305 Military Quotes To Honor Our Heroes For Their Sacrifice

These military quotes are the perfect words to honor the brave men and women of the military for their sacrifice.

General Maximus Decimus Meridius from the movie Gladiator said, ‘What we do in life echoes in eternity.’

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What Are The Best Military Quotes For Deployed Soldiers

Military quotes uniquely capture the spirit of bravery, sacrifice, and resilience exhibited by those who serve in the armed forces.

From ancient generals to modern-day heroes, these powerful words resonate with military personnel and civilians, reminding us of the indomitable human spirit and the enduring impact of military actions.

1. “To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less.” – Andre Malraux

2. “War is too important to be left to the generals.”- Georges Clémenceau

3. “Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

4. “This will remain the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave.” – Elmer Davis

5. “Who dares, wins. Who sweats, wins. Who plans, wins.” – British Special Air Service (SAS)

6. “If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

7. “Fortune favors the brave.” – Terence

8. ”Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

9. ”I don’t know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they terrify me.” – The Duke of Wellington

10. “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” – Alexander Hamilton

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Inspiring Military Quotes Honoring Our Troops

11. ”No guts, no glory.” – Major Gen. Frederick C. Blesse

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12. ”If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan your mission properly.” – David Hackworth

13. “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” – Thomas Paine

14. “America without her Soldiers would be like God without His angels.” – Claudia Pemberton

15. “A safe army is better than a safe border” – B.R. Ambedkar

16. “We live in a world that has walls and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns.” – Aaron Sorkin

17. “No man is a man until he has been a soldier.” – Louis de Bernières

18. “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste death but once.” – William Shakespeare

19. “He loves his country best who strives to make it best.” – Robert G. Ingersoll

20. “The higher level of grand strategy [is] that of conducting war with a far-sighted regard to the state of the peace that will follow.” ― B. H. Liddell Hart

Military Quotes Celebrating Our Heroes

21. “Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the Gun down.”- Malcolm X

22. “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” – Colonel David Hackworth

23. “I am not afraid of an Army of lions lead by a sheep; I am afraid of sheep lead by a lion.” – Alexander the Great

24. “The Army is the true nobility of our country.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

25. “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” – Maya Angelou

26. “True courage is being afraid, and going ahead and doing your job.” – Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr

27. “The hand of the aggressor is stayed by strength — and strength alone.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

28. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” – Nathan Hale

29. “Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity.” – Carl von Clausewitz

30. “A ship without Marines is like a garment without buttons.” – Admiral David D. Porter

Military Quotes to Help Us Show Appreciation

31. “Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: ‘I served in the United States Navy.”- John F. Kennedy

32. “From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots. ― Thomas Jefferson

33. “Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.” ― George Washington

34. ”This country has not seen and probably will never know the true level of sacrifice of our veterans. As a civilian, I owe an unpayable debt to all our military. Going forward let’s not send our servicemen and women off to war or conflict zones unless it is overwhelmingly justifiable and on moral high ground.” – Thomas M Smith

35. “War is the greatest evil Satan has invented to corrupt our hearts and souls. We should honor our soldiers, but we should never honor war.”- Dean Hughes

36. “We sleep peaceably in our beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf.”- George Orwell

37. ”Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.” – Mary Roach

38. ”Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.” – Douglas MacArthur

39. “What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight—it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”- President Dwight D. Eisenhower

40. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” ― Barbara Tuchman

Empowering Military Quotes About Strength and Resilience

41. “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” – George S. Patton Jr.

42. “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.” – Heraclitus

43. “Freedom is never free.” – Anonymous

44. “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” — General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

45. “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

46. “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” – George S. Patton Jr.

47. “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

48. “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

49. “We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” – Winston S. Churchill

50. “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.

Military Quotes From Famous Generals

51. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”- George S. Patton Jr.

