Maj. William Sherman Foster Quotes in March or Die (1977)

El Krim: [showing Foster and his patrol the dead body of a legionnair] One of my men got restless.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [an Arab walks over to the body and spits in his face. Suddenly Segrain shoots the Arab at point blank range. Everyone is pointing weapons at everyone] One of my men got restless.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [to El Krim] I see you've learned to enjoy watching men suffer.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Recounting bits of his past, in a somewhat rambling manner, to a prostitute who has been sent to his room] I was in Morocco for 12 years. Do you know what a trench is? I dug trenches all over Europe. I ate in them, and I slept in them... I should have been a general in the U.S. Army. I was named after a general - - William Sherman... The Legion is my army now. Not the *vaunted* army of America - those bastards threw me out. All I did was tell them what I thought of them.

Ship's captain: [Major Foster and others are sitting down to dine with the ship's captain as they transit to North Africa] Ah, an American in the Foreign Legion, eh?

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Testily] Yes... That's why they call it the "Foreign" Legion, Captain.

François Marneau: Major Foster is a hero of the War.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: I'm afraid there are no heroes in war - only survivors.

Mollard: Come now, Major. You needn't be modest with us.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Testily] "Modest"? I took 8,000 men with me. I came back with 200. I think I've earned my modesty.

Ship's captain: You are going to excavate in Morocco, is that correct?

François Marneau: Yes.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Butting in] Grave-robbing, actually. That's what I call it where I'm from.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Now turning to look at Murneau] We are in the grave business, aren't we? I mean, you dig them up, and I fill them in.

François Marneau: [Remaining composed] What you call "grave-robbing," Major, is the search for our classical heritage - that is, the secrets of our forefathers.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: The Legion... is the most disciplined army in the world!

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [El Krim and some of his tribesmen have stopped the train on which Major Foster and his Legionnaires are traveling] I have orders to continue the excavation at Erfoud.

El Krim: And I have orders from higher authority to stop you... from Allah. I marvel at the audacity of the French. They think they have the right to divide up other lands, peoples. You can bring 10,000 trains of Legionnaires - you still will not take anything from our homeland.

El Krim: [Making a sweeping gesture, and continuing in an ominous tone] The desert welcomes you, Foster.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Marco has rescued Top Hat and brought him back to the Legion's fort. Major Foster is not impressed with this "heroism"] On a march a man dies where he falls. We don't go back for stragglers.

Marco Segrain: [Somewhat mockingly] I'll remember that, sir.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Handing over to El Krim and his men a significant piece of the archaeological treasure that Marneau has just recovered at Erfoud] From the French - a gift to your people.

El Krim: How can you make gift of something that is already ours?

Sgt. Triand: [El Krim's mounted tribesmen are growing in number and coming dangerously close to the Legionnaires holed up in the compound. Major Foster seems indecisive] Please, sir, the orders?... The men are waiting for your orders.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Showing signs of disorientation, with WWI flashback] Are the men in their trenches?

Sgt. Triand: [Impassively] There are no trenches, sir.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Getting agitated] Why haven't the trenches been dug?

Sgt. Triand: [Calmly reminding Foster that the men were building the wall that Major Foster himself had ordered built a few days earlier] The men were building a wall for protection, sir.

Maj. William Sherman Foster: [Bursting with agitation] For protection? For protection from WHAT?... These are dead men. They wanted to die. That's why we joined the Legion - not to live, but to die. And we shall... all die. And for what? So that some fat, overstuffed Frenchman can belch his lunch on the sight of gold in the Louvre!