I have seen a flower blooming in beauty in a secluded vale, and, ere I had a chance to look again, a chilly breath of air had scattered its petals and left it a ruin. – Charles Lanman, “Musings,” 1840
I suppose, in a way, this has become part of my soul. It is a symbol of my life. Whatever I have done that really matters, Ive done wearing it. When the time comes, it will be in this that I journey forth. What greater honor could come to an American, and a soldier? – Douglas MacArthur
She is a friend of mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind. – Toni Morrison, Beloved
As a 22-year Army Veteran who served in Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, and as a Civilian Advisor to the Afghan Army in Operation Enduring Freedom, I understand both the gravity of giving the order, and the challenge of carrying it out. – Allen West