Colonel Everett Dasher Breed is a United States Army officer assigned to command the 101st Airborne Division Parachute Training Corps Headquarters during the events of the Dirty Dozen. Col. Breed is the primary archrival of Major John Reisman and a major antagonist directly to Reisman and all the condemned men of Reisman's Dirty Dozen during Project Amnesty. He is a career army man who values Discipline and Military Bearing above all else. He also values and follows everything with proper "by the book" procedure as well, hinting and referring to his West Point Military Academy Background.
Biography and Personality (Before the Dirty Dozen)[]
Little is known of Col. Breed's early life, but it is known that he distinguished himself at West Point Military Academy and has been known for his exceptional attention to Military Bearing, "By the Book" Military Procedures on and off the battlefield and extreme respect of the chain of command with both his superior and lower ranked officers and men. He adheres to the highest discipline and is an extreme rule follower. He is often described as a cold, unimaginative and self-righteous man by Reisman, as Col. Breed despises Reisman's lack of maintaining military bearing and also despises his disrespect towards other officers and loose cannon disregard to military code and regulation. Despite this, Breed does not like secrecy and feels, due to his rank in the Army, he has a right to know about some of these top-secret operations. He will not, however, break regulations, military bearing or procedure to find out the secret.
It is hinted throughout the film Col. Breed was Reisman's Commanding Officer at one time or another, perhaps serving in Italy together in an Airborne unit. At some point, Col. Breed grew an extreme distaste for Reisman and his methods due to, in his own words, "Being a Disorganized, Undisciplined Clown." Eventually Breed became dead set on writing reviews on Reisman's performance that were so bad higher up officers would eventually have no choice but to discharge Reisman due to his terrible reputation on and off the field. A reputation in no small part attributed to Col. Breed's reports and performance reviews on Reisman's Command Style and overall Discipline/Military Bearing. It is possible that those reports are what got Reisman selected for heading Project Amnesty in the first place.
During the Events of the Film (The Dirty Dozen)[]
Col. Breed was in London's US Army HQ at the same time as Reisman to receive transfer orders to Serve as the Commanding Officer of the 101st Airborne Division Parachute Training Corps Headquarters. Col. Breed was not briefed on the contents of the Top-Secret Project Amnesty and was practically sneering at Maj. Reisman when he entered the briefing room to be briefed on Project Amnesty due to potentially overhearing Reisman's conversation with his friend Maj. Max Armbruster.
He is not seen again in the film until Major Resiman, under orders from Major General Sam Worden and Worden's Adjutant Brigadier General James Denton, was required to take the Dirty Dozen of Project Amnesty to the Parachute School under the command of Col. Breed to train for their raid on the Chateau. Col. Breed was informed, from the highest echelon of US Army Command that Reisman's Adjutant/Liaison Officer/Psychiatrist (Capt. Stuart Kinder) could find, that "A Group under which he will have no Authority will be arriving on Tuesday. Identity of the Men are Secret." It is also evident that command told him to expect a general to visit along with the men for a possible inspection of his troops. Later on, Tuesday, Col. Breed asked his adjutant what the name of the general was, however command told him that "there is no more information available other than what was in the initial order." He asked if it might be General Denton, but one of his adjutants replied that Denton's extension was busy and now he's not there. Since he was expecting a general, he has his number 1 ranked platoon on the base ready for inspection and a full military band playing a medley of US Military Marches, starting with the "National Emblem March" and others while finally ending with "Semper Fidelis." When Breed comes out just to take some air, the Bandmaster of the Military Band starts playing and the leader of the platoon calls the platoon to attention to start their drills to impress the incoming general. Col. Breed motions for them to stop, teeth clenched, mouthing "Not Now." At that point Breed returns inside the communications hut as the band stops and the platoon returns to parade rest. He checks again with the telephone operators concerning the arriving party of soldiers and the supposed general, but he gets nothing. He goes out for the second time and the band starts up again along with the platoon going back to attention. Breed now getting frustrated almost fully barks "Not Now!" and returns inside the hut with the band stopping a second time and the platoon returning to parade