--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have gone forth from our shores…" description: "\"We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonde..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/colin-powell-691_afghanistan_we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repea_2424782.jpg" --- # We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the… ![“We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in.” quote by Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/colin-powell-691_afghanistan_we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repea_2424782.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/colin-powell-691_afghanistan_we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repea_2424782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/colin-powell-691_afghanistan_we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repea_2424782.jpg) > “We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in.” [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders send troops abroad, risking lives, yet often receive only basic support for the fallen. **In simple terms:** War sends people to danger, with minimal acknowledgment. Key Takeaway Recognize the cost of conflict. Themes military sacrifice politics Mood somber critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - deployment decisions - memorial services - policy debates - family coping Key Concepts ethics warfare Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do leaders have to families of fallen soldiers? - How can societies better honor sacrifices? A Different Perspective Political motives can obscure individual tragedies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Afghanistan Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan-wonderful-5334472/) [Last year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-year/) [Lost Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-lives-586060/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Repeatedly Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeatedly-years-3481776/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [Year Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-afghanistan-3442513/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repeatedly-over-the-last-hundred/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [“If you devote three to six hours of your time every day to practicing anything repeatedly, in the next five years, you will become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/if-you-devote-three-to-six-hours-of-your-time-every-day-to-practicing/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [As I've said repeatedly over the last few years, the war on coal was not a result of anything Congress passed; there was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/as-i-ve-said-repeatedly-over-the-last-few-years-the-war-on-coal-was/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Over this August district work period, like many of my colleagues, I spent a lot of time with the men and women in uniform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wamp/over-this-august-district-work-period-like-many-of-my-colleagues-i/) [Zach Wamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wamp/) > [No man is lost while he yet lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/no-man-is-lost-while-he-yet-lives/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [Hodgkin's is serious and I don't want to be dismissive about it, but there are people who have gone through much worse and lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delta-goodrem/hodgkin-s-is-serious-and-i-don-t-want-to-be-dismissive-about-it-but/) [Delta Goodrem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delta-goodrem/) > [Seventeen million people around the world lost their lives in the first world war, countless suffered and were marred for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-walter-steinmeier/seventeen-million-people-around-the-world-lost-their-lives-in-the/) [Frank-Walter Steinmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-walter-steinmeier/) > [U.S. lost many lives on 9-11-01; and Japan lost even more lives on 3-10-11. Add those dates together, & you get 12-21-2012.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/u-s-lost-many-lives-on-9-11-01-and-japan-lost-even-more-lives-on-3-10/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But later that day, the streets of Kweilin were strewn with newspapers reporting great Kuomintang victories, and on top of these papers, like fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/but-later-that-day-the-streets-of-kweilin-were-strewn-with-newspapers/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [Remembering servicemen and women who lost their lives for their country is not about you. It is not about your rights or what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/remembering-servicemen-and-women-who-lost-their-lives-for-their/) [Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/) > [Keep quiet no longer, we'll sing through the day. Of the lives that we've lost, and the lives we've reclaimed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rise-against/keep-quiet-no-longer-we-ll-sing-through-the-day-of-the-lives-that-we/) [Rise Against](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rise-against/) > [“We all deal with loss: jobs lost, loves lost, lives lost. The question is not whether these things will happen. They will, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/we-all-deal-with-loss-jobs-lost-loves-lost-lives-lost-the-question-is/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I think there's an incredible amount of people who know not only what we're feeling but know people who have lost their lives to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-gonzalez/i-think-there-s-an-incredible-amount-of-people-who-know-not-only-what/) [Emma Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-gonzalez/) > [A lot of people has lost their lives due to indiscipline on the roads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-kejriwal/a-lot-of-people-has-lost-their-lives-due-to-indiscipline-on-the-roads/) [Arvind Kejriwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-kejriwal/) > [World War One is an important part of Ireland's multi-layered history during which tens of thousands Irish people lost their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/world-war-one-is-an-important-part-of-ireland-s-multi-layered-history/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) ## More by Colin Powell > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Decision-making is lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/decision-making-is-lonely/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-purposes-of-the-united-states-should-not-be-doubted-the-security/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but the policies they will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-always-like-to-take-my-time-and-examine-the-two-candidates-see-not/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We can seldom get our children to do what we tell them, but they almost never fail to imitate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-can-seldom-get-our-children-to-do-what-we-tell-them-but-they/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/politics-is-not-bean-bags-it-s-serious-tough-stuff/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [There are no secrets to success: don't waste time looking for them, success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-are-no-secrets-to-success-don-t-waste-time-looking-for-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Be careful what you choose: You may get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/be-careful-what-you-choose-you-may-get-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) [Explore all 408 Colin Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [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/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colin Powell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repeatedly-over-the-last-hundred-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afghanistan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repeatedly-over-the-last-hundred-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/colin-powell-691_afghanistan_we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repea_2424782.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/colin-powell-691_afghanistan_we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repea_2424782.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/746/colin-powell-691_afghanistan_we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repea_2424782.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as…” — Colin Powell", "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": "Colin Powell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have gone forth from our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repeatedly-over-the-last-hundred-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repeatedly-over-the-last-hundred-2/#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 } } ] } ```