No one ever tells you when you become a marine. It’s something you know. It’s the difference between the day when your friend laughs and says “Hell, we’ll make a marine out of you yet!” and the day you hear someone say about you “We need more marines like him”

And don’t give me any of that nonsense about “only following orders”. There’s nothing only about following orders. If your orders were to hold a position, and you can stay there while bombs and ordnance go off around you, and bullets take the lives of those slightly less lucky than you, well there’s nothing only about holding your ground.

Do we always agree with our orders? Of course not. That’s why they’re orders, not suggestions. You want to me to plead not guilty? That I was only following orders? You have no idea. I followed my orders because I’m a marine. And I’m proud to be one. I won’t apologise for that. What is it you yankees say? “Semper Fi”? Tell these Nuremberg schwein’s that is my plea. Let your lawyers do what your men could not.