-t-the...

Now, wait a minute.

Read that top line, will ya?

The top one.

Uh... s-s-September...

23rd...

1940.

There you are. You see?

You don't stutter as much when you read.

No, not... not much.

Now, Stuart, listen to me.

Stuttering is a matter of conflict and fear.

Maybe in your case, fear of failure.

Now we may not be able to cure all of it,

but I'm sure we'll be able to fix that stuttering.

After all, we've got a whole year to try.

So let's get started.

Now, close your eyes and pretend that you're all alone,

and you see words in your mind...

The words, hope is the mother of all men.

Now, close your eyes and read what you see.

Hope...

Is... the...

Mother...

Of... all...

Men.

It worked.

Good. Now, let's try it again.

Uh, hope". Is the mother...

Of all men.

Swell.

Mr. Principal,

members of the faculty,

honored guests...

Fellow graduates of the class of 1941,

hope...

Hope is the mother of all men.

And as we leave these hallowed halls,

we must, each one of us,

fearlessly hold on to the belief

in the promise of the future.

There is no limit to our achievement.

What are you thinking, lieutenant, that I'm a coward?

Is that what you're thinking?

Thinking of dear old school days.

That's a laugh!

No! I was thinking you handled fear once,

you can handle it again.

Mr. Conroy, have you ever had chemistry before?

Boatswain: Now hear this.

Now hear this.

All hands go to debarkation stations.

All hands go to debarkation stations.

Ok, lieutenant.

Let's walk.

I want to tell you men

who've never been in combat before

that it's ok to be scared. We're all scared.

But if anybody feels like vomiting, do it now.

What's holdin' us up? Let's get rollin'.

How many landings you gotta make to learn

we circle out here until they're ready for us?

I'm in a hurry to get home, that's all.