Originally posted by WW2'er:
Okay.
Now what are some of YOUR favorites? Where you can, please give credit to the appropriate poster!
Thanks!
[ January 31, 2002: Message edited by: WW2'er ]
The following ae all attributed to George S Patton, Jr, GENERAL, AUS. I think they are all appropriate here.
There is nothing more pathetic and futile than a general who lives long enough to explain a defeat.
Success in war depends on the 'golden rules of war'; speed, simplicity, and boldness.
The enemy is as ignorant of the situation as are we.
You are not beaten until you admit it.
You don't have to hurry, you have to run like hell.
War is the only place where a man lives.
Do your duty as you see it, and damn the consequences.
It is the unconquerable soul of man and not the nature of the weapon he uses which insures victory.
Lack of orders is no excuse for inaction.
Anything done vigorously is better than nothing done tardily.
Aviation cannot take prisoners nor hold ground.
A tank which stops to fire, gets hit.
A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later.
We can conquer only by attacking.
Speed and ruthless violence on the beaches is vital. There must be no hesitation in debarking. To linger on the beaches is fatal.
Officers must assert themselves by example and by voice.
There is no 'approved' solution to any tactical situation.
There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is, "To use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."
In case of doubt, ATTACK!
We must remember that victories are not gained solely by selfless devotion. To conquer, we must destroy our enemies. We must not only die gallantly, we must kill devastatingly. The faster and more effectively we kill, the longer we will live to enjoy the priceless fame of conquerors.
Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base.
It is easy to die for nothing, one should die for something.
The more senior the officer, the more time he has to go to the front.
As long as you attack them, they cannot find the time to attack you.
A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood.
One continues to learn about war by practicing war.
The soldier is the Army. No Army is better than it's soldiers.
Never stop until you have gained the top or the grave.
The world has no use for a defeated soldier and nothing too good for a victor.
Never stop being ambitious. You have but one life, live it to the fullest of glory and be willing to pay any price.
Genius is an immense capacity for taking pains.
Always do more than is required of you.
It is better to live in the limelight for a year than in the wings forever.
Fame never yet found a man who waited to be found.
Everything is a 'final heat'.
By perseverance, and study, and eternal desire, any man can become great.
Do not regard what you do only as 'preparation' for doing the same thing more fully or better at some later time. Nothing is ever done twice. There is no next time. This is of special application to war. There is but one time to win a battle or a campaign. It must be won the first time.
There is but one international law; the best Army!
We will have no real Army until we have universal service.
In war, death is incidental; loss of time is criminal.
War means fighting and fighting means killing.
If a man thinks war long enough, it is bound to have a good effect on him.
Punishment is not for the benefit of the sinner, it is for the salvation of his comrades.
There are more tired Corps and Division commanders than there are tired Corps and Divisions.
Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Men in condition do not tire.
Cowardice is a disease and it must be checked before it becomes epidemic.
Haste and speed are not synonymous.
The true objective of armor is enemy infantry and artillery; and above all else, his supply installations and command centers.
You must never halt because some other unit is stuck. If you push on, you will relieve the pressure on the adjacent unit and it will accompany you.
The sole purpose of the cannon on the tank is to let the tank get into where it can use it's machine gun to kill the enemy.
The unleavened bread of knowledge will sustain life, but it is dull fare unless it is leavened with the yeast of personality.
To be a successful soldier, you must know history.
Like wine, accounts of valor mellow with age; until Achilles dead 3000 years stands peerless.
Many soldiers are led to faulty ideas of war by knowing too much about too little.
War is an art and as such it is not susceptible of explanation by fixed formulae.In peace, the scholar flourishes. In war, the soldier dies. So it comes about that we view our soldiers through the eyes of scholars and attribute to them scholarly virtues.
The pacifist actually refuses to defend what defends him; his country. In the final analysis this is the most basic immoral position.
Throughout history wars have been lost because of armies not crossing rivers.
An army is like a piece of cooked spaghetti. You can't push it, you have to pull it after you.
War is simple, direct, and ruthless. It takes a simple, direct, and ruthless man to wage it.
War is a killing business. You must spill the enemy's blood or they will spill yours.
The greatest privilege of citizenship is to be able to freely bear arms under one's country's flag.
All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty.
Go until the last shot is fired and the last drop of gasoline is gone. Then go forward on foot.
The hardest thing a general has to do is to wait for the battle to start after all of the orders have been given.
Americans do not surrender.
Never make excuses whether or not it is your fault.If brevity is the soul of wit, then repetition is the heart of instruction.
The important thing in any organization is the creation of a soul, which is based on pride, in the unit.
Re-grouping is the curse of war and it is a great boon to the enemy.
It may be of interest to future generals to realize that one makes plans to fit the circumstances, and does not try to create circumstances to fit plans.
The only thing to do when a son of a bitch looks cross-eyed at you is to beat the hell out of him right then and there.
There is nothing democratic about war. It is a straight dictatorship. The use of force to attain the end desired.
As long as man exists, there will be war. The only way to avoid trouble is to have the best Army, Navy, and Air Force.
V-man