Quotes from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles

260 pages

Rating: (8K votes)


“My despair is less despair than boredom and loneliness.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“I have gone to war and now I can issue my complaint. I can sit on my porch and complain all day. And you must listen. Some of you will say to me: You signed the contract, you crying bitch, and you fought in a war because of your signature, no one held a gun to your head. This is true, but because I signed the contract and fulfilled my obligation to fight one of America’s wars, I am entitled to speak, to say, I belong to a fucked situation.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“It occured to me that we will never be young again.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“Every war is different. Every war is the same.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“Some wars are unavoidable and need well be fought, but this doesn't erase warfare's waste. Sorry, we must say to the mothers whose son's die horribly. This will never end. Sorry.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles



“My combat action has commenced... I've pissed my pants, but only a little.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“During the few months Troy had been back home, he’d told his friends about us, and so we quickly eased into the conversation as though we’d all known each other for many years. They embarrassed us with great thanks for having served overseas. They recounted combat events Troy had told them, and we realized by the context of their stories that Troy had made us heroes for his friends because we’d been heroes to him. At this point I was the saddest I’d yet been over Troy’s passing, because the true friend from war is the friend who obliterates his own story by telling the stories of others.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“It dosnt matter how many mr. and mrs. johnsons are anti war- the actuall killers who know how to use the weapons are not.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“Now I often think of the first time I received artillery fire, and the subsequent obliteration of the enemy observation post. I'll never know how many men manned the OP, but in memory I fix the number at two, and though at the time I was angry that the pompus captain took the handset from me and stole m y kills, I have lately been thankful he insisted on calling the fire mission, ans sometimes when I am feeling hopeful or even religious, I think that buy taking my two kills the pompous captain handed me life, some extra moments of living for myself or that I can offer others, though I have no idea to use or disuse these extra moments, or if I've wasted them already.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles


“When you fail, you disgrace yourself and others. When you succeed, be proud and others will be proud for you.”
― quote from Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles



Popular quotes

“What about the war?' the young woman sitting on Chance's left said, leaning close to him.

'The war? Which war?' said Chance. 'I've seen many wars on TV.'

'Alas,' the woman said, 'in this country, when we dream of reality television wakes us. To millions the war, I suppose, is just another TV program. But out there, at the front, real men are giving their lives.”
― Jerzy Kosiński, quote from Being There


“Sleep here each day, Ildiko.” A sweet warmth suffused her.  She entangled her legs with his and hugged his arm to her waist.  “As you wish.  Just don’t steal the blankets.”
― Grace Draven, quote from Radiance


“Oh,” she breathed. “How silly I’ve been.”
“How silly we’ve all been,” said another of the wives. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other. Our problems don’t lie in any of the relationships we have with each other.”
“The problem is our entire social system,” chimed in another.”
― Colleen Chen, quote from Dysmorphic Kingdom


“The baby was almost certainly one year old. They knew this because of the red rosette pinned to her front, which read, 1!

"Or rather," said Charles Maxim, "the child is either one year old or she has come first in a competition. I believe babies are rarely keen participants in competitive sport. Shall we therefore assume it is the former?”
― Katherine Rundell, quote from Rooftoppers


“I know what it's like to not fit in. Everyone thinks you're strange because you like to be alone, when really you just don't know how to say hello," Meryn whispered to the tiny creature. He looked up, surprised, and nodded.”
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