Topic: Discussing Military Quotes.

[ballz]

Dunno if you mean this thread to be a place to complain about some of the "quotes" posted here, but this one annoys me to no end. Who the hell is Matt? And why is this particular piece worth quoting?

I personally would like to have a word with whomever submitted all those quotes from the Iraqi Foreign Minister or whatever.


On a better note,

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill

and

"I had rather have a plain, russet-coated Captain, that knows what he fights for, and loves what he knows, than that which you call a Gentle-man and is nothing else." - Oliver Cromwell

[Sythen]

Another quote I'd love see get some admin attention:


Military Quote
Quote #1497 of 1568:

He, who fights a war, dies fighting one.
- Pte.Makivirta


Simply terrible.

[Michael O'Leary]

Another quote I'd love see get some admin attention:


Military Quote
Quote #1497 of 1568:

He, who fights a war, dies fighting one.
- Pte.Makivirta


Simply terrible.

Done and gone.

[mariomike]

12 O'clock High:
“He’s going to bust wide open. And he’s going to do it to himself, too. Why? Because he’s a first-rate guy. Because those are his boys and he’s thinking about them instead of missions. Over-identification with his men, I think that’s what they call it.”

From Here to Eternity:
"Maybe back in the days of the pioneers a man could go his own way, but today you got to play ball."

"Tough monkey. Guys like you end up in the stockade sooner or later. Some day you'll walk in; I'll be waiting. I'll show you a couple of things."

Bridge on the River Kwai ( to nurse ):
"You give me powders, pills, baths, injections, enemas; when all I need is love."

Stalag 17:
Commandant: "Curtains would do wonders for this barracks. You will not get them."

Commandant; "All right then, gentlemen, we are all friends again. And with Christmas coming on I have a special treat for you. I'll have you all deloused for the holidays and I'll have a little Christmas tree for every barrack. You will like that."

[AJFitzpatrick]

I've often wondered if Churchill was deliberately referencing Henry V  {by William Shakespeare or someone else of the same name}

" ... We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
    For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
    Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
    This day shall gentle his condition ..."

[GR66]

One of my favourite movie quotes is from 1977's "Cross of Iron" staring James Coburn as Sgt. Steiner...

"What do I have to be grateful for, Captain? Your tolerance? You think that just because you and Colonel Brandt are more enlightened than most officers that I hate you any less?"

[mariomike]

"Don't underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity."
From "Biloxi Blues".
The young recruits had gone through such a hard time near madness with their sergeant. But, when they got a new one, army life was not as exciting.
They were leading an exciting life, and didn't realize it, even with all his bullsh**. It was awful, but it was worth it.

[GnyHwy]

Just to keep this going and clarifying my original intent for this thread. I had hopes of maybe getting a comment tab built in to the quote of the day window for people to make comments that would remain attached to that quote.  This would allow for people to ask questions, offer their interpretation and/or comment; as well as allowing others to comment or debate.

This one is from today.

"It is your attitude, and the suspicion that you are maturing the boldest designs against him, that imposes on your enemy."
- Frederick the Great

Do you think the western armies live by this one?  It would seem so, but it seems like a paradox that would lead to the military industrial complex.

Fire away!

[mariomike]

“I want every American unit not actually in the front lines to see this place. We are told the American soldier does not know what he is fighting for. Now, at least he will know what he is fighting against.”
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
April, 1945.

Ref: “Inside the Vicious Heart” by Robert Abzug.

[GnyHwy]

A very good modern documentary that describes the military industrial complex very well is "Why We Fight".  It starts with Eisenhower's speech when leaving the presidential office. 

No matter what your point of view about the film, it certainly raises some good points and creates awareness.

It's a full movie.  This is the google link.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9219858826421983682#

You can also watch it in 12 parts on you tube.  The quality maybe better.  This is the link to part one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm1B7x5JZfE

[GnyHwy]

"One cannot wage war under present conditions without the support of public opinion, which is tremendously molded by the press and other forms of propaganda."
- General Douglas MacArthur

An excellent mention of how investigative journalism can force journalists outside their lanes.  See "Guelph Man Says Military is Ill Prepared" for an example.
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,102389.msg1073432.html#msg1073432

Celebrities also feel the need to use appeal to authority, although they are far from an authority; other than perhaps reading the type of articles above.

