Tag: Military

Quotes October 09, 2020

“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”
General Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army
 
 
 
 
“When I am getting ready to reason with a man, I spend one-third of my time thinking about myself and what I am going to say and two-thirds about him and what he is going to say.”
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States and former Captain in the Illinois state militia during the Black Hawk War.
 
 
 
 
“If there is not the war, you don’t get the great general; if there is not a great occasion, you don’t get a great statesman; if Lincoln had lived in a time of peace, no one would have known his name.”
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States & former Army Colonel
 
 
 
 
“No man has ever listened himself out of a job.”
Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States
 
 
 
 
“To get the best out of your men, they must feel that you are their real leader and must know that they can depend upon you.”
General of the Armies John J. Pershing, U.S. Army
 
 
 
 
“Because the crew was convinced that I was “on their team” there were never any issues with negative criticism… You as a mentor have to establish that you are sincerely interested in the problems of the person you are mentoring.”
Ret. Capt L. David Marquet, US Navy and author, Turn the Ship Around!
 
 
 
 
“Always do everything you ask of those you command.”
General George S. Patton, U.S. Army
 
 
 
 
“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”
General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur
 
 
 
 
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.“
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, and former General of the Army
 
 
 
 
“The truly great leader overcomes all difficulties, and campaigns and battles are nothing but a long series of difficulties to be overcome. The lack of equipment, the lack of food, the lack of this or that are only excuses; the real leader displays his quality in his triumphs over adversity, however great it may be.”
General of the Army George C Marshall, and former Secretary of State & Secretary of Defense
 
 
 
 
”Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England during World War II, and former commander in the British Army
 
 
 
 
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Colin Powell, former U.S. General, Secretary of State, and National Security Advisor
 
 
 
 
“It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.”
Major General William T. Sherman, U.S. Army

Quotes September 25, 2020

“If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
 
 
 
“The truth is that you always know the right thing to do. The tough part is doing it.”
General Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army
 
 
 
 
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
G.K. Chesterton
 
 
 
 
“The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow.”
General Colin Powell
 
 
 
 
“I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor food; I offer only hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles, and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart, and not merely his lips, follow me. Soldier, patriot, and the uniter of modern Italy.”
Giuseppe Garibaldi
 
 
 
 
“Battles are won by slaughter and manoeuvre. The greater the general, the more he contributes in manoeuvre, the less he demands in slaughter.”
Winston S. Churchill
 
 
 
 
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, and former General of the Army
 
 
 
 
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
Douglas MacArthur, an American soldier
 
 
 
 
“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.”
Minot Judson Savage, American clergyman and author
 
 
 
 
“The best armour is staying out of gun-shot.”
Italian proverb

Quotes September 18, 2020

During the Constitutional Convention, Elbridge Gerry wanted to introduce a clause limiting the standing Army to only a few thousand soldiers. Washington, from the dais, muttered that they should then write a clause limiting invading armies to that number as well.
The Angry Staff Officer
 
 
 
 
No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
 
 
 
 
“True patriotism isn’t cheap. It’s about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going.”
Robert Reich
 
 
 
 
“If you wage war, do it energetically and with severity. This is the only way to make it shorter and consequently less inhuman.”
Napoléon Bonaparte
 
 
 
 
“I can’t see how a single man could spend his time to better advantage than in the Marines.”
Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph “Dan” Daly
 
 
 
 
“A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.”
General George Smith Patton, Jr.
 
 
 
 
“A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace.”
President Theodore Roosevelt
 
 
 
 
“They’ve got us surrounded — the poor bastards.”
An unnamed medic

Quotes June 26, 2020

“Strength lies not in defence but in attack.”
Marquis de Acerba
 
 
 
 
“The answer is always “No” until you ask. – Ref James 4:2”
Charles S. Stamper, DAILY VICTORY: 40 Day Devotional Inspired by the United States Armed Forces
 
 
 
 
“When I crawled down the rabbit hole into the pivotal event of my life–indeed the pivotal event of my generation–to write “Escape from Saigon – a Novel” I never expected it to be such an emotional journey into a life I left four decades ago.”
Dick Pirozzolo, Escape from Saigon
 
 
 
 
“Phi cang Saigon Tansonnhut”

“He puzzled at the meaning and smiled inwardly. The sign probably said, “Welcome and Affectionate Salutations to All Who Enter the Glorious Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Home of Seventh Air Force, Only Minutes from Beautiful Saigon.” Or maybe not; he couldn’t know. Maybe it read, “Welcome to the Dung Heap of Despair—Abandon Cheer, All Ye Who Enter.”
Tony Taylor
 
 
 
 
“They Served

…reliving memories
that will not die
giving their all
for you and I –
friends taken
lives shaken…”
Muse, Enigmatic Evolution
 
 
 
 
“In 1996 Dorothy Mackey wrote an Op-ed piece, “Violence from comrades a fact of life for military women.” ABC News 20/ 20 did a segment on rape in the military. By November four women came forward at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Maryland, about a pattern of rape by drill sergeants. In 1997 the military finds three black drill sergeants to scapegoat. They were sent to prison and this left the commanding generals and colonels untouched to retire quietly. The Army appointed a panel to investigate sexual harassment. One of the panelists was the sergeant Major of the Army, Eugene McKinney.

