“The hand of the aggressor is stayed by strength — and strength alone.”

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The Navy has both a tradition and a future ─ and we look with pride and confidence in both directions.”

-Admiral George Anderson

“Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.”

-Winston Churchill

“The most fundamental paradox is that if we’re never to use force, we must be prepared to use it and to use it successfully. We Americans don’t want war and we don’t start fights. We don’t maintain a strong military force to conquer or coerce others. The purpose of our military is simple and straightforward: We want to prevent war by deterring others from the aggression that causes war. If our efforts are successful, we will have peace and never be forced into battle. There will never be a need to fire a single shot. That’s the paradox of deterrence.”

-Ronald Reagan

“To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.”

-George Washington

“War is evil, but it is often the lesser evil.”

-George Orwell