Choozoo Quotes in Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Your DD 1348 forms are not filled out correctly.

Choozoo: Yes, sir.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: We're going to approach this exercise in an orderly proficiant manner, Sergeant Major. I want each round of ammunition counted and returned in the exact condition in which it was received.

Choozoo: I'll personally dot the I's and cross the T's, sir.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Sloppiness breeds inefficiency.

[Ring and Highway approach]

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Your outfit looks like it could use some cleaning up, Gunny.

Highway: Sir, I'd like to issued my squad leader a set of night vision goggles.

Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Darn, I should have thought of that.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: That is not part of your TO&E.

Highway: But, sir, I...

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Fill out the proper request forms and send it through the chain of command!

Highway: Request forms!

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: [Colonel gets out of car] Atten-shun! Major Malcom Powers, sir. Annapolis class of '71.

Colonel Meyers: How are men doing, Major?

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: My men are ready to fight to the death to defend our country, sir.

Colonel Meyers: Well, let's hope that won't be necessary.

[Looks at Highway]

Colonel Meyers: Have we ever served together?

Highway: I don't know, sir. Sergeant Major Choozoo and I were in the 2nd Battalion and 7th in '68.

Colonel Meyers: I had a rifle company in the 1st Battalion and 7th in '68.

Highway: Well, we sure as hell chewed some of the same dirt, sir.

Colonel Meyers: That's for sure. What's your assessment of this exercise?

Highway: It's a cluster fuck.

Colonel Meyers: Say again?

Highway: Marines are fighting men, sir. They shouldn't be sitting around on their sorry asses filling out request forms for equipment they should already have.

Colonel Meyers: Interesting observation. Carry on, Major.

PA Announcer: Now hear this. Now hear this.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: This is it. We're going to war.

[toasting a fallen comrade]

Choozoo: Here's to J.J. and all the pieces of him we couldn't find.

Choozoo: Hey crotch rot! You gonna slurp my lifer's juice out of my own cup?

Highway: Yeah, I guess I should have gotten shots before hand.

Choozoo: If your brain was half as smart as your mouth, skunk stool, you'd be a frickin' twenty star general by now.

Choozoo: And if I were half as ugly as your, Sergeant Major, I'd be a poster boy for a profilactic.

Choozoo: Still a mean and nasty bastard! Goddamn! Good to see you, Tom. Back where you belong!

Highway: Easy now, or everyone's gonna thing I'm spoken for.

Choozoo: [seeing the major in the doorway] Ten-hut! Morning, sir!

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Sergeant Major.

Choozoo: Coffee, sir?

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Negative.

Highway: Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway, reporting for duty, sir.

[Major Powers turns and walks away]

Choozoo: That operations officer's fart hole's sewed so tight he shits out of his mouth.

Highway: Academy?

Choozoo: Big time football hero.

Highway: When am I ever going to get a break?

Choozoo: Never.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Sergeant Major!

Choozoo: Sir!

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Bring in Gunnery Sergeant Highway.

[looking at Highway's file]

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Been in a long time.

Highway: I've felt some heat, sir.

Choozoo: Korea. Dominican. Three tours in 'Nam. Hell, this old ass in the grass bulldog's carrying around so much shrapnel he can't pass through an airport metal detector.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I haven't as yet had the privelige of combat. I've recently come over from supply and logistics.

Choozoo: An unappreciated field of endevour, sir.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Quite. My record of achievement thus far as been exemplary. I fully intend for that to continue.

Highway: Sir?

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: [approaching Highway] Just what the hell do you think you're doing?

Highway: Just enjoying the view, sir.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Well, you disobeyed an order. I told you to stay in contact and not take this hill without me. Damn it! Get on your feet, Highway!

Highway: With all due respect, sir, you're beginning to bore the hell out of me.

[sees the helicopter landing and Colonel Meyers getting out]

Colonel Meyers: Who's in charge here?

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I am, sir. Major Malcolm Powers.

Colonel Meyers: Did you lead this assault?

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Sir, Leutenant Ring and Gunnery Sergeant Highway disobeyed a direct order. I told them to wait for support but they went up this hill anyway.

Colonel Meyers: [to Highway] Why?

Highway: We're Marines, sir. We're paid to adapt, to improvise.

Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Sir, I gave the order to take this hill.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Ring, this is going to ruin your career.

Colonel Meyers: Are you new to the infantry, Major?

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Yes, sir. Just came over from supply.

Colonel Meyers: Were you good at that?

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Yes, sir!

Colonel Meyers: Well then, stick to it because you're a walking cluster fuck as an infantry officer. My men are hard chargers, Major! Leutenant Ring and Gunny Highway took a handfull of young fire pissers, exercised some personal initiative and kicked ass!

[to Lt Ring]

Colonel Meyers: Good job, Leutenant!

Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Thank you, sir!

Colonel Meyers: Leutenant, see to it that those students are escorted back to Cherry Point.

Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Yes, sir!

Colonel Meyers: [to Powers] Well, you're dismissed!

[Highway and Choozoo approach]

Colonel Meyers: What the hell are you two sorry assed individuals looking at? Get the hell off of my LZ.

Highway, Choozoo: Semper Fi!

Colonel Meyers: Oo-rah!

Highway: Well, Chooz, I guess we're not 0-1-1 anymore.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I want this battalion to be the class of the division. I expect my non-commissioned officers to lead by example. Public fighting and insubordination to civilian authority are not what I call good standards!

