- Dr. Sledge: The worst part about treating those combat boys from the Great War wasn't that they'd had their flesh torn - it was that they had had their souls torn out. I couldn't bear to look into your eyes one day and see no love there no spark no... no life. That would break my heart.
- Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller: Boys. Division just translated some Jap newspapers that was found on the other side of the Matanikau. Would you care to know what the Nips think of us?
- Marines: Yes, sir!
- [he pulls out a piece of paper and starts reading]
- Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller: "The Americans on this island are not ordinary troops, but Marines: a special force recruited from jails and insane asylums for bloodlust."
- [the Marines all laugh and cheer]
- Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller: They got that right.
- [the Marines laugh again]
- Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller: I got some more good news: rumors that they would never get here to the contrary, the Army just landed.
- [the Marines groan]
- Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller: I know, I know. I want every man in my battalion shaved by 1600.
- Marines: Yes, sir!
- Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller: Guess there ain't nothin' much we can do about our dungarees.
- [he turns to Rodriguez]
- Lt Col. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller: I figure we're just raggedy-ass Marines. We look this way for a reason.
- Sgt. Manuel Rodriguez: Yes, sir.
- [after the Marines have stolen Army supplies]
- 2nd Lt. Hugh Corrigan: Private Leckie.
- PFC Robert Leckie: Sir?
- 2nd Lt. Hugh Corrigan: Army captain from the 164th's raising hell about somebody breaking into his trunk and stealing a box of cigars. And shoes. Not just any shoes, said they were his favorite pair of moccasins.
- [he looks down and sees that Leckie is indeed wearing the stolen moccasins; they exchange sly half-smiles]
- PFC Robert Leckie: Well... that's bad luck for that captain.
- 2nd Lt. Hugh Corrigan: Yeah. Well, you might wanna watch where you wear those. Or smoke any cigars you might not have.
- [Leckie notices that Corrigan is carrying a crate of expensive scotch; Corrigan signals and his jeep drives away]
- PFC Robert Leckie: Or drink any hooch you might not have.