Courage Under Fire (1996)

Denzel Washington: Nat Serling

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Quotes 

• Nathaniel Serling : I work at the Pentagon, Sergeant, so I'll admit I'm a little slow on the uptake, otherwise I'd say that you just threatened me. Did you just threaten me, soldier? Because if you did, let me respond to you...

  [turns off tape recorder] 

  Nathaniel Serling : Let me respond to you this way. I'm an officer, and therefore, by proclamation, a gentleman, but don't abuse that, son. Don't get in my crosshairs, because I'll have no compunction whatsoever about getting up to my neck in yo' ass. Do you understand me?

• Tony Gartner, Washington Post : General, Colonel Sterling's order to activate lights, was that a standard response to enemy infiltration of the lines?

  General Hershberg : At the critical moment, in spite of terrible losses, Colonel Sterling didn't hesitate to act. Ordering those tanks to turn on their lights saved the lives of God knows how many of our men. Heroic acts arise out of desperate circumstances.

  Tony Gartner, Washington Post : I have no trouble at all believing Colonel Sterling is a hero.

  General Hershberg : Like Captain Karen Walden. Did you know, Mr Gartner, that for the first time a woman is being considered for the medal of honor for her performance under fire? And, um... Colonel Sterling is just finishing up the inquiry. How's that going, Nat?

  Nathaniel Serling : I think, uh... in order to honor a soldier like Karen Walden, we have to tell the truth, General, about what happened over there. The whole, hard... cold truth. And until we do that, uh, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country.

  [Colonel Sterling gets up out of his chair, walks over to General Hershberg and throws his report on the desk] 

  Nathaniel Serling : My full report General.

• Nathaniel Serling : Will there be a public statement of the facts when the Al Bathra investigation is over sir?

  General Hershberg : There's been a decision not to release any of these findings until every case has been thoroughly reviewed.

  Nathaniel Serling : [pause]  Well how long do you imagine that will be sir? I mean the next time I see Lieutenant Boylar's parents, I'd like to be able to tell them the whole truth.

  General Hershberg : Do you want to know how many grieving parents I had to deal with during Vietnam?

  Nathaniel Serling : With all due respect sir, this is not Vietnam. Lieutenant Boylar's tank was hit by uranium-depleted shells. We're the only country in the world that uses them. We got these reporters from the Washington Post sniffing around his parents, looking for the truth, and the only person that knows the truth is not allowed to say it because these investigators are dragging their backsides. Someone has got to be accountable for this.

  [pause] 

  Nathaniel Serling : Sir.

• [after leading his troops in a prayer] 

  Nathaniel Serling : Now let's kill 'em all.

• Nathaniel Serling : How did you get to be on Captain Walden's chopper?

  Monfriez : Used to hang around medivac units, sir.

  Nathaniel Serling : Did you want to become a medic?

  Monfriez : Wanted to hump a nurse once, does that count?

  [both laugh] 

  Monfriez : See, I play poker. Do you want to know a poker secret, sir?

  Nathaniel Serling : Always.

  Monfriez : Find out what the people you are playing against are interested in, and pretend you're interested in it, too. They start running off at the mouth and don't pay no attention to their cards. Medivac crew love to talk about their choppers.

  [hits his steering wheel] 

  Monfriez : Paid for this baby.