Mary Gauthier Quotes

As a veteran, I know firsthand the satisfaction there is in defending the democracy you so strongly believe in, but I can also attest to the trauma encountered from combat on the battlefield.

I talked to some vets in L.A. about what they go through and do they think about their experiences a lot. I got a wide array of answers. Some people get very emotional, which is understandable. Two of my best friends growing up are in the armed services, and getting to represent those guys was a big honor for me.

Vets are different than other people. Frontline or support, they carry themselves differently than the rest of us. It is as if they entered the service as one person and came out another, and that is the person who they are the rest of their lives.

You know, I had gone to war.

As a combat veteran, I know the cost of war.

Joining the military is not to be taken lightly. You're putting every part of yourself at risk, not just your body but your moral and spiritual centre.

Vets are close to my heart, okay, and it's not only because I served, okay. It's because of what they go through, okay. A lot of these people have gave their lives, a lot of them have gave their limbs, okay, you know, that's a, that's a, that's a heap, you know.

I served two tours in Iraq, in the Marine Corps.

I'm a Vietnam veteran. I was here when there was no public support, not just for the effort in Vietnam, for the mission in Vietnam, but for our men and women in uniform.

War was my university. Everything has proceeded from there.

The notion that war forever separates veterans from the rest of mankind has been long embedded in our collective consciousness.

I never thought anyone would pity me because of my time in the Marine Corps.

We are ever mindful the risks our troops face every day and the sacrifices made by the families and the communities that support them as those who have been removed from power seek to delay their inevitable defeat.

I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can.

Men go to war for fear, honor or interest.

Nobody hates a war more than soldiers who have been through it.

The experience of being in the Army changed my whole life; I never believed that an organization such as ours could ever go to war, leave alone win it. It was, as Yeats remarked of the Easter Rising, 'A terrible beauty.'

I'm proud to have served there for 12 months with Alpha Company of the 39th Infantry.

Any time I can spend time with my brothers and sisters who fight for this country and fight for freedom, it's a positive thing.

Talking to people who have served was eye-opening and left me with a huge amount of respect for what they do.

My brother joined the Army. He served multiple tours in Iraq and now lives in Texas with his family.

I have members of my family who are in the military. I have friends who are in the military. Classmates who served in the military.

I am proud to be a SEAL and serve in the military.

Obviously, I come out of the military - I know the amazing work of the men and women in uniform and the work that they can do.

Spending time with America's soldiers is always inspiring.