Chesty Puller

My definition, a definition in the drill books from the time that General Von Steuben wrote the regulations for General George Washington, the definition of the object of military training is success in battle... It wouldn't be any sense to have a military organization on the backs of the American taxpayers with any other definition.

Paperwork will ruin any military force.

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 Confederate Army, an officer was judged by stark courage alone, and this made it possible for the Confederacy to live four years.

My definition, the definition that I've always believed in, is that esprit de corps means love for one's own military legion - in my case, the United States Marine Corps. It means more than self-preservation, religion, or patriotism. I've also learned that this loyalty to one's corps travels both ways: up and down.

If we are going to win the next war, in my opinion, 50 percent of the time of training should be allotted to night training.

If you want to get the most out of your men, give them a break! Don't make them work completely in the dark. If you do, they won't do a bit more than they have to. But if they comprehend, they'll work like mad.