"One simple order revealed more about his attitude than any rhetorical flourish: henceforth naval officers in the South Pacific would remove ties from tropical uniforms. Halsey said he gave this order to conform to Army practice and for comfort, but to his command it viscerally evoked the image of a Brawler stripping for action and symbolized a casting off of effete elegance no more appropriate to the tropics than to war. His national popularity would endure, but later events would put his effectiveness into serious doubt. Indeed, one of his ablest subordinates would observe that by 1944 "the war simply became too complicated for Halsey." But in mid-October 1942 with his country at bay and locked in mortal combat with a relentless foe, Halsey was in his element. Within one week of taking command, Halsey sent an order to Admiral Kinkaid that would electrify the entire Navy: "Strike, repeat, strike.""
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Military leaders from the United StatesPeople from New JerseyUnited States Navy peopleAviators from the United StatesNavy Cross recipients
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Richard B. Frank, Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle (1990), p. 335-336
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Halsey_Jr.
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
William Halsey Jr.
53 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by William Halsey Jr. →
Related Quotes
"There are no great men, there are only great challenges, which ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstanc…"
"Dear Ernie, It has been an education, and a very pleasant one, to serve under you this past winter. May I thank you f…"
"Before we're through with them, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell."
"Missing the Battle of Midway has been the greatest disappointment of my career, but I am going back to the Pacific wh…"
"Never before in the history of warfare has there been a more convincing example of the effectiveness of sea power tha…"
"To the officers and men of the United States Navy and Naval Reserve, with respect, affection, and gratitude"
"I don't want to be remembered as "Bull" Halsey, who was going to ride the White Horse. "Bull" is a tag the newspapers…"
"All this was long ago. Nearly two-thirds of my classmates are dead, and not one of us is left on active duty. But the…"
"Miles Browning, Paul Putnam, and I were still the only ones who knew our destination, so my order burst on the task f…"
"Kill Japs, kill Japs, kill more Japs!"