Cdr. Camparelli Quotes in Flight of the Intruder (1991)

Admiral: What we're going to tell you Commander, may come as a surprise, but it must be held in the utmost secrecy, and its importance will become obvious. I think you'll understand.

Court-Martial Captain: All charges against your boys have been dropped.

Cdr. Camparelli: Sir?

Court-Martial Captain: They're gone, dropped, never happened.

Cdr. Camparelli: What do you want me to do, Captain?

Court-Martial Captain: Cover it up, sweep it under the rug. Take your men back to your carrier first thing in the morning, keep their mouths shut. Beyond that, you can do what you want to with them, but this affair's over.

Cdr. Camparelli: May I ask the captain, why?

Admiral: Because the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon is quite irritated at the opposition for leaving the peace table. He has just ordered Operation Linebacker II; the unrestricted bombing of all military targets in North Vietnam.

Court-Martial Captain: We'd look like real idiots if we court-martialed an A-6 crew for doing what the President of the United States just told us to do. If even a rumor got back to the press, you can understand the ramifications.

Cdr. Camparelli: Yes. Yes, sir.

Cdr. Camparelli: But if I catch either one of you shitting in some vital area on my ship, I will have you *keelhauled*! And that's *serious* on an aircraft carrier!

Lt. Jake Grafton: I hear you've been selected early for Captain. They've going to *give* you your own boat, maybe even a carrier. And I wouldn't be surprised if you made Admiral.

Cdr. Camparelli: Have you ever seen a black man who's an Admiral?

Lt. Jake Grafton: Hey. Third-Generation Mafia, sir!

Cdr. Camparelli: That's right, Mr. Grafton.

[In the briefing room]

Cdr. Camparelli: "Movie officer, what's the film tonite?"

Pilot: "They Shoot horses, Don't They, Sir!"

Cdr. Camparelli: "Any skin?"

Pilot: "No Sir."

Cdr. Camparelli: "Cancel it!"

[before leading the daylight raid to North Vietnam]

Cdr. Camparelli: This is a daylight raid, gentlemen. Air Force, Marines, Navy, everything we got. They've had three years to get ready for us. The most formidable air defenses in the history of warfare. Our job, the task of the Intruder, is to kill SAMs. Make no mistake about it, gentlemen, SAMs are where your ordnance goes. Otherwise, those B-52's will be dead meat. We can expect a forest of SAMs and flak you can lay down on. We've got to cut a path through for the Air Force. We'll be going in broad daylight with nothing to hide behind. We'll be easy targets up there, gentlemen, but they're counting on us. Lean into it. Let's go downtown!

Pilots: [all cheer]

Cdr. Camparelli: [Reprimanding the men after a barfight] Now what's this crap about you attempting to feed a merchant seaman to some alligators?

Lt. Jake Grafton: They were crocodiles, sir.

Cdr. Camparelli: I don't give a damn! Now go on.

Lt. Jake Grafton: Well, I attempted to throw the aforementioned puke to the crocodiles, sir, when his belt caught on the railing and I, failed. An altercation then ensued, sir!

Cdr. Camparelli: Seven hundred bucks damage, thirty men in the brig and... an alligator injured. And you got away?

Lt. Jake Grafton: Using escape and evasion techniques, sir, I was able to avoid being captured. And sir? We didn't hurt that crocodile. He was fine when we left.

Razor: Yeah, he was okay, Skipper!

Cdr. Camparelli: [Grafton has just been shot down while trying to rescue Camparelli] You think this changes anything, you hoodlum? You disobeyed another order! I grounded you!

Lt. Jake Grafton: Hey, I AM on the ground!