On hearing his nomination, former associates and one officer came forward with charges of sexual coercion and misconduct. In 1998 he was acquitted of all charges after women spoke (of how they were being stigmatized, their careers stopped, and their characters questioned. A Congressional panel studied military investigative practices. In 1998, the Court of Appeals ruled against Dorothy Mackay. She had been outspoken on media and highly visible. There is an old Arabic saying “When the hen crows cut off her head.”“This court finds that Col. Milam and Lt. Col. Elmore were acting in the scope of their duties” in 1991-1992 when Capt. Mackey alleged they harassed, intimidated and assaulted her. A legislative remedy was asked for and she appealed to the Supreme Court. Of course the Supreme Court refused to hear the case in 1999, as it always has under the feres doctrine. Her case was cited to block the suit of one of the Aberdeen survivors as well!”
Diane Chamberlain, Conduct Unbecoming: Rape, Torture, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from Military Commanders

Quotes May 29, 2020

“There are two things a combat deployment offers which all of us strongly desire. The first, being purpose. Every morning we woke up and knew why we were there. It is immediate and unavoidable. Although, it is extreme and unpleasant, there is a comfort in that purpose. The second, is simplicity. We have one goal. There are relatively simple rules on how to accomplish it, and we understand that just about everything will go wrong. Pretty simple.”
Adam Fenner, Post-Deployment Wisdom For Those Expecting A Returning Service Member
 
 
 
 
“Take your time.
Stay away from the easy going.
Never take the same way twice.
Gunny Arndt’s rules for successful reconnaissance; Guadalcanal 1942”
GYSGT Charles C. Arndt
 
 
 
 
“The one ring road around the airfield is paved, but heavily rutted and potholed. Every few days a street-sweeper makes its way around, polishing the rutted surface with brushes and water.”
Glenn Dean, Soldier / Geek: An Army Science Advisor’s Journal of the War in Afghanistan
 
 
 
 
“In each succeeding war there is a tendency to proclaim as something new the principles under which it is conducted. Not only those who have never studied or experienced the realities of war, but also professional soldiers frequently fall into the error. But the principles of warfare as I learned them at West Point remain unchanged.”
John J. Pershing, My Experiences in the World War
 
 
 
 
“[The plane’s captain] reads off some message about how general orders stay in effect until you reach the States, and you’re still considered on duty. So no alcohol.

Well, our CO jumped up and said, “That makes about as much sense as a goddamn football bat. All right, Marines, you’ve got three hours. I hear they serve Guinness.” Oo-fucking-rah.”
Phil Klay, Redeployment
 
 
 
 
“When I was hired to work at the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), it was not disclosed to me that the site was being hit by powerful sonic booms from military supersonic aircraft that would shake the buildings. I had noticed that there seemed to be a significant number of staff that were having heart issues and some appeared to have had heart attacks and died prematurely. I later discovered during researching my own heart issues that it was a suspected effect of exposure to sonic booms. Regular exposure to sonic booms from military supersonic jet aircraft is suspected of increasing the incidence of vibroacoustic disease, a thickening of heart tissue which may lead to heart arrhythmia or premature death.”

“While many people call it ‘The Military’, I call it “Corporate Government Cannon Fodder’.”
Steven Magee
 
 
 
 
“Wars may be started by the failings of humanity
But they are won
By the craft
Of the keen and intelligent minds that fight them”
Brendan Bigney, War What Comes After

Quotes May 22, 2020

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, and former General of the Army
 
 
 
 
“I hear a lot of crap about what a glorious thing it is to die for your country. It is not glorious – it is stupid! You do not go into battle to die for your country. You go into battle to make the other bastard die for his country.”
General George S. Patton, Jr.
 
 
 
 
“Who dares, wins. Who sweats, wins. Who plans, wins.”
British Special Air Service (SAS)
 
 
 
 
“No guts, no glory.”
Major Gen. Frederick C. Blesse
 
 
 
 
The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.”
Calvin Coolidge
 
 
 
 
“Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself and let your troops see that you do not in your endurance of fatigue and privation. Be always tactful and well-mannered. Avoid excessive sharpness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide.”
German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
 
 
 
 
“The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow.”
General Colin Powell
 
 
 
 
“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.”
Minot Judson Savage, American clergyman and author
 
 
 
 
“We live in a world that has walls, and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns.”
Aaron Sork
 
 
 
 
“The reason the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices it on a daily basis.”
Karl Dönitz, German Grand Admiral
 
 
 
 
“The best armour is staying out of gun-shot.”
Italian proverb
 
 
 