rest. When the Checkpoint MP informs Col. Breed that Maj. Reisman's Unit has arrived at the base he finally comes out and expects the band to play and the soldiers to go to attention, however they don't and so Col. Breed has to motion to the Band to start playing saying "Now! Now!" The Band starts playing as Reisman and his dirty dozen enter the base where Col. Breed is waiting for him. After Reisman presents a crisp salute and greeting to Col. Breed, Breed asks where the general is. Maj. Reisman, thinking on his feet, states the general is in the truck and traveling incognito. Breed asks if the "general" cares to inspect his top platoon and Reisman replies he will have to check to see if he's willing to do that. After Reisman selects the person to play the role of the "general" (Pinkley) he then has his unit dismount the truck and fall in. As the men come out of the truck, Breed is looking suspiciously at Reisman's dirty dozen. Breed salutes Pinkley (the assumed general) crisply, who flanks Maj. Reisman, but Pinkley returns it in about a half gesture. While he thinks nobody's looking, Pinkley turns his head and sticks out his tongue at his unit which causes a volley of laughter from the unit which furthers Breed's suspicions that something might be too good to be true. After Pinkley, the "general," was told the platoon is ready for inspection he nods and goes down the first rank stopping briefly to say that they are very pretty but asks if they can fight to which Breed curtly responds "Yes sir." to which "General" Pinkley hopes Breed is right. Next "General" Pinkley stops at the second rank and asks where the soldier in front of him is from and the soldier responds courteously that he is from Madison City, Missouri , (a fairly common town outside the City of Columbia) but Pinkley claims he has never heard of it. He then says he and the Major have some work to do and thanks Col. Breed. While this is going on Reisman's whole unit starts bursting out in open laughter which causes Breed's face to immediately sour; almost confirming he had been duped by Reisman. As the MPs in Reisman's unit try to get the men to hold it down while the music is still playing, Col. Breed tries to stop the music from the Military Band, but it continues to his dismay. Reisman's unit is ordered to fall out into two columns and march past Col. Breed with their heads facing his direction. As Reisman passes Breed, he is called over by a barking order from Breed. Breed says to Reisman sounding very frustrated "Some may consider you to be a First Class Officer, but as far as I'm concerned you are a Disorganized, Undisciplined Clown. And I'm going to make it my business to run you right out of this army." Reisman fires back with a riposte "I owe you an Apology Colonel. I always thought you were a cold, unimaginative, tight-lipped officer, but you're really quite emotional, aren't you." As Reisman rejoins his Dirty Dozen for parachute training, Breed calls over two of his men, Staff Sergeants Clayton and Blake to order them to try and find out what is going on with Reisman's unit. They end up finding a member of Reisman's unit, Wladislaw, in the Latrine after parachute training and try to get him to talk about who he is and what outfit he belongs to, resorting to physical force. Not only does this man resist, but others from his unit beat up Breed's men, further humiliating him. Breed, despite passing Reisman's unit in parachute training, files a formal report about the ability of Reisman's men to soldier along with their behavior at the school.
After the Parachute training, Breed somehow learns that Maj. Reisman let prostitutes into his army base for his dirty dozen to give them a reward for not breaching their secrecy/security. Not only does Breed report this breaking of an army regulation, but he also drives his unit to Reisman's compound to possibly arrest Reisman personally. Despite protest from checkpoint guards under Reisman's command, who are under top secret orders from a ranking US Major General, Breed's unit makes it into the main compound to get face to face with the dirty dozen. Despite this, after disarming the MPs on base, Reisman so happens to be off base at the moment enabling Breed to question the men on base. Despite the protest from MP Sergent Clyde Bowren, that Breed is countermanding a direct order, Breed disregards this warning and after getting Reisman's Dirty Dozen to fall in starts speaking. In his opinion, Breed believes the officer in command of this operation is either disregarding his orders or is flagrantly disobeying them. Then reveals to the Dozen he wants to know exactly what this is all about and will not leave until the truth is out. He goes after Pinkley first for his Name, Rank and Serial Number, patronizing him as a "general". Victor Franko Speaks out of line and Breed snaps back and barks "Quiet!" Pinkley is asked again, and he comically replies "Number 2, Sir"; to which the entire Dozen start