While Dad and his men are taking a few days of rest and resupplying, I wanted to share a few quotes I found for the book, At First Light. These are some of his favorite quotes about his background and his  beloved Infantry.

These are from the Prologue & Part 1, Chapters 1-6 in At First Light.

“I do feel strongly that the Infantry arm does not receive either the respect or the treatment to which its importance and its exploits entitle it. This may possibly be understandable, though misguided, in peace; it is intolerable in war. So, let us always write Infantry with a capital ‘I’ and think of them with the deep admiration they deserve.” — British Field Marshal Archibald Wavell, who lived from 1883–195[1]

“Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past. And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious yet never take himself too seriously.” — General Douglas MacArthur, five-star general, and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers at the end of World War II[2]

“The spirit is there in every boy; it has to be discovered and brought to light.” — Robert Baden-Powell, 19th century British Army officer and founder of the worldwide Scouting movement[3]

“Great crises in human affairs call out the great in men. They call for great men.” — Brevet Major General Joshua L. Chamberlain, Union Civil War general and Medal of Honor recipient after the Battle of Gettysburg[4]

“Now to the infantry — the God-damned infantry, as they like to call themselves. I love the infantry because they are the underdogs. They are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, and they even learn to live without the necessities. And in the end, they are the guys that wars can’t be won without.” — Ernie Pyle, American journalist and war correspondent[5]

“I remember OCS as being one of the most intense episodes of my life, aside from Infantry combat, which, of course, was what it prepared us for. Our determination to successfully complete the program was the primary goal of our young lives.” — Russell W. Cloer, an Officer Candidate School graduate[6]

“I am the Infantry—Queen of Battle! For over two centuries, I have kept the nation safe. Purchasing freedom with my blood. To tyrants, I am the day of reckoning. To the oppressed, the hope for the future. Where the fighting is thick, there am I. I am the Infantry. Follow me!” — Creed of the U.S. Army Infantry Center,  Fort Benning, Georgia[7]

~~~~~

[1] Larimore, At First Light, 1.

[2] Ibid, 7.

[3] Ibid, 15.

[4] Ibid, 21.

[5] Ibid, 26.

[6] Ibid, 30.

[7] Ibid, 35.

In case you haven’t read or listened to Dad’s book, you can learn more or order it here.

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