Highway: It was a minor altercation, sir.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: That seems to be a habit with you, Gunny! A year ago you hit an officer. I went to Annapolis with that man. You try that with me, Gunnery Sergeant Highway and you'll drag your butt in a sling for a month, you hear me, marine?

Highway: Yes, sir.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I don't know what strings you pulled to get back into this division but I can assure you that I don't like it. This is the new Marine Corps. The new breed. Characters like you are an anachronism. You should be sealed in a case that reads break glass only in the event of war. Got no tolerance for you old timers who think that you know it better and can have it all your own way. Understand?

Highway: I understand a lot of body bags get filled if I don't go my job, sir.

Choozoo: Major, division has assigned Gunny Highway to our reconisance platoon.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Yes, recon. Their last sergeant was an old time combat vet, too. But he went road on me. Retired on active duty. Had a few months to retirement. Figured he'd coast. Allowed the men to lapse into mediocrity. You're close to mandatory retirement yourself, aren't you, Highway?

Highway: That's right, Major.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Well, I ask for Marines, the division sends me relics. The men in recon platoon are less than highly motivated to say the least. I want those men in shape.

Highway: I'll make life takers and heart breakers out of them, sir.

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Dismissed.

Highway: [after leaving the major's office] Is he always like that or is he just trying to make a good impression?

Choozoo: Word is that he consults the Marine Corps Manual before he mounts his old lady just to make sure that he performs in an...

Highway, Choozoo: orderly proficiant military manner.

Choozoo: Yeah, eat chow with Helen and me tonight, she can't wait to see you. Then later we'll go out and stomp some brain cells and tell some stories.

Highway: Well, I'd like to, Chooz, but I think I better get organized.

Choozoo: Sure, I understand.

Lieutenant M.R. Ring: [bumps into Highway] Excuse me, sir. I mean, Gunny. Sergeant Major

Choozoo: Sir. This is Gunnery Sergent Thomas Highway. He's been assigned to Recon Platoon.

Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Oh, outstanding, welcome aboard. Well, I have to hightail it men. I'm late for pre-SCUBA school.

[looks at Highway's ribbons]

Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Lord!

Highway: His Mama know he's playing Marine?

Choozoo: By the way, he's Lt. Ring. Your platoon leader.

Highway: Thanks a lot.

Choozoo: You didn't think you were just gonna tilt nipple to a bunch of no rank fuzz butts did you?

Highway: I guess not.

Choozoo: Want me to intro you to your troops.

Highway: No, I'll take care of it.

Choozoo: Here, take my pickup.

Highway: Hey, thanks. Where is it?

Choozoo: You can tell by the sign. It says Sergeant Major.

Highway: You're dead, marine. You just stepped on four booby traps that blew your legs off and we'll have to send out a search party for your testicles. Now, where the hell's your backup?

Lance Corporal Fragatti: Profile.

Highway: What the fuck good you doin' back there? Without any cover fire, I get my ass blown off! While you guys are sittin' there pumpin' the neighbor's dog, we'll get every swinging dick in this platoon killed!

Corporal 'Stitch' Jones: Hey, chill out, man. That's what we're here for.

Highway: Say, what?

Corporal 'Stitch' Jones: We're here for that, man. We've ambushed Major Powers three times, and always right here. We know what we're doing.

Highway: Well, shit-for-brains, who says we're gonna ambush Major Powers right here?

Corporal 'Stitch' Jones: Hey, didn't you hear Lieutenant Ring? Major Powers wants us to die in a loud, grotesque, military manner.

Highway: I don't give a fuck about Major Powers. My job is to keep you men alive, now let's move on.

[1st Platoon is approaching the ambush site]

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: We'll come to the ambush site over the next hill.

Sergeant Webster: Roger that.

Choozoo: Sure does help knowing when and where you're gonna be hit, sir.

[Recon watching 1st Platoon pass through a valley]

Highway: Easy. Give them a few more yards and we'll nail the coffin shut. Now.

[Recon begins firing]

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: [Reacting to his MILES gear going off] You're in the wrong ambush site! Cease fire! You're in the wrong ambush site!

[Sees Highway grinning at him]

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Sergeant Major, turn this damn thing off.

Choozoo: Makes a hell of a racket, doesn't it, sir?

Choozoo: We went up and down that pile of dirt for four days and four nights. Fixed bayonets, hand to hand. Fought 'em something fierce. They gave back as good as they got. Lots of men died. We were with the 23rd infantry. We joined the Corps later. Hell, we were even younger than you are.

Corporal 'Stitch' Jones: I never heard of no Heartbreak Ridge.

Choozoo: That's 'cause it ain't in any of the history books. Just a little piece of war. Place didn't even have a name, just a number. Stoney Jackson took one look up at it and said "Ladies, if this hill doesn't kill us it'll surely break our hearts."

Corporal 'Stitch' Jones: Who's Stoney Jackson?

Choozoo: Little Mary's husband. He was the one who recommended Highway for his Congressional Medal of Honor.

Corporal 'Stitch' Jones: Gunny Highway won the CMH?

Choozoo: He charged two machine gun nests by himself. He didn't sleep for three days. The final human wave he held off almost single-handedly. When it was over there was me, Stoney Jackson and Tom Highway. We were the only ones left alive.

Corporal 'Stitch' Jones: What happened to Jackson?

Choozoo: He was killed in Khe Sanh in '68.