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William Halsey Jr.
17 quotes
“Kill Japs, kill Japs, kill more Japs!”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Reported in James Bradley, Flyboys (2004), p. 138; Thomas Evans, Sea of Thunder (2006), p. 1; Paul Fussell, Wartime (1990), p. 119.
“There are no great men, there are only great challenges, which ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstances to meet.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in the Congressional Record, 11 December 1971.
“Dear Ernie, It has been an education, and a very pleasant one, to serve under you this past winter. May I thank you for your patience of me personally and for the professional lessons you have given me- I should be proud to serve under you any time- anywhere, & under any conditions. The best of luck always- may your new job be to your liking- and here's hoping for more stars afloat. Always sincerely yours, Bill Halsey.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) first seen 1939 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Handwritten note from Halsey to Ernest King on 22 June 1939, as quoted by Walter R. Borneman in The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King: The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea (2012), p. 180
“Before we're through with them, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) first seen 1941 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remark in December 1941, after the attack of Pearl Harbor, as quoted in Roger Parkinson, Attack on Pearl Harbour (1973), p. 117; James Bradley, Flyboys (2004), p. 138.
“Missing the Battle of Midway has been the greatest disappointment of my career, but I am going back to the Pacific where I intend personally to have a crack at those yellow bellied sons of bitches and their carriers.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech at the Naval Academy, as quoted in James C. Bradford, Quarterdeck and Bridge: Two Centuries of American Naval Leaders (1997), p. 350.
“To the officers and men of the United States Navy and Naval Reserve, with respect, affection, and gratitude”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All this was long ago. Nearly two-thirds of my classmates are dead, and not one of us is left on active duty. But there might be one if a close friend of mine received his justice. I refer, and will refer again, to Husband E. Kimmel.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Miles Browning, Paul Putnam, and I were still the only ones who knew our destination, so my order burst on the task force like a thousand-pounder. My operations officer, Comdr. William H. Buracker, brought it to me and asked incredulously, "Admiral, did you authorize this thing?" "Yes." "Do you realize that this means war?" "Yes." Bill protested, "Goddamnit, Admiral, you can't start a private war on your own! Who's going to take responsibility?" I replied, "I'll take it! If anything gets in my way, we'll shoot first and argue afterwards.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It was the Pacific Fleet, the big fleet, the fleet maimed at Pearl Harbor, that had now paid the first installment on its bill. Miles Browning's strategy won him a promotion to captain, and he and I were each given a Distinguished Service Medal. When I received it, I called in my staff and told them, "This is as much for you as it is for me. You made it possible." A few nights later, I went to a movie on the Enterprise. Before it started, I told the audience, the ship's company, "I want to make a little speech. I just want to say that I've never been so damn proud of anyone as I am of you!”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We were free again at the end of December, however, so I asked Chester's permission to enter the China Sea on completion of our next assignment- covering MacArthur's Lingayen Gulf landing on January 9. The day after we sortied was New Year's Eve. That night I picked up the TBS and broadcast a message to all hands, under my code name. This is Blackjack himself. Your work so far has been superb. I expect even more. Keep the bastards dying!”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My first thought at the great news was, "Victory!" My second was, "God be thanked, I'll never have to order another man out to die!" And my next was, "I am grateful for the honor of being in command of the Third Fleet on this day." Then plain joy took over. I yelled, "Yippee!" and pounded the shoulders of everybody within reach.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Now that the fighting has ended, there must be no letdown. There must be watchful waiting. Victory is not the end, but the beginning. We must establish peace- a firm, a just, and an enduring peace.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) first seen 1300 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Excerpt from Halsey's radio broadcast to the United States Third Fleet at 1300 on 15 August 1945, p. 272
“Never before in the history of warfare has there been a more convincing example of the effectiveness of sea power than when, despite this undefeated, well armed, and highly efficient army, Japan surrendered her homeland unconditionally to the enemy without even a token resistance. The devastation wrought by past bombings plus the destruction of the atomic bombs spelled nothing less than the extinction of Japan. The bases from which these attacks were launched- Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa- were to have been the spring boards for the mightiest sea-borne invasion yet conceived by man. The "fighting fleets" of the United States which had made possible every invasion victory for America were ready and waiting. The Japanese had two alternatives; to fight and face destruction, or to surrender. The Imperial Japanese Empire chose to surrender.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) first seen 1946 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Battle Stations! Your Navy in Action (1946), "The Surrender of Japan", p. 360
“I don't want to be remembered as "Bull" Halsey, who was going to ride the White Horse. "Bull" is a tag the newspapers tied to me. I was named for my father, so I started out as "Young Bill"; then I became plain "Bill"; and more recently I suppose it is inevitable for my juniors to think of me, a fleet admiral and five times a grandfather, as "Old Bill." Now that I am sitting down to my autobiography, it is Bill Halsey whom I want to get on paper, not the fake, flamboyant "Bull." Correction: This will not be an autobiography, but a report. Reports are the only thing I know how to write, since half my time in the Navy has gone to preparing them. Although I intend for this once to throw in as many stories as I like, rattle some skeletons, and offer some apologies and second guesses- amusements which official reports discourage- I don't intend to discard the official form completely. This report will be as clear and true as I can make it; it will contain all the pertinent facts I can remember, whether they're to my credit or not; it will avoid fields like philosophy or politics, where I am easily lost; and it will be consecutive, beginning with my ancestors and ending with my retirement from active duty.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As the day passed, the lookouts' jitters became worse. Finally I sent this signal to the task force: IF ALL THE TORPEDO WAKES REPORTED ARE FACTUAL, JAPANESE SUBMARINES WILL SOON HAVE TO RETURN TO BASE FOR A RELOAD, AND WE WILL HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR X IN ADDITION, WE ARE WASTING TOO MANY DEPTH CHARGES ON NEUTRAL FISH X TAKE ACTION ACCORDINGLY. This rebuke was not intended for our patrols, who were less excitable but equally alert. Next day, indeed, they spotted three enemy subs. One dived before she could be bombed, but the second was classed as "damaged," and the third sank vertically, leaving for of her deck crew struggling in the water. This same day, the Enterprises radar failed temporarily, just as our lookouts reported the approach of a large flight of planes. We were on the point of opening fire and repeating one of the most painful features of December 7 when the planes were recognized as part of our inner air patrol.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I ordered the carriers to stow their bombers and torpedo planes on their hangar decks, to spot their flight decks only with fighters, and to maintain an augmented and extravigilant CAP. My trust in the Japs was still less than whole-hearted, and I was taking no chance that a kamikaze would seize a last-minute opportunity to win honor for his ancestors. In fact, I had our fighter directors call our CAP pilots by radio and instruct them, "Investigate and shoot down all snoopers- not vindictively but in a friendly sort of way." I was told later that one pilot had been overheard to ask, "What do you mean, 'not vindictively'?" And another answered, "I guess they mean for us to use only three guns instead of six.”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Before I left Tokyo, I had requested retirement as soon as I was relieved of command. Chester Nimitz gave my application a damn nice endorsement, and Ernie King put on one as complimentary as he ever puts on anything; but instead of being released, I was given another sugarplum- promotion to fleet admiral- and kept on active duty until April 1, 1947. Now, at long last, my story is done. I have nothing more to add except to repeat what I told the South Dakotas company as my flag was being hauled down for the last time: "I am terminating a seagoing career of slightly over 45 years. This is far from a pleasure, but I deem it necessary for men of my age to step aside so that younger men can take over the greatest Navy in the world... You have heard the nation say, 'Well done!' I say it again and again: 'Well done! Well done! Well done!' May you all have happy careers! Godspeed and God bless you!”
William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source