George S. Patton Quotes

There is no proof nor yet any denial. We were, we are, and we will be.

In case of doubt, attack.

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

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.

I never take counsel of my fears.

When in doubt, ATTACK!

But between the plan and the operation, there is always an unknown. That unknown spells victory or defeat. ... Some people call it getting the breaks. I call it God. God has His part in everything. That's where prayer comes in.

Why is it that all battles are fought in the middle of the night, in downpouring rain, and at the corners of four different maps?

Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

Let's keep our boots polished, bayonets sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to the Red Army. This is the only language they understand and respect.

The obvious thing for the cavalryman to do is to accept the fighting machine as a partner, and prepare to meet more fully the demands of future warfare.

Don't fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire.

Achievers are resolute in their goals and driven by determination. Discouragement is temporary, obstacles are overcome, and doubt is defeated, yielding to personal victory. You need to overcome the tug of people against you as you reach for high goals. Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.

So let us do real fighting, boring in and gouging, biting.

War is simple, direct, and ruthless.

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.

The most difficult thing about being humble is not being able to brag about it.

Live for something rather than die for nothing.

We entered a synagogue which was packed with the greatest stinking bunch of humanity I have ever seen. Either these Displaced Persons never had any sense of decency or else they lost it all during their period of internment by the Germans. My personal opinion is that no people could have sunk to the level of degradation these have reached in the short space of four years.

The god of war hates those who hesitate.

In forty hours I shall be in battle, with little information, and on the spur of the moment will have to make the most momentous decisions. But I believe that one's spirit enlarges with responsibility and that, with God's help, I shall make them, and make them right.

I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.

War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts.

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

Do not try to make circumstances fit your plans. Make plans that fit the circumstances.

In war nothing is impossible, provided you use audacity.

Go forward until the last round is fired and the last drop of gas is expended...then go forward on foot!

We must guard against becoming so engrossed in the specific nature of the roots and bark of the trees of knowledge as to miss the meaning and grandeur of the forest they compose.

You fight like you train.

In landing operations, retreat is impossible, to surrender is as ignoble as it is foolish. above all else remember that we as attackers have the initiative, we know exactly what we are going to do, while the enemy is ignorant of our intentions and can only parry our blows. We must retain this tremendous advantage by always attacking rapidly, ruthlessly, viciously, and without rest.

Success in war depends upon the golden rule of war.

We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

Better to fight for something than live for nothing.

In the space of two days I had evolved two plans, wholly distinct, both of which were equally feasible. The point I am trying to bring out is that one does not plan and then try to make circumstances fit those plans. One tries to make plans fit the circumstances.

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.

Success demands a high level of logistical and organizational competence.

Never in history has the navy landed an army at the planned time and place. But if you land us anywhere within 50 miles of Fedela and within 1 week of D-Day. I'll go ahead and win.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!

The highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is bearing arms.

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

You shouldn't underestimate an enemy, but it is just as fatal to overestimate him.

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.

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.

A civil servant is sometimes like a broken cannon - it won't work and you can't fire it.

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

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

Good tactics can save even the worst strategy. Bad tactics will destroy even the best strategy.