- Major Thomas Thorn: Did you ever see the Medal of Honor?
- Private Renziehausen: No, Sir.
- Major Thomas Thorn: It's the most beautiful decoration of all, as it should be. I'd trade an ear for one any time, two in fact.
- Private Renziehausen: Excuse me, Sir, but I'd rather have the ear.
- Adelaide Geary: One act of cowardice doesn't make a man a coward forever, just as one act of bravery doesn't make a man a hero forever.
- Adelaide Geary: Heroes? Saints living in the desert? My God, they tried to rape me! And blackmail you! It's a wonder they haven't shot you already! No, Thorne, they're only men - and damned poor specimens at that!
- Major Thomas Thorn: I have less right than any man on earth to judge them.
- Adelaide Geary: Or to judge yourself either.
- Major Thomas Thorn: [pauses] You may be right, what you say. They're human beings. But they're more than that. They have one thing in them that is a miracle and a mystery. It redeems them. They don't know what it is themselves, but they have it. I have to save it.
- Adelaide Geary: You really believe this?
- [he nods]
- Adelaide Geary: If you do, Thorn, if you do... you may be worth all of them.
- Sgt. John Chawk: [of a hand-pumped railroad cart] Ladies and gents, this is the Spitball Express. Heroes ride free;
- [eyes Adelaide suggestively]
- Sgt. John Chawk: ladies at their own risk. As far as majors are concerned, the end of the line comes a lot closer than they think. All aboard!
- Opening crawl: On the night of March 8th, 1916, a large mounted force of Mexican rebels under Pancho Villa crossed the American border and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing and wounding both American civilians and soldiers. As a result of this action, the United States Army sent an expedition into Mexico with orders to capture Villa and disperse his forces. It was during this campaign that one man, an United States Army officer, was forced to come face to face with two of the great fundamental questions that affect mankind: What is courage? What is cowardice? This is the story of his search for an answer.
- Col. DeRose: We're chasing one man, Pancho Villa, over some of the wildest country on earth. You can quote me as saying that the Punitive Expedition U.S. Army has him completely surrounded... on one side.
- Sgt. John Chawk: [after Thorn breaks up a fight by hitting Renziehausen with a pistol] It's a good thing you done that, Major. I'd have broke his back!