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Duty Quotes

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Duty Quotes

“For us to ignore by inaction the slaughter of American civilians and American soldiers, whether in nightclubs or airline terminals, is simply not in the American tradition. Self-defense is not only our right, it is our duty.”

Self Duty Tradition Soldier Defense Civilians Airline Inaction Slaughter Self Defense Nightclubs American Soldier American Tradition

Book:Speaking my mind: selected speeches

Source: Speaking my mind: selected speeches

“It is a sure criterion of the civilisation of ancient Egypt that the soldiers did not carry arms except on duty, and that the private citizens did not carry them at all.”

Duty Arms Citizens Soldier Ancient Egypt Criteria Civilisation Ancient Egypt

Book:The Martyrdom of Man

Source: The Martyrdom of Man

“I am not going to talk about patriotism, duty, liberty, and the defense of freedom because that's all dung to a soldier.”

Liberty Duty Soldier Defense

Author:David Gemmell

“It is tragic to have to realize that the best I had to give as a soldier, obedience, and loyalty, was exploited for purposes which could not be recognized at the time, and that I did not see that there is a limit set even for a soldier's performance to his duty. That is my fate.”

Giving Purpose Realizing Fate Duty Limits Performances Soldier Loyalty Obedience Tragic

Author:Wilhelm Keitel

“I grew up in a time when people believed in duty, honor and country. My grandfathers were both officers. My father was a General in the Air Force. My brother and I were both in the Army. I've always felt a kinship with soldiers; I think it's possible to support the warrior and be against the war.”

People Thinking War Country Father Force Felt Support Air Brother Duty Grew Honor Grew Up Army Soldier Warrior My Brother Officers Grandfather My Grandfather Air Force Kinship

Author:Kris Kristofferson

“The brutal soldiers satisfied their sensual appetites without consulting either the inclination or the duties of their female captives; and a nice question of casuistry was seriously agitated, Whether those tender victims, who had inflexibly refused their consent to the violation which they sustained, had lost, by their misfortune, the glorious crown of virginity. There were other losses indeed of a more substantial kind and more general concern.”

Source: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“Use makes a better soldier than the most urgent considerations of duty,--familiarity with danger enabling him to estimate the danger. He sees how much is the risk, and is not afflicted with imagination; knows practically Marshal Saxe's rule, that every soldier killed costs the enemy his weight in lead.”

Knows War Use Imagination Enemy Risk Danger Duty Cost Weight Soldier Consideration Urgent Familiarity Enabling

Book:The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude

Source: The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude

“The Greeks by their laws, and the Romans by the spirit of their people, took care to put into the hands of their rulers no such engine of oppression as a standing army. Their system was to make every man a soldier, and oblige him to repair to the standard of his country whenever that was reared. This made them invincible; and the same remedy will make us so.”

People Men Made Country Hands Care Age Law Death Spirit Responsibility Military Duty Standards Standing Army Soldier Every Man Oppression Greek Engines Rulers Remedy Invincible

Book:Jefferson: Political Writings

Source: Jefferson: Political Writings

“Satan's time of tempting is usually after an ordinance; and the reason is, because then he thinks he shall find us most secure. When we have been at solemn duties, we are apt to think all is done, and we grow remiss, and leave off that zeal and strictness as before; just as a soldier, who after a battle leaves off his armour, not once dreaming, of an enemy. Satan watches his time, and when we least suspect, then he throws in a temptation.”

Thinking Has Beens Reason Done Dream Grows Prayer Enemy Watches Duty Battle Soldier Temptation Secure Satan Suspects Solemn Zeal Tempting Ordinances Armour

Book:All Things for Good

Source: All Things for Good

“I owe no duty to the forum, the election ground or the senate; I am ... no barking pleader, no judge, no soldier, no king; I have withdrawn from the populace. My only business is with myself. I have no care save not to care. The better life you would more enjoy in seclusion than in publicity. But you will decry me as indolent. ... None is born for another, being destined to die for himself.”

Care Dies Enjoy Born Judging Duty Kings Election Soldier Senate Destined Better Life Publicity Forums Seclusion

Author:Tertullian

“[A] military force was collected in Europe, formidable by their arms and numbers, if the generals had understood the science of command, and the soldiers the duty of obedience.”

