Veterans Day References

Quotes about the Vietnam War reflect the conflict's immense human cost, the debate over U.S. involvement, and the soldiers' experiences. Notable quotes include Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 promise, "We are not about to send American boys... to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves," and Ho Chi Minh's prediction to the French: "You will kill ten of us, we will kill one of you, but in the end, you will tire of it first".

Political and strategic quotes

"We are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves." — President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964
"You will kill ten of us, we will kill one of you, but in the end, you will tire of it first." — Ho Chi Minh to the French in 1946
"Only Americans can do that [defeat or humiliate the United States]." — Robert McNamara
"The whole world is watching!" — Chanted during the 1968 Democratic National Convention

Soldier and veteran experiences

"No one ever comes back from Vietnam." — A common sentiment about the war's lasting impact
"I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service." — An unknown veteran
"Remember, your weapons and equipment were made by the lowest bidder." — A U.S. Marine saying
"We weren't on the wrong side. We are the wrong side." — Gary Rader, draft resister

Opposition and reflection

"I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality." — Muhammad Ali, explaining his refusal to be drafted
"As a child, I thought that war and peace were opposites. As a man, I see that the opposite of war is not peace, but the struggle for justice and equality." — Martin Luther King Jr.
"In honoring those who answered the call of duty, we do not honor war. But we honor the peace they sought, the freedoms that they fought to preserve..." — President Jimmy Carter

20 NOTABLE VETERANS DAY QUOTES

Veterans Day 2016 is just around the corner! As the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade team puts the finishing touches on the plans for the 20th annual parade, we thought it would be prudent to take a look at some memorable words from some noteworthy individuals about veterans. Please enjoy them as you make plans to join us for the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade next Friday, November 11, to honor all veterans – past and present.

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”
‒ Elmer Davis

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
‒ Maya Angelou

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
‒ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place – police, firefighters, and member of our armed forces.”
‒ Sidney Sheldon

“Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”
‒ Dwight D. Eisenhower

“I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.”
‒ Gary Hart

“Freedom is never free.”
‒ Author unknown

“America’s veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world.”
‒ John Doolittle

“The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.”
‒ Patrick Henry

“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”
‒ Abraham Lincoln

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”
‒ Billy Graham

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
‒ George Washington

“Americans should always honor our veterans. At this moment, we especially need the example of their character. And we need a new generation to set examples of its own, examples in service and sacrifice and courage. These veterans have shaped our history, and with their values, your generation will help guide our future.”
‒ George W. Bush

“The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”
‒ Benjamin Disraeli

“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”
‒ H. Norman Schwarzkopf

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
‒ Ronald Reagan

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
‒ Nelson Mandela

“We few, we Band of Brothers. For he who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”
‒ William Shakespeare, “Henry V”

“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”
‒ Mark Twain

“Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes.”
‒ Napolean Bonaparte

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse