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Throughout my two years as Chief of Staff, I felt I was being called upon to tear down, rather than build up, the ultimately decisive element in a properly proportioned fighting force on which the world could rest its hope for maintaining the peace or, if the catastrophe of war came, for enforcing its will upon those who broke that peace.

— Matthew Ridgway

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Source and credibility

Wikiquote does not flag this quote as disputed or misattributed.

Source: As quoted in, "Matthew B. Ridgway Dies at 98; Leader of U.S. Troops in 2 Wars" in The New York Times (27 June 1993)
Source quality: Secondhand citation Quoted from another book or article rather than from the original.

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Character is the bedrock on which the whole edifice of leadership rests. It is the prime element for which every profession, every corporation, every industry searches in evaluating a member of its organization. With it, the full worth of an individual can be developed.

Excerpts from the article Leadership in Military Review (1966)

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I think that a farsighted statesman could have seen that this little sliver of land, the Korean peninsula, off the great Asian land mass, was of great strategic importance.

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Well, we want to do everything with welfare and everything else ahead of the primary responsibility of government which is to govern and to protect the people.

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The commander belongs right at that spot, not at some rear command post. He should be there before the crisis erupts, if possible. If it is not possible, then he should get there aa soon as he can after it develops.

Excerpts from the article Leadership in Military Review (1966)

Some people thought I wore the grenades as a gesture of showmanship. This was not correct. They were purely utilitarian. Many a time, in Europe and Korea, men in tight spots blasted their way out with grenades.

Remember there are many others on your team, and be inwardly humble. Every man’s life is equally precious, although all are at the disposal of our country, and the contribution each makes in battle is of equal potential value.

Excerpts from the article Leadership in Military Review (1966)

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Attribution

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