Say what you will, nothing can make a complete soldier except battle experience. Ernie Pyle More Quotes by Ernie Pyle More Quotes From Ernie Pyle Marines have a cynical approach to war. They believe in three things; liberty, payday and that when two Marines are together in a fight, one is being wasted. Being a minority group militarily, they are proud and sensitive in their dealings with other military organizations. A Marine's concept of a perfect battle is to have other Marines on the right and left flanks, Marine aircraft overhead and Marine artillery and naval gunfire backing them up. Ernie Pyle military war believe 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 rain boys war War makes strange giant creatures out of us little routine men who inhabit the earth. Ernie Pyle giants men war Thoughts are wonderful things, that they can bring two people, so far apart, into harmony and understanding for even a little while. Ernie Pyle understanding two people The closest fires were near enough for us to hear the crackling flames and the yells of firemen. Little fires grew into big ones even as we watched. Big ones died down under the firemen's valor only to break out again later. Ernie Pyle flames break-out fire I've been immersed in it too long. My spirit is wobbly and my mind is confused. The hurt has become too great. Ernie Pyle confused hurt peace There is no sense in the struggle, but there is no choice but to struggle. Ernie Pyle choices struggle For me war has become a flat, black depression without highlights, a revulsion of the mind and an exhaustion of the spirit. Ernie Pyle black war peace If you go long enough without a bath, even the fleas will let you alone. Ernie Pyle fleas funny long About every two minutes a new wave of planes would be over. The motors seemed to grind rather than roar, and to have an angry pulsation like a bee buzzing in blind fury. Ernie Pyle would-be bees two I try not to take any foolish chances, but there's just no way to play it completely safe and still do your job. Ernie Pyle play trying jobs But to the fighting soldier that phase of the war is behind. It was left behind after his first battle. His blood is up. He is fighting for his life, and killing now for him is as much a profession as writing is for me. Ernie Pyle military writing war For a lifetime I had bathed with becoming regularity, and thought the world would come to an end unless I changed my socks every day. But in Africa I sometimes went without a bath for two months, and I went two weeks at a time without even changing my socks. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to make much difference. Ernie Pyle differences two world Some day I'd like to cover a war in a country as ugly as war itself. Ernie Pyle ugly war country In their eyes as they pass is not hatred, not excitement, not despair, not the tonic of their victory - there is just the simple expression of being here as though they had been here doing this forever, and nothing else. Ernie Pyle eye simple expression Somebody said that carrier pilots were the best in the world, and they must be or there wouldn't be any of them left alive. Ernie Pyle alive funny world One of the parodoxes of war is that those in the rear want to get up into the fight, while those in the lines want to get out. Ernie Pyle lines fighting war I was away from the front lines for a while this spring, living with other troops, and considerable fighting took place while I was gone. When I got ready to return to my old friends at the front I wondered if I would sense any change in them. Ernie Pyle fighting house spring Our artillery has really been sensational. For once we have enough of something and at the right time. Officers tell me they actually have more guns than they know what to do with. Ernie Pyle gun literature enough The front-line soldier wants it to be got over by the physical process of his destroying enough Germans to end it. He is truly at war. The rest of us, no matter how hard we work, are not. Ernie Pyle soldier literature war
