Marine Corps Birthday

“You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth- and the amusing thing about it is that they are.”
— Father Kevin Keaney, chaplain who served with Marines in Korea

“The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.”
— Gen. John Pershing, U.S. Army

“‘Hardness,’ I was learning, was the supreme virtue among recon Marines. The greatest compliment one could pay to another was to say he was hard. Hardness wasn’t toughness, nor was it courage, although both were part of it. Hardness was the ability to face an overwhelming situation with aplomb, smile calmly at it, and then triumph through sheer professional pride.”
― Nathaniel Fick, author

“The Marine Corps was the first father figure I had ever known.”
— Art Buchwald, Pulitzer prize-winning newspaper columnist

“We have a saying in the Marine Corps and that is ‘no better friend, no worse enemy, than a U.S. Marine.’ We always hope for the first, friendship, but are certainly more than ready for the second.”
— John F. Kelly, retired Marine general 

“Freedom is not free, but the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share.”
— Ned Dolan, Marine veteran and CIA officer