"Aim towards the Enemy." - Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher
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"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.
U.S. Marine Corps
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"Cluster bombing from B-52s are very, very accurate. The bombs are
guaranteed to always hit the ground." - USAF Ammo Troop
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"If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal
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"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just
bombed." - U.S. Air Force Manual
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"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never
encountered automatic weapons" - General Macarthur
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"Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo."
- Infantry Journal
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"You, you, and you...Panic. The rest of you, come with me."
- U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.
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"Tracers work both ways" - U.S. Army Ordnance
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"Five second fuses only last three seconds."
- Infantry Journal
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"Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last, and don't ever volunteer
to do anything." - U.S. Navy Swabbie
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"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid."
- David Hackworth
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"If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush."
- Infantry Journal
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"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection." - Joe Gay
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"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." - Unknown
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"Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do."
- Unknown Marine Recruit
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"Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you." - Your Buddies
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"If you see a bomb technician running, follow him."
- USAF Ammo Troop
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"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death , I Shall Fear No Evil. For I
am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."
- At the entrance to the old SR-71 operating base Kadena , Japan
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"You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3."
Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot)
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"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire."
- U. S. Air Force Pilot
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"Blue water Navy truism: There are more planes in the ocean than
submarines in the sky." - From an old carrier sailor
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"The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely
kill you." - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)
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"There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime."
- Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, A Z , 1970
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"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a
helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe."
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"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough
power left to get you to the scene of the crash."
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"Without ammunition, the USAF would be just another expensive flying
club."
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"What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a
pilot screws up, the pilot dies. If ATC screws up....The pilot dies."
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"Never trade luck for skill."
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The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in aviation
are: "Why is it doing that?", "Where are we?", and "Oh Shit!"
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"Progress in airline flying: Now, a flight attendant can get a pilot pregnant."
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"Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to successfully
complete the flight."
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"A smooth landing is mostly luck; two in a row is all luck; three in a row
is prevarication."
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"I remember when sex was safe and flying was dangerous."
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"Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there!"
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"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a
person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about
it."
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"If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to."
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"You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full
power to taxi to the terminal."
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The test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off
the wings and tail in a crash landing. The crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a
bloodied pilot and asks "What happened?" The pilot's reply:
"I don't know, I just got here myself!"
- Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)