“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have
striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The
hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.
In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on
other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war
machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of
Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well
equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of
1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats,
in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their
strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home
Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions
of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.
The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to
Victory!
I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in
battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!
Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great
and noble undertaking.”
― Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake!"
General George S. Patton - (addressing to his troops before Operation Overlord) - 5th June 1944
I wonder, what Patton was referring to here. 'Paper hanging' - does he mean because of the abundance of TR flags at times...?
What is your major malfunction numb nuts??.......Not a war quote but from a classic war film... Full Metal Jacket...
He's reffering to Hitler being a 'House painter'. Not an artist who paints scenes of houses, but a man who paints and decorates houses, which includes wall papering, or as it was then known, 'paper hanging'.
'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'
In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.
The soldiers prayer
"And When he gets to heaven,
To Saint Peter he will tell;
One more Marine reporting, sir.
I've served my time in Hell!"
The quote is generally attributed as an epitaph to Private First Class Bill Cameron. It was found inscribed on his grave in 1942 after the Guadalcanal Campaign.
Many variations of this quote exist and it is first attributed to a WWI poem.
Regards Mark K
"Will I gie them wund?" Piper James Richardson, V.C., 4th Co., 16th Battalion, Canadian Scottish, in front of the uncut wire at Regina Trench October 8, 1916. Piper Richardson paraded alone the edge of the uncut wire playing the pipes, and the effect was instantaneous. The men of the 4th Co. charged the wire and took Regina Trench with great loss of life. Piper Richardson later served as a stretcher bearer in the battle and forgot his pipes in the trench. He went back to retrieve them and was never seen again. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions this day.
From the book The Brave Battalion by Mark Zuelke, sorry it's a WW1 quote but this quote and his actions have stuck with me ever since I read the book. I cannot imagine greater bravery or inspirational leadership or selfless courage than this under withering fire.
Similar Threads
Bookmarks