Quotes for
Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Character)
from A Few Good Men (1992)

A Few Good Men (1992)

Kaffee: I want the truth!
Col. Jessep: [shouts] You can’t handle the truth!

Kaffee: [Kaffe has just asked why Santiargo hadn't packed despite being due to be transfered in a few hours after the time of his death, Jessop smirkes] Is this funny, sir?
Col. Jessep: No, it isn't. It's tragic.
Kaffee: Do you have an answer to the question, Colonel?
Col. Jessep: Absolutely. My answer is I don't have the first damn clue. Maybe he was an early riser and liked to pack in the morning. And maybe he didn't have any friends. I'm an educated man, but I'm afraid I can't speak intelligently about the travel habits of William Santiago. What I do know is that he was set to leave the base at 0600. Now, are these the questions I was really called here to answer? Phone calls and foot lockers? Please tell me that you have something more, Lieutenant. These two Marines are on trial for their lives. Please tell me their lawyer hasn't pinned their hopes to a phone bill.
[Kaffee hesitates, dumbfounded]
Col. Jessep: Do you have any more questions for me, Counselor?
Judge Randolph: Lt. Kaffee?
[pause]
Judge Randolph: Lieutenant, do you have anything further for this witness?
[Jessep defiantly gets up to leave the courtroom]
Col. Jessep: Thanks, Danny. I love Washington.
Kaffee: Excuse me. I didn't dismiss you.
Col. Jessep: I beg your pardon?
Kaffee: I'm not finished with my examination. Sit down.
Col. Jessep: Colonel!
Kaffee: What's that?
Col. Jessep: I would appreciate it if he would address me as Colonel or Sir. I believe I've earned it.
Judge Randolph: Defense counsel will address the witness as Colonel or Sir.
Col. Jessep: [to Judge] I don't know what the hell kind of unit you're running here.
Judge Randolph: And the witness will address this court as Judge or Your Honor. I'm quite certain I've earned it. Take your seat, Colonel.

Col. Jessep: [Judge dismisses the jury after Jessep's revelation on the stand about the Code Red] What is this? What's going on? I did my job, I'd do it again!
[stands up defiantly]
Col. Jessep: I'm gonna get on a plane and go on back to my base.
Judge Randolph: You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's... guard the Colonel!
[MPs take post]
Judge Randolph: Captain Ross?
Col. Jessep: What the hell is this?
Capt. Ross: Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent. Any statement you make...
Col. Jessep: I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is...
[turning to Kaffee and lunging at him]
Col. Jessep: ...I'm gonna rip the eyeballs out of your head and piss in your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
Capt. Ross: Colonel Jessep! Do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
Col. Jessep: [contemptuously] You fuckin' people... you have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.

Col. Jessep: You see Danny, I can deal with the bullets, and the bombs, and the blood. I don't want money, and I don't want medals. What I do want is for you to stand there in that faggoty white uniform and with your Harvard mouth extend me some fucking courtesy. You gotta ask me nicely.

Col. Jessep: So how is your dad, Danny?
Kaffee: He passed away seven years ago, sir.
Col. Jessep: Don't I feel like the fucking asshole?
Kaffee: Not at all sir.

Col. Jessep: What do you wanna discuss now? My favorite color?

Col. Jessep: There is nothing on this earth sexier, believe me, gentlemen, than a woman you have to salute in the morning. Promote 'em all, I say, 'cause this is true: if you haven't gotten a blowjob from a superior officer, well, you're just letting the best in life pass you by.

Col. Jessep: Take caution in your tone, Commander. I'm a fair guy, but this fucking heat is making me absolutely crazy.

Col. Jessep: I run my unit how I run my unit. You want to investigate me, roll the dice and take your chances. I eat breakfast 300 yards from 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me, so don't think for one second that you can come down here, flash your badge, and make me nervous.

Col. Jessep: [to Lt. Kendrick] John, you're in charge. Private Santiago doesn't make 4646 on his next Proficiency and Conduct Report, and I'm going to blame you. And then, I'm going to kill you.

Col. Jessep: Walk softly and carry an armored tank division, I always say.

Pfc. William T. Santiago: P.S. In exchange for my transfer, I am willing to provide you with information concerning...
Col. Jessep: [reading Pfc. Santiago's letter to the NIS] information concerning an illegal fence-line shooting that took place the night of August 6th...
[shouts]
Col. Jessep: Who the fuck is Pfc. William T. Santiago?

Col. Jessep: Hmmmm... transfer Santiago. Yes, I'm sure you're right. I'm sure that's the thing to do. Wait a minute, I have a better idea. Let's transfer the whole squad off the base. Let's... On second thought, Windward! Let's transfer the whole Windward Division off the base. John, go on out there get those boys down off the fence, they're packing their bags. Tom!
Tom: Yes, sir!
Col. Jessep: Get me the President on the phone right away. We're surrendering our position in Cuba!
Tom: Yes, sir.
Col. Jessep: Wait a minute, Tom, don't get the President just yet. Maybe we should consider this a second. Dismissed, Tom. Maybe, and I'm just spit balling here, maybe, we have a responsibility as officers to traing Santiago. Maybe we as officers have a responsibility to this country to see to it that the men and women charged with its security are trained professionals. Yes, I'm certain I remember reading that somewhere once. And now I'm thinking,Col. Markinson, that your suggestion of transferring Santiago, while expeditious and certainly painless, might not be, in a matter of speaking, the American way. Santiago stays where he is. We're gonna train the lad!

Kaffee: Colonel, the 6am was first flight off the base?
Col. Jessep: Yes.
Kaffee: There wasn't a flight that left seven hours earlier and landed at Andrews Air Force Base at 2am?
Judge Randolph: Lieutenant, I think we've covered this, haven't we?
Kaffee: Your honor, these are the tower chief's logs for both Guantanamo Bay and Andrews Air Force Base. The Guantanamo log lists no flight leaving at 11 pm and the Andrews log lists no flight arriving at 2 am. I'd like to submit these as defense exhibits Alpha and Bravo.
Judge Randolph: I don't understand; you're submitting evidence of a flight that never existed.
Kaffee: Oh, we believe it did, sir.

Judge Randolph: *Consider yourself in Contempt!*
Kaffee: *Colonel Jessep, did you order the Code Red?*
Judge Randolph: You *don’t* have to answer that question!
Col. Jessep: I'll answer the question!
[to Kaffee]
Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I think I'm entitled.
Col. Jessep: *You want answers?*
Kaffee: *I want the truth!*
Col. Jessep: *You can’t handle the truth!*
[pauses]
Col. Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?
Col. Jessep: I did the job I...
Kaffee: *Did you order the Code Red?*
Col. Jessep: *You’re Goddamned right I did!*

Col. Jessep: Matthew, sit, please.
[Lt. Markinson sits]
Col. Jessep: What do you think of Kendrick?
Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson: Nathan, I don't know that...
Col. Jessep: I think he's kind of a weasel, myself. But he's an awfully good officer, and in the end we see eye to eye on the best way to run a marine corps unit. We're in the business of saving lives, Matthew. That's a responsibility we have to take pretty seriously. And I believe that taking a marine who's not yet up to the job and packing him off to another assignment, puts lives in danger.
[Lt. Markinson begins to stand]
Col. Jessep: Matthew, siddown.
[he sits]
Col. Jessep: We go back a while. We went to the Academy together, we were commissioned together, we did our tours in Vietnam together. But I've been promoted up through the chain of command with greater speed and success than you have. Now if that's a source of tension or embarrassment for you, well, I don't give a shit. We're in the business of saving lives, Captain Markinson. Don't ever question my orders in front of another officer.

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