---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are no war stories. I ended up a…"
description: "\"There are no war stories. I ended up a bombardier, but I never got overseas. And it wasn't because I was playing baseball either. It was just a series ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a08/bobby-thomson-55388_baseball_there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bo_515293.jpg"
---

#  There are no war stories. I ended up a bombardier, but I…

![“There are no war stories. I ended up a bombardier, but I never got overseas. And it wasn't because I was playing baseball either. It was just a series of things that went on.” quote by Bobby Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a08/bobby-thomson-55388_baseball_there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bo_515293.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a08/bobby-thomson-55388_baseball_there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bo_515293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a08/bobby-thomson-55388_baseball_there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bo_515293.jpg)

> “There are no war stories. I ended up a bombardier, but I never got overseas. And it wasn't because I was playing baseball either. It was just a series of things that went on.”

[Bobby Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker highlights the paradox of being a bombardier without overseas combat, emphasizing unexpected life paths.

**In simple terms:** Bombardier never saw combat, showing life's twists.

Key Takeaway

Embrace unexpected outcomes.

Themes

war identity chance career reflection

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

personal historical

When to use this quote

- military training
- career decisions
- historical research
- personal storytelling

Key Concepts

Fate military service personal narrative

Questions to Reflect On

- How did this shape his view of war?
- What does this say about fate?

A Different Perspective

Limited context may obscure full story.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Bombardier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombardier-2232171/) [Ended Bombardier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ended-bombardier-4358602/) [Got Overseas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-overseas-4358600/) [Overseas Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overseas-wasn-4358601/) [Playing baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-baseball/) [Series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/series/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-stories/)

## Related quotes

> [“People today do not know the difference between a bombardier and a brigadier”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-holmes/people-today-do-not-know-the-difference-between-a-bombardier-and-a/)

[Richard Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-holmes/)

> [“Help him! Help who? Help the bombardier! I’m a bombardier. Help him, help him! Help who?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/help-him-help-who-help-the-bombardier-i-m-a-bombardier-help-him-help/)

[Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/)

> [Explicit knowledge, conventionally delivered like pizza (neat boxes with toppings of concepts, theories, best practices and war stories), is consumed by the brain but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pascale/explicit-knowledge-conventionally-delivered-like-pizza-neat-boxes/)

[Richard Pascale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pascale/)

> [“Sometimes a soldier returns home and all he can do is share his story in the hopes that somehow, in some way, it helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-anthony/sometimes-a-soldier-returns-home-and-all-he-can-do-is-share-his-story/)

[Michael Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-anthony/)

> [War is, after all, the universal perversion ... war stories, the pornography of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rae/war-is-after-all-the-universal-perversion-war-stories-the-pornography/)

[John Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rae/)

> [We have been telling and hearing and reading war stories for millennia. Their endurance may lie in their impossibility; they can never be complete,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-gilpin-faust/we-have-been-telling-and-hearing-and-reading-war-stories-for/)

[Drew Gilpin Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-gilpin-faust/)

> [If you go into a comic book store, there are tons of Star Wars stories on the stand. There are lots of different stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/if-you-go-into-a-comic-book-store-there-are-tons-of-star-wars-stories/)

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/)

> [I hang out with my dad mostly, my dad was in the military. He's at that age now where his war stories and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/i-hang-out-with-my-dad-mostly-my-dad-was-in-the-military-he-s-at-that/)

[Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/)

> [A true war story is never moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/a-true-war-story-is-never-moral/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [I'm a veteran, and I come from a family of veterans and people who served in that war. And the stories that I heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ayer/i-m-a-veteran-and-i-come-from-a-family-of-veterans-and-people-who/)

[David Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ayer/)

> [“To My Children, I'm dedicating my little story to you; doubtless you will be among the very few who will ever read it. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-serling/to-my-children-i-m-dedicating-my-little-story-to-you-doubtless-you/)

[Rod Serling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-serling/)

