By: Jesse Greenspan
12 Quotes Honoring US Veterans
Tens of millions of Americans have served in the armed forces since the country’s founding. Read quotes by and about U.S. servicemembers.
Since its founding in 1776, the United States has fought in about a dozen major wars—and intervened militarily on hundreds of others—with every generation of Americans witnessing combat in one form or another. As such, tens of millions of Americans have suited up for the armed forces, including some 16 million during World War II alone. These service members include 31 of the 45 presidents.
More than 1 million Americans have died in warfare, the vast majority in just two conflicts: the Civil War and World War II.
Given their importance to U.S. history, it’s no surprise that veterans have a played hallowed role in the public’s consciousness. Habitually honored at sporting events and on patriotic holidays, especially Veterans Day, the oratory surrounding veterans can be deeply inspiring.
Below are some poignant quotes by and about U.S. veterans.
History of Veterans Day
Veterans Day has changed days and names but it has always been a day to honor those who serve their country.
“I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”
— Nathan Hale, 1776, in his alleged last words prior to being executed by the British for being a spy.
Captain Nathan Hale volunteered to spy for the Continental Army on September 8, 1776. The British captured him less than two weeks later and executed him.
“The unparalleled perseverance of the armies of the United States, through almost every possible suffering and discouragement for the space of eight long years, was little short of a standing miracle.”
— General George Washington, 1783, in his farewell orders to the Continental Army.
George Washington takes leave of the officers of his army at Francis’s Tavern in New York City on December 4, 1783. Lithograph by Nathaniel Currier.
“The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated [this ground], far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”
— President Abraham Lincoln, 1863, in the Gettysburg Address.
President Abraham Lincoln, who served in the Illinois militia for three months during the Black Hawk War, delivers the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. Painting by Fletcher C. Ransom.
“Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters, U.S.; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship.”
— Abolitionist and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass, 1863, in remarks encouraging the enlistment of African American soldiers during the Civil War.
An undated portrait of Frederick Douglass. The famed orated didn’t serve in the military but encouraged other Black men to do so.
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.”
— President Woodrow Wilson, 1919, in proclaiming Armistice Day (which would later become Veterans Day) on the anniversary of the end of World War I.
President Woodrow Wilson sits as his desk in the White House in 1919. Wilson is among the minority of U.S. presidents who never served in the military.
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
— Philosopher George Santayana, 1922, in his book Soliloquies in England and Later Soliloquies. (This quote is often misattributed to Plato.)
American philosopher and poet George Santayana photographed while in seclusion at an Italian convent during World War II. As a young mang, Santayana wrote about wanting to join the army, but he never did.
“The nicest veterans…the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated war the most, were the ones who’d really fought.”
— Author Kurt Vonnegut, 1969, in Slaughterhouse-Five, his novel about the Allied firebombing of Dresden during World War II.
Kurt Vonnegut signs copies of “Slaughterhouse Five” at Paperback Booksmith in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 11, 1969. The author’s experience in the U.S. Army during World War II informed the book.
“Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they’ve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us.”
— President Ronald Reagan, 1983, in a radio address to the nation.
President Ronald Reagan, seen here in 1983 in the White House Oval Office, enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1937. He served in noncombat roles across the United States throughout World War II.
“In war, using their native language, they relayed secret messages that turned the course of battle. At home, they carried for decades the secret of their own heroism.”
— President George W. Bush, 2001, in remarks honoring the Navajo code talkers of World War II.
Chester Nez, a Najavo code talker, salutes President George W. Bush as he is presented with the Congressional Gold Medal. Fellow code talkers Loyd Oliver and Allen Dale June look on.
“Whatever gains are secured, it is loss the veteran remembers most keenly. Only a fool or a fraud sentimentalizes the merciless reality of war.”
— Senator John McCain, 2008, in a foreign policy speech.
Senator John McCain speaks at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on March 26, 2008 in Los Angeles. McCain served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and spent 5.5 years as a prison of war.
"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"
— Maya Angelou, writer and civil rights activist who received the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou delivers a speech on the Florida A&M University campus in Tallahassee, Florida, circa March 1991. She did not serve in the military.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”
— President John F. Kennedy in his 1963 Thanksgiving proclamation, issued before his death.
President John F. Kennedy signs the 1963 nuclear test ban treaty in a ceremony at the White House. Kennedy served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
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About the author
Jesse Greenspan is a Bay Area-based freelance journalist who writes about history and the environment.
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Citation Information
- Article Title
- 12 Quotes Honoring US Veterans
- Author
- Jesse Greenspan
- Website Name
- History
- Date Accessed
- November 12, 2026
- Publisher
- A&E Television Networks
- Last Updated
- November 09, 2026
- Original Published Date
- November 07, 2019