Ifs Force Numbers Military Duty Arms Understood Europe Soldier Command Obedience Formidable Military Force

Book:The Student's Gibbon: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Source: The Student's Gibbon: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

“To maintain the harmony of authority and obedience, to chastise the proud, to protect the weak, to reward the deserving, to banish vice and idleness from his dominions, to secure the traveller and merchant, to restrain the depredations of the soldier, to cherish the labors of the husbandman, to encourage industry and learning, and, by an equal and moderate assessment, to increase the revenue, without increasing the taxes, are indeed the duties of a prince . . .”

Source: THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (All 6 Volumes): From the Height of the Roman Empire, the Age of Trajan and the Antonines - to the Fall of Byzantium; Including a Review of the Crusades, and the State of Rome during the Middle Ages

“In should be the duty of every soldier to reflect on the experiences of the past, in the endeavor to discover improvements, in his particular sphere of action, which are practicable in the immediate future.”

Should Action Past Particular Duty Soldier Improvement Endeavor Spheres

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“I think I'm still just as conflicted about the war as I always was. On the one hand, I was a soldier carrying out his duty, following his allegiance to his country and to the mission at hand. But yet, there was always this unease plaguing me. "What are we doing here?" "Are we really fixing this country or are we doing more harm than good?" And the most pressing question: "How do we pull ourselves out of this quicksand?" I think I'm still there in that white space you mentioned, trying to get clarity for myself on what this war did to us as a nation.”

Thinking Trying Stills War Country Hands Nations Space White Duty Soldier Following Missions Harm Clarity Allegiance Fixing Quicksand White Space

Author:Dave Abrams

“As a soldier, I've served with the most brave people in an institution that's built on integrity, honor, and duty.”

People Duty Honor Integrity Built Institutions Brave Soldier

Author:Tulsi Gabbard

“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.”

Done Duty Letting Go Standards Tasks Absolutes Soldier Committed Loyalty Devotion Compromise Unrelenting Devotion To Duty

Author:John Keegan

“As a soldier, I've served with the most brave people in an institution that's built on integrity, honor, and duty. This is why I'm working very hard to support Senator Bernie Sanders - not only to get through the Democratic primary, but also to win the presidency. He is the only candidate on both sides who understands the cost of war, who has that foresight to keep our country safe, and who will make sure that our military power is not being when and where it shouldn't be.”

People War Country Winning Support Military Duty Honor Integrity Brave Democratic Soldier Foresight

Author:Tulsi Gabbard

“It was my duty to shoot the enemy, and I don't regret it. My regrets are for the people I couldn't save: Marines, soldiers, buddies. I'm not naive, and I don't romanticize war. The worst moments of my life have come as a SEAL. But I can stand before God with a clear conscience about doing my job.”

People I Can War Moments Jobs Enemy Clear Worst Regret Duty Conscience Soldier Naive Marine Buddy Seals Don't Regret Clear Conscience Worst Moments

Author:Chris Kyle

“Soldiers are not policemen, and it's very unfair, even for those soldiers who have some police training, to burden them with police duties. It's not what they're trained for, or equipped for.”

Duty Training Police Soldier Burden Unfair Policemen

Author:P. J. O'Rourke

“During 65 years, I have walked the path of duty and discipline... And today, looking back at that long path of service, my soldier's heart stirs and murmurs from deep within: Thank you. Thank you, my homeland.”

Years Heart Long Today Path Duty Discipline Soldier Looking Back Thank You Homeland Deep Within My Soldier

Author:Augusto Pinochet

“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”

People Ifs Mind Art Soul Philosophy Values Liberty Enemy Fantasy Duty Glory Soldier Partisans Escapists Fantasy Stories

Author:J. R. R. Tolkien

“But why must everything have a practical application? I'd been such a diligent soldier for years - working, producing, never missing a deadline, taking care of my loved ones, my gums and my credit record, voting, etc. Is this lifetime supposed to be only about duty? In this dark period of loss, did I need any justification for learning Italian other than that it was the only thing I could imagine bringing me any pleasure right now?”

Source: Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything

“...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.”

Self Country Born Ability Duty Pride Proud Discipline Soldier Privilege Self Confidence Obligation Superiors Self Respect Units Comrade Good Soldiers

Author:George S. Patton