“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we havestriven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms onother Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German warmachine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples ofEurope, and security for ourselves in a free world.Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, wellequipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats,in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced theirstrength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our HomeFronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitionsof war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together toVictory!I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill inbattle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this greatand noble undertaking.”

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

“I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.”

“Neither a wise nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”

“The problem is not merely man against man or nation against nation. It is man against war.”

“Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; this is all we can expect - We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die: Our own Country's Honor, all call upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world. Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions - The Eyes of all our Countrymen are now upon us, and we shall have their blessings, and praises, if happily we are the instruments of saving them from the Tyranny meditated against them. Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and shew the whole world, that a Freeman contending for Liberty on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth.”

“We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it.”