Guadalcanal Diary (1943)

William Bendix: Cpl. Taxi Potts

Photos 

Quotes 

• Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : [In dugout waiting out a heavy artillery barrage]  I don't mind the one with my name on it. It's the one that says, 'To whom it may concern' that I don't like.

  [after the barrage increases] 

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : They're throwing everything at us but the kitchen stove.

  Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone : [after an even louder explosion]  That's the stove now!

• Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Hey, Butch. Ya got a cigarette?

  Sgt. Butch : [hands him a pack]  Sure. Help yourself.

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : [examines the pack]  Jap cigarettes!

  Sgt. Butch : Yeah. They're half tobacco, half stinkweed.

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Oh, well now I'll enjoy them more than ever. I thought they were *all* stinkweed.

• Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : As soon as our planes get here they'll be sorry. They won't look so pretty!

  Pvt. Johnny 'Chicken' Anderson : Yeah, but where *are* our planes?

• Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Maybe if we keep digging we'll come up someplace around Ebbets Field.

  Pvt. Johnny 'Chicken' Anderson : Yeah, I'm practically standing on second base right now.

• Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Hey, Tex.

  Pvt. Tex Mcllvoy : Yeah?

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Hot, ain't it?

  Pvt. Tex Mcllvoy : Yeah. Hotter'n a Texas cattle call in August.

  Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone : So you think it's hot, do ya?

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Yeah.

  Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone : How'd you like a nice tall glass of ice cold beer?

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Beer! Strictly a middle class beverage. The last time I was back in Brooklyn, there was just such a night as this. We was havin' cocktails. My old lady brought 'em in, I took one taste, and boy what a kick. You know what she did?

  Gunnery Sgt. Hook Malone : What?

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : She took 'em out and put in another slug of gin.

  [smiles] 

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : What a sweet old lady.

• Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Say, Father, how many Japs they got on that island?

  Father Donnelly : Hard to say. Several thousand, I expect.

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : Any natives?

  Father Donnelly : About 16,000.

  Cpl. Aloysius T. 'Taxi' Potts : [nervously]  Uh.. uh... cannibals?

  Father Donnelly : No, I believe they're strict vegetarians. But then of course they've never tasted Marine meat.