Famous Military Speeches

[Ferdinand Foch]

Originally Posted by bigZ

General Sedgewick during the Battle Of Spotsylvania, 1864 (American civil war):-

"Don't worry, boys. They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist-"

He, famous last words.

[Thorlifter]

Another good (IMO) fiction speech. Aragorn at the Black Gates in the Lord of the Rings.

YouTube - Aragorn's Speech at the Black Gate


What about Al Pacino's speech in Scent of a Woman?

YouTube - Scent of a Woman - Al's speech

Oh wait, military speeches. But in the movie, he was ex military.

[comiso90]

Great thread!

Keep them coming!

[imalko]

Great posts guys. It wasn't my original intention but interesting that some of you mentioned fictitious speeches from movies etc. There's several I really like from movie Gettysburg. Here's one:

"Virginians! Virginians!
For your lands! For your homes! For your sweethearts! For your wives! For Virginia!
Forward march!"

Brigadier General Lewis Armistead (played by Richard Jordan) to his Brigade at the beginning of ill-fated Picket's charge.

Keep posting.

[ToughOmbre]

From the movie "Patton" (1970).

The opening speech was a compilation of a number of Patton's most memorable quotes taken from actual speeches.

"Be seated. Now, I want you to remember that 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. Men, all this stuff you’ve heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big league ball player, the toughest boxer. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.

Now, an Army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post don’t know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating.

We have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit and the best men in the world. You know, by God I actually pity those poor bastards we’re going up against. By God, I do. We’re not just going to shoot the bastards, we’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We’re going to murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel.

Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do your duty. The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do.

Now there’s another thing I want you to remember. I don’t want to get any messages saying that we are holding our position. We’re not holding anything. Let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly and we’re not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy. We're going to hold onto him by the nose and we're going to kick him in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're gonna go through him like crap through a goose.

There’s one thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home. And you may thank God for it. Thirty years from now when you’re sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what did you do in the great World War II, you won’t have to say, "Well, I shoveled **** in Louisiana."

Alright now, you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel. Oh, and I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle – anytime, anywhere.

That’s all."

LiveLeak.com - Patton Speech From The Movie "Patton"

TO

[bigZ]

"The Lord God is my Armour!"
- Gustavus Adolphus, refusing the steel body armour offered by his aides.
At the Battle of Lützen (where he was killed), 16. September 1632.
The reason he didn't want to wear armour is that he had been wounded in Dirschau, Poland,
and couldn't wear armour because of that wound.
He refused to stay in camp despite that he couldn't wear armour.

"I'd rather go down the river with seven studs than with a hundred shitheads"
- Colonel Charlie Beckwith

"My only fear is that the Zulu will not fight"
- Lieutenant-General Lord Chelmsford,
commanding British forces, just before the invasion of Zululand.

"This is not the end, nor is it even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning"
Winston Churchill (after the victory at El Alamein)

"Gentlemen, we are being killed on the beaches. Lets go inland and be killed."
- General Norman Cota: Omaha Beach, 1944

"We are going to find a solution to the Middle East conflict as soon as the Arabs agrees with us.."
- Moshe Dayan, Israeli Minister of Defense during the Six Say War (1967)

"Hard pressed on my right; my left is in retreat. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I am attacking. Attaquez!"
- General Ferdinand Foch (to General Joffre during Battle of the Marne)
From Liddel-Harts book "Reputations"

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pus*y."
- Attributed to General Tommy Franks
Also Attributed to US Marine Major General James Mattis as he addressed
the Marines of 1st Marine Division prior to commencement of
combat operations in support of Iraqi Freedom.

"The Ruhr will not be a subject to a single bomb. If an enemy bomber reaches the Ruhr,
my name is not Herman Goering; you can call me Meier!"
- Reichsmarshal Herman Goering, 9 august 1939.

"The day of parachute troops is over"
- Adolf Hitler, after the heavy losses suffered by the airborne units on Crete in 1941

"The atom bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives."
- Admiral William Leahy to President Truman
before the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

"This is the epitaph I want on my tomb: "Here lies one of the most intelligent animals who ever appeared on the face of the earth."
- Benito Mussolini

"You're planning to make a ship sail against wind and tide by lighting a fire below deck?? I don't have time to listen to that kind of nonsense!"
- Napoleon, about Robert Fultons plans to make a Steamboat.

"My fellow Americans. I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."
President Reagan, before a scheduled radio broadcast,
unaware that the microphone was already on

"The Pope! how many divisions has he got?"
- Stalin
In 1935, a French visitor asked Soviet leader Josef Stalin if he thought Pope Pius XI might prove to be an ally.

"Tell my son Josef that he will meet my divisions in eternity."
- Reply from the Pope when he heard the story years later.

"It take 15,000 casualties to train a major general.
- Ferdinand Foch

It takes a brave man to be a coward in the Red Army
- Joseph Stalin

"If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as it were not there."
- Marshall Geogi Zhukov to General Eisenhower, 1945

Funny Quotes. Funny Military Quotes

[Marshall_Stack]

After the failure of Market-Garden (but General Montgomery claims as a success)...

"My country can never again afford the luxury of another Montgomery success." Prince Bernhard of Netherlands.

[RabidAlien]

I'd have to drag out some books to get the exact wording/dates/times/etc, but a couple I've loved from Patton:


(to a group of Army wives at a social get-together) "My, what pretty widows you will make!"

"Its 4:15! What's holding you guys up?" (Patton, over the radio to a German division after learning, through broken codes, of an impending offensive scheduled to begin at 4PM sharp. The Germans subsequently realized the Allies were ready and cancelled the attack....and changed their codes.)

[ToughOmbre]

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation

Delivered on December 8, 1941

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

TO

[rochie]

"I have never accepted what many people have kindly said, namely that I inspired the Nation. It was the nation and the race dwelling around the globe that had the lion heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar"
- Sir Winston Churchill, Speech Nov. 1954.

and this from Lt. Col Tim Collins before the invasion of Iraq

We go to liberate, not to conquer.
We will not fly our flags in their country
We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own.
Show respect for them.
There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly.
Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.
As for the others, I expect you to rock their world.
Wipe them out if that is what they choose.
But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
Iraq is steeped in history.
It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham.
Tread lightly there.
You will see things that no man could pay to see
-- and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.
You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.
Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country.
Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.
Allow them dignity in death.
Bury them properly and mark their graves.
It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive.
But there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign.
We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back.
There will be no time for sorrow.
The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction.
There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam.
He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done.
As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.
It is a big step to take another human life.
It is not to be done lightly.
I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts.
I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.
The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.
If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer.
You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest -- for your deeds will follow you down through history.
We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.
(On Saddam's chemical and biological weapons.)
It is not a question of if, it's a question of when.
We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself.
If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.
As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.
Our business now is north.

[Amsel]

Thanks for sharing that Rochie. It is a great speech that reflects the fighting spirit and character of our modern day warriors.

[Ferdinand Foch]

Hey guys, here's the opening speech from the movie Patton with a modern twist to it.
YouTube - Incredible! New George S Patton speech: Iraq & modern world

[imalko]

This is one of my all time favorite movie military speech. It could be characterized also as an monolog or conversation between Brigadier General Armistead (played by Richard Jordan) and Col. Fremantle during preliminary artillery bombardment before commencing Picket's charge at Gettysburg.

Anyway here's the link (hope it works):

YouTube - Gettysburg - For old Virginia (In Honor Of Those Who Fought)

[vikingBerserker]

It's really hard to beat Churchill's speach IMHO.

The best fictionalized speach I have ever heard was Henry V's St Crispins day speach.