Richard Winters quotes from Band of Brothers

Winters

That night, I took time to thank God for seeing me through that day of days and prayed I would make it through D plus 1. And if, somehow, I managed to get home again, I promised God and myself that I would find a quiet piece of land someplace and spend the rest of my life in peace.

Winters

[from the tree-line] Got to keep moving! [begins to run out toward Easy Company's position]

Winters

Speirs, get yourself over here! [Lt. Speirs runs up] Get out there and relieve Dike and take that attack on in!

Winters

Listen up. You ready for it? [pause] German Army surrendered.

Winters

[quoting from a letter Mike Ranney wrote to him]: "I cherish the memories of a question my grandson asked me the other day, when he said: 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?' Grandpa said, 'No. But I served in the company of heroes.'"

[to Lt. Winters, as Easy Company is marching one Friday night] Sir, we got nine companies, sir.

Winters

That we do.

Well, how come we’re the only company marching every Friday night, twelve miles, full pack, in the pitch dark?

Winters

Why do you think, Private Randleman?

Lieutenant Sobel hates us, sir!

Winters

[pauses a moment] Lieutenant Sobel does not hate Easy Company, Private Randleman – he just hates you! [the rest of Easy Company laughs]

Thank–you–sir!

Sobel

Who is that?! Christenson! There is no water in your canteen! You drank from your canteen!

Sir, I–

Sobel

Lt. Winters!

Winters

Sir?

Sobel

Was this man asked to not drink from his canteen during the evening march?

Winters

He was, sir.

Sobel

Pvt. Christenson, you have disobeyed a direct order! You will refill your canteen and repeat all 12 miles of the march immediately!

Yes, sir.

Sobel

FALL OUT! [fuming, Sobel walks back to Winters] What in the name of God are you doing with my company? You're late and you allowed troopers to disobey direct orders.

Winters

No excuse, sir.

Sobel

You're making me look bad, Lieutenant. This is not Dog Company, this is not Fox Company, this–this is Easy Company. And under my command, this is going to be the first and finest company in this regiment. I want the names of six men, their infractions and your disciplinary recommendations on my desk by 0130, is that clear?

Winters

What infractions, sir?

Sobel

Find some.

Nixon

Sobel's a genius. I had a headmaster in prep school who was just like him. I know the type.

Winters

Lew, Michelangelo's a genius. Beethoven's a genius.

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?

Winters

These men have been through the toughest training the Army has to offer, under the worst possible circumstances, and they volunteered for it.

Christ, Dick, I was just shooting craps with them.

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.

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.

Winters

You were gambling, Buck.

So what? Soldiers do that. I don't deserve a reprimand for it.

Winters

What if you'd won?

What?

Winters

What. If. You'd. Won? Never put yourself in a position where you can take from these men.

Winters

Flash!

Shit!

Winters

I don't think that's the correct reply, trooper. I say "flash", you say "thunder".

Yes, sir. Thunder, sir.

Winters

So, you're a radioman?

Yes, sir. Well, I was, until I lost my radio in the jump. I'm sure I'll get chewed out for that.

Winters

Well, if you were in my regiment, I would tell you that you were a rifleman first and a radioman second.

Yes, sir. Maybe you can say that to my CO when we find him...if we find him.

I wonder if everybody else is as lost as we are.

Winters

We're not lost, Private. We're in Normandy.

Malarkey

Hey, I promised my baby brother I'd fetch him back a Luger, so I get first dibs, okay? [to an 82nd soldier] Check that one.

Lipton

It's the navy.

Winters

The landings have started. Let's go.

[looks at his watch] Right on time.

Guarnere

Yeah? [points to a dead American paratrooper] Well, tell him that, Cowboy.

My name's Hall.

Guarnere

Is that so?

Guarnere

Let the Krauts cook their own goddamn food. How are we doing, Malarkey?

Malarkey

We're doing good.

Yeah? What the hell do you know about cooking; you're Irish.

Malarkey

Sir, if you have a reservation someplace else, I'd be happy to go with you.

Guarnere

Ooh, Christ, gimme some air.

Winters

Whoo. Did something just die in here?

Welsh

Yeah, Malarky's ass.

Any word on Lieutenant Meehan yet, sir?

Winters

No, not yet.

Guarnere

Don't that make you our commanding officer, sir?

Winters

Yeah, it does.

Toye

Sir? [offers Winters a bottle of wine]

Guarnere

Joe, the Lieutenant don't drink.

Winters

[Takes the bottle] It's been a day of firsts. [drinks, then hands bottle to Guarnere] Don't you think, Guarnere?

Guarnere

[pause] Yes, sir.

Winters

Carry on.

Winters

Oh, and Sergeant?

Guarnere

Sir?

Winters

I'm not a Quaker. [leaves]

Guarnere

Hey, if he's from Lancaster County, he's probably a Mennonite.

Toye

What's a Mennonite?

Winters

Sink told me what a good job Easy did holding the line, said General Taylor was pleased.

Welsh

That's why I came to France: to please General Taylor.

Winters

What did they do?

They slept with the Germans. They are lucky; all the men who collaborated are being shot.

Nixon

Mr. van Kooijk here is with the Dutch resistance.

[shakes Winters' hand] We have been waiting and hoping for this day, for almost five years.

Nixon

He says he can help us secure the bridges here.

Yes, together we can push the remaining Germans out of Eindhoven, and that's just the beginning.

Winters

[to Nixon] Any idea where they might be?

Nixon

Uh, well, we're still working on that right now.

[sends a teenage boy from the resistance over to them] Piers and his friends here are getting information as we speak.

Nixon

His contacts a couple towns down said they saw the British 2nd Guard's armor move through half an hour ago.

Winters

They're kids.

These are reliable reports. Anything we can do to help you, we will do.