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The first duty of the officer is to challenge whatever seems illusory.

— S.L.A. Marshall The Soldier's Load and the Mobility of a Nation (1950)

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More quotes by S.L.A. Marshall

We are reluctant to admit that essentially war is the business of killing, though that is the simplest truth in the book.

Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command (1947)

Undue emphasis on conservation is as great a danger to fire power as is an excess expenditure of ammunition.

Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command (1947)

War must always start with imperfect instruments.

Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command (1947)

The enemy, no more willing to be shot than was his opponent, was rarely seen, only fleetingly if at all.

Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command (1947)

The first effect of fire is to dissolve all appearances of order.

Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command (1947)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: S.L.A. Marshall (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.