Pvt. Mellish:
[Upham gives him a tap on the shoulder] Hey! You want to get your head blown off, you fancy little fuck? Don't ever fucking touch me with those dirty little rat claws again. Get the fuck back in formation.
Cpl. Upham:
I was just wondering where you're from, that's...[Mellish glares at him. Upham walks ahead to Caparzo] Uh, Caparzo, is that it?
Pvt. Caparzo:
Hey, drop dead, corporal.
Cpl. Upham:
Got you.
Pvt. Caparzo:
And another thing, every time you salute the captain you make him a target for the Germans. So do us a favor, don't do it. Especially when I'm standing next to him. Capisce?
Cpl. Upham:
Alright, capisce.
Medic Wade:
Corporal, what's your book about?
Cpl. Upham:
It's supposed to be about the bonds of brotherhood developed between soldiers during war.
Pvt. Caparzo:
[laughs] Brotherhood? What do you know about brotherhood? Get a load of this guy, Fish. Why don't you ask the captain where he's from?
Pvt. Mellish:
Yeah, ask the captain. He'll tell ya everything you wanna know about him.
Pvt. Reiben:
You want to explain the math of this to me? I mean, where's the sense in risking the lives of the eight of us to save one guy?
Capt. Miller:
[Quietly]Twenty degrees. [Speaks up] Anyone wanna answer that?
Medic Wade:
Hey, Reiben, think about the poor bastard's mother.
Pvt. Reiben:
Hey, doc, I got a mother, you got a mother, the sarge has got a mother. Shit, I'll bet that even the Captain's got a mother. [Looks at Miller] Well, maybe not the Captain, but the rest of us have got mothers.
Corp. Upham:
"Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die."
Pvt. Mellish:
La-la-la-la-la-la-la. What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Corporal? We're all supposed to die, is that it?
Capt. Miller:
Upham's talking about our duties as soldiers. We have orders and we are to follow those orders, and that supersedes everything, including our mothers.
Corp. Upham:
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
Pvt. Reiben:
Even if you think the mission's FUBAR, Captain?
Capt. Miller:
Especially if you think the mission's FUBAR.
Corp. Upham:
What's FUBAR?
Pvt. Mellish:
Oh, it's German.
Corp. Upham:
[who is fluent in German] Never heard of it.
Pvt. Jackson:
[At Miller] Sir, I have an opinion on this matter.
Capt. Miller:
Well, by all means, share it with the squad.
Pvt. Jackson:
Well, from my way of thinking, sir, this entire mission is a serious misallocation of valuable military resources.
Capt. Miller:
Yeah, go on.
Pvt. Jackson:
Well, it seems to me, sir, that God gave me a special gift. Made me a fine instrument of warfare.
Capt. Miller:
Reiben, now pay attention. THIS is the way to gripe. Continue Jackson.
Pvt. Jackson:
Well, what I mean by that, sir, is if you's to put me and this here sniper rifle, anywhere up to and including one mile of Adolf Hitler with a clear line of sight, sir, pack your bags fellas, war's over. Amen.
Pvt. Reiben:
[At Jackson] Oh, that's brilliant, bumpkin. [At Miller] Say Captain, you don't gripe at all?
Capt. Miller:
I don't gripe to you, Reiben. I'm a Captain. We have a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, and so on and so on and so on. I don't gripe to you. I don't gripe in front of you. You should know that, as a Ranger.
Pvt. Reiben:
Well, I'm sorry, sir, but let's say you weren't a Captain, or maybe I was a Major. What would you say then?
Capt. Miller:
Ah, well, in that case, I'd say this is an excellent mission, sir, with an extremely valuable objective, sir, worthy of my best efforts, sir. Moreover, I feel heartfelt sorrow for the mother of Private James Ryan and am willing to lay down my life, and the lives of my men — especially you, Reiben — to ease her suffering.
Pvt. Mellish:
He's good.
Pvt Caparzo:
I love him.