52. “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” – Winston Churchill

53. “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

54. “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

55. “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

56. “If you can’t experience the humanity of people who don’t look like you, you’re not civilized enough to be an officer of the peace.”― Ann Medlock

57. “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

58. “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” – Cynthia Ozick

59. “Surprise is an event that occurs in the mind of an enemy commander.”― Jerry Pournelle

60. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”- Joseph Campbell

61. “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”- Gen. Douglas MacArthur

62. “True patriotism isn’t cheap. It’s about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going.” – Robert Reich

63. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

64. “Soldiers can sometimes make decisions that are smarter than the orders they have been given.” – Orson Scott Card, Enders Game

65. “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

Military Quotes From Elected Officals

66. “It would be a joke if the conduct of the victor had to be justified to the vanquished.” – Napoléon Bonaparte

67. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.” ― Colin Powell

68. “No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.” – Helmuth von Moltke

69. “The objective of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” ― George Patton

70. “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” – William Arthur Ward

71. “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” ― George Orwell

72. “If you wage war, do it energetically and with severity. This is the only way to make it shorter and consequently less inhuman.” – Napoléon Bonaparte

73. “I respect every soldier, from every country, who serves beside us in the hard work of history. America is grateful, and America will not forget.” –
George W. Bush

74. “To be prepared against surprise is to be trained. To be prepared for surprise is to be educated.” – James Carse

75. “The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it.” – Thucydides

Motivational Military Quotes About Leadership

76. “How can men boast that they control their own destiny when they cannot solve the problems of war?” – Billy Graham

77. “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” – Albert Einstein

78. “Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin

79. “Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to guard.” – John F. Kennedy

80. “Could I have but a line a century hence crediting a contribution to the advance of peace, I would gladly yield every honor which has been accorded me in war.” – Douglas MacArthur

81. “It is long since I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value.” – Alexander Hamilton
82. “Modern war is the most highly developed of all sciences. We have perfected our weapons but failed to perfect the men who use them.” – Billy Graham

83. “They’ve got us surrounded — the poor bastards.” – An unnamed medic

84. “Two armies are two bodies which meet and try to frighten each other.” ― Napoleon Bonaparte

85. “Live for something rather than die for nothing.” – General George S. Patton

Military Quotes About The Marines

86. “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” – Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.

87. “A leader is the man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do, and like it.” – Harry S. Truman

88. “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower

89. “A person cannot be a Marine without honor.” – General Carl Epting Mundy, Jr.

90. “Americans never quit.” – General Douglas MacArthur

91. “I can’t see how a single man could spend his time to better advantage than in the Marines.” – Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph “Dan” Daly

92. “A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.” – General George Smith Patton, Jr.

93. “A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace.” – President Theodore Roosevelt

94. “It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory.” – General George Catlett Marshall

95. “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” – Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry

Military Quotes About War

96. “It is fatal to enter a war without the will to win it.”― Douglas MacArthur

97. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree.” – Thomas Campbell

98. “The military don’t start wars. Politicians start wars.”― William Westmoreland

99. “In war there is no substitute for victory.” – Douglas MacArthur

100. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” – Winston Churchill

101. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – Jose Narosky

102. “Without heroes, we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.” – Bernard Malamud

103. “Military power wins battles, but spiritual power wins wars.” –
George C. Marshall

104. “Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty.” ― George Washington

105. “The only things those people have that you don’t is guts. Do you wanna live forever?” – Merritt A. Edson

Military Quotes About The United States Army

106. “War means fighting, and fighting means killing.”― Nathan Bedford Forrest

107. “Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that can ever happen in war.” – Ernest Hemingway

108. “No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.” – William Penn

109. “Soldiers win battles and generals get the medals.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

110. Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril.” – Sun Tzu

111. “Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates.” – F. E. Adcock

112. “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” – Winston Churchill

113. “We make war that we may live in peace.” – Aristotle

114. “If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.” – Sun Tzu

115. “America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.” — Paul Tsongas

Military Quotes About the United States Air Force

116. “One who loses his life for his country will get it”― Dr. P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar

