Military Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old military quotes, military sayings, and military proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. Dwight D. Eisenhower
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. Dwight D. Eisenhower
We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us. Winston S. Churchill
Battles are won by slaughter and maneuver. The greater the general, the more he contributes in maneuver, the less he demands in slaughter. Winston S. Churchill
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 Jr.
There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time. George S. Patton Jr.
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. George Orwell
We must never forget why we have, and why we need our military. Our armed forces exist solely to ensure our nation is safe, so that each and every one of us can sleep soundly at night, knowing we have 'guardians at the gate.' Allen West
I hate it when they say, 'He gave his life for his country.' Nobody gives their life for anything. We steal the lives of these kids. We take it away from them. They don't die for the honor and glory of their country. We kill them. Admiral Gene LaRocque
No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself. William Penn
The military might of a country represents its national strength. Only when it builds up its military might in every way can it develop into a thriving country. Kim Jong-un
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
The U.S. Military is us. There is no truer representation of a country than the people that it sends into the field to fight for it. The people who wear our uniform and carry our rifles into combat are our kids, and our job is to support them, because they're protecting us. Tom Clancy
After I was discharged from the military, it was difficult trying to become a civilian. Chris Kyle
A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive. unknown
The number of medals on an officer's breast varies in inverse proportion to the square of the distance of his duty from the front line. Charles Montague
Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons General MacArthur
If you can't get them to salute when they should salute and wear the clothes you tell them to wear, how are you going to get them to die for their country? George Patton
Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we've been bombing over the years been complaining? George Wallace
You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight. Barry Goldwater
I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. Sir Winston Churchill
Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity. if the leader is filled with high ambition and if he pursues his aims with audacity and strength of will, he will reach them in spite of all obstacles. Karl von Clausewitz
I will never quit. My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down i will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my enemies and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight. Marcus Luttrell
America's finest - our men and women in uniform, are a force for good throughout the world, and that is nothing to apologize for. Sarah Palin
America without her Soldiers would be like God without His angels. Claudia Pemberton
The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. G.K. Chesterton
In peace, children inter their parents; war violates the order of nature and causes parents to inter their children. Herodotus
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom. Martin Luther King Jr.
The consensus seemed to be that if really large numbers of men were sent to storm the mountain, then enough might survive the rocks to take the citadel. This is essentially the basis of all military thinking. Terry Pratchett
It is a long-cherished tradition among a certain type of military thinker that huge casualties are the main thing. If they are on the other side then this is a valuable bonus. Terry Pratchett