Inspiring Quotes for Servicemen: A Tribute to Courage and Sacrifice

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

- President John Quincy Adams

"If you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do… the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."

- General George S. Patton

"The soldier is the army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country."

- Gen. George S. Patton Jr.

"I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor food; I offer only hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles, and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart, and not merely with his lips, follow me."

- Giuseppe Garibaldi

"The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow."

- General Colin Powell

"On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind."

- Dan Lipinski

"Who kept the faith and fought the fight; the glory theirs, the duty ours."

- Wallace Bruce

"The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and give commands in such a manner and such a tone of voice as to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or the other in dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them respect for himself; while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his subordinates, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself."

- LTG John M. Schofield

"Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall."

- John Dickinson

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

- Winston Churchill

"I contend that fortitude in war has its roots in morality; that selection is a search for character and that war itself is but one more test— the supreme and final test if you will—of character. Courage can be judged apart from danger only if the social significance and meaning of courage is known to us; namely that a man of character in peace becomes a man of courage in war. He cannot be selfish in peace and yet be unselfish in war. Character, as Aristotle taught, is a habit, the daily choice of right and wrong; it is a moral quality which grows to maturity in peace and is not suddenly developed on the outbreak of war. For war, in spite of what we have heard to the contrary, has no power to transform, it merely exaggerates the good and evil that are in us, till it is plain for all to read; it cannot change; it exposes."

- Lord Moran, in The Anatomy of Courage (1945)

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

- Elmer Davis

"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission."

- John F. Kennedy

"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic."

- John A. Logan

"He loves his country best who strives to make it best."

- Robert G. Ingersoll

"Tell them of us and say, For their tomorrow, We gave our today."

- The Kohima Epitaph

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."

- Joseph Campbell

"The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men."

- Minot J. Savage

"I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism."

- Bob Riley

"Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war."

- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!"

- Sen. Daniel Webster

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

- Winston Churchill

"These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor – and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror."

- Michael N. Castle

"The veterans of our military services have put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we enjoy. They have dedicated their lives to their country and deserve to be recognized for their commitment."

- Judd Gregg

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent."

- Douglas MacArthur

"It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience."

- Julius Caesar

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid."

- Col. David Hackworth

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation."

- General Douglas MacArthur

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

- Mark Twain

"The more comfort, the less courage there is."

- Field Marshal Prince Aleksandr V. Suvorov

"True patriotism isn't cheap. It's about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going."

- Robert Reich

"When things go wrong in your command, start wading for the reason in increasing larger concentric circles around your own desk."

- General Bruce D. Clark

"Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself and let your troops see that you don’t in your endurance of fatigue and privation. Always be tactful and well-mannered. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide."

- German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

"We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training."

- Archilochus

"Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

- Coach John Wooden

"War makes extremely heavy demands on the soldier’s strength and nerves. For this reason, make heavy demands on your men in peacetime exercises."

- German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

"It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it."

- General Robert E. Lee

"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 Mills

"In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten; then he who continues the attack wins."

- General Ulysses S. Grant

"A man does not have himself killed for a half-pence a day or for a petty distinction. You must speak to the soul in order to electrify him."

- Napoleon Bonaparte

"A man has integrity if his interest in the good of the service is at all times greater than his personal pride, and when he holds himself to the same line of duty when unobserved as he would follow if his superiors were present."

- General S.L.A. Marshall

"I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but by how high he bounces when he hits bottom."

- General George S. Patton

"We are defined by what we do repeatedly, therefore excellence is a habit, not an act."

- Aristotle

"Every hour be firmly resolved…to accomplish the work at hand with fitting and unaffected dignity, goodwill, freedom, justice. Banish from your thoughts all other considerations. This is possible if you perform each act as if it were your last, rejecting every frivolous distraction, every denial of the rule of reason, every pretentious gesture, vain show, and whining complaint against the decrees of fate. Do you see what little is required of a man to live a well-tempered and god-fearing life? Obey these precepts, and the gods will ask nothing more (II.5). Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it. (II.4)"

- Marcus Aurelius in The Emperor’s Handbook

"If officers desire to have control over their commands, they must remain habitually with them, industriously attend to their instruction and comfort, and in battle lead them well."

- Stonewall Jackson

"Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand."

- General Colin Powell

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."

- Colin Powell

"When things go wrong in your command, start wading for the reason in increasingly larger concentric circles around your own desk."

- General Bruce D. Clark

"I may not have been the best combat commander, but I always strove to be. My men depended on me to carefully analyze every tactical situation, to maximize the resources that I had at my disposal, to think under pressure, and then to lead them by personal example."

- Major Dick Winters

"Owning the facts is a prerequisite to leadership. But there are millions of technocrats out there with lots of facts in their quivers and little leadership potential. In many cases, what they are missing is empathy. No one is a leader who can’t put himself or herself in the other person’s shoes. Empathy and expertise command respect."

- William Pagonis

"It is a proud privilege to be a soldier – a good soldier … [with] discipline, self-respect, pride in his unit and his country, a high sense of duty and obligation to comrades and to his superiors, and a self confidence born of demonstrated ability."

- George S. Patton

"Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best."

- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."

- General George S. Patton

"Attract the right people. Let them know what they have to do. Give them the tools to do the job. And when they get it done, your job as a leader is to make sure they get the credit for it."

- General (Retired) Rick Hillier

"Don't stop trying or fighting for what you believe in the first time someone tells you no."

- General (Retired) Ann Dunwoody

"We're all one team - and together, we're strong and we're in this together."

- Bo Brabo

"The truth is that you always know the right thing to do. The tough part is doing it."

