I would cite the John Wayne movie, if I could remember it.
If you watch NCIS, Gibbs always tells his team that.
“Never apologize, mister. It’s a sign of weakness”
—John Wayne in “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon”
Infamously borrowed by TV’s NCIS Leroy Jethro Gibbs as Rule #6: “Never apologize. It’s a sign of weakness.” This rule is used more often than any other rule in the show and widely repeated by fans.
John Wayne as Captain Nathan Brittles. He says the line twice, once to a young lieutenant (Harry Carey Jr. as Lt. Pennell) and to his CO's niece (Joanne Dru as Olivia Dandridge).
The movie was “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”.