19 Unforgettable Quotes From Retiring General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis

If in order to kill the enemy you have to kill an innocent, don’t take the shot. Don’t create more enemies than you take out by some immoral act.

As a co-author of the military's counter-insurgency manual (with David Petraeus), Mattis has often spoke about following the rules of engagement and being disciplined among a ruthless enemy.

I don’t lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word.

The General is confident in his abilities and that of his Marines -- he led the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade into Afghanistan in 2001, the 1st Marine Division into Iraq in 2003, and led an operation into Fallujah in 2004 dubbed "Operation Vigilant Resolve", and helped to plan the later "Operation Phantom Fury."

Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.

One of his "words to live by" for his Marines in Iraq, which was a call for his troops to remain vigilant and never let their guard down even in the company of those who seem friendly.

In a country where insurgents would blend into the local populace with ease, it was good advice.

You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.

Some Mattis quotes don't come without a degree of controversy, including this one.

Said while speaking about his time on the ground in Afghanistan, he was later counseled by his boss Gen. Hagee, who said "he should have chosen his words more carefully."

I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f* with me, I’ll kill you all.

After the initial Iraq invasion, "Chaos" (his radio callsign) sent home his tanks and artillery and used the "carrot and the stick" with Iraqi tribal leaders.

The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some *******s in the world that just need to be shot. There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.

Speaking to his Marines at al Asad, he tried to motivate them to stay sharp and continue the mission.

He ended the speech, telling them in Patton-esque fashion, "I feel sorry for every son of a bitch that doesn’t get to serve with you.”

We’ve backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg with you for a minute. I'm going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.

Mattis demonstrates that he is willing to extend an olive branch to those on the fence -- but always carries the weight of Marine firepower if that doesn't work out.

There are some people who think you have to hate them in order to shoot them. I don’t think you do. It’s just business.

Many Marines look up to Mattis as a cult-like figure. Nevertheless, he will most likely be remembered as a consummate professional.

A Marine officer we spoke with said, "the more I learned about him, the more I saw that the things we were doing right seemed to be associated with his philosophy of command."

Marines don't know how to spell the word defeat

As a highly-educated four-star General, Mattis probably can spell it, but he wants his Marines to know that they should never let it happen.

The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.

He often emphasizes to his troops that they need to be problem solvers, only using firepower as a last result.

PowerPoint makes us stupid.

As a top General, we can safely assume that Mattis has had to sit through his fair share of awful PowerPoint briefings.

In this age, I don’t care how tactically or operationally brilliant you are, if you cannot create harmony—even vicious harmony—on the battlefield based on trust across service lines, across coalition and national lines, and across civilian/military lines, you need to go home, because your leadership is obsolete. We have got to have officers who can create harmony across all those lines.

Mattis wants educated leaders that can be both book smart and be able to get the job done.

Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until they’re so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact.

Mattis believes the battlefield is better off being far from American shores.

Treachery has existed as long as there’s been warfare, and there’s always been a few people that you couldn’t trust.

In places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, alliances can often shift quickly.

Mattis spoke to Congress on this point after a series of green-on-blue attacks that left military leaders struggling to deal with.

a country that armed Stalin to defeat Hitler can certainly work alongside enemies of al-Qaida to defeat al-Qaida.

The General is a student of history and avid reader.

He often stresses the importance of education and training on building effective future leaders.

Fight with a happy heart.

Before heading into Iraq in 2003, all Marines of the 1st Marine Division received a letter from General Mattis. In the letter, he spoke candidly to his troops, telling them that "we will move swiftly and aggressively against those who resist, we will treat others with decency, demonstrating chivalry and soldierly compassion for people who have endured a lifetime under Saddam's oppression."

You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.

This line from his 2003 letter to his Marines foreshadows his contribution in 2006 to counter-insurgency doctrine, which stresses battlefield discipline, and protection of the civilian populace.

For the mission's sake, for our country's sake, and the sake of the men who carried the Division's colors in past battles — "who fought for life and never lost their nerve" — carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world there is “No Better Friend — No Worse Enemy” than a US Marine.

Mattis uses "never lost their nerve" in his 2003 letter to his men, utilizing a line from the Marines' Hymn.

He goes on to offer another, telling them to "keep your honor clean." Mattis, an avid reader of history, wants his Marines to live up to the legacy of past warriors.

You've heard quotes from a Marine Corps icon ...

NOW SEE why they say Cadillac One is a car that wants to be a tank >