I swear by God this sacred oath, that I will render unconditional obedience
to Adolf Hitler, the Fuehrer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander
of the Armed Forces, and will be ready as a brave soldier to risk my life at any
time for this oath."
- German Armed Forces Oath of Loyality
"For the burned cities and villages; for the deaths of our children and
our mothers; for the torture and humiliation of our people; I swear revenge upon
the enemy… I swear that I would rather die in battle with the enemy then
surrender myself my people and my country to the Fascist invaders. Blood for
blood! Death for death!"
- Russian War Oath
If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war.
-
Pentagon official,
on why US military censored graphic footage from the Gulf War
"In the
sphere of leaflet propaganda the enemy has defeated us . . . The enemy has
defeated us, not as man against man in the field of battle, bayonet against
bayonet; no, bad contents poorly printed on poor paper have paralyzed our
strength."
-German Army report, WW I
"The center of gravity is "those characteristics,
capabilities, or localities from which a military force derives its freedom of
action, physical strength, or will to fight.""
-DOD Dictionary of
Military and Associated Terms
“The first demand in war is decisive action.
Everyone, the highest commander and the most junior soldier, must be aware that
omissions and neglects incriminate him more severely than the mistake of choice
of means.”
Heers Dienstvorschrift 300 Truppenfurhrung
(German Army Regulation 300, Command of Troops), 1936
Military Proverbs
"It is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a
sheep."
- Italian proverb
"Under
a good general there are no bad soldiers."
-Chinese proverb
"Though all
under heaven be at peace, if the art of war be forgotten there is peril."
- Chinese proverb
"A good run is better
than a bad stand"
Irish saying/proverb
"Shrimp may attack
dragons in shallow water."
-Traditional Chinese proverb
"Heroes are made by
the times."
-Traditional Chinese proverb
"True gold does not
fear the test of fire."
-Traditional Chinese proverb
"When you are
the anvil, be patient. When you are the hammer, strike."
-Arabian Proverb
"Fall seven
times, stand up eight."
- Japanese Proverb
"The enemy is but
weeds to be moved"
- Aztec Proverb
"The hammer shatters glass but forges
steel."
- Russian proverb
"Tomorrow's battle is won during today's
practice."
- Samurai maxim
"Will yourself to
stand ready and courageous on the battlefield. In this way, all that is
difficult or dangerous will be yours."
- The Way of the Samurai
"Allow your heart to remain at ease,
and destiny will lead the way to accord with others."
- The Way of the Samurai
"The soul is the body, and the body
is the soul.
They are indistinguishable. Do not fear for the destruction of either."
- The Way of the Samurai
Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God.
-Matthew 5:9
"A man's bone and skin can be burned
away into powder and ash, but what's left is without form. Courage, duty and
honor have no permanent home."
- In Harms Way:
The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
and the Extraordinary Story of It's survivors
Train hard, fight easy... and win.
Train easy, fight hard... and die.
- Unknown
A soldier must do everything he can to win the battle and most
of the things he cant.
- Unknown
"It became necessary to destroy the town to save
it."
An unnamed major in the U.S. Army said this about the decision to bomb and
shell the town of Bentre, according to an Associated Press dispatch.
—The New York Times, February 8, 1968
"For every dark night, there's a
bright day after that, so no matter how hard it gets keep your head up, stick
your chest out and handle it."
- Unknown
"Frederick the Great's horse was on seven separate campaigns with him.
In the end he was still a dumb horse."
- Unknown (on experience in military decision-making)
If it moves, salute it; if it doesn't move, pick it up; and if you can't pick it
up, paint it.
- Unknown (1940's saying)
"When cities burn and armies turn and flee in disarray, cowards will
cry: 'Tis best to fly, and fight another day'. But warriors know in their
marrow, When they die and fall, 'tis best to have fought and lost than not to
have fought at all.'"
-
Unknown
"The Greatest glory consists not
in never dying but in rising when we fall"
-Unknown Sergeant in Vietnam supposable during the
Hamburger Hill assault
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