"The Marine Corps has just been called by the New York Times, 'The elite of this country.' I think it is the elite of the world." ~ Admiral William Halsey, U.S. Navy

"I come in peace, I didn't bring artillery. But I am pleading with you with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I'll kill you all."  ~ Marine General James Mattis, to Iraqi tribal leaders

"A Marine is a Marine. I set that policy two weeks ago - there's no such thing as a former Marine. You're a Marine, just in a different uniform and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico. There's no such thing as a former Marine. ~ General James F. Amos, 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps

“One hundred and twenty Marines were detailed to officer a force of twenty-six hundred Haitians.” ~ Maj. Smedley D. Butler, Haiti, 1915

"Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean, or skinny and mean. They're aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They've got really short hair and they always go for the throat." ~ RAdm. "Jay" R. Stark, USN; 10 November 1995

"Hell, these are Marines.  Men like them held Guadalcanal and took Iwo Jima. Bagdad ain't shit. ~ Marine Major General John F. Kelly

"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 |1st Marine Division Chaplain

“I’ll never forget them or their spirit. Those boys were burned and bruised. But I never saw a Marine who was beaten.” ~ Navy Flight Nurse Norma Crotty, Iwo Jima

"We signed up knowing the risk. Those innocent people in New York didn't go to work thinking there was any kind of risk. ~ Pvt. Mike Armendariz-Clark, USMC; Afghanastan, 20 September 2001,As reported on page 1 of the New York Times

“They say ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.’ In the Marine Corps, you make that horse wish to hell he had.” ~ USMC Drill Instructor