- General Norman Schwarzkopf

"Taking care of your people means supporting them, it means building the right connection and building trust. It means helping them do their jobs, giving them coaching, guidance, mentorship, and they did, it means lifting barriers and helping them to solve problems. And also, it really means supporting them."

- Dan Greene

"Leadership is of the spirit, compounded of personality and vision: its practice is an art. Management is of the mind, more a matter of accurate calculation, of statistics, of methods, timetables and routine; its practice is a science. Managers are necessary; leaders are essential."

- Field Marshal Sir Bill Slim

"Leaders must be motivators, educators, role models, sounding boards, confessors, and cheerleaders—they must be accessible, and they must aggressively pursue contact with colleagues and subordinates."

- Lieutenant General, William Pagonis

"There are three kinds of people: Those who are immovable, those who are moveable, and those who move them."

- Li Hung

"I must study politics and war, that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy…in order to give their children the right to study painting, poetry, and music."

- John Adams

"What’s right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity – intellect and resources – to do something about them."

- Henry Ford

"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."

- General Norman Schwarzkopf

"Plan the flight and fly the plan, but don’t fall in love with the plan. Be open to a changing world and let go of the plan when necessary so that you can make a new plan. Then as the world and the plan both go through their book of changes, you will always be ready to do the next right thing."

- Laurence Gonzales

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

- Maya Angelou

"The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools."

- Charles George Gordon

"We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship."

- Omar Bradley

"Opportunity is missed by most because is it dressed in overalls and looks like work."

- Thomas Edison

"Be selective about whom you take on as friends, colleagues, and neighbors. The world is full of agreeable and talented folk. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. But remember that our moral influence is a two-way street, and we should thus make sure by our own thoughts, words, and deeds to be a positive influence on those we deal with. The real test of personal excellence lies in the attention we give to the often neglected small details of our conduct. Make it your business to draw out the best in others by being an exemplar yourself."

- Epictetus

"I don’t know whether this is the best of times or the worst of times, but I assure you it’s the only time you’ve got."

- Art Buchwald

"Those who gain experience while retaining a firm hold on a beginner’s state of mind become long term survivors."

- Laurence Gonzales

"It’s very important to be able to talk through things with people who know you and know how you are, know what your goals and ambitions are, so that you can work through the mental challenges of getting through an arduous time and knowing who depends on you and what they expect of you so that you can live up to those expectations."

- Bo Brabo

"When you act on your priority, you’ll automatically go out of balance, giving more time to one thing over another. The challenge then doesn’t become one of not going out of balance, for in fact you must. The challenge becomes how long you stay on your priority. To be able to address your priorities outside of work, be clear about your most important work priority so you can get it done. Then go home and be clear about your priorities there so you can get back to work. Purpose has the power to shape our lives only in direct proportion to the power of the priority we connect it to. Purpose without priority is powerless."

- Gary Keller, Jay Papasan in The ONE Thing

"Read over and over again the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Gustavus, Turenne, Eugene and Frederic…This is the only way to become a great general and master the secrets of the art of war…"

- Napoleon Bonaparte

"An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep."

- Alexander the Great

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."

- Cynthia Ozick

"Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Leaders must be seen to be up front, up to date, up to their job and up early in the morning."

- Marcus Sieff

"Who you are on a daily basis is who you are when you compete. If you want to be a champion, you have to have the mindset of a champion every day."

- Jerry Ingalls

"We do not seek peace in order to be at war, but we go to war that we may have peace. Be peaceful, therefore, in warring, so that you may vanquish those whom you war against, and bring them to the prosperity of peace."

- St. Augustine

"To spend a few minutes with people is simply not productive. If one wants to get anything across, one has to spend a fairly large minimum quantum of time. The manager who thinks that he can discuss the plans, direction, and performance of one of his subordinates in fifteen minutes – and many managers believe this – is just deceiving himself. If one wants to get to the point of having an impact, one needs probably at least an hour and usually more. And if one has to establish a human relationship, one needs infinitely more time."

- Peter F. Drucker

"Who you are speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If you’re never satisfied with what you have achieved, you’re never going to be satisfied with what you do achieve."

- Chris LoCurto

"Every position must be held to the last man: there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end."

- Field Marshal Douglas Haig

"Men mean more than guns in the rating of a ship."

- John Paul Jones

"Now I recall the Recon Marines ragged, filthy cammie shirted young men in green paint who move silent like the fog with deadly purpose in their eyes. Swift, Silent, Deadly. I smile."

- GYSGT Correll, USMC, Retired– Recon Marine

"Victory belongs to the most persevering."

- Napoleon Bonaparte

"Who dares, wins. Who sweats, wins. Who plans, wins."

- British Special Air Service (SAS)

"Discipline is the soul of an army."

- George Washington

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

- George Orwell

"Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I am attacking."

- Ferdinand Foch

"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."

- John Stuart Mill

"The friend of my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity."

- Ulysses S. Grant

"Happiness is found not in doing what one likes to do, but in liking what one has to do."

- Sir James M. Barrie

"To be pleased with one’s limits is a wretched state."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"When you become a leader you give up the right to think about yourself."

- Gerald Brooks

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power."

"The majority of men devote the greater part of their lives to making their remaining years unhappy."

"Some succeed because they are destined to; most succeed because they are determined to."

"No man is a leader until he is ratified in the minds and hearts of his men."

"What are the values of a Good Soldier?…Freedom and courage. Freedom is what makes us fight, and courage is what keeps us from running away."

"A lack of planning on your part does not constitute a crisis on mine…unless of course I failed to lead you."