laughing. Frustrated, Breed calls over the disarmed MP Morgan from the compound and demands to know the Dozen's names, ranks and serial numbers and to tell them to his man; Staff Sergeant Clayton. After replying to Breed that he does not know, before Breed has a chance to press further, Franko reminds Morgan to tell him nothing. Breed barks, asking what the talk was down there and Franko replies "nothing sir." Breed orders Franko to him to which he returns to his place in line instead of reporting to him. Breed heads to Franko's place in line and asks when he last bathed, and Franko replies he does not remember. Breed replies matter-of-factly Franko is filthy; adding he is a disgrace to the uniform. Breed orders Sergeant Fredericks to get a shaver and some water saying, "This man is now going to demonstrate the proper procedure for shaving and bathing in the field." Franko defiantly barks "No Sir;" adding that he is not going to shave when asked to elaborate by Breed. At the point when Breed orders Blake and Clayton to dry shave Franko the dozen signal each other to rush and take on Breed's men. In the commotion, Reisman opens fire using his M3 Grease Gun from atop a barracks roof; spraying twice in front of Breed to stop the fighting for a moment. Training the gun directly on Breed, Reisman orders Breed's men to disarm. MP Sergeant Bowren is then instructed by Reisman to have the dirty dozen assist him to disarm Breed's men; which they do fairly brutally. The dozen also take collective revenge by brutally beating Sergeants Clayton and Blake, the two of Breed's men that beat up Wladislaw. After this, Breed exclaims that Reisman must be out of his mind. Reisman calmly says "It might seem that way. They may not be pretty, but they can fight." Meanwhile Reisman's men patronize and humiliate Breed's men in any verbal manner possible as they pick themselves up and leave.
Later at the London headquarters. Breed sits with a smug face at the briefing while the two Generals, Worden and Denton, chew Reisman out for his unit's behavior at the school and also for breaking an army regulation. The initial conclusion by these officers was that the entire operation be cancelled, and the soldiers involved be returned to the prison for immediate execution of sentence. They also wanted to possibly press charges for Major Reisman for the conduct of his men and for breaking regulations. Maj. Reisman said the violation of an army regulation was his bad, but he implied if they sent his entire unit that was just shaping up back to prison for execution of sentence, they would have to lock up half the army; officers included. He also added that the fact he broke an army regulation does not affect their ability as soldiers. Gen. Denton asserts that Col. Breed's Report is accurate, and Maj. Reisman is wrong about his Dirty Dozen. Reisman states simply it is Breed's opinion only and adds that his men have crammed 6 months of training into 6 weeks and that he would proudly stack them up against any man in the army. Breed bewildered and dazed by Reisman's Assessment exclaimed that he could not be serious. Maj. Reisman snaps back that he is serious and his men may not be pretty but claims one of his men is worth ten of Breed's. Gen. Denton tries to shut Reisman down that comparisons are not to the point, but Reisman slams the door on the general by stating it is exactly to the point; stating further that they can handle any job given to them. Reisman asks them to give them a chance to see what they are capable of and, after a weak retort by Denton that he shudders to think what they are capable of, if they fail their conscience is clear. General Worden asks how Reisman may prove it to them. Despite General Denton saying prematurely it can't be done, Major Armbruster speaks up that there are wargames upcoming in which Breed's unit will be taking an active part. Major Reisman continues the conversation that his men will be attached to the opposing force acting as an independent unit and the win condition will be that they will knock out Breed's headquarters and capture his entire staff. Breed laughs at how preposterous this is and states "This I'd like to see"; General Worden concurs.
In the Wargame, not only does the Dozen infiltrate Breed's Headquarters, but they also perform exactly as Maj. Reisman said they would. They captured Col. Breed and his entire staff, cutting off the chain of command from the rest of Red Force HQ. Despite Breed investigating a vaguely familiar member of the dozen wearing red force insignia and operating as a member of Breed's force, he still has an ironclad name rank and serial number that is so good with his military bearing that Breed doesn't suspect a thing. As such, not only is Breed disgraced, but Reisman is allowed to continue with the raid on the Chateau for Project Amnesty prior to D-Day on June 6th, 1944.
Breed is not seen after this part of the film nor in any of the subsequent films that sequel the original Dirty Dozen.