George S. Patton Quotes

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.

The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared.

You just wait and see. The lily-livered b*stards in Washington will demobilize. They'll say they've made the world safe for democracy again. The Russians are not such d*mned fools. They'll rebuild; and with modern weapons.

There is only one sort of discipline, perfect discipline.

All very successful commanders are prima donnas and must be so treated.

I always believe in being prepared, even when I'm dressed in white tie and tails.

If I win I can't be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead.

I learned very early in my life never to take counsel in my fears.

Always advance. Never dig in.

Success is not getting to the top - but how you bounce up from the bottom that counts.

Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable.

The soldier is the army.

Most battles are won before they are ever fought.

I am sure that if every leader who goes into battle will promise himself that he will come out either a conqueror or a corpse, he is sure to win. There is no doubt of that. Defeat is not due to losses but to the destruction of the Soul of the leaders-the 'live to fight another day' doctrine.

Pressure makes diamonds

You cannot be disciplined in great things and undisciplined in small things.

I am a Soldier, I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight.

It is rather interesting how you get used to death.

The publicity I have been getting, a good deal of which is untrue, and the rest of it ill considered, has done me more harm than good. The only way you get on in this profession is to have the reputation of doing what you are told as thoroughly as possible. So far I have been able to accomplish that, and I believe I have gotten quite a reputation from not kicking at peculiar assignments.

Battle is an orgy of disorder.

When there is fear of failure, there will be failure.

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

Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage.

I read the Bible - every goddamn day.

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.

Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.

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.

You're never beaten until you admit it

Success is how you bounce on the bottom.

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.

To me it seems certain that the fatalistic teachings of Muhammad and the utter degradation of women is the outstanding cause for the arrested development of the Arab. He is exactly as he was around the year 700, while we have kept on developing.

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.

This is a hell of a way to die.

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.

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

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

Take calculated risks.

The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country

Prisoner of War guard companies, or an equivalent organization, should be as far forward as possible in action to take over prisoners of war, because troops heated with battle are not safe custodians. Any attempt to rob or loot prisoners of war by escorts must be dealt strictly with.

America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser, this is why America has never, and will never, lose a war.

...an imperfect plan implemented immediately and violently will always succeed better than a perfect plan.

When in doubt, observe and ask questions. When certain, observe at length and ask many more questions.

Often I have encountered in life that great disappointments have proved to be the road to future successes.

Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight.

If you can't get them to salute when they should salute and wear the clothes you tell them to wear, how are you going to get them to die for their country?

I wonder if I could have been here before as I drive up the Roman road the Theater seems familiar - perhaps I headed a legion up that same white road... I passed a chateau in ruins which I possibly helped escalade in the middle ages. There is no proof nor yet any denial. We were, We are, and we will be.

Audacity, audacity, always audacity.

You must be single minded. Drive for the one thing on which you have decided.