Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

Boyd Gaines: Lieutenant Ring

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Quotes 

• Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Your DD 1348 forms are not filled out correctly.

  Choozoo : Yes, sir.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : We're going to approach this exercise in an orderly proficiant manner, Sergeant Major. I want each round of ammunition counted and returned in the exact condition in which it was received.

  Choozoo : I'll personally dot the I's and cross the T's, sir.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Sloppiness breeds inefficiency.

  [Ring and Highway approach] 

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Your outfit looks like it could use some cleaning up, Gunny.

  Highway : Sir, I'd like to issued my squad leader a set of night vision goggles.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Darn, I should have thought of that.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : That is not part of your TO&E.

  Highway : But, sir, I...

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Fill out the proper request forms and send it through the chain of command!

  Highway : Request forms!

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : [Colonel gets out of car]  Atten-shun! Major Malcom Powers, sir. Annapolis class of '71.

  Colonel Meyers : How are your men doing, Major?

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : My men are ready to fight to the death to defend our country, sir.

  Colonel Meyers : Well, let's hope that won't be necessary.

  [Looks at Highway] 

  Colonel Meyers : Have we ever served together?

  Highway : I don't know, sir. Sergeant Major Choozoo and I were in the 2nd Battalion and 7th in '68.

  Colonel Meyers : I had a rifle company in the 1st Battalion and 7th in '68.

  Highway : Well, we sure as hell chewed some of the same dirt, sir.

  Colonel Meyers : That's for sure. What's your assessment of this exercise?

  Highway : It's a cluster fuck.

  Colonel Meyers : Say again?

  Highway : Marines are fighting men, sir. They shouldn't be sitting around on their sorry asses filling out request forms for equipment they should already have.

  Colonel Meyers : Interesting observation. Carry on, Major.

  PA Announcer : Now hear this. Now hear this.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : This is it. We're going to war.

• Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Morning, men! I thought I'd lead you through this exercise. Can't find Gunny Highway, though...

  [Highway appears behind a makeshift building at the training site and sprays live bullet fire] 

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : [dives for cover]  Jesus Christ, what was that?

  Lance Corporal Fragatti : Sir! That is the AK-47 assault rifle!

  Profile : The preferred weapon of our enemy...

  Collins : And it makes a distinctive sound when fired at us, Sir!

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : [still dazed]  Yeah... I guess it does!

• Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : [approaching Highway]  Just what the hell do you think you're doing?

  Highway : Just enjoying the view, sir.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Well, you disobeyed an order. I told you to stay in contact and not take this hill without me. Damn it! Get on your feet, Highway!

  Highway : With all due respect, sir, you're beginning to bore the hell out of me.

  [sees the helicopter landing and Colonel Meyers getting out] 

  Colonel Meyers : Who's in charge here?

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : I am, sir. Major Malcolm Powers.

  Colonel Meyers : Did you lead this assault?

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Sir, Leutenant Ring and Gunnery Sergeant Highway disobeyed a direct order. I told them to wait for support but they went up this hill anyway.

  Colonel Meyers : [to Highway]  Why?

  Highway : We're marines, sir. We're paid to adapt, to improvise.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Sir, I gave the order to take this hill.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Ring, this is going to ruin your career.

  Colonel Meyers : Are you new to the infantry, Major?

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Yes, sir. Just came over from supply.

  Colonel Meyers : Were you good at that?

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Yes, sir!

  Colonel Meyers : Well then, stick to it because you're a walking cluster fuck as an infantry officer. My men are hard chargers, Major! Leutenant Ring and Gunny Highway took a handfull of young fire pissers, exercised some personal initiative and kicked ass!

  [to Lt. Ring] 

  Colonel Meyers : Good job, Leutenant!

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Thank you, sir!

  Colonel Meyers : Leutenant, see to it that those students are escorted back to Cherry Point.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Yes, sir!

  Colonel Meyers : [to Powers]  Well, you're dismissed!

  [Highway and Choozoo approach] 

  Colonel Meyers : What the hell are you two sorry assed individuals looking at? Get the hell off of my LZ.

  Highway , Choozoo : Semper fi!

  Colonel Meyers : Oo-rah!

  Highway : Well, Chooz, I guess we're not 0-1-1 anymore.

• Lieutenant M.R. Ring : [bumps into Highway]  Excuse me, sir. I mean, Gunny. Sergeant Major

  Choozoo : Sir. This is Gunnery Sergent Thomas Highway. He's been assigned to Recon Platoon.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Oh, outstanding, welcome aboard. Well, I have to hightail it men. I'm late for pre-SCUBA school.