117. “Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea.” – Samuel Johnson

118. “If I charge, follow me. If I retreat, kill me. If I die, revenge me.”― USMC

119. “The courage of a soldier is found to be the cheapest and most common quality of human nature.” – Edward Gibbon

120. “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” – George S. Patton

121. “I loved the Army as an institution and loathed every single thing it required me to do.” -Simon Raven

122. “It’s almost worth having been in the army for the joy your freedom gives you.” – John Dos Passos

123. “Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.” – George S. Patton

124. “Success in battle is not a function of how many show up, but who they are.” – Robert H. Barrow

125. “Soldiers generally win battles; generals get credit for them.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Powerful Military Quotes About The Navy SEALs

126. “Those of us who have never been in the military don’t understand what it is like to serve in the military.”― Gina Barreca

127. “The army teaches boys to think like men.” – Elvis Presley

128. “I am a Soldier, I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight.” – George S. Patton

129. “I owe everything to the army.” – Norman Wisdom

130. “The army is always the same. The sun and the moon change. The army knows no seasons.” – Frank Nugent

131. “A leader leads by example not by force.” – Sun Tzu

132. An army without culture is a dull-witted army, and a dull-witted army cannot defeat the enemy.” – Mao Zedong

133. “No nation ever had an army large enough to guarantee it against attack in time of peace, or ensure it of victory in time of war.” – Calvin Coolidge

134. “Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.” – Sun Tzu

135. “The Army was my bread and butter.” – Brian Lumley

Military Quotes For Memorial Day

136. “The military is not so much a job, it is more of a death sentence.” – Steven Magee

137. “Military guys are rarely as smart as they think they are, and they’ve never gotten over the fact that civilians run the military.” – Maureen Dowd

138. “The military system of a nation is not an independent section of the social system but an aspect of its totality.” – Tony Judt

139. “Bein’ a soldier is not hard. If it was, soldiers would not be able to do it.” – Terry Pratchett

140. “Those who do not appreciate the soldiers and instead pompously talk about peace, should try to live a single day without the soldiers.” – Abhijit Naskar

141. “War is life multiplied by some number that no one has ever heard of.” – Sebastian Junger

142. “The power of the army is his weapon, the power of the homeland is his lovers.” – Azadshah Ganjali

143. “Heroes may not live long in years, but they live forever in the stories.” – Amit Kalantri

144. “The hero’s sacrifice becomes just the story for people.” – Amit Kalantri

145. “Civilians enjoy their time because soldiers sacrifice their time.” – Amit Kalantri

Military Quotes From Historic Americans

146. “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” – Woodrow Wilson 

147. “To be prepared for war is one of the most “effectual means of preserving peace.” – George Washington

148. “I can’t spare this man, he fights!” – Abraham Lincoln

149. “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” – John Dickinson

150. “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines don’t have that problem.” – Ronald Reagan

151. “Here men endured that a nation might live.” – Herbert Hoover

152. “Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.” – Thomas Jefferson

153. “Discipline is the soul of an army.” – George Washington

154. “I almost always feel inclined, when I happen to say anything to soldiers, to impress upon them in a few brief remarks the importance of success in this contest,” – Abraham Lincoln

155. “Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live.” ― Adolf Hitler

156. “Although a soldier by profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war, and I have never advocated it, except as a means of peace.” – Ulysses S. Grant

Military Quotes From Presidents, Generals and Soldiers

146. “It is of the nature of war to increase the executive at the expense of the legislative authority.” – Alexander Hamilton

147. “War makes extremely heavy demands on the soldier’s strength and nerves. For this reason, make heavy demands on your men in peacetime exercises.” – General Field Marshall Erwin Rommel

148. “It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it.” – General Robert E. Lee

149. “In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten; then he who continues the attack wins.” – General Ulysses S. Grant

150. “My hope is that gays will be running the world, because then there would be no war. Just a greater emphasis on military apparel.” ― Roseanne Barr

