Memorial Day Sayings

Honoring those who served and sacrificed — 481 sayings

The prosperity of the country depends on the strength of its military.

— Meiji Emperor Late 19th - early 20th century
War & Violence

The Imperial Army and Navy are the shield of the nation.

— Meiji Emperor Late 19th - early 20th century
War & Violence

We must never forget the sacrifices made by those who came before us.

— Meiji Emperor Late 19th century
General

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

— Vladimir Lenin 1917-1922
War & Violence

The soundest strategy in war is to postpone operations until the morale of the enemy declines.

— Vladimir Lenin 1917-1922
War & Violence

War is the locomotive of history, but the revolution is its engineer.

— Leon Trotsky 1905-1920
War & Violence

The function of the Red Army was not to preach, but to fight.

— Leon Trotsky 1930
War & Violence

Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other.

— Ronald Reagan 1982
War & Violence

Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don't have that problem.

— Ronald Reagan 1985
General

Life was simple before World War II. After that, we had systems.

— Grace Hopper 1987 (Speech at Ohio State University, Feb 5)
Life & Aging

War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige as the warrior.

— John F. Kennedy 1960s
War & Violence

We have to remember that the main purpose of the military is to fight and win wars.

— Richard Nixon 1971
War & Violence

I'm not a politician. I'm a soldier. And I'm going to run this country like a soldier.

— Dwight Eisenhower 1952
Political

The military-industrial complex is a threat to our democracy. We must guard against it.

— Dwight Eisenhower 1961
War & Violence

One does not make war with sentiment.

— Charles de Gaulle Unknown
War & Violence

We must sacrifice everything for the revolution.

— Pol Pot 1975
General

As a great warrior is not afraid of a battle, so should a monk not be afraid of death.

— Mahavira Circa 6th century BCE
General

We are a nation of martyrs, and we are ready to sacrifice everything for the liberation of Palestine.

— Yasser Arafat 1972
General

We should prepare for a war against the Arabs and conquer their territories.

— David Ben-Gurion 1938
War & Violence

We will build a strong army that will defend our borders and our people.

— David Ben-Gurion 1949
War & Violence
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