Douglas MacArthur

I realize that advice is worth what it costs – that is, nothing.

You don’t win wars by dying for your country you win wars by making the other son of a b*tch die for his.

Americans never quit.

I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any treat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.

I had learned one of the bitter lessons of life: never try to regain the past, the fire will have become ashes.

Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.

World War II was fought for the abolition of racial exclusiveness, equality of nations and the integrity of their territories, liberation of enslaved nations and restoration of their sovereign rights, the right of every nation to arrange its affairs as it wishes, economic aid to nations that have suffered and assistance to them in attaining their material welfare, restoration of democratic liberties, and destruction of the Hitlerite regime.

A skilful leech is better far, than half a hundred men of war.

War is not a matter for the professional pacifist or militarist. It is for the unprofessional people. They finance and fight it, they bear its losses. Therefore, they should have the deciding voice concerning it. To do this, they require all the information upon which decisions are made. They should know in a difference, whether it is soluble by rational intelligence, or inevitable by force. Not once in a thousand instances would our people (this may not be true of all peoples, however) approve an offensive war. Never would they be lax in defensive action. For this is their country. However, most of their enemies are within it.

I was very glad that Mr. Attlee described my speeches in the war as expressing the will not only of Parliament but of the whole nation. Their will was resolute and remorseless and, as it proved, unconquerable. It fell to me to express it, and if I found the right words you must remember that I have always earned my living by my pen and by my tongue. It was a nation and race dwelling all round the globe that had the lion heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar.

What we need is Star Peace and not Star Wars.

War talk by men who have been in a war is always interesting; whereas moon talk by a poet who has not been in the moon is likely to be dull.

I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.

That’s what an army is – a mob; they don’t fight with courage that’s born in them, but with courage that’s borrowed from their mass, and from their officers.

The British soldier can stand up to anything except the British War Office.

Give me ten thousand Filipino soldiers and I will conquer the world.

Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.

Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tide-water dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego.

I quietly declare war with the State, after my fashion, though I will still make use and get advantage of her as I can, as is usual in such cases.

Wars are necessary to teach us lessons we seem unable to learn any other way.

You don’t win wars by dying for your country you win wars by making the other son of a b*tch die for his.