Always loved his insight expressed in the Caine Mutiny. “You respect the Captain because he is the Captain and you are not”. By respect he meant that you serve, support and perform to the best of your abilities even in difficult circumstances for the good of a just enterprise. Cain’s fellow veterans who read this inherently understood the concept. Today’s narcissistic, pampered millennial snowflakes have no comprehension of such sentiments. America has changed.
So true.
“The Navy is a master plan designed by geniuses for execution by idiots. If you are not an idiot, but find yourself in the Navy, you can only operate well by pretending to be one. All the shortcuts and economies and common-sense changes that your native intelligence suggests to you are mistakes. Learn to quash them. Constantly ask yourself, "How would I do this if I were a fool?" Throttle down your mind to a crawl. Then you will never go wrong.”
― Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny