Fundamentally, I think of myself as a storyteller, not a writer.
The U.S. Military is us. There is no truer representation of a country than the people that it sends into the field to fight for it. The people who wear our uniform and carry our rifles into combat are our kids, and our job is to support them, because they're protecting us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the connection between a nation and its military personnel, highlighting the responsibility to support those who protect the country.
Tom Clancy's quote underscores the profound relationship between a nation and its military. It illustrates that the individuals serving in the armed forces are not only representatives of their country but also members of the community, often including the younger generation. Clancy calls for a collective responsibility to support these brave individuals who sacrifice for the safety and freedom of their fellow citizens, emphasizing that they are our own children who deserve our utmost respect and care.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a Memorial Day speech.
More from Tom Clancy
All quotes →Two questions form the foundation of all novels: "What if?" and "What next?" (A third question, "What now?", is one the author asks himself every 10 minutes or so; but it's more a cry than a question.) Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if "X" happened? That's how you start.
Of all human lamentations, without doubt, the most common is if only I had known. But we can't know, and so days of death and fire so often begin no differently than those of love and warmth.
The only real difference between a wise man and a fool, Moore knew, was that the wise man tended to make more serious mistakes—and only because no one trusted a fool with really crucial decisions; only the wise had the opportunity to lose battles, or nations.
One thing about flying that he never got used to was that no matter how awful the weather was on the ground, if you flew high enough you could always find the sun.
Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you, but your dream will not. Your life may change, but your dream doesn't have to. Responsibilities need not erase it. Duties need not obscure it.
Similar quotes
It is one thing to open job opportunities. It is another to train people to fill them, or to persuade American enterprise to seek Negro as well as white applicants.
My mother raised me to be bold. If I do not go, I will spend the rest of my life wondering what might have happened if I had." "If you do go, the rest of your life may be too short for wondering. - Asha & Rodrick
Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that held its ground.
Let me ask you, sir, when is the time for brave men to exert themselves in the cause of liberty and their country, if this is not?
The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on our self, our families, our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity.
Some of us have a hard time believing that we are actually able to face our own pain. We have convinced ourselves that our pain is too deep, too frightening, something to avoid at all costs. Yet if we finally allow ourselves to feel the depth of that sadness and gently let it break our hearts, we may come to feel a great freedom, a genuine sense of release and peace, because we have finally stopped running away from ourselves and from the pain that lives within us.