Source, in full
Remark that King allegedly made when he was called to be Commander in Chief, United States Fleet, soon after the United States had entered World War II on December 7, 1941. Numerous sources have claimed he said a number of versions of this from World War II to the present day. However, when asked if he had said actually made the remark, King replied that he had not, but would have if he had thought of it. As quoted in Master of Sea Power: A Biography of Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King (1980) by Thomas B. Buell, p. 573, and Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War (1987) by Eric Larrabee, p. 153
Notes from Wikiquote
The alleged quote and King's reaction upon being told of it is further confirmed below