> [I'm halfway through a novel set in two time frames - Austin in the 1960's and Alpine (Texas) in present day. It started out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/i-m-halfway-through-a-novel-set-in-two-time-frames-austin-in-the-1960/)

[Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/)

> [“I would wish this book could take the form of a plea for everlasting peace, a plea from one who knows... Or it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/i-would-wish-this-book-could-take-the-form-of-a-plea-for-everlasting/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [I grew up reading Tolkien, and I love him. But I love him in the way that you love that rambly old grandfather. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-grew-up-reading-tolkien-and-i-love-him-but-i-love-him-in-the-way/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I never wanted to do anything else but fight, when I was a kid. I never had any broader perspective of my own perspective.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-never-wanted-to-do-anything-else-but-fight-when-i-was-a-kid-i-never/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

## More by Bobby Thomson

> [It was a pretty fierce rivalry. I'm just speaking for myself, but I think it was general through the clubs. We didn't like them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/it-was-a-pretty-fierce-rivalry-i-m-just-speaking-for-myself-but-i/)

[Bobby Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/)

> [I'd get 3-4 cheap home runs every year. You know, little 'wood shots' down either line. They would be pop flies in any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/i-d-get-3-4-cheap-home-runs-every-year-you-know-little-wood-shots/)

[Bobby Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/)

> [I went into the Air Corps from 1943 through 1945.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/i-went-into-the-air-corps-from-1943-through-1945/)

[Bobby Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/)

> [In New York, after that famous home run, they expected me to be up there every year. That homer raised me to a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/in-new-york-after-that-famous-home-run-they-expected-me-to-be-up/)

[Bobby Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/)

> [When he asked if I would like to try second base, I thought, Hey, get me in the lineup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/when-he-asked-if-i-would-like-to-try-second-base-i-thought-hey-get-me/)

[Bobby Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/)

[Explore all 6 Bobby Thomson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/)

## More Baseball quotes

> [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/)

[Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/)

> [When you're in the middle of a pennant race, you can't go up there thinking about home runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-pennant-race-you-can-t-go-up-there/)

[Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/)

[Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/)

> [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/)

[Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/)

> [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/)

[Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/)

> [I don't want the electronic strike zone. I like the element of sometimes pitches don't get called. Guys don't receive it well or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-don-t-want-the-electronic-strike-zone-i-like-the-element-of/)

[Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/)

> [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH to the National League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brett/if-i-was-going-to-make-one-rule-change-i-would-bring-the-dh-to-the/)

[George Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brett/)

> [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/)

[Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/)

> [I'll tell you what's helped me my entire life. I look at baseball as a game. It's something where people can go out, enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-caray/i-ll-tell-you-what-s-helped-me-my-entire-life-i-look-at-baseball-as-a/)

[Harry Caray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-caray/)

> [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/)

[Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/)

> [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray &amp; Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/)

[Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/)

> [“I can buy baseball cards to view an entire career on the back of a little square of cardboard. But nobody sells major league…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg-jr/i-can-buy-baseball-cards-to-view-an-entire-career-on-the-back-of-a/)

[John Ortberg Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg-jr/)

> [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/)

[Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/)

[Browse all 7,461 Baseball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There are no war stories. I ended up a bombardier, but I never got overseas. And it wasn't because I was playing baseball either. It was just a series of things that went on.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bobby Thomson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bombardier-but-i-never-got/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Baseball"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bombardier-but-i-never-got/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a08/bobby-thomson-55388_baseball_there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bo_515293.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a08/bobby-thomson-55388_baseball_there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bo_515293.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a08/bobby-thomson-55388_baseball_there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bo_515293.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are no war stories. I ended up a bombardier, but I never got overseas. And it wasn't because I was…” — Bobby Thomson",
                "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": "Bobby Thomson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-thomson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There are no war stories. I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bombardier-but-i-never-got/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-thomson/there-are-no-war-stories-i-ended-up-a-bombardier-but-i-never-got/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
