Damian Lewis: Richard D. Winters

Band of Brothers

Richard D. Winters

2nd Lt. George Rice: Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded.

Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman: I'm gonna say something.
George Luz: To who?
Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman: Lieutenant Winters!
Richard Winters: What is it?
Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman: Permission to speak, sir.
Richard Winters: Granted.
Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman: Sir, we got nine companies, sir.
Richard Winters: We do.
Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman: Well, how come we're the only one marching every Friday night, twelve miles, full pack, in the pitch dark?
Richard Winters: Why do you think, Private Randleman?
Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman: Lieutenant Sobel hates us, sir.
Richard Winters: Lieutenant Sobel does not hate Easy Company, Private Randleman. He just hates you.
Sgt. Denver 'Bull' Randleman: Thank you, sir.

Richard Winters: That night, I thanked God for seeing me through that day of days and prayed I would make it through D plus 1. I also promised that if some way I could get home again, I would find a nice peaceful town and spend the rest of my life in peace.

Richard Winters: [about Nixon's drinking] Nix, what are you going to do in battle?
Cpt. Nixon: Oh, I have every confidence in my scrounging abilities, and I have a case of Vat 69 hidden in your footlocker.
Richard Winters: [chuckles, thinks it's a joke. Pauses, realizes that he's not kidding] Really?
Cpt. Nixon: Oh, yeah.

Cpt. Nixon: Sobel's a genius. I had a headmaster in prep school who was just like him. I know the type.
Richard Winters: Lew, Michaelangelo's a genius. Beethoven's a genius.
Cpt. Nixon: You know a man in this company who wouldn't double-time Currahee with a full pack, just to piss in that man's morning coffee?

Richard Winters: These men have been through the toughest training the Army has to offer, under the worst possible circumstances, and they volunteered for it.
'Buck' Compton: Christ, Dick, I was just shooting craps with them.
Richard Winters: You know why they volunteered? Because they knew that the man in the foxhole next to them would be the best, not some draftee who's going to get them killed.
'Buck' Compton: Are you ticked because they like me? Because I'm spending time to get to know my soldiers? I mean, c'mon, you've been with them for two years? I've been here for six days.
Richard Winters: You were gambling, Buck.
'Buck' Compton: So what? Soldiers do that. I don't deserve a reprimand for it.
Richard Winters: What if you'd won?
'Buck' Compton: What?
Richard Winters: What if you'd won? Don't ever put yourself in the position where you can take from these men.

Richard Winters: [Cpt. Nixon won't wake up] Let's go. C'mon, you got 10 minutes.
Cpt. Nixon: [sleepily] Go away.
Richard Winters: C'mon, big guy, let's go.
Cpt. Nixon: Ah, leave me alone!
Richard Winters: [tossing the contents of a nearby pitcher on Nix' head] Okay...
Cpt. Nixon: GOD DAMMIT! Ahhh, that's my own PISS, for Christ's sake!

Old Man on Bicycle: [raising his hands in the air] You've done it now, Yanks. You've captured me.
Richard Winters: [chuckles]
Herbert Sobel: [shouting in the background] Heigh-Ho Silver!
Old Man on Bicycle: Would that be the enemy?
Richard Winters: As a matter of fact... yes.

Nixon: Division has decided to pluck one officer from each regiment who served in the heroic defense of Bastogne and send them back to the States on a thirty day furlough... get him out banging the drum for the war bonds, that kind of thing. Turns out I've been plucked.
Richard Winters: Hey, that's fantastic, Lew. Good for you.
Nixon: Thank you.
Richard Winters: But how does your leaving help me?
Nixon: It doesn't. I'm not going. I've already seen the States, I grew up there. That's why I came to Europe. I just wish they told me a war was going on. Anyway, this thing is wasted on me, but I'm sure we could find an officer somewhere in this battalion that could use a long trip home.

Cpt. Nixon: What do you think about New Jersey?
Richard Winters: New Jersey?
Cpt. Nixon: There's a company in Nixon, New Jersey. It's called Nixon Nitration Works.
Richard Winters: Sounds picturesque.
Cpt. Nixon: Yeah, well, oddly enough, I know the owners. Probably gonna expect me to make something of myself. I thought maybe I'd drag you along with me.
Richard Winters: Are you offering me a job?
Cpt. Nixon: We'll see how you do on your interview, but, you know, a man of your qualifications... I think probably scrape something up commensurate with your current salary level.

Col. Sink: If they come by here y'all remember to smile for the camera. Got to keep the morale up for them folks back home.
Richard Winters: Why?
Col. Sink: Damned if I know.

Toye: How do I feel about being rescued by Patton? Well I'd feel pretty peachy, except for one thing. We didn't need to be fuckin' rescued by Patton! Got that?
Richard Winters: Joe...
[to the camera man]
Richard Winters: Excuse us for a minute.
Toye: Sorry, Sir.
Richard Winters: Sorry about what? Patton? I couldn't agree more. What are you doing here?
Toye: I wanna head back to the line, Sir.
Richard Winters: Joe, you don't have to do that. Get yourself back to the aid station, heal up.
Toye: I really like to head back with the fellas, Sir.
Richard Winters: All right, then go.

Cpt. Nixon: What do you think I should write these parents, Dick?
Richard Winters: Hear what I said, Nix? You've been demoted.
Cpt. Nixon: Yeah, demoted, gotcha. Because I don't know how to tell them their kids never made it out of the goddamn plane.
Richard Winters: You tell them what you always tell them: their sons died as heroes.
Cpt. Nixon: [cynically] You really still believe that?
Richard Winters: [pauses, considering] Yeah. Yeah, I do.
[Challenges]
Richard Winters: Don't you?
Cpt. Nixon: [chuckles, uncertainly]

Richard Winters: Harry, fire's not a good idea.
Harry Welsh: Just a couple of minutes. We're in a dell.
Richard Winters: A dell? Like where fairies and gnomes live?
Cpt. Nixon: I swear I thought I could smell a fire... I DID smell a fire. Are you out of your mind?
Richard Winters: Well, we're in a dell.
Cpt. Nixon: Huh?

Richard Winters: How'd it go? The drop?
Cpt. Nixon: We took a direct hit over the drop zone. I got out, two others got out.
Richard Winters: And the rest of the boys?
Cpt. Nixon: Oh, they blew up in Germany somewhere... Boom.

Herbert Sobel: What is this? Anybody?
Cpt. Nixon: Er... it's a can of peaches, Sir.
Herbert Sobel: Lieutenant Nixon thinks this is a can of peaches. That is incorrect, Lieutenant. Your weekend pass is cancelled. This is United States Army property which was taken without authorization from my mess facility. And I will not tolerate thievery in my unit. Whose footlocker is this?
Richard Winters: Private Park's, Sir.
Herbert Sobel: Get rid of him.