- [first lines]
- Sentry: Yes sir?
- Paul Templin: My name is Paul Templin, Corporal. I'm to meet a Lt. Collins here.
- Sentry: Oh, yes sir. You're the writer who's going to cover the retirement ceremonies tomorrow.
- Paul Templin: That's right.
- Sentry: Mm-hmm.
- Collins: Mr. Templin? I'm Lieutenant Collins, public relations officer. Good to see ya. Are you in good health?
- Paul Templin: Well, that's a courtly greeting from a Marine.
- Collins: Oh, it's not a greeting. You're going to have to be healthy.
- Paul Templin: I'm not here for basic training, Lieutenant. I'm only going to cover the retirement of Sergeant Major Kolchak.
- Collins: Mr. Templin, welcome to World War III.
- Paul Templin: This Kolchak must be quite a guy - Congressional medal, two Navy Crosses, half a dozen wars, forty years of service...
- Collins: Forty years, seven months and twenty-two days as of tomorrow.
- Paul Templin: That's pretty exact.
- Collins: I've been keeping track.
- Sergeant Kolchak: [yelling behind his office door] Who did this! Get out before I break you all in two! What are you waiting for, a furlough?
- Paul Templin: Lieutenant Collins...?
- Sergeant Kolchak: [still yelling in his office] What kind of waltzing academy do you think we're running here, you hammer-headed peanut brain!
- Collins: Yes, Mr. Templin?
- Paul Templin: What is all that?
- Collins: All what, Mr. Templin?
- Paul Templin: In there - that sound. Oh, you're not going to tell me...
- Collins: Yes, Mr. Templin, that is Sergeant Kolchak.
- Sergeant Kolchak: This here's a business office - what's yours?
- Collins: Sergeant Kolchak, this is Paul Templin.
- Sergeant Kolchak: He's a civilian.
- Paul Templin: It's a living.
- Sergeant Kolchak: And a wisenheimer to boot.
- Collins: He's here from Pace Magazine, Sergeant Major. I spoke you about the piece they wanted to do about you.
- Sergeant Kolchak: Oh, yeah. You're a writer, huh?
- Paul Templin: I like to think so.
- Sergeant Kolchak: Well, if you're not sure, you must be a dandy.
- [discussing Kolchak]
- Collins: Welcome to the club, Mr. Templin.
- Paul Templin: Is he always like that?
- Collins: No, no no no. Sometimes he's quite bad-tempered.
- Marine Cleaning Rifle: [on Kolchak] Him joining the Corps was the best thing that ever happened - to the Army!
- Fulton: In my opinion, he's the best Marine in the Corps and, for my money, that makes him the best fighting man in the world.
- Paul Templin: Genghis Khan was probably pretty good, too, but Pace is a family magazine. General, I've talked to about 100 marines today and you're the first that's had a good word for him.
- Fulton: Well, I've known The Crippler for almost 40 years. The man you saw today is just part of him - the Sergeant Major part. He's a good story, but Claude Kolchak - he's a better one.
- Paul Templin: Well, what's that supposed to mean?
- Fulton: If you're a good writer, you'll find out - and you'll be rewarded. You'll be at the ceremonies tomorrow afternoon?
- Paul Templin: Unfortunately, General, I'll do almost anything for money.
- [discussing Kolchak]
- Paul Templin: Well, whatever else you can say about him - he was a first-class fighting man.
- Tamiko: There's so much else you could say.
- Paul Templin: Not for Danger Publications there isn't - gore, goo, blood and thunder, and a little more gore.
- Tachikawa: Kolchak-san, the way of the warrior binds a samurai to the life of duty, morality and compassion. I remembered only duty and morality; you remembered compassion. I think the day the first Japanese child became your child the honored soul of Prince Hanaka entered the heaven of his ancestors. I honor you, Kolchak-san, samurai of your country.
- [last lines]
- [Kolchak hands Paul an envelope]
- Paul Templin: For me? Sergeant Major, you shouldn't. What is it?
- Sergeant Kolchak: That beer you had at my place, remember?
- Paul Templin: Yeah.
- Sergeant Kolchak: Ya told me to bill ya. That's the bill - four bits. And don't send me no checks, boy. You got shifty eyes.