151. “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.” – General Stonewall Jackson

152. “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

153. “An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep.” – Alexander the Great

154. “Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.” – John Adams

155. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” – Abraham Lincoln

156. “Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.” – Abraham Lincoln

Military Quotes About The Armed Forces

157. There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” ― Elie Wiesel

158. “There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” — Gen. James H. Doolittle

159. “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” — Walter Elliot

160. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston S. Churchill

161. “There is no honor in sending men to die for something you won’t even fight for yourself.” — Mark Owen

162. “You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.” — Robert A. Heinlein

163. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” — Newt Gingrich

164. “When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death — that is heroism.” — Robert Green Ingersoll

165. “War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” — J.R.R. Tolkien

166. “For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had a purpose being in the Navy. It wasn’t about money and rank or prestige. It was about raising the flag. We do what we do because no one else can or will do it. We fight so others can sleep at night. And I had forgotten that.” — Timothy Ciciora

Military Quotes About The Military Industrial Complex

167. “Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.” — Groucho Marx

168. “Man is a military animal, glories in gunpowder, and loves parade.” — Philip James Bailey

169. “The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.” — James K. Polk

170. “There are no military solutions – dialogue and diplomacy are the only guarantee of lasting peace.” — Martin McGuinness

171. “I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service.” — John F. Kerry

172. “Rich people don’t like to be in the military. The shoes are ugly and the uniforms itch. Rich people don’t go in much for revolution or terrorism, either.” — P. J. O’Rourke

173. “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.

174. “Strong government doesn’t mean simply military power or an efficient intelligence apparatus. Instead, it should mean effective, fair administration – in other words, ‘good governance.’” — Raghuram Rajan

175. “Real heroes don’t wear capes. Real superheroes wear uniforms and badges and stethoscopes! Real superheroes are members of our military, law enforcement, and first responders. Pretend superheroes wear capes!” — Dean Cain

176. “We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.” — Barack Obama

Military Quotes on Leadership

177. “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.” – General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur

178. “You manage things; you lead people. We went overboard on management and forgot about leadership. It might help if we ran the MBAs out of Washington.” — Rear Adm. Grace Murray Hooper

179. “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.” – General Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army

180. “A leader is a man who can adapt principles to circumstances.” – George S. Patton

181. “It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.” – Major General William T. Sherman, U.S. Army

182. “Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.” – Colin Powell

183. “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” – General Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army

184. “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them.” – Colin Powell

185. “Any soldier worth his salt should be antiwar. And still there are things worth fighting for.” – General Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Army

186. “Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader.” – General George S. Patton

Military Quotes About Navy SEALs and Discipline

187. “What the SEAL teams do, what our training does, is it chips away the outer layer and shows you what you’re capable of and not capable of.” – Marcus Luttrell

188. “Navy SEALs Say when you are under pressure you don’t rise to the occasion. You sink to the level of your training. Train well.” – Jon Gordon

189. “The Navy is much more than a job; much more than service to the country. It is a way of life. It gets in your blood.” – Albert F. Pratt

190. “GET UP. AND. GO. Take the risk, take the gamble, take the first step. Take action. And don’t let another day slip by.” – Jocko Willink

191. “Discipline equals freedom.” – Jocko Willink

192. “Stay low, go fast. Kill first, die last. One shot, one kill. No luck, all skill.” – US Navy SEALs

193. “I have to face the final battle by myself, maybe lonely, maybe desolate, maybe against formidable odds. But I was not giving up.” – Marcus Luttrell

194. “If you’ve never met a Navy SEAL and you ran into one at a bar, you probably still wouldn’t know he’s a Navy SEAL.” – Howard E. Wasdin

195. “They could beat you, run you, make you endure untold cold and pain, and kill you… but they could never make you quit.” – Walter Diaczenko

196. “Truly – my mind never told me to give up though my body was beaten down.” – Stew Smith

Military Quotes To Appreciate Their Selfless Nature

197. “The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” — Douglas MacArthur

198. “I learned that good judgment comes from experience and that experience grows out of mistakes.” — Omar N. Bradley

199. “Some of you young men think that war is all glamour and glory, but let me tell you, boys, it is all hell!” — William Tecumseh Sherman

200. “Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.” — Groucho Marx

201. “The military weapon is but one of the means that serve the purposes of war: one out of the assortment which grand strategy can employ.” — B. H. Liddell Hart

202. “A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.” — Sun Tzu

203. “Patriotism is a lively sense of collective responsibility.” — Richard Aldington

204. “War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.” ― William Tecumseh Sherman

205. “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.” — Douglas MacArthur

206. “So the important thing in a military operation is victory, not persistence.” — Sun Tzu

Military Quotes For A Brave Nation

207. “A soldier’s job is to put his life on the line for his country.” ― Raymond Khoury

208. “You can’t organize peace by expanding your military, you organize peace by empowering your citizens.” ― Abhijit Naskar

209. “In death, as in life, we stand together, always a family, always a team. The brotherhood never dies.” ― Marcus Luttrell

210. “The life of a soldier far from the cannon’s roar has little glamour to it.” ― Harry Turtledove

211. “Nothing so comforts the military mind as the maxim of a great but dead general.” ― Barbara W. Tuchman

212. “Welcome to the real Marine Corps, a bunch of nerds on computers all day. We only go to the gym so the grunts don’t eat us.” ― Jess Mastorakos

213. “War is not just the shower of bullets and bombs from both sides, it is also the shower of blood and bones on both sides.” ― Amit Kalantri

214. “There are some who’ve forgotten why we have a military. It’s not to promote war, it’s to be prepared for peace.” ― Ronald Reagan

215. “So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.” ― Sun Tzu

Military Quotes On Training

216. “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” – Archilochos

217. “The best form of welfare for the troops is first-rate training.” – Erwin Rommel

218. “The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

219. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure.” —Marianne Williamson

220. “I don’t lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word.” – Jim Mattis

221. “Don’t decrease the goal. Increase the effort.” —Tom Coleman

222. “The key is not the will to win. Everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” — Bobby Knight

223. “Don’t complain. Just work harder.” —Randy Pausch

224. “Training is necessary for toughness.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

225. “He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.”― Confucius

Military Quotes About Their Bravery

226. “The spirit of this country is totally adverse to a large military force.” — Thomas Jefferson

227. “The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most reliable soldier on earth.” — Stonewall Jackson

228. “A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living. Today’s military rejects include tomorrow’s hard-core unemployed.” — John F. Kennedy

229. “I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world!” — Douglas MacArthur

230. “The modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism is loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it.” ― Mark Twain

232. “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” — Winston Churchill

233. “Military glory-that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood-that serpent’s eye, that charms to destroy.” — Abraham Lincoln

234. “A military man can scarcely pride himself on having smitten a sleeping enemy; it is more a matter of shame, simply, for the one smitten.” — Isoroku Yamamoto

235. “I don’t underrate the value of military knowledge, but if men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail.” — Ulysses S. Grant

Military Quotes To Help You Understand Their Sacrifices

236. “In the military, you learn the essence of people. You see so many examples of self-sacrifice and moral courage. For the rest of your life, you don’t get many opportunities to be sure of your friends.” — Adam Driver 

237. “My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat, situation excellent. I attack.” ― Ferdinand Foch

238. “In a man-to-man fight, the winner is he who has one more round in his magazine.”

