Operation Pacific (1951)

John Wayne: Lt Cmdr. Duke E. Gifford

Photos 

Quotes 

• Ens. Caldwell : [after the Chief and Junior are killed]  I couldn't help it about the Chief.

  Duke E. Gifford : Remembering how he took care of you?

  Ens. Caldwell : Yes sir.

  Duke E. Gifford : Well, before he took care of you, he took care of Larry, before Larry, he took care of me and before me he took care of Pop. Chiefs have been taking care of this man's Navy for a long time, Mister Caldwell. Don't worry about him, there's a lot of good sailors back there for him to take care of.

• Duke E. Gifford : How's the picture?

  Lt. Larry : Oh, all right I guess, sir... the things those Hollywood guys can do with a submarine.

• Cmdr. John T. 'Pop' Perry : [Duke is reminiscing about his failed marriage]  It takes more than that to cause a split-up. When a gal like Mary Stuart marries into the Navy, she signs on for that stuff.

  Lt Cmdr. Duke E. Gifford : Not for what I dished out. The 'eager beaver'. I was at sea on a volunteer mission, making test runs with that new sonar equipment when my son was born. Five weeks later, I was down 240 feet, trying to get a line around the Squalus when he died.

  [pauses and nods at Pop] 

  Lt Cmdr. Duke E. Gifford : Like you say, some things kind of crowd a man.