One of the things in my life that I am proudest of is that I was a soldier. While my service was uneventful compared with some, even compared with my father's Greatest Generation, I served, and take great pride in that. Like a lot of military officers, I've made something of an informal study of military history, and am fond of collecting quotes from great military leaders. Not just any quotes, but the kind of statement that, often under great duress, demonstrates heroism, leadership, determination, and just plain guts. These are the kind of statements that inspire the troops to greater efforts and live on in history long after the battle is decided.
Here, then, are some of my favorites.
Going back to Classical times, we see a commander and king whose most famous quote has become a favorite of Second Amendment advocates. When King Leonidas of Sparta was defending the pass at Thermopylae against a much larger Persian army led by Xerxes I, Xerxes had a message sent to Leonidas, demanding that the Greeks lay down their weapons. Leonidas responded with the immortal words "Molṑn labé" or "Come and take them!" Unlike several modern movie adaptations, the exchange actually took place in writing.
One of the Great War's most famous quotes comes from U.S. Marine Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, who was not only one of two Marines but also one of only 19 U.S. service members to have received two Medals of Honor. When charging the Germans at Belleau Wood, Daly famously roared at his men, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" Another Marine from the Great War who deserves note is Captain Lloyd Williams, who, on arriving with his men in the vicinity of Lucy-le-Bocage to find French troops retreating, was advised by the French commander to do likewise, replied, "Retreat, hell! We just got here!"
In World War II, the Battle of the Bulge was arguably the Germans' last major offensive action and is the source of one confirmed quote and one I have never been able to confirm. The confirmed quote, of course, comes from the acting commander of the 101st Airborne, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, when, on the receipt of a demand from the German commander to discuss surrender, famously sent the following reply:
To the German Commander.
NUTS!
The American Commander.
The second quote comes from Stephen Ambrose's book "Band of Brothers" and was also presented in the HBO miniseries of the same name. In that scene, Captain Richard Winters of the 101st Airborne was warned, "You'll be surrounded," when the Airborne was moving into Bastogne. "We're paratroopers," Winters supposedly replied, "...we're supposed to be surrounded." I have never been able to confirm that Winters actually said this, but it's great all the same.
General George Patton could always be relied upon for great martial quotes. A few of his include:
A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.
The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
May God have mercy for my enemies because I won't.
And my personal favorite, when discussing his plans for the Germans in the famous speech to the Third Army:
We're not just going to shoot the bastards, we're going to rip out their living g******ed guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks.
That kind of bellicosity may shock some today, but when you're going into battle against a foe as formidable as the Wehrmacht was in 1944, it's a good thing to hear.
Another famous quote from World War 2 comes not from a combatant but from Winston Churchill, who, on hearing that Field Marshal Montgomery had invited a defeated German general, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, to dine with him, recalled that Montgomery had complained about Churchill's clouds of cigar smoke when the Prime Minister had likewise dined with the Field Marshal. "Poor von Thoma," Churchill said, "I, too, have dined with Montgomery."
But when it comes to Churchill, it's hard to top his "never surrender speech," especially the conclusion:
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.
Dire times require great leaders, both in the military and civil sectors, and right now, people like this seem in awfully short supply. Men like Leonidas, Daly, Patton, and Churchill don't come around every day, but it increasingly looks like in the coming days, we will need them to come from somewhere. Times are growing more interesting by the day, our national leadership is the weakest it has ever been, and our institutions are crumbling.
Strong leaders, as those described above, lead. They encourage, not demand. They set the example. Their rhetoric inspires and unites, not angers and divides. Instead of doing hatred and fear, they galvanize, instilling courage and resolve. Look for those qualities in American leadership, and we might just have a chance of pulling ourselves out of this current mess.
Have a favorite quote of your own? Put it in the comments!
