George S. Patton Men Quotations

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.

Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn't give a hoot and hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost nor ever lose a war.

A leader is a man who can adapt principles to circumstances.

All men are timid on entering any fight. Whether it is the first or the last fight, all of us are timid. Cowards are those who let their timidity get the better of their manhood.

Never draw a gun on a man unless you intend to kill him. And believe me, if you do intend to kill him he will already know it. Then he will feel the cold breath of the tomb.

There are three ways that men get what they want: by planning, by working, and by praying.

A man must know his destiny. if he does not recognize it, then he is lost.

Let us not mourn that such men died, but rejoice that such men lived.

War is the supreme test of man in which he rises to heights never approached in any other activity.

Few men are killed by the bayonet, many are scared by it. Bayonets should be fixed when the fire fight starts

Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man.

If we aren't victorious, let no man come back alive!

To be a successful soldier you must know history. . . . What you must know is how man reacts. Weapons change but man who uses them changes not at all. To win battles you do not beat weapons - you beat the soul of man of the enemy man.

A real man will never let his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood.

Discipline can only be obtained when all the officers are imbued with the sense of their awful obligation to their men and to their country that they cannot tolerate negligence. Officers who fail to correct errors or to praise excellence are valueless in peace and dangerous misfits in war.

By perseverance, study, and eternal desire, any man can become great.

Officers must be made to care for their men. That is the sole duty of all officers.

No sane man is unafraid in battle, but discipline produces in him a form of vicarious courage.

The supreme measure of a man, is what he would risk his life for.

My men don't surrender. I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he has been hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight back.

My men can eat their belts, but my tanks have gotta have gas.

A man is not measured by how much he can take and stand but by how fast he regains once fallen.

Sir, I am not a brave man...The truth is, I am an utter craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn't so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.

All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened.

There is only one sort of discipline - PERFECT DISCIPLINE. Men cannot have good battle discipline and poor administrative discipline.

War is very simple, direct, and ruthless. It takes a simple, direct, and ruthless man to wage war.

The duties of an officer are the safety, honor, and welfare of your country first; the honor, welfare, and comfort of the men in your command second; and the officer s own ease, comfort, and safety last.

There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and much less prevalent. One of the most frequently noted characteristics of great men who have remained great is loyalty to their subordinates.

The courageous man is the man who forces himself, in spite of his fear, to carry on.

Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. Always do more than is required of you. If a man has done his best, what else is there?

A man must know his destiny.

My men don't dig foxholes. I don't want them to. Foxholes only slow up an offensive. Keep moving. And don't give the enemy time to dig one either.

Many, who should know better, think that wars can be decided by soulless machines, rather than by the blood and anguish of brave men.

You cannot be disciplined in great things and undisciplined in small things. Brave undisciplined men have no chance against the discipline and valour of other men. Have you seen a few policemen handle a crowd?

I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed! Gen.