Guadalcanal Diary

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
Hey, Butch. Ya got a cigarette?

Sgt. Butch:
[hands him a pack] Sure. Help yourself.

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
[examines the pack] Jap cigarettes!

Sgt. Butch:
Yeah. They're half tobacco, half stinkweed.

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
Oh, well now I'll enjoy them more than ever. I thought they were *all* stinkweed.

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
As soon as our planes get here they'll be sorry. They won't look so pretty!

Pvt. Johnny 'Chicken' Anderson:
Yeah, but where *are* our planes?

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
Maybe if we keep digging we'll come up someplace around Ebbets Field.

Pvt. Johnny 'Chicken' Anderson:
Yeah, I'm practically standing on second base right now.

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
Hey, Tex.

Pvt. Tex Mcllvoy:
Yeah?

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
Hot, ain't it?

Pvt. Tex Mcllvoy:
Yeah. Hotter'n a Texas cattle call in August.

Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone:
So you think it's hot, do ya?

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
Yeah.

Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone:
How'd you like a nice tall glass of ice cold beer?

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
Beer! Strictly a middle class beverage. The last time I was back in Brooklyn, there was just such a night as this. We was havin' cocktails. My old lady brought 'em in, I took one taste, and boy what a kick. You know what she did?

Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone:
What?

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
She took 'em out and put in another slug of gin. [smiles] What a sweet old lady.

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
[In dugout waiting out a heavy artillery barrage] I don't mind the one with my name on it. It's the one that says, 'To whom it may concern' that I don't like.

[after the barrage increases]

Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts:
They're throwing everything at us but the kitchen stove.

Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone:
[after an even louder explosion] That's the stove now!

Pvt. Johnny 'Chicken' Anderson:
Hey Hook?

Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone:
Yeah.

Pvt. Johnny 'Chicken' Anderson:
How do you feel about killing... people?

Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone:
Well, it's kill or be killed, ain't it? Besides, those ain't people.

Pvt. Johnny 'Chicken' Anderson:
Yeah, I know, but the first time you got one of 'em.

Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone:
Well, it was kinda rugged I guess, then it's just a matter of repetition. Quit thinking about it. You'll go crazy.