Harry S. Truman Quotes

I didn't like Army life. I didn't like taking orders. I didn't like discipline. I didn't like being yelled at. You'd get 10 years for punching a sergeant so I couldn't punch a sergeant.

An army is not a deliberative body. It is the executive arm. Its law is that of obedience.

An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army.

If you receive a military order you must obey. That is where the big difference between a military and a political order comes in. One can sabotage a political order but to disobey a military command is treason.

An army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every enactment, every change of rule which impairs this principle weakens the army, impairs its value, and defeats the very object of its existence.

Being president is like running a cemetery: you've got a lot of people under you and nobody's listening.

In the Air Force, you get some weird orders, but you obey them no matter what.

A soldier's first duty is to obey, otherwise you might as well do away with soldiering.

Stand by your bed and salute me.

Being in the military just lets you know how helpless you are. You could train forever but you're still at the mercy of someone in the Pentagon, or somebody in the rear moving you around like a chess piece.

In the armies and among every ten men there is one of more life, of more heart, or at least of more authority, who with his courage, with words and by example keeps the others firm and disposed to fight.

You want a blood relative to lead your army? Get Marcie. She likes ordering people around. She'll be a natural.

Discipline is simply the art of making the soldiers fear their officers more than the enemy.

It is the duty of every good officer to obey any orders given him by his commander in chief.

But no one told me that when you're in the military, they own you.

I wanted the influence. In the end I wasn't very good at being a president. I looked out of the window and thought that the man cutting the lawn actually seemed to have more control over what he was doing.

I could not bear the obvious mistakes made during the maneuver, and afterwards I criticized the pasha bitterly in the presence of all his officers, even though in doing so I exceeded my authority and my rank. The pasha looked hurt, but did not bear me malice…My behavior may have been contrary to discipline. But if a person trained in Germany does not work at the art of command, what can we expect of those who have not had this advantage? Perhaps when they see that they are criticized by their juniors, our commanders will learn to do better.

Power? It’s like a Dead Sea fruit; when you achieve it, there’s nothing there.

When orders are consistently trustworthy and observed, the relationship of a commander with his troops is satisfactory.

If worse comes to worst, I say clearly - a soldier must follow military orders.

A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought… but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only art befitting one who commands.

It would probably be a direct order, shape up your morale. And so he understands command. He understands how to delegate. And I think that [General John Kelly] will bring law and order.

In this country we find it pays to shoot an admiral from time to time to encourage the others.

If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you, they will not prove submissive; and, unless submissive, then will be practically useless. If, when the soldiers have become attached to you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be unless.

Go, bid the soldiers shoot.