― Erwin Rommel

239. “I can’t tell you how much the sight of the flag means to me, or the heritage of the military men who came before me. It’s about this country and it’s people.” ― Marcus Luttrell

240. “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” —  Napoleon

241. “War is a game played with a smiling face, but do you think there is laughter in my heart?” —  Winston Churchill

242. “Soldiers, when committed to a task, can’t compromise. It’s unrelenting devotion to the standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the task go until it’s been done.” — John Keegan

243. “No soldier outlives a thousand chances. But every soldier believes in Chance and trusts his luck.” ― Erich Maria Remarque

244. “a soldier lives always for the next battle, because he knows that before it arrives impossible changes can occur in his favor.” ― James A. Michener

245. “It’s better to fade away like an old soldier than to burn out.” — John Lennon

Military Quotes About Protecting Citizens

246. “Military minded, usually blinded Lookin for a crew like mine, you can’t find it We all be soldiers but I’m also assassin I came out the womb with my trigger finger blasting.” ― Big Ed

247. “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

248. “Now I’m falling for your spell Your light burns me like I’m evil This love hurts me like it’s hell You’re my military Making my insides turn to machinery.” ― James Deacon

249. “You don’t have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight.” ― Barry Goldwater

250. “In an upstairs room in Blackpool By the side of a northern sea The army had my father And my mother was having me Military madness was killing my country.” ― Graham Nash

251. “I’m the daughter of a military man It’s the way of life and I understand And I’m so proud to say Made me who I am today.” ― Jessie James Decker

252. “After I was discharged from the military, it was difficult trying to become a civilian.” ― Chris Kyle

253. “I work in your factories and I study in your schools I fill your penitentiaries and your military too.” ― Richie Havens

254. “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

255. “We stand a chance against the military tonight I said we stand a chance against the military tonight, I said we stand a chance against the military tonight.” ― Danny Brown

Military Quotes About Honor, Courage, and Commitment

256. “Normal military trade is undoubtedly part of the normal State-to-State relations.” ― Li Peng

257. “I believe serious progress (in the abolition of war) can be achieved only when men become organized on an international scale and refuse, as a body, to enter military or war service.” ― Albert Einstein

258. “We must train and classify the whole of our male citizens, and make military instruction a regular part of collegiate education.” ― Thomas Jefferson

259. “A true military officer is in one particular like a true monk. Not with more self-abnegation will the latter keep his vows of monastic obedience than the former his vows of allegiance to martial duty.” ― Herman Melville

260. “While my military experience reinforced in me the strength that I have, it also demonstrated to me that I have the ability and power to make a difference in people’s lives.” ― Earl Woods

261. “The most expensive thing in the world is a second-best military establishment, good but not good enough to win.” ― Robert A. Heinlein

262. “The necessary and wise subordination of the military to civil power must be sustained.” ― Dwight D. Eisenhower

263. “Our military plans should be based on the assumption of unpredictability, rather than on carefully drawn, static models of the world.” ― James Fallows

274. “Conquest is the missionary of valor, and the hard impact of military virtues beats meanness out of the world.” ― Walter Bagehot

265. “Only one military organization can hold and gain ground in war-a ground army supported by tactical aviation with supply lines guarded by the navy.” ― Omar N. Bradley

Inspirational Military Quotes That Define Courage

266. “Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory is won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.” ― Sun Tzu

267. “The military do so love shiny new technology, there’s always so many ways to abuse it.”

― Peter F. Hamilton

268. “It is very easy to be a military strategist, a mercenary, or a king, but much harder to be a father.” ― Nadia Scrieva

269. “We must achieve both security and solvency. In fact, the foundation of military strength is economic strength,” ― Dwight D. Eisenhower

270. “The military is only as strong as the other institutions supporting it.” ― Michael DeLong

271. “A military leader thinks about casualties and losses, but a strategic one only aims the win.” ― M.F. Moonzajer

272. “Very few USA citizens realize that the USA corporate military is regarded by many to be both a domestic and international terrorist organization.” ― Steven Magee

273. “One difficulty that someone who has been in military/government service during war has, is reconciling his/her pride with their horror.” ― Kari Martindale

274. “[C]apitalist trade and industry cannot thrive without access to military and political power. State interventions have always been critical to its advancement.” ― Amitav Ghosh

275. “I wonder is it because men are cowards in heart that they admire bravery so much, and place military valour so far beyond every other quality for reward and worship?” ― William Makepeace Thackeray

Thoughtful Military Quotes to Commemorate Sacrifice

276. “The military use radio jammers on their vehicles to prevent remote detonations. They do not tell the troops they are bad for their health.” ― Steven Magee

277. “The police are the civilian side of the military.” ― Steven Magee

278. “Military people never seem to apologize for killing each other yet novelists feel ashamed for writing some nice inert paper book that is not certain to be read by anybody.” ― Leonora Carrington

279. “…you have been fraternizing with warewolves overmuch! Military men can be terribly bad for one’s verbal concatenation!” ― Gail Carriger

280. “Captain Miller, we know that you are connected with military intelligence, and can obtain classified documents.” ― Karl Braungart

281. “I want to follow your orders, but, I…I still work for military intelligence, and I need permission to travel out of my stationed area.” ― Karl Braungart

282. “We work in the city of Würzburg, which is between Frankfurt and Nürnberg. Eric and I are in military intelligence.” ― Karl Braungart

283. “Being against the military because you are against war is like being against the Fire Department because you are against fire.” ― Jim McDonough

284. “There is nothing like a parade to elicit the proper respect for the military from the populace.” ― Irving Kristol

285. “Support for Saddam, including within his military organization, will collapse after the first whiff of gunpowder.” — Richard Perle

Stories of Courage and Honor Through Powerful Military Quotes

286. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” ― Patrick Henry

287. “In war, the moral is to the physical as three is to one.” ― Napoleon Bonaparte

288. “Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.” ― Omar N. Bradley

289. “The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.” ― George Washington

290. “Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.” ― Michel de Montaigne

291. “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” ― Bertrand Russell

292. “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.” ― Barack Obama

293. “The battle of Iwo Jima has been won. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.” ― Chester W. Nimitz

294. “A soldier is he whose blood makes the glory of the general.” ― Henry G. Bohn

295. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” ― Nelson Mandela

296. “When you get right down to it, militaries are essentially legalized mafias.” ― Michel Templet

297. “You should have long since gotten rid of military-industrial complexes.” ― Arkady Strugatsky

298. “Military Veterans have become gang members since the late 1700s.” ― Carter F. Smith

299. “Military life is hard, even cruel—especially for the kids.” ― Tucker Elliot

300. “There is strong. There is Army Strong. And then there is Army Wife Strong.” ― Aditi Mathur Kumar

301. “If you have to fight old enemies, you should do it with your own old soldiers.” ― Marius C.

302. “Maintenance and resupply are the backbone of any military.” ― Robert Ferrigno

303. “The era of revolution by military means produced a greater degree of desperation and frustration.” ― Nilantha Ilangamuwa

What are the benefits of reading military quotes?

For those who risk their lives to protect our freedom, it is a selfless act of valor, asking for nothing in return.

Reading through these military quotes will offer ways:

• To honor and appreciate the members of our armed forces
• Inspire you to give service members thanks for their sacrifices
• To understand the military perspective

The freedom and liberty we enjoy are because of the brave men and women of the military who dedicate their lives to protecting the nation.

Many have sacrificed their lives so that we can live in a free and prosperous society.

Of course, there are two sides to everything, and some of these military quotes might have you reconsidering what you thought you knew about the military.

It takes great courage and sacrifice to do what our soldiers do.

Many of these great men and women have families that they have to leave behind as they defend their country.

The least we can do for our military men and women is to honor and be thankful for their unselfish deeds.

Did you enjoy this military quotes collection?

It is almost impossible for a country to survive without a great army to defend it during war.

An army is the pride of the nation.

In addition, without fearless soldiers, there can be no great army.

If you have a loved one who is in the military, appreciate them with any of the above quotes and let them know that you cherish them.

Did you enjoy these military quotes?

Which of the quotes was your favorite?

Tell us in the comment section below.

We would love to hear all about it.