Chester W. Nimitz

“Is the proposed operation likely to succeed? Is it in the realm of practicability in terms of matériel and supplies?”

“By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans serving on Iwo island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

“The Japanese had, in fact, already sued for peace before the atomic age was announced to the world with the destruction of Hiroshima and before the Russian entry into war. ... The atomic bomb played no decisive part, from a purely military standpoint, in the defeat of Japan.”

“The U.S.'s major strength factor and weapon is its economy. If you cripple it, you cripple the military.”

“That is not to say that we can relax our readiness to defend ourselves. Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves.”

“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.”

“We shall never forget that it was our submarines that held the lines against the enemy while our fleets replaced losses and repaired wounds.”

“I felt that it was an unnecessary loss of civilian life... We had them beaten. They hadn't enough food, they couldn't do anything.”

“The enemy of our games was always Japan, and the courses were so thorough that after the start of World War II, nothing that happened in the Pacific was strange or unexpected.”

“The war with Japan had been enacted in the game rooms at the War College by so many people and in so many different ways that nothing that happened during the war was a surprise—absolutely nothing except the kamikaze tactics toward the end of the war. We had not visualized these.”

“Hindsight is notably cleverer than foresight.”

“Sir Walter Raleigh declared in the early 17th century that "whoever commands the sea, commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself." This principle is as true today as when uttered, and its effect will continue as long as ships traverse the seas.”

“The United States possesses today control of the sea more absolute than was possessed by the British. Our interest in this control is not riches and power as such. It is first the assurance of our national security, and, second, the creation and perpetuation of that balance and stability among nations which will insure to each the right of self-determination under the framework of the United Nations Organization.”

“Our present control of the sea is so absolute that it is sometimes taken for granted.”

“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.”

“Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best.”

“Is the proposed operation likely to succeed? What might the consequences of failure? Is it in the realm of practicability in terms of material and supplies?”

“Some of the best advice I've had comes from junior officers and enlisted men.”

“Some of the best advice I've had comes from junior officers and enlisted men.”

“That is not to say that we can relax our readiness to defend ourselves. Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves.”

“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.”

“Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best.”

“Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best.”

“Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best.”

“A ship is always referred to as "she" because it costs so much to keep her in paint and powder.”