Contrary to the popular belief, military is not just about bloodshed. It is also about discipline, wisdom, and yes, sometimes humor as well. All these aspects of the military life can be seldom seen together, however a glimpse of the same is reflected in the quotes given below.
Famous Military Quotes on Leadership and War
"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." - Dwight Eisenhower (The 34th President of the United States, who previously supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany as the General of the US Army, then acting as a Supreme Commander of the Allied forces.)
"The objective of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." - George Patton (The United States Army General in the World War II.)
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure." - Colin Powell (The first African-American to serve as chief of staff in the US Army.)
"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." - Norman Schwarzkopf (Army General of the United States who served as the Commander of the Coalition Forces in the Gulf War of 1961.)
"War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is the sooner it will be over." - William Tecumseh Sherman (The US Army General who served as the commander of the Union in the West.)
"From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." - Thomas Jefferson (The 3rd President of the United States.)
"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living." - John F. Kennedy (The 35th President of the United States.)
"Courage is fear holding on a minute longer." - George Patton (The United States Army General in the World War II.)
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell (An English novelist and journalist.)
"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all". - George Washington (The 1st President of the United States and the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during American Revolution.)
Funny Military Quotes and Sayings
"Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we've been bombing over the years been complaining?" - George Wallace
"The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations." - David Friedman
"When I lost my rifle, the Army charged me 85 dollars. That is why in the Navy the Captain goes down with the ship." - Dick Gregory
"Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Kuwait." - A. Whitney Brown
"My rule is: If you meet the weakest vessel, attack; if it is a vessel equal to yours, attack; and if it is stronger than yours, also attack..." - Admiral Stepan O. Makarov
These were some famous quotes and sayings which were used by some of the prominent personalities in the history to inculcate the Never Say Die spirit in the army men. The compilation included quotes by various presidents, generals and even some writers. However, if you feel we missed out on some famous quote/s which deserved a place in the compilation, we'd like to hear from you.