"Tour of Duty" (1987) Quotes

After completing viewing Frasier's 5th and 11th (final) seasons, I'm turning my attention to "Nam: Tour Of Duty". If you remember, this series dealt with the trials and tribulations of a platoon of soldiers of the Bravo Company during the Vietnam War. Led by Capt Rusty Wallace, Lt Myron Goldman, Sgt Zeke Anderson and a kick-ass script, it was very easy to get caught up with the experiences of the soldiers. Nearly always engaging, there were moments where you really feel for the men. The action sequences were realistic and the bantering was often downright witty (as can be attested below). The series won 1 Emmy Award during its 3 seasons.

Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Six confirmed kills.
Lt. Myron Goldman: Really? Outstanding! NVA or VC?
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Monkeys. They didn't say which side they were on.

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Private Alberto Ruiz: What's the matter? Ain't none of you niggers ever seen a spic before?
Private Marcus Taylor: Not an ugly one like you!

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[The platoon is under heavy fire]
Lt. Myron Goldman: I think we should attack.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: I think we should wait it out, sir.
Lt. Myron Goldman: Are you sure?
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Well, we could call Gen. Westmoreland right now, and discuss it!

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Private Danny Purcell: Father, I just want to know what we're all doing in this godforsaken excuse of a country!
Priest: What we're doing here? Son, I'm here to give you comfort and support, but I'm often as confused as you are.

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Major Braun: You will give us the coordinates, or I'll arrange for you to have a talk with my south Vietnamese colleague, here.
Colonel Li Trang: My country important. My life not important. You can't win.
Major Braun: Listen to me, colonel. You have never defeated us in the battlefield. We have superior firepower. We can bomb you back to the stone age.
Colonel Li Trang: You can't win. Unless you want to stay here and eat rice for the next thousand years, you can't win.

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Private Alberto Ruiz: Man, you're lying again.
Private Danny Purcell: Yeah, well, I also kill people. That don't make me a bad person.

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Private Marcus Taylor: The chaplain wasn't congratulating you for what you did on the field. He was congratulating you for coming back alive.

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Private Alberto Ruiz: If you ask me, sir, that's a stupid way to do it.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: The army ain't asking, soldier.

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[Sgt. Block kidnapped Purcell]
Sgt. Greg Block: You in my jungle now, boy.

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: If you're a conscientious objector, why did you come here instead of prison?
Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: Didn't want to be some lifer's old lady.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: You could've gone to Canada.
Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: Allergic to moose.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: You didn't answer my question, soldier. Why did you come to Vietnam instead of prison or Canada?
Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: Well, because prison or Canada wouldn't have been positive experiences.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Let me tell you something, out in the field, Charlie can be a very negative experience.

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Sergeant Marvin Johnson: We're gonna go down and secure the village.
Private Danny Purcell: Seems like a wussy mission for special forces.
Sergeant Marvin Johnson: VC have been coming down there, collecting taxes from the locals. They haven't been paying so they started terrorizing them. Like it or not, it's our job.
Private Marcus Taylor: You want to talk terrorist tactics? Take a look at what Uncle Sam did to your paycheck.

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Private Danny Purcell: Why are we here? Because, we don't mean squat. We are second rate citizens. What about all the other people whose kids don't have to fight the war? Let's face it boys, we're the hicks, the spics and the niggers. That's why we're here.

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Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: I don't know what you're going through. But, if you think you're the only one who's hurting, you're dead wrong. What we saw there today... made me sick. If you keep taking those pills, you're putting your buddies at risk, while they're covering it for you.
Private Danny Purcell: That's not it, Doc. You see, I've been here too long. A long time ago, I just stopped caring. I was doing my best to feel anything. But then, I just realized I don't want to feel a damn thing anymore.

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Private Danny Purcell: [about a village that was massacred by another American platoon] You guys just don't get it. We killed those people. Even if we weren't the ones who pulled the triggers, we did it! What if it was back home? What if those were your sisters, your brothers, your parents? When I think about it, I want to puke my guts out! But, I can't... I've been here too damn long.

