Basic Facts About War!

Excerpts from the book…

1. “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight for, nothing which is more important than his or his family's safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” -- John Stuart Mill, 1868 – edited by Sgt Nogk

5. “War means stating your objectives and then accomplishing them by whatever means necessary. If you fail to accomplish those objectives, you have lost. You cannot afford to lose!” – Sgt Nogk

12. “For those who fight it, war is never about hawks and doves, it is about Eagles – about TRUE Patriots.” – Sgt Nogk

134. “In many great conflicts throughout history, the opposing sides have both professed to be in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, but one must be wrong; because God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time.” – Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President

136. "Deep in the heart of every dilemma is the solution which involves explosives!" Sgt Nogk

Patriotism....

"The hour is fast approaching, on which the Honor and Success of this Army, and the safety of our bleeding Country depend. Remember Officers and Soldiers, that you are Freemen, fighting for the blessings of Liberty - that slavery will be your portion, and that of your posterity, if you do not acquit yourselves like men." – General George Washington (General Orders, 23 August 1776)

"Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families." -- Benjamin Rush

"Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong." – Stephen Decatur

"Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations."

-- George Washington

"The unforgivable crime is soft hitting. Do not hit at all if it can be avoided; but never hit softly."
-- Theodore Roosevelt

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits and humbly to implore His protection and favor, President George Washington calls on all Americans to devote themselves to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.” -- First National Day of Thanksgiving, as legislated by Congress and proclaimed by President Washington in 1789

"Courage, then, my countrymen, our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil & religious liberty." - Samuel Adams

"Gen. Douglas MacArthur, a leader I deeply respected, is said to have written that no man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation and vigorous in its defense. Well, it's up to us now. We are the heirs of MacArthur, Pershing, Jefferson & Washington, and of those Americans who put their lives on the line from Bunker Hill to Belleau Wood, and from Normandy to Khe Sanh. We will be vigilant in the preservation of freedom and vigorous in its defense because we will not let down those who came before us or those who will follow." – President Ronald Reagan

"There is a rank due to the United States, among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war." -- George Washington

"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual...but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and country." — Samuel Adams

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." -- Mark Twain

"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." -- Thomas Jefferson

"There is a time for all things, a time to preach and a time to pray, but those times have passed away. There is a time to fight, and that time has now come." – Sgt Nogk

"Weasel words from mollycoddles will never do when the day demands prophetic clarity from great hearts. Manly men must emerge for this hour of trial." -- Theodore Roosevelt

"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says "I will try again TOMORROW". – Sgt Nogk

"I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it." -- Benjamin Franklin

"For too long, the world was paralyzed by the argument that terrorism could not be stopped until the grievances of terrorists were addressed. The complicated and heartrending issues that perplex mankind are no excuse for violent, inhumane attacks, nor do they excuse not taking aggressive action against those who deliberately slaughter innocent people." – Ronald Wilson Reagan

"Real freedom for any individual can always be measured by the amount of responsibility which he must assume for his own welfare and security." – Sgt Nogk

"Someone has to guard the wall to keep the demons out; that's what the Marines do. Marines own the wall." -- Major General Ronald G. Richard, United States Marine Corps (Ret.), Distinguished Marines Stamp Unveiling Ceremony, Oklahoma City National Memorial, Nov 10th, 2005

“Once and for all, a Marine.” – Sgt Nogk

“As Marines we believe in GOD, our Country and the Corps, we believe that what we do is worth the time, the blood and the life itself, because we too have dreams and hopes and ideals which we would like to see go on.” – Sgt Nogk

"Panic sweeps my men when they are facing the AMERICAN MARINES." -- captured North Korean Major

Sgt Nogk Favorites:

1st: Are the ones that make things happen...

2nd: Are the ones that watch things happen…

3rd: Are the ones that say, "What Happened"…?

4th: “Never explain. Friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.” -- Sgt Nogk

21: "Diplomacy without arms is like music without instruments." -- Frederick the Great

46: “If anyone thinks that reporters can't influence a war, remember TET '68.”

48: “The man who is willing to shed his blood along with mine is truly my Brother.” – Sgt Nogk

70: "September 11 for me was a wake up call. Do you know what I think the problem is? That a lot of the world woke up for a short time and then turned over and went back to sleep again."

-- Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair

102: "Half the work that is done in this world is to make things appear what they are not." Sgt Nogk

150: “I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.” – President Ronald Wilson Reagan

152: “You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.” -- Malcolm Forbes – edited by Sgt Nogk