45 Most Famous Veterans Day Quotes To Honor Those Who Have Served

This Veterans Day, let’s take a moment to acknowledge and honor the brave and extraordinary individuals who have served our nation and defended our freedoms throughout history. And what better way to pay tribute to our nation’s heroes than by sharing some of the most famous Veterans Day quotes? From presidents to poets, soldiers to civilians, these 45 Veterans Day quotes capture the spirit and essence of Veterans Day. They remind us of the importance of service, sacrifice, and patriotism, and they inspire us to continue to strive for a better and more just world for all. So take a moment to read through these powerful quotes and honor our veterans in your own way.

Famous Veterans Day quotes by U.S. presidents

1. “We owe our World War II veterans – and all our veterans – a debt we can never fully repay.” – Doc Hastings (quoted by President Barack Obama)
2. “On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.” – Dan Lipinski (quoted by President Obama)
3. “A true patriot is someone who supports his country and its ideals, not someone who supports the government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain (quoted by President Abraham Lincoln)
4. “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” – G.K. Chesterton (quoted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt)
5. “We are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free.” – Ronald Reagan
6. “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.” – Unknown (quoted by President George H.W. Bush)
7. “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” – Jeff Miller (quoted by President George W. Bush)
8. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy
9. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree.” – Thomas Campbell (quoted by President John Adams)
10. “Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.” – Michel de Montaigne (quoted by President John Quincy Adams)
11. “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” – Jeff Miller (quoted by President Barack Obama)
12. “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as best he can, the same cause.” – Abraham Lincoln
13. “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” – Harry S. Truman
14. “The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – Douglas MacArthur
15. “The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” – Patrick Henry (quoted by President John F. Kennedy)

Famous Veterans Day quotes by military personnel

1. “The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – Douglas MacArthur
2. “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” – David Hackworth
3. “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” – Norman Schwarzkopf
4. “The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” – George S. Patton
5. “The soldier’s heart, the soldier’s spirit, the soldier’s soul, are everything. Unless the soldier’s soul sustains him, he cannot be relied upon and will fail himself, his commander, and his country.” – George C. Marshall
6. “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” – Jeff Miller
7. “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he is vigilant in its preservation.” – Douglas MacArthur
8. “The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” – Douglas MacArthur
9. “In war, there is no substitute for victory.” – Douglas MacArthur
10. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – Douglas MacArthur
11. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.”
    ― George S. Patton
12. “There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” – Gen. James H. Doolittle

Other Famous Veterans Day quotes

1. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams
2. “This will remain the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave.” — Elmer Davis
3. “When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death – that is heroism.” — Robert Green Ingersoll
4. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” — Gen. George S. Patton
5. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” — James Allen
6. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” — Joseph Campbell
7. “The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.” — Minot J. Savage
8. “We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” — Winston S. Churchill
9. “America without her Soldiers would be like God without His angels.” — Claudia Pemberton
10. “War is too important to be left to the generals” — Georges Clémenceau
11. “What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight — it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” — Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
12. “For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
13. “The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” — Thomas Campbell
14. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” — Nathan Hale
15. “America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.” — Paul Tsongas
16. “These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor — and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror.” — Michael N. Castle
17. “True patriotism isn’t cheap. It’s about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going.” — Robert Reich
18. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” — Winston Churchill, 1940
19. “America’s veterans embody the ideals upon which America was founded more than 229 years ago.” – Steve Buyer

These famous Veterans Day quotes inspire us to honor and remember the bravery, dedication, and patriotism of our veterans, and to express our gratitude for their service. From presidents to military leaders to ordinary soldiers, the voices of those who have served remind us that our freedom comes at a great cost, and that we must never take it for granted. As we celebrate Veterans Day, let us remember the words of these great figures and continue to honor and support our veterans in every way we can.