Audacity, audacity, always audacity.
Each man must not think only of himself, but also of his buddy fighting beside him. We don't want yellow cowards in this Army. They should be killed off like rats. If not, they will go home after this war and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men. Kill off the Goddamned cowards and we will have a nation of brave men.
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.
When in doubt, ATTACK!
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.
In war the only sure defense is offense, and the efficiency of the offense depends on the warlike souls of those conducting it.
There is no such thing as luck, merely opportunity meeting preparedness. George S. Patton Jr.
Lack of orders is no excuse for inaction.
The most vital quality a soldier can possess is self-confidence.
It is only by doing things others have not that one can advance.
Perpetual peace is a futile dream.
A man is not measured by how much he can take and stand but by how fast he regains once fallen.
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.
Most battles are won before they are ever fought.
The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That's the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!
Live for something rather than die for nothing.
There is no such thing as a successful defense.
The leader must be an actor.
War is simple, direct, and ruthless.
Duty is the essence of manhood.
...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.
I am convinced that much more emphasis should be placed on history. The purpose of history is to learn how human beings react when exposed to the danger of wounds or death.
America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser, this is why America has never, and will never, lose a war.
A real man will never let his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood.
From time to time there will be some complaints that we are pushing our people too hard. I don't give a good Goddamn about such complaints. I believe in the old and sound rule that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder we push, the more Germans we will kill. The more Germans we kill, the fewer of our men will be killed. Pushing means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that.