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Lieutenant Myron Goldman: You can't win this war by killing every man, woman and child.
Lieutenant Joseph 'Skip' Beller: There's no other way.

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[After hearing Susanna's (an officer from a rich family) story about how she joined the army]
Susanna: So, what are you doing here?
Private Alberto Ruiz: The president sent me.

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Pfc. Thomas 'Pop' Scarlett: Yet another memorial service brought to you courtesy of communist containment.

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Duke Fontaine: This is a war. There's casualties. Once you get past that, you can concentrate on winning.
Lt. Myron Goldman: Winning? Where the hell have you been?

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: [during combat, to VC] I'm the nightmare your mama told you about!

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Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: I'm not like you, sir. I never had that many friends and I was never good at making any.
Lt. John McKay: Good at making friends? Lieutenant Goldman's my best friend and he hates me!

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[The platoon is upset because of dangerous patrols ordered by Goldman]
Lt. Myron Goldman: So, what do you think?
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: About what?
Lt. Myron Goldman: I... I was just thinking about my father.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: You're talking about the first General Goldman?
Lt. Myron Goldman: He was Colonel Goldman back then. He was one tough son of a bitch. It's just that no matter what he did, the men liked him.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Listen to me, it's real easy to get these guys to like you. They'll like you, up until the time the base is overrun. Then there's gonna be only one person to blame...
[pokes Goldman's shoulder]

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: I think she's gonna have a baby. Anybody know what we oughta do?
Sergeant Marvin Johnson: No idea.
Pvt. Scott Baker: Well, my mother had a baby.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Well, I hope so, Baker!

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Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: I guess when I'm drunk I can make a little sense of it all. I just want to know what the hell happened to me.
Vietnamese hooker: You get boom-boom. That's what happend to you.

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[After a series of explosions]
Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: [drunk] Auntie Em, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!

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Private Alberto Ruiz: You gotta do it, Marcus! You're gonna get court marshaled, man!
Private Marcus Taylor: What're they gonna do?! Send me to Vietnam?! Nigga, I am in Vietnam!

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Well, well, well. Purcell, you look as clean as a Mississippi sheriff on election day.

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Over here, you're either scared or crazy... Or dead.

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: What do you think is the difference between bravery and stupidity?
Lt. Myron Goldman: Same thing. Just depends on the timing.

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Congratulations! You just discovered the way to deal with the army.
Dr. Jennifer Seymour: Which is?
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Yell at 'em.

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: You got a big mouth, you know that?
Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: I was born with it.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: You could die with it.

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Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: This place sucks!

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Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenbury: 500,000 troops in country and I get stuck with F Troop.

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Dr. Jennifer Seymour: You just can't go bursting into a major's office!
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: What's he going to do? Send me to Vietnam? Make me a grunt?

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[The area behind the platoon is swarming with V.C.]
Lt. Myron Goldman: We got to check our rear.
Pvt. Alberto Ruiz: I'll go.
Lt. Myron Goldman: I can't do that to you, Ruiz.
Pvt. Alberto Ruiz: Don't worry about it, sir. It's like a walk through Central Park... Only half as dangerous.

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Sgt. Zeke Anderson: What's wrong, Taylor?
Pvt. Marcus Taylor: It's my leg, sarge.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: Your leg? You're sitting in a hole! How the hell'd you get shot in the leg?
Pvt. Marcus Taylor: That's the thing, I've been sitting here too long. I got the worst charlie horse I ever had.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: You know what, Taylor? Every time I think I heard it all, all I gotta do is talk to you and realize that I ain't heard a damn thing yet.

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Capt. Rusty Wallace: Where are you from, Lieutenant?
Lt. Myron Goldman: New York, sir. Queens.
Capt. Rusty Wallace: You don't sound like it.
Lt. Myron Goldman: Thank you, sir.
Capt. Rusty Wallace: Don't mention it.

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Major Rigby: Yes, this village is going to be a hallmark of what Americans and Vietnamese can accomplish when they work together. It might ever rub out some of that cynicism of yours, Sergeant.
Sgt. Zeke Anderson: I'm not cynical, sir. I'm just responsible for a lot of men who depend on me being realistic.