The Best Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley Quotes

Sergeant: Seen the new rifles too, the M-16.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: That's supposed to be a pretty good weapon.
Sergeant: Ahh, lotsa plastic. Feels like a BB gun to me. Believe I'm gonna stick with my pistol.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Think we're gonna get close enough to the enemy to use that?
Sergeant: What do you think, sir?

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: They attack us; no casualties. They run and hide in the mountains. Naturally we chase them, of course. Smell like an ambush to you?
Sergeant: If they're trying to get us close enough to kill, I rekon we'll be close enough to kill them.

[after Ouellette takes a NVA prisoner just after landing in Ia Drang, the prisoner talks in Vietnamese to Moore and the rest of the solders]
Mr. Nik: [translating] He say he deserter.
Sergeant: Bullshit, he's a lookout.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Ask him where his friends are.
[Mr. Nik asks the prisoner in Vietnamese and the North Vietnamese lookout responds in Vietnamese]
Mr. Nik: He say this is basecamp for whole division. 4,000 men.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Where?
[Mr. Nik firmly asks the prisoner in Vietnamese who responds by speaking Vietnamese and points to the nearby Chu Pong Massif]
Mr. Nik: [still translating] That mountain. He say, it's same army that destroyed French. They want to kill Americans very badly... but they have not been able to find any yet.

Sergeant: Can't take no pictures lying down there, sonny. Down, right there.
Joseph: I'm a noncombatant, sir.
Sergeant: Ain't no such thing today, boy.

Sergeant: [about to face an onslaught of attacking NVA soldiers] Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves!

Sgt. Ernie Savage: Good morning, Sergeant Major.
Sergeant: How do you know what kind of goddamn day it is?

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I think you oughta get yourself an M-16.
Sergeant: Sir, if the time comes I need one, there'll be plenty lying on the ground.

[after savage is rescued]
Sergeant: That's a nice day, Sergeant Savage.

[Galloway is on the ground]
Sergeant: You can't take any pictures from down there, sonny.
[Galloway gets up and is handed a rifle]
Joseph: I'm a non-combatant.
Sergeant: Ain't no such thing today.

Sergeant: Beautiful morning, Sergeant!
Sergeant: What are you a fucking weatherman now?

Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I wonder what was going through Custer's mind when he realized that he'd led his men into a slaughter?
Sergeant: Sir, Custer was a pussy. You ain't.

Colonel: Last night, the enemy hit our Special Forces camp here at Plei Me.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: How many casualties did we sustain?
Colonel: None. The enemy forces withdrew here towards this mountain, Chu Pong, that sits right on the Cambodian border. How many men do you have battle ready at your disposal give or take?
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [to Plumley] Sergeant Major?
Sergeant: 395 sir... exactly.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [to Colonel Brown] What do you estimate the enemy strength is?
Sergeant: We appraise their numbers as manageable.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [grim tone] You mean... you have no idea?
Colonel: No, sir. We have no idea. But we have our orders. Simple orders from High Command: find the enemy and kill him. Nothing more.

Sergeant: If any of you sons of bitches calls me grandpa, I'll kill you.

Sergeant: - Sent us another bunch of officers.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: - Uh-huh
Sergeant: Real green.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: Gotta train 'em up. Makes me think I'm starting a new unit.
Sergeant: They sent new rifles too
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: The M-16. That's supposed to be a pretty good weapon.
Sergeant: Lots of plastic. Feels like a BB gun to me. Believe I'll stick with my pistol.
Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: You think we're gonna get close enough to the enemy to use that?
Sergeant: What do you think, sir?

[Moore and Plumley are looking on at the NVA headquarters]
Sergeant: You want to know how Custer felt? Why don't you ask him?