  [looks at Highway's ribbons] 

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Lord!

  Highway : His Mama know he's playing Marine?

  Choozoo : By the way, he's Lt. Ring. Your platoon leader.

  Highway : Thanks a lot.

  Choozoo : You didn't think you were just gonna tilt nipple to a bunch of no rank fuzz butts did you?

  Highway : I guess not.

  Choozoo : Want me to intro you to your troops.

  Highway : No, I'll take care of it.

  Choozoo : Here, take my pickup.

  Highway : Hey, thanks. Where is it?

  Choozoo : You can tell by the sign. It says Sergeant Major.

• Lieutenant M.R. Ring : [approaching platoon]  Good morning, men!

  [responding to salute] 

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Thank you, Gunny. What a marvelous day for a military exercise. Men, today we'll will execute an ambush on a numerically superior force using cover, interlocking fields of fire, and the natural aggressiveness of the United States Marine.

  Corporal 'Stitch' Jones : You show me some poontang and I'll show you an aggressive Marine.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : We will provide Major Powers and his elite fighting force an accessible target to sharpen their superior skills. This will be facilitated by the MILES gear that each man is wearing. As you know, when one of our men is shot this laser sensitive device emits a beeping noise.

  Highway : Excuse me, Lieutenant, but are you suggesting that we don't fight back?

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Well, no, Gunny, Major Powers like to use the Recon platoon as a training tool.

  Highway : Well, what happens when these men have to go into combat and they're not prepared? They just get dead.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Yes, I see what you mean.

  Highway : Have you spoken to Major Powers about this?

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Let's move them out, Gunny.

  Highway : Are you coming with us, Lieutenant?

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Uh, no, Gunny. I have a doctor's appointment at 1100.

  Highway : Well, let's hope it's not something that'll keep you out of the next war. Platoon, ten-hut! Sling arms! Right face! Forward march!

• Lieutenant M.R. Ring : [removing a staple from a bundle of reports]  Gunny, did you know that I was Platoon Leader in my ROTC class in college?

  Highway : I'll sleep a lot better at night knowing that, sir.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Thank you.

  [pokes finger with staple] 

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Ow! What school did you go to?

  Highway : Heartbreak Ridge.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Hmmm. I've never heard of that school.

• Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : This man has usurped authority and ignored my personal directives for over a week. Why, Lieutenant?

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Sir, I thought the training exercise was...

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : You think too much and act too little. You are supposed to be an officer. Now look that word up in your platoon leader's handbook.

  [to Highway] 

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Who gave you permission to deviate from the training schedule?

  Highway : I needed to evaluate my men, sir.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : They're not your men, you self-centered, egocentric, son-of-a-bitch! They're the United States Marine Corps men! The Second Division's men! The Eighth Marine Regiment's men! In other words, they're MY men and SO ARE YOU, GET IT?

  Highway : The only thing I'll get is my head shot off if I go into a hot landing zone with a platoon that doesn't know it's job.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : You will follow my training program to the letter. No questions asked.

  Highway : You go into combat tomorrow and you'll plant half those men.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : You did it on your own, didn't you?

  Highway : I can't fix it if I don't know what's broken.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : Well, you make it easy.

  [pick up the phone] 

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Sir, I gave the Gunny permission to freelance his, I mean, the men, sir.

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : [slams down the phone]  Wait outside, Ring.

  [to Highway] 

  Maj. Malcolm A. Powers : I'm going to run you out of the corps, Highway. And you know what's funny? You're going to do all the work. Sooner or later you'll disregard procedure, disobey an order, or just get drunk. You can't help it. You're too old, too prideful, too stupid to change. I'm going to enjoy seeing you fall, Highway. Now get out and send in that idiot, Ring.

  Highway : [leaves office and speaks to Lt Ring]  He wants to see you, Lieutenant.

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Sorry.

  Highway : No reason to be. Lieutenant? Recon!

• Lieutenant M.R. Ring : All right, you devil dogs, let's take that fuckin' hill!

• Lance Corporal Fragatti : Prisoners secured sir!

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Thank you, Lance Corporal. CORPORAL Jones.

  Corporal 'Stitch' Jones : [Jones moves forward]  Sir!

  Lieutenant M.R. Ring : Move 'em out.