No doubt by now you've heard of Retired Marine General James Mattis. He's a legend in the Marine Corps. And, with a December 1st, 2016 announcement by President-Elect Donald Trump that he will be nominated as Secretary of Defense, he may just have solidified his position in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans as one of the top military strategists of all-time.
Widely praised and scorned for his politically incorrect candor, you cannot help but resonate with the man who actually says what everyone else is probably already thinking.
Initially enlisted in the Marines in 1969, and over a 44-year career, General Mattis earned his way from the battlefield to the Pentagon, eventually retiring from service as the Commander of United States Central Command.
Not only does the man have the rough exterior you'd expect from spending a lifetime in the Marine Corps, he has the ability to display his finely-tuned wit and intellect in what have now been referred to as "Mattis-isms."
Here are Order of Man's favorite maxims from the man who lives as the warrior we all wish we could be.
“The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some a- -holes in the world that just need to be shot."
“I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f- - - with me, I’ll kill you all.”
“Marines don’t know how to spell the word defeat.”
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“Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until they’re so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact.”
"If I were to sum up what I've learned in 35 years of service, it's improvise, improvise, improvise."
"Be the hunter, not the hunted: Never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down."
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"It is mostly a matter of wills. Whose will is going to break first? Ours or the enemy's?"
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"It’s all the more important today that we hold to our precious legacy of ferocious, ethical combat performance."
“You are part of the world’s most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.”
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“There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, cunning, obedience and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.”
“No war is over until the enemy says it’s over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.”
“There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed. It’s really great.”
“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
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"An untrained or uneducated Marine...deployed to the combat zone is a bigger threat to mission accomplishment...than the enemy."
"PowerPoint makes us stupid."
“You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it’s going to be bad.”
"We've backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg with you for a minute. I'm going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years."
"Carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world there is 'No Better Friend — No Worse Enemy than a U.S. Marine."
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