Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

George S. Patton Military Commander

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: Nov 11, 1885
  • Died: Dec 21, 1945

George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army general, best known for his flamboyant character and his command of the Seventh United States Army, and later the Third United States Army, in the European Theater of World War II.

Born in 1885 to a privileged family with an extensive military background, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute, and later the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He participated in the 1912 Olympic Modern Pentathlon, and was instrumental in designing the M1913 "Patton Saber". Patton first saw combat during the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916, taking part in America's first military action using motor vehicles. He later joined the newly formed United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces and saw action in World War I, first commanding the U.S. tank school in France before being wounded near the end of the war. In the interwar period, Patton remained a central figure in the development of armored warfare doctrine in the U.S. Army, serving in numerous staff positions throughout the country. Rising through the ranks, he commanded the U.S. 2nd Armored Division at the time of the U.S. entry into World War II.

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

Courage is fear holding on a minute longer. courage & fear

The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. success

No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. war

If a man does his best, what else is there? best

You need to overcome the tug of people against you as you reach for high goals. motivational

Do your damnedest in an ostentatious manner all the time. time

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

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you'll be amazed at the results. amazing

Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. history & love

Untutored courage is useless in the face of educated bullets. courage

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

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

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. men

There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear. fear & time

A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. good

A pint of sweat, saves a gallon of blood. history

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. success

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. imagination

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