Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

John Wayne: Sgt. John M. Stryker

Photos 

Quotes 

• Sgt. Stryker : You gotta learn right and you gotta learn fast. And any man that doesn't want to cooperate, I'll make him wish he had never been born.

• Sergeant Stryker : Well I guess, into each life a little rain must fall.

• Sergeant Stryker : SADDLE UP.

• Sgt. Stryker : If you're nervous, count your toes.

• [During live fire training a Marine recruit accidently lets a grenade slip out of his hand and it rolls toward an unsuspecting platoon waiting their turn] 

  Sgt. Stryker : Grenade. Hit the deck.

  [the platoon runs, except for Conway, who is reading a love letter and has to be tackled to safety by Stryker when the grenade goes off] 

  Sgt. Stryker : You idiot. When are you gonna wake up? You wanna see that dame again, keep your mind on your work.

  Al Thomas : You may not know this, boy, but you just got your life saved.

• [During the night the squad is guarding a trenchline amid word that the Japanese may launch an attack. From out of the night a faint voice can be heard calling "Corpsman."] 

  Pfc. Benny Regazzi : [his voice hushed]  Stryker!

  Sgt. Stryker : [hushed]  Get down! Stay down! You have your orders, don't move!

  Pfc. Peter Conway : [hushed]  There's somebody wounded out there. Let's go get him!

  Sgt. Stryker : Stay down, it might be a Jap trick, they pulled it off plenty of times at Guadalcanal.

  Pfc. Peter Conway : That doesn't sound like a Jap to me!

  Sgt. Stryker : I don't care what it sounds like to you! You stick your head up, you'll tip our position.

  [the voice resumes, and now we can recognize it] 

  Pfc. Charlie Bass : [unseen in the night]  Stryker!

  Pfc. Peter Conway : That's Bass. How many Japs know your name, Stryker?

• Sgt. Stryker : I'll do the masterminding around here.

• Sgt. Stryker : Lock and load.

• Pfc. Charlie Bass : Don't do it. Just this once, don't do it.

  Sgt. Stryker : Don't do what?

  Pfc. Charlie Bass : Don't get blind, staggerin' stinkin' falling down drunk.

  Sgt. Stryker : Charlie, nobody sets out to get blind, staggerin' stinkin' falling down drunk.

  Pfc. Charlie Bass : Yeah, some people do.