- [first lines]
- Prologue: I see a long, straight line athwart a continent. No chain of forts, or deep flowing river, or mountain range, but a line drawn by men upon a map, nearly a century ago, accepted with a handshake, and kept ever since. A boundary which divides two nations, yet marks their friendly meeting ground. The 49th parallel: the only undefended frontier in the world.
- Andy Brock: The government says, "We want men to fight the Nazis, join today." So I joined. I figured they were in a hurry. That was three hundred and eighty seven days ago. Four divisions and a lot of drafts have gone overseas, and what's number B987642 doing? Guarding the Chippewa Canal. Who'd want to steal it anyway?
- Johnnie, the Trapper: Sure thing, I stay 'til the boat come. And wait'll you see my skins, ah, the best year I never had! And now I'm going get so busy doing nothing, yes sir! I'm going do nothing like she's never been done before!
- [last lines]
- Andy Brock: Put 'em up Nazi... No not that way.
- [He raises his hands to fight]
- Andy Brock: This way. Cuz I'm not askin for those pants... I'm just taking 'em.
- Andy Brock: [to Hirth] I can grouse about the food, and the C.O. and anything I blamed please. And that's more than you with your Gestapo and your stormtroopers and your Aryan bushwa. Ahhh, nuts. What's the good of talking to you? You can't even begin to understand democracy. We own the right to be fed up with anything we damn please and say so out loud when we feel like it. And when things go wrong we can take it. And we can dish it out too.