Posted on 08/01/2026 6:51:54 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
From Caesar to Eisenhower, 25 verified military quotes that captured courage, command, sacrifice and the chaos of war in a single line.
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
My point is that the Great Military Quotes are sometimes something that you may not recognize. Unless you've been there.
Lyudmila said, "Watch your back if you don't have mine."
Sarge said, "Get down!"
Musashi said, "Do not fear death"
Tzu said, "In the midst of chaos, there is opportunity"
Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Pot said, "wouldn't you like a nice, warm shower?"
Get my point now? I can explain it more, but I can't make you understand it.
“War is the Enemy of All Mankind” - Edwin Starr
We are doing that.
“We’re paratroopers. We’re supposed to be surrounded.”
Captain Winters, 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne.
“How do I feel about being rescued by Patton. I’d feel pretty peachy except for one thing. We didn’t need to be f___ing rescued by Patton, you got that?” - Joe Toye
My grandpa said, “Root, hog; or die!”
She said the quote to a large crowd in Chicago to rally support in the US to join the war.
This legendary quote was spoken by Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the most successful female sniper in military history. Nicknamed “Lady Death,” she delivered this line during a 1942 diplomatic tour of the United States while speaking to a large crowd in Chicago.
The full context of her powerful statement reveals her frustration with the media and her urgent mission to rally American support for the war effort:
“Gentlemen, I am 25 years old and I have killed 309 fascist invaders by now. Don’t you think, gentlemen, that you have been hiding behind my back for too long?”
The History Behind the Quote
The Context: After being wounded by mortar fire in 1942, Pavlichenko was pulled from combat and sent to North America to advocate for a “second front” in Western Europe to relieve pressure on the Soviet Red Army.
The Frustration: American journalists repeatedly frustrated her by asking trivial, patronizing questions about her hair, makeup, and whether her uniform made her look fat.
The Response: Her Chicago speech shattered those stereotypes. The crowd initially fell silent in shock before exploding into thunderous applause.
Pavlichenko ultimately formed a close friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and returned home a Hero of the Soviet Union, living until 1974.
Adm. William Halsey
Sometimes, WAR comes to you...
—Me
You are reading too much into the touring speech line she would use with foreign civilian audiences. it was a line for civilian males, not troops or military units, a line that any of us would write for her speech and probably used during the entire publicity tour.
This should be on the list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafa%C5%82_Gan-Ganowicz
Rafał Gan-Ganowicz
“[When asked how it felt to take human life]
“I wouldn’t know, I’ve only killed communists.”
The most unjust thing about this quote is that he was 100% correct. But the media and other politicians made incredible hay from laughing it off. I was there and he was correct. There were plenty of things we did not know that we did not know about.
I.E. Salman Pak.
What do you mean we white man.
Tonto
“cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war.”
Perhaps I am reading too much into that one quote. I respect her as a Soldier with skills.
Can we still be FRiends?
Do you like some of my others?
I have many favorites on this list: https://www.military-quotes.com/murphy.htm
Possible, I got the impression you are connecting her words to the heat of battle, to your personal feelings when at the front, of her speaking to the troops, my only interest was in the quote and its actual context, most great military quotes are enduring and profound, memorable and remembered, great words at the moment of battle, or before leading men into war, or on the timeless truth of war and so on, no one knows hers
“””””“We’re paratroopers. We’re supposed to be surrounded.””””””
That is pretty much the definition of paratrooper missions, being parachuted inside of the enemy rear.
I remember when we got our wings and a card with the paratroopers creed on it, it was during the Vietnam War and one line said “Surrender is not in my creed.”, and I was thinking, ‘hey, you guys didn’t mention that’, amused of course.
Airborne Creed:
https://parachutehistory.com/military/abcreed.html
“It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”
- William “Bull” Halsey
I’ve always liked that bumper sticker that said, “Either get behind our Troops...or get in front of them”.
It’s old and cliche. Roman soldiers probably carved it into Hadrian’s Wall.
I’m always ready to learn history, especially with context as you point out.
Simo Häyhä, Carlos Hathcock, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Vasily Zeitsev, John Plaster, Chris Kyle, and many others.
Study and learn. These days I do it from muh easy chair.
;)
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