--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the US. Infantry Manual published…" description: "\"In the US. Infantry Manual published during World War II, the soldier was told what to do if a live grenade fell into the trench where he and others we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/anatol-rapoport-23399_grenade_in-the-us-infantry-manual-published-duri_1790392.jpg" --- # In the US. Infantry Manual published during World War II… ![“In the US. Infantry Manual published during World War II, the soldier was told what to do if a live grenade fell into the trench where he and others were sitting: to wrap himself around the grenade so as to at least save the others. (If no one "volunteered," all would be killed, and there were…” quote by Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/anatol-rapoport-23399_grenade_in-the-us-infantry-manual-published-duri_1790392.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/anatol-rapoport-23399_grenade_in-the-us-infantry-manual-published-duri_1790392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/anatol-rapoport-23399_grenade_in-the-us-infantry-manual-published-duri_1790392.jpg) > “In the US. Infantry Manual published during World War II, the soldier was told what to do if a live grenade fell into the trench where he and others were sitting: to wrap himself around the grenade so as to at least save the others. (If no one "volunteered," all would be killed, and there were only a few seconds to decide who would be the hero.)” [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The manual instructs a soldier to sacrifice himself by shielding a grenade to save comrades, highlighting extreme selflessness under pressure. **In simple terms:** Self-sacrifice to protect others in dire moments. Key Takeaway Courage can be a deliberate, selfless act. Themes heroism self-sacrifice war morality Mood grave reflective somber Type historical military When to use this quote - combat training - leadership development - ethical education - team building drills Key Concepts altruism duty ethical dilemma Questions to Reflect On - Would you choose to sacrifice yourself for strangers? - What alternatives exist to protect a group? A Different Perspective Such extreme expectations may be unrealistic or glorify needless loss of life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grenade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grenade/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Infantry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infantry/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Trenches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trenches/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [A soldier told Pelopidas, "We are fallen among the enemies." Said he, "How are we fallen among them more than they among us?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/a-soldier-told-pelopidas-we-are-fallen-among-the-enemies-said-he-how/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like putting a live grenade in the hands of a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/giving-a-camera-to-diane-arbus-is-like-putting-a-live-grenade-in-the/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“He stared at it as if he had caught a live grenade. 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Beware of pretty girls in dance halls and parks who may be spies, as well as bicycles, revolvers, uniforms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/do-not-touch-anything-unnecessarily-beware-of-pretty-girls-in-dance/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [“The beauty of the infantry is its ability to truly teach tolerance. At the lowest level, when it is simply a matter of survival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-fenner/the-beauty-of-the-infantry-is-its-ability-to-truly-teach-tolerance-at/) [Adam Fenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-fenner/) > [It is remarkable that this people, though unarmed, dares attack an armed foe; the infantry defy the cavalry, and by their activity and courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giraldus-cambrensis/it-is-remarkable-that-this-people-though-unarmed-dares-attack-an/) [Giraldus Cambrensis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giraldus-cambrensis/) > [Artillery is more essential to cavalry than to infantry, because cavalry has no fire for its defence, but depends on the sabre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/artillery-is-more-essential-to-cavalry-than-to-infantry-because/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by Anatol Rapoport > [The usefulness of the models in constructing a testable theory of the process is severely limited by the quickly increasing number of parameters which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-usefulness-of-the-models-in-constructing-a-testable-theory-of-the/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [Do you know that all great spurts in...progress came just after some unorthodox ideas or exotic impressions had penetrated into a closed system?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/do-you-know-that-all-great-spurts-in-progress-came-just-after-some/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [(Game theory is) essentially a structural theory. 