- Merriell Shelton: [sees Eugene reading a letter and looking troubled] Eugene?
- [he doesn't answer]
- Merriell Shelton: Gene?
- Eugene B. Sledge: [distantly] My dog died.
- Merriell Shelton: [sits beside him] I'm sorry.
- Eugene B. Sledge: He was a good dog.
- Merriell Shelton: How old was he?
- Eugene B. Sledge: Got him as a pup 'bout nine years ago, maybe ten.
- Merriell Shelton: [studying Eugene's face] They say dogs live, what, seven years to every one of ours?
- [Eugene doesn't say anything, and Snafu leans against his shoulder]
- Pvt. Hamm: [also with a letter] My brother was on the Bunker Hill.
- Merriell Shelton: [sarcastically] Wow.
- Pvt. Hamm: [angry] Ship got hit by two kamikazes. Five hundred guys died, asshole.
- [Snafu looks abashed]
- Pvt. Hamm: How the fuck can they do that? Fly themselves into a ship?
- Merriell Shelton: [with irony] Emperor is God. Duty to God.
- Pvt. Hamm: They can't fuckin' surrender?
- Eugene B. Sledge: I hope they don't.
- [Hamm and Snafu look surprised]
- Eugene B. Sledge: I hope we get to kill every last one of 'em.
- [after the Marines have just been accidentally shelled by their own artillery]
- Merriell Shelton: This is fucking bullshit! I ever find the fucking F.O. that called that arty, I'll shoot him!
- Eugene B. Sledge: Sons of bitches'll just do it again.
- Pvt. Hamm: Why did they shell us?
- Eugene B. Sledge: Because some asshole officer read a map wrong, and nobody gives a shit about us. There IS no goddamn reason!
- [Eugene and the others have been firing on an approaching group of enemies soldiers; he guns down a lone man after being told to cease fire]
- 2nd Lt. Mac: I told you to cease fire, what are you doing?
- Eugene B. Sledge: [coldly] Killing Japs.
- 2nd Lt. Mac: You just gave away our goddamn position!
- Eugene B. Sledge: I think they got a pretty good idea of where we are.
- 2nd Lt. Mac: I told you to cease fire, you're supposed to be observing - I see you with a goddamn sidearm!
- Eugene B. Sledge: [yelling furiously] We're all sent here to kill Japs, weren't we? So what the hell difference does it make what weapon we use?
- [gets close to Mac's face; through gritted teeth]
- Eugene B. Sledge: I'd use my goddamn hands if I had to.