CM Capt. Miller
[After the fight to take the radio nest has left Medic Wade dead]
Get your gear. Let's go.
SH Sgt. Horvath
[Reiben doesn't move]
You heard him, gear up. Your captain just gave you an order.
Yeah, like the one he gave to take this machine gun. That was a real doozie, wasn't it?
SH Sgt. Horvath
Soldier, you are way out of line!
Yes, sir, that was one hell of a call, coming to take this nest, but hell, we only lost one of our guys going for it. That's right, I hope Mama Ryan's real ****in' happy knowing that Little Jimmy's life is a little bit more important than two of our guys! But then again, we haven't found him yet, have we? Have we?
CU Corp. Upham
"There's not a reason why, there's but to do and die."
La-la-la-la-la-la. What the **** is that supposed to mean, Corperal? We're all supposed to die, is that it?
CM Capt. Miller
Upham's talking about our duties as soldiers. We all have orders and we are to follow those orders and that supercedes everything, including your mothers.
CU Corp. Upham
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
Even if you think the misson's FUBAR, Captain?
CM Capt. Miller
*Especially* if you think the mission's FUBAR.
CU Corp. Upham
What's FUBAR?
CU Corp. Upham
[Who is fluent in German]
Never heard of it.
Actually, the trick to falling asleep is trying to stay awake.
Well, when my mother was an intern, she used to work late through the night... sleep through the day. So the only time we'd ever get to talk about anything is when she'd get home. So what I... I used to do, I used to lie in my bed and try to stay awake as long as I could, but it never worked, 'cause... 'cause the harder 'd try, the faster 'd fall asleep.
Yeah, well, that wouldn't have mattered none in my house. My ma, she would've come home, shook me awake, chatted me up 'til dawn. I swear, that woman was never too tired to talk.
That was probably the only time she could get a word in.
[Upham gives him a tap on the shoulder]
Hey! You want to get your head blown off, you fancy little ****? Don't ever **** touch me with those dirty little rat claws again. Get the **** back in formation.
CU Cpl. Upham
I was just wondering where you're from, that's...[Mellish glares at him. Upham walks ahead to Caparzo] Uh, Caparzo, is that it?
Hey, drop dead, corporal.
And another thing, every time you salute the captain you make him a target for the Germans. So do us a favor, don't do it. Especially when I'm standing next to him. Capisce?
CU Cpl. Upham
Alright, capisce.
Corporal, what's your book about?
CU Cpl. Upham
It's supposed to be about the bonds of brotherhood developed between soldiers during war.
[laughs]
Brotherhood? What do you know about brotherhood? Get a load of this guy, Fish. Why don't you ask the captain where he's from?
Yeah, ask the captain. He'll tell ya everything you wanna know about him.
You want to explain the math of this to me? I mean, where's the sense in risking the lives of the eight of us to save one guy?
CM Capt. Miller
[Quietly]
Twenty degrees. [Speaks up] Anyone wanna answer that?
Hey, Reiben, think about the poor bastard's mother.
Hey, doc, I got a mother, you got a mother, the sarge has got a mother. Shit, I'll bet that even the Captain's got a mother. [Looks at Miller] Well, maybe not the Captain, but the rest of us have got mothers.
CU Corp. Upham
"Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die."
La-la-la-la-la-la-la. What the **** is that supposed to mean, Corporal? We're all supposed to die, is that it?
CM Capt. Miller
Upham's talking about our duties as soldiers. We have orders and we are to follow those orders, and that supersedes everything, including our mothers.
CU Corp. Upham
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
Even if you think the mission's FUBAR, Captain?
CM Capt. Miller
Especially if you think the mission's FUBAR.
CU Corp. Upham
What's FUBAR?
CU Corp. Upham
[who is fluent in German]
Never heard of it.
PJ Pvt. Jackson
[At Miller]
Sir, I have an opinion on this matter.
CM Capt. Miller
Well, by all means, share it with the squad.
PJ Pvt. Jackson
Well, from my way of thinking, sir, this entire mission is a serious misallocation of valuable military resources.
CM Capt. Miller
Yeah, go on.
PJ Pvt. Jackson
Well, it seems to me, sir, that God gave me a special gift. Made me a fine instrument of warfare.
CM Capt. Miller
Reiben, now pay attention. THIS is the way to gripe. Continue Jackson.
PJ Pvt. Jackson
Well, what I mean by that, sir, is if you's to put me and this here sniper rifle, anywhere up to and including one mile of Adolf Hitler with a clear line of sight, sir, pack your bags fellas, war's over. Amen.
[At Jackson]
Oh, that's brilliant, bumpkin. [At Miller] Say Captain, you don't gripe at all?
CM Capt. Miller
I don't gripe to you, Reiben. I'm a Captain. We have a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, and so on and so on and so on. I don't gripe to you. I don't gripe in front of you. You should know that, as a Ranger.
Well, I'm sorry, sir, but let's say you weren't a Captain, or maybe I was a Major. What would you say then?
CM Capt. Miller
Ah, well, in that case, I'd say this is an excellent mission, sir, with an extremely valuable objective, sir, worthy of my best efforts, sir. Moreover, I feel heartfelt sorrow for the mother of Private James Ryan and am willing to lay down my life, and the lives of my men — especially you, Reiben — to ease her suffering.
You know what that song reminds me of? It reminds me of Mrs. Rachel Troubowitz and what she said to me the day I left for basic.
No, Mrs. Rachel Troubowitz was our super's wife. She comes into my mom's shop to try on a few things, all right? And she's easily like a uh, a forty-four double E. These things are massive. And 've got her convinced that she's like a 42D, all right. So we're in the dressing room, she's trying to squeeze into this side-cut, silk-ribbonned, triple panel girdle with the uh, shelf-lift brassiere and it's beautiful because she's just pouring outta this thing, you know? It's beautiful. And she sees me and she can tell I got a hard-on the size of the Statue of Liberty, all right? And she says to me, "Richard, calm down." And she says, "Now when you're over there, if you see anything that upsets you, if you're ever scared, I want you to close your eyes and think of these. You understand?" So I said, "Yes, ma'am!"
