Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

John Slattery: Bud Gerber

Photos 

Quotes 

• Bud Gerber : People on the street corners, they looked at this picture and they took hope. Don't ask me why, I think it's a crappy picture, myself. You can't even see your faces! But it said we can win this war, are winning this war, we just need you to dig a little deeper. They want to give us that money. No, they want to give it to *you*.

• Ira Hayes : Hank wasn't in the picture.

  Bud Gerber : Sorry?

  Ira Hayes : Hank didn't raise that flag. He raised the other one. The real flag.

  Bud Gerber : The what? The real... the real flag? There's a *real* flag?

  John "Doc" Bradley : Yeah, ours was the replacement flag. We put it up when they took the other one down.

  Bud Gerber : Am I the only one getting a headache here? You know about this?

  Keyes Beech : It was after it was already in the papers. The mothers had already been told by then.

  Bud Gerber : Aw, that's it, that's beautiful. Yeah, that's beautiful. Yeah, why tell me? I'm only the guy that has to explain it to a hundred and fifty million Americans. Who is in the goddamn picture? Are *any* of you guys in the goddamn picture?

  Ira Hayes : Yeah, we're in the goddamn picture.

  Bud Gerber : Six guys raising a flag over Iwo Jima. Victory is ours. You're three of them, right?

  John "Doc" Bradley : This was the fifth day, sir. The battle went on for thirty-five more.

  Bud Gerber : Well, what'd you do, raise a goddamn flag every time you stopped for lunch?

  Ira Hayes : [whispers to Bradley]  Can I hit this guy?

• Bud Gerber : Hey, you know what? I don't give a shit. You're in the picture, you raised the flag, that's the story we're selling, boys.

  Ira Hayes : Are you deaf? Hank isn't in the picture. *Harlon* is in the picture.

  Bud Gerber : Well, who the fuck is Harlon?

  Ira Hayes : Harlon Block. That's whose mother who should be here if anyone's should be. You know, I think this whole damn thing is a farce, you ask me.

• Bud Gerber : You know what they're calling this bond drive? The Mighty Seventh. They might've called it the "We're Flat Fucking Broke And Can't Even Afford Bullets So We're Begging For Your Pennies" bond drive, but it didn't have quite the ring. They could've called it that, though, because the last four bond drives came up so short we just printed money instead. Ask any smart boy on Wall Street, he'll tell you our dollar is next to worthless, we've borrowed so much. And nobody is lending any more. Ships aren't being built, tanks aren't being built, machine guns, bazookas, hand grenades, zip. You think this is a farce? You want to go back to your buddies? Well stuff some rocks in your pockets before you get on the plane, because that's all we got left to throw at the Japanese. And don't be surprised if your plane doesn't make it off the runway, because the fuel dumps are empty. And our good friends, the Arabs, are only taking bullion. If we don't raise $14 billion, and that's million with a "B," this war is over by the end of the month. We make a deal with the Japanese, we give whatever they want and we come home, because you've seen them fight, and they sure as shit ain't giving up. $14 billion! The last three drives didn't make that much all together.

• John "Doc" Bradley : [At the mock Mount Suribachi in Soldier Field]  You gotta be kidding.

  Bud Gerber : Hey, it took a lot of talented folks a long time to make that thing. Just wait till tonight when it's lit properly and there's thousands of cheering people in the stands, it's gonna look a lot better. So, stadium lights come down, spotlight comes up, you get your cue, you charge up this thing with the flag, you plant it at the top. You smile, you wave, you know the drill.

  John "Doc" Bradley : You want us to plant the flag on a pile of papier-mache.

  Bud Gerber : Hey, that's showbiz. And try to stand how you stood the first time you planted it. Just, you know, pretend the other three guys are with you.

  Ira Hayes : The *dead* guys.

• John "Doc" Bradley : Who are these "Gold Star Mothers?"

  Bud Gerber : That's what we're calling the mothers of the dead flag-raisers. You present each mother with a flag, they say a few words, people will shit money. It'll be so moving.