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It is that of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-purpose-of-formulating-a-conflict-as-a-game-is-not-that-of/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [A theorem is a proposition which is a strict logical consequence of certain definitions and other propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/a-theorem-is-a-proposition-which-is-a-strict-logical-consequence-of/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [To gain knowledge, we must learn to ask the right questions; and to get answers, we must act, not wait for answers to occur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/to-gain-knowledge-we-must-learn-to-ask-the-right-questions-and-to-get/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [The "flow of information" through human communication channels is enormous. So far no theory exists, to our knowledge, which attributes any sort of unambiguous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-flow-of-information-through-human-communication-channels-is/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [One cannot play chess if one becomes aware of the pieces as living souls and of the fact that the Whites and the Blacks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/one-cannot-play-chess-if-one-becomes-aware-of-the-pieces-as-living/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [It is one thing to say that the dwelling has symbolic and cosmological aspects... and another to say that it has been erected for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/it-is-one-thing-to-say-that-the-dwelling-has-symbolic-and/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [The outcome of a non-constant-sum game may be dictated by the individual rationality of the respective players without satisfying a criterion of collective rationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-outcome-of-a-non-constant-sum-game-may-be-dictated-by-the/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [ \[It is a\] well-known fact that the likely contacts of two individuals who are closely acquainted tend to be more overlapping than those of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/it-is-a-well-known-fact-that-the-likely-contacts-of-two-individuals/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) [Explore all 26 Anatol Rapoport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) ## More Grenade quotes > [We're promoting a Grenade Free America!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-promoting-a-grenade-free-america/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [(At the back of the cave, Phoebe placed her hand against one of the stones where a spring release opened an elevator door. Chris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/at-the-back-of-the-cave-phoebe-placed-her-hand-against-one-of-the/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [This story never really had a point. It’s just a lull - a skip in the record. We are addresses in ghost towns. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/this-story-never-really-had-a-point-it-s-just-a-lull-a-skip-in-the/) [Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/) > [“I'm a grenade. I just want to stay away from people and read books and think and be with you guys because there's nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-a-grenade-i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I swallowed a hand grenade that never stops exploding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-mcdaniel/i-swallowed-a-hand-grenade-that-never-stops-exploding/) [Jeffrey McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-mcdaniel/) > [I have a smoke grenade in my room," I said. "What?" Megan asked. "How?" "I grew up working at a munitions plant," I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-have-a-smoke-grenade-in-my-room-i-said-what-megan-asked-how-i-grew/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“She picked up a handheld grenade launcher, cradling it like a baby.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/she-picked-up-a-handheld-grenade-launcher-cradling-it-like-a-baby/) [Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/) > [I've got a phone, answer machine, TV set, computer, hand grenade - everything you need to run a business in Los Angeles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/i-ve-got-a-phone-answer-machine-tv-set-computer-hand-grenade/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [“I couldn't be mad at him for even a moment, and only now that I loved a grenade did I understand the foolishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-couldn-t-be-mad-at-him-for-even-a-moment-and-only-now-that-i-loved/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I think that when you are truly stuck, when you have stood still in the same spot for too long, you throw a grenade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/i-think-that-when-you-are-truly-stuck-when-you-have-stood-still-in/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [That Shay was in possesion of hand grenades was a comforting thought showed what kind of night this had become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/that-shay-was-in-possesion-of-hand-grenades-was-a-comforting-thought/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/us-marine-corps/when-the-pin-is-pulled-mr-grenade-is-not-our-friend/) US Marine Corps > [Over the past 30 years, hand grenades, tanks, fighter jets, missiles, helicopters and assault rifles have replaced traditional floral patterns in rug making and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cole/over-the-past-30-years-hand-grenades-tanks-fighter-jets-missiles/) [Henri Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cole/) > [A lack of common sense usually ends in some heroic feat, much like the soldier who dives onto the grenade so that others may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/a-lack-of-common-sense-usually-ends-in-some-heroic-feat-much-like-the/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“How did I get here? I was just minding my own business and someone lobbed a grenade into my life 0 in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-boyd/how-did-i-get-here-i-was-just-minding-my-own-business-and-someone/) [Natasha Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-boyd/) [Browse all 152 Grenade quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grenade/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the US. Infantry Manual published during World War II, the soldier was told what to do if a live grenade fell into the trench where he and others were sitting: to wrap himself around the grenade so as to at least save the others. 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