Eddie Rickenbacker Quotes

I take being a hero really seriously.

A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.

It is up to you to decide who to believe: the same people as usual or those who endanger their lives to save the country.

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.

There are things a man must not do to save a nation.

There is something about putting the uniform on. You've got a role to play, to be calm, to lead other people, to go forward when everyone else is running away. It gives you a sense of, not of courage but, 'It's my job.'

I don't think I was a hero. I was just doing my job.

When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death - that is heroism.

I am willing to serve my country, but do not wish to sacrifice the brave men under my command.

A hero is someone we can admire without apology.

You shall hear a good account of me or of my death.

The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words, but for a lifetime John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

I admire the military. I guess in a world of villains and heroes, they're my heroes. Their dedication, their commitment, their discipline, their code of ethics.

The brave man inattentive to his duty, is worth little more to his country than the coward who deserts in the hour of danger.

I was in uniform for four years, and I know that heroism doesn't occur from taking orders, but rather from people who through their own willpower and strength are willing to sacrifice their lives for an idea.

I've always believed that no officer's life, regardless of rank, is of such great value to his country that he should seek safety in the rear... Officers should be forward with their men at the point of impact.

In the military, I learned that 'leadership' means raising your hand and volunteering for the tough, important assignments.

Even now, we make no apologies for the choice we made. The sacrifices we made were selfless. The options we offered were patriotic while the paths we chose were well thought out.

What firefighters and people in our military and cops do is separate from what the rest of us do; basically these people say, 'I'm going to protect all these strangers.'

The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

I do what I do because it is the right thing to do. I am a warrior, and it is the way of the warrior to fight superior odds.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour.

Anyone who wants to carry on the war against the outsiders, come with me. I can’t offer you either honours or wages; I offer you hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Anyone who loves his country, follow me.

We cannot ask our soldiers to be courageous if our politicians are not.