It's a shame that the Cmdrs in charge hold less weight than the uneducated outsiders who have access to media and make public slights to support to their agenda.

 

[Sythen]

“I want every American unit not actually in the front lines to see this place. We are told the American soldier does not know what he is fighting for. Now, at least he will know what he is fighting against.”
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
April, 1945.

Ref: “Inside the Vicious Heart” by Robert Abzug.

My new favorite quote. So applicable today too!

[GnyHwy]

Yes.  Great quote.  You don't know what we are fighting for?  Come with me,  I will show you what we are fighting against.  Nice.

[GnyHwy]

I'll throw one out for ultimate scrutiny.  This one is my own.  Topic "Definition of Leadership".

The ability to order and convince with an action or statement. - GnyHwy

[Jim Seggie]

Freedom isn't free.

[E.R. Campbell]

I'll throw one out for ultimate scrutiny.  This one is my own.  Topic "Definition of Leadership".

The ability to order and convince with an action or statement. - GnyHwy

One tongue in cheek definition of diplomacy is: "The ability to tell someone to 'go to hell' and make him look forward to the trip." You might want to consider something similar for leadership ~ something like the ability to tell people to go into hell, itself, and make them so so, willingly.

[ModlrMike]

"It is your attitude, and the suspicion that you are maturing the boldest designs against him, that imposes on your enemy."
- Frederick the Great

That's actually from Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

[GnyHwy]

That's actually from Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

If that is true, then it needs to be corrected on this website.  I cut and pasted it from military quotes window.  Or did Fred rip off Sun Tzu?

[Sythen]

Quote #221 of 1492:
Natural hazards, however formidable, are inherently less dangerous and less uncertain than fighting hazards. All ocnditions are more calculable, all obstacles more surmountable than those of human resistance.
- Sir Basil H. Liddel-Hart

Typo in this quote if an admin could give it some lovin! And in regards to that discussion about the other quote, google only showed it attributed to Frederick the Great.. Though admittedly I only looked at the first search results page 

[Michael O'Leary]

Typo in this quote if an admin could give it some lovin!

Done

[Sythen]

Military Quote
Quote #26 of 1492:
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam. "I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.

Did someone actually ever say this, or do people use google translate to make things they think are funny? I find it several times on google, but no one to attribute it too..

[Sythen]

Yet another quote that I would love to see a mod take care of.. Doesn't even make sense..

Military Quote
Quote #1400 of 1492:
Life as a soldier is as good as the dirt they walk on for they will be joining it.
- Cdt.L of the 28 service battalion

[Michael O'Leary]

Yet another quote that I would love to see a mod take care of.. Doesn't even make sense..

It's gone.

[E.R. Campbell]

Yet another quote that I would love to see a mod take care of.. Doesn't even make sense..

Actually it - "Life as a soldier is as good as the dirt they walk on for they will be joining it."- is not a bad idea, despite an obvious grammatical problem.

It makes more sense if one says something like "A soldier's life is worth as much as the soil upon which he marches and in which he will be buried." That can mean that a soldier's life is worth dirt, and some would agree; it could also mean that each soldier's life is as precious as "our home and native land," and while he may have to die defending it, we will always value his sacrifice as much as we value our country.

[ballz]

Here's another (and it's a gooder too) that needs some editting... I'm far from the grammar police but this one is pretty far off from grammatically correct.

Quote #1194 of 1491:
Comradeship When a soldier was injured and coulden't get back to safety, his buddy went out to get him against his officer's orders. He returned mortally wounded and his friend whom he had carried back was dead. The officer was angry "I told you not to go " he said, now I've lost both of you it wasn't worth it. The dying man replied "but it was sir, because when I got to him, he said Jim I knew you'd come.

Should be closer to:

Comradeship
When a soldier was injured and couldn't get back to safety, his buddy went out to get him against an officer's orders. He returned mortally wounded and his friend whom he had carried back was dead. The officer was angry; "I told you not to go," he said, "now I've lost both of you it wasn't worth it." The dying man replied, "but it was Sir, because when I got to him, he said 'Jim I knew you'd come.'"