 
“Whoever said the pen is stronger than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.”
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
Douglas MacArthur, an American soldier

Quotes April 17, 2020

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.
Thucydides”
Dave Grossman, On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
 
 
 
 
Military spouses find their strength along the way. Everyone began frightened of distance, deployment, and the unknown.
The Seasoned Spouse
 
 
 
 
“These Marines left their home–all these great Americans left their home–signed up during a time of war and said, ‘I wanna do that.’ And we owe them so much gratitude. I am so, so proud. And they understand that in our profession there can be no second place. There can be no losing. Because the weight of our nation rests on their shoulders.”
Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal
 
 
 
 
We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.
H.A. Ironside
 
 
 
 
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
John F. Kennedy
 
 
 
 
Take patriotism away, and the nation’s soul has fled.
Edward Mark Deems
 
 
 
 
“I’m the 82nd Airborne and this is as far as the bastards are going.”
Pvt. 1st Class Martin, U.S. Army

Quotes March 13, 2020

“There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.”
Gen. James H. Doolittle
 
 
 
 
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
 
 
 
 
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
John Quincy Adams
 
 
 
 
“This will remain the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave.”
Elmer Davis
 
 
 
 
“When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death — that is heroism.”
Robert Green Ingersoll
 
 
 
 
“Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to guard.”
President John F. Kennedy
 
 
 
 
“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.”
Gen. George S. Patton
 
 
 
 
“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”
James Allen
 
 
 
 
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
Joseph Campbell
 
 
 
 
“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.”
Minot J. Savage
 
 
 
 
“America without her Soldiers would be like God without His angels.”
Claudia Pemberton
 
 
 
 
“War is too important to be left to the generals”
Georges Clémenceau
 
 
 
 
“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight — it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
 
 
 
 
“For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
 
 
 
“The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.”
Thomas Campbell
 
 
 
 
“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
Nathan Hale

 
 
 
 
“These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor — and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror.”
Michael N. Castle
 
 
 
 
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Winston Churchill, 1940
 
 
 
 
“True patriotism isn’t cheap. It’s about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going.”
Robert Reich
 
 
 
 
“America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.”
Paul Tsongas

Quotes February 28, 2020

“We’re like America’s little pit bull. They beat it, starve it, mistreat it, and once in a while they let it out to attack somebody.”
Evan Wright, Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War
 
 
 
 
“Is killing a known terrorist wrong? I ask this, did the terrorist allow any of his victims quarter? No, then allow him no quarter, and hoist the black flag.”
T.R. Wallace
 
 
 
 
“The Japanese fought to win – it was a savage, brutal, inhumane, exhausting and dirty business. Our commanders knew that if we were to win and survive, we must be trained realistically for it whether we liked it or not. In the post-war years, the U.S. Marine Corps came in for a great deal of undeserved criticism in my opinion, from well-meaning persons who did not comprehend the magnitude of stress and horror that combat can be. The technology that developed the rifle barrel, the machine gun and high explosive shells has turned war into prolonged, subhuman slaughter. Men must be trained realistically if they are to survive it without breaking, mentally and physically.”
E.B. Sledge, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
 
 
 
 
“Question the answers, I repeated every class. Reevaluate your conclusions when the evidence changes.”
Craig M. Mullaney, The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education
 
 
 
 
“Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.”
Thomas Jefferson
 
 
 
 
“What do I want now? I want to be treated with the respect I deserve in the current VA system and not be retraumatized. I want the men who did this to me to be punished and if that isn’t possible, I want reassurance what happened to me will never ever happen to another woman in the Armed services. I want some restitution of the damage I have.”
Diane Chamberlain, Conduct Unbecoming: Rape, Torture, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from Military Commanders

Quotes November 22, 2019

“I believe in post-traumatic growth,” Jones said. “That means you go through tough and difficult situations and on the back end through recovery, you learn strength.”
Joey Jones, USMC Retired
 
 
 
 
I’m not here because I’m a great soldier. I’m here because I served with great soldiers.”
Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta
 
 
 
 
Medal of Honor belongs to every man and woman who gives us the freedom today to be able to hold our flag and hold our heads up high and say we have the greatest country in the world. And that goes with the men and women in the past, and the men and women of today, and the men and women of the future. As long as Mike Thornton lives, that medal will always stand for all them. Not for me. Not for what I’ve done, but for what I was trained to do and what they have been trained to do to give us our freedom today.
Michael E. Thornton, Retired Navy SEAL
 
 
 
 
I’ve always felt that if I am deserving of the Medal of Honor, there are many, many others who are. I felt a little bad receiving it, so I received it on behalf of the fellows, because there’s no such thing as a single-handed war. There’s always a support group, and if you didn’t have people who supported you, you couldn’t fight a war.
Daniel Inouye, WWII US Army 42nd Infantry Regiment
 
 
 
 
“Our most important resource is our people. We have a responsibility to take care of our people, their families and the communities where we serve.”
Bob McMahon, retired United States Air Force major general, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment