--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From Day One, I've told [my troops] that…" description: "\"From Day One, I've told [my troops] that killing is not wrong if it's for a purpose, if it's to keep your nation free or protect your buddy, one of the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/douglas-a-zembiec-76967_buddy_from-day-one-i-ve-told-my-troops-that-ki_1929996.jpg" --- # From Day One, I've told \[my troops\] that killing is not… ![“From Day One, I've told [my troops] that killing is not wrong if it's for a purpose, if it's to keep your nation free or protect your buddy, one of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy.” quote by Douglas A. Zembiec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/douglas-a-zembiec-76967_buddy_from-day-one-i-ve-told-my-troops-that-ki_1929996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/douglas-a-zembiec-76967_buddy_from-day-one-i-ve-told-my-troops-that-ki_1929996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/douglas-a-zembiec-76967_buddy_from-day-one-i-ve-told-my-troops-that-ki_1929996.jpg) > “From Day One, I've told \[my troops\] that killing is not wrong if it's for a purpose, if it's to keep your nation free or protect your buddy, one of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy.” Douglas A. Zembiec ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Killing can be morally justified when protecting freedom or comrades; duty frames ethics. **In simple terms:** War kills for a cause. Key Takeaway Consider purpose before action. Themes ethics duty war leadership Mood serious somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - military decision‑making - law enforcement - emergency response - political conflict Key Concepts just war theory moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What defines a just cause? - How do you reconcile personal morals with orders? A Different Perspective Moral justification may be contested by civilians. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Troops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troops/) ## Related quotes > [One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-a-zembiec/one-of-the-most-noble-things-you-can-do-is-kill-the-enemy/) Douglas A. Zembiec > [Killing is right or killing is wrong at the end of the day are we not but the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-salameh/killing-is-right-or-killing-is-wrong-at-the-end-of-the-day-are-we-not/) [Tony Salameh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-salameh/) > [This is our message - killing is wrong. Mass killing is wrong. Threatening mass destruction is a denial of our own humanity and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-zelter/this-is-our-message-killing-is-wrong-mass-killing-is-wrong/) Angie Zelter > [I got out of the elevator and confronted Mr. Wexler. “Killing is wrong.” “We kill chickens,” Mr. Wexler said. “We kill cows. We kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-got-out-of-the-elevator-and-confronted-mr-wexler-killing-is-wrong/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Killing is always wrong, even governments are not exceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijayashanti/killing-is-always-wrong-even-governments-are-not-exceptions/) [Vijayashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijayashanti/) > [You needn't take it any further, sir. You've proved to me that all this ultraviolence and killing is wrong, wrong, and terribly wrong. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/you-needn-t-take-it-any-further-sir-you-ve-proved-to-me-that-all-this/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Murder is only killing in the wrong place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/murder-is-only-killing-in-the-wrong-place/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [Judicial execution can never cancel or remove the atrocity it seeks to punish; it can only add a second atrocity to the original one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auberon-waugh/judicial-execution-can-never-cancel-or-remove-the-atrocity-it-seeks/) [Auberon Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auberon-waugh/) > [Kill every enemy twice, Wilky said. Better than gettin' shot by a soldier pretending to be dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/kill-every-enemy-twice-wilky-said-better-than-gettin-shot-by-a/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [“Why is it considered so glorious to kill an enemy, when it is not considered contemptible to create one?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-e-g-nydam/why-is-it-considered-so-glorious-to-kill-an-enemy-when-it-is-not/) Anne E.G. Nydam > [I don't have to psych myself up, or do something special mentally - I look through the scope, get my target in the cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/i-don-t-have-to-psych-myself-up-or-do-something-special-mentally-i/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [To Kill An Enemy You Required A Sword Or A Gun But To Kill A Loved One Just Being Silent Is Enough Remember !!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-kill-an-enemy-you-required-a-sword-or-a-gun-but-to-kill-a-loved/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To kill your enemy is not a victory; but to make your enemy your friend that is a victory!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/to-kill-your-enemy-is-not-a-victory-but-to-make-your-enemy-your/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [To kill a enemy, you make them your friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-williams/to-kill-a-enemy-you-make-them-your-friend/) [Jade Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-williams/) > [Whoever has his foe at his mercy, and does not kill him, is his own enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-has-his-foe-at-his-mercy-and-does-not-kill-him-is-his-own/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Douglas A. Zembiec > [One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-a-zembiec/one-of-the-most-noble-things-you-can-do-is-kill-the-enemy/) Douglas A. Zembiec > [Never forget those who were killed. Never let rest those who killed them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-a-zembiec/never-forget-those-who-were-killed-never-let-rest-those-who-killed/) Douglas A. Zembiec Explore all 3 Douglas A. Zembiec quotes ## More Buddy quotes > [I talk to my dad all the time, he's more like my buddy than my father, and he's not happy that I use him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-spade/i-talk-to-my-dad-all-the-time-he-s-more-like-my-buddy-than-my-father/) [David Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-spade/) > [“Now I had a mate and a pal. All I needed to complete the Kat Friendship Club was a buddy!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-whyte/now-i-had-a-mate-and-a-pal-all-i-needed-to-complete-the-kat/) June Whyte > [You shouldn't even be in a band if you can't play Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/you-shouldn-t-even-be-in-a-band-if-you-can-t-play-buddy-holly-s-not/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I have a band that I started with a buddy of mine, a Vietnam veteran pal named Kimo Williams from Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-have-a-band-that-i-started-with-a-buddy-of-mine-a-vietnam-veteran/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Even to the sage who's doing Sahaja Samadhi, the great guru, I'd say: "Hey buddy, you know, I like the robes and everything, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/even-to-the-sage-who-s-doing-sahaja-samadhi-the-great-guru-i-d-say/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The first time I played golf was in Flushing Meadows, Queens, when I was about 16 or 17. They had an 18-hole pitch-and-putt. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/the-first-time-i-played-golf-was-in-flushing-meadows-queens-when-i/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) > [What I've found is that a lot of soldiers are surprisingly apolitical. Their reality is, "Today I'm going to leave the gate for twelve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/what-i-ve-found-is-that-a-lot-of-soldiers-are-surprisingly-apolitical/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [From, someone who loves you beyond boundaries …A Journey With My Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luckybannu/from-someone-who-loves-you-beyond-boundaries-a-journey-with-my-girl/) Luckybannu > [They used to be buddies, I thought, they used to be friends, and now they hate each other because one has to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-used-to-be-buddies-i-thought-they-used-to-be-friends-and-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hey Buddy Anyone Going on with me, the later do not tell me that some of I'm does not share with someone, I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/hey-buddy-anyone-going-on-with-me-the-later-do-not-tell-me-that-some/) Mak\_786 > [With these Funny or Die videos, I do everything for them. I write them, act in them, and co-direct them with my buddy Brian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/with-these-funny-or-die-videos-i-do-everything-for-them-i-write-them/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [The part of football you don't see with all the buddies I ever had, we might have gone out and thrown some passes, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-jones/the-part-of-football-you-don-t-see-with-all-the-buddies-i-ever-had-we/) [Jerry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-jones/) > [In school, I didn't speak up often in class. I was never the person to yell out an answer. If I knew it, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyle-lovett/in-school-i-didn-t-speak-up-often-in-class-