--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, a friend of mine asked me…" description: "\"You know, a friend of mine asked me before I got here... it was when we were all shipping out. He asked me, 'Why are you going to fight somebody else's..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/black-hawk-36816_asks_you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-befor_2612059.jpg" --- # You know, a friend of mine asked me before I got here… ![“You know, a friend of mine asked me before I got here... it was when we were all shipping out. He asked me, 'Why are you going to fight somebody else's war? What, do y'all think you're heroes?' I didn't know what to say at the time, but if he asked me again, I'd say no. I'd say there's no way in…” quote by Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/black-hawk-36816_asks_you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-befor_2612059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/black-hawk-36816_asks_you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-befor_2612059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/black-hawk-36816_asks_you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-befor_2612059.jpg) > “You know, a friend of mine asked me before I got here... it was when we were all shipping out. He asked me, 'Why are you going to fight somebody else's war? What, do y'all think you're heroes?' I didn't know what to say at the time, but if he asked me again, I'd say no. I'd say there's no way in hell. Nobody asks to be a hero. It just sometimes turns out that way.” [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A soldier reflects on the futility of fighting wars that aren't his own and the myth of heroism. **In simple terms:** Fighting others' wars rarely makes you a hero. Key Takeaway Question the purpose before joining a conflict. Themes war heroism disillusionment Mood cynical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - military enlistment - political protest - media narratives Key Concepts Moral ambiguity personal agency Questions to Reflect On - Do you fight for cause or for others' expectations? - How does society glorify reluctant heroes? A Different Perspective Heroes are often unwilling participants, not idealistic volunteers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Asks Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks-hero-1106648/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Friend Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-asked-272493/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Heroes Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes-didn-2037336/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mines/) [Shipping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shipping/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Think Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-heroes-594863/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-think-306218/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Nobody asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns out that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/nobody-asks-to-be-a-hero-it-just-sometimes-turns-out-that-way/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [then he jumped.. I owe him so much. I needed him. I still do. But he's gone. He told me once that I shouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-adams/then-he-jumped-i-owe-him-so-much-i-needed-him-i-still-do-but-he-s/) [Guy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-adams/) > [Heroes didn't leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand; they didn't wear boots and capes. They bled, and they bruised, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/heroes-didn-t-leap-tall-buildings-or-stop-bullets-with-an/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Heroes didn't win. The heroes were whoever happened to win. History told their story -- the dead didn't say a word. All of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/heroes-didn-t-win-the-heroes-were-whoever-happened-to-win-history/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [I think most of my heroes are not the traditional types. A guy I was fascinated with was Buster Keaton. I just love what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tambor/i-think-most-of-my-heroes-are-not-the-traditional-types-a-guy-i-was/) [Jeffrey Tambor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tambor/) > [Little girls need someone to look up to - and little boys need strong women to look up to, as well. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ser-darius-blain/little-girls-need-someone-to-look-up-to-and-little-boys-need-strong/) [Ser'Darius Blain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ser-darius-blain/) > [We tend to think of heroes only in terms of violent combat, whether it's against enemies or a natural disaster. But human beings also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/we-tend-to-think-of-heroes-only-in-terms-of-violent-combat-whether-it/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [I think 'Heroes of Cosplay' will show a lot of the positive things, like how much effort it takes to make a costume. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-han/i-think-heroes-of-cosplay-will-show-a-lot-of-the-positive-things-like/) [Yaya Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-han/) > [In the 21st century, I think the heroes will be the people who will improve the quality of life, fight poverty and introduce more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-piccard/in-the-21st-century-i-think-the-heroes-will-be-the-people-who-will/) [Bertrand Piccard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-piccard/) > [Outside of my family, I don't really know. They're great people and my parents are great parents, and they brought me up very well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/outside-of-my-family-i-don-t-really-know-they-re-great-people-and-my/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [I like the realism of anti-heroes. It's a healthy thing. I think heroes can be very unhealthy at times because it doesn't connect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hillcoat/i-like-the-realism-of-anti-heroes-it-s-a-healthy-thing-i-think-heroes/) [John Hillcoat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hillcoat/) > [When you think about your heroes, it absolutely shapes how you play and who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-trucks/when-you-think-about-your-heroes-it-absolutely-shapes-how-you-play/) [Derek Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-trucks/) > [I think heroes are important in the lives of kids because it shows a child what to become, it shows a child what's possible;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-assaraf/i-think-heroes-are-important-in-the-lives-of-kids-because-it-shows-a/) [John Assaraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-assaraf/) > [I think we all see ourselves as the heroes in our own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/i-think-we-all-see-ourselves-as-the-heroes-in-our-own-lives/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [“There’s no glory in this whole shit. No war is ever glorious. Heroes are usually dead. Besides, they rarely turn into heroes because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-voinov/there-s-no-glory-in-this-whole-shit-no-war-is-ever-glorious-heroes/) [Aleksandr Voinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-voinov/) ## More by Black Hawk > [The white men despise the Indians, and drive them from their homes. But the Indians are not deceitful. The white men speak bad of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/the-white-men-despise-the-indians-and-drive-them-from-their-homes-but/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [Nobody asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns out that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/nobody-asks-to-be-a-hero-it-just-sometimes-turns-out-that-way/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/how-smooth-must-be-the-language-of-the-whites-when-they-can-make/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [The path to glory is rough, and many gloomy hours obscure it. May the Great Spirit shed light on your path, so that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/the-path-to-glory-is-rough-and-many-gloomy-hours-obscure-it-may-the/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said, 'I feel as if I have two wolves fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/a-native-american-grandfather-was-talking-to-his-grandson-about-how/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [When I get home and people ask me,'Hey, Hoot, why do you do it, man? What are you? Some kind of war junkie? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/when-i-get-home-and-people-ask-me-hey-hoot-why-do-you-do-it-man-what/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [ \[Black Hawk\] has fought for his countrymen, the squaws and papooses, against white men, who came year after year, to cheat them and take… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/black-hawk-has-fought-for-his-countrymen-the-squaws-and-papooses/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [If you treat a sick child as an adult and a sick adult as a child, it usually works out pretty well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/if-you-treat-a-sick-child-as-an-adult-and-a-sick-adult-as-a-child-it/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [I got my best foot forward onto greener grass, cause there ain't no future living in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/i-got-my-best-foot-forward-onto-greener-grass-cause-there-ain-t-no/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [“Bad and cruel as our people were treated by the whites, not one of them was hurt or molested by our band. (...) The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/bad-and-cruel-as-our-people-were-treated-by-the-whites-not-one-of/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) > [My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave it to his children to live upon. So long as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/my-reason-teaches-me-that-land-cannot-be-sold-the-great-spirit-gave/) [Black Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) [Explore all 12 Black Hawk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) [Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know, a friend of mine asked me before I got here... it was when we were all shipping out. He asked me, 'Why are you going to fight somebody else's war? What, do y'all think you're heroes?' I didn't know what to say at the time, but if he asked me again, I'd say no. I'd say there's no way in hell. Nobody asks to be a hero. It just sometimes turns out that way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Black Hawk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-before-i-got-here-it-was-when-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-before-i-got-here-it-was-when-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/black-hawk-36816_asks_you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-befor_2612059.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/black-hawk-36816_asks_you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-befor_2612059.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73f/black-hawk-36816_asks_you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-befor_2612059.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know, a friend of mine asked me before I got here... it was when we were all shipping out. He asked me…” — Black Hawk", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Black Hawk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-hawk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You know, a friend of mine...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-before-i-got-here-it-was-when-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-hawk/you-know-a-friend-of-mine-asked-me-before-i-got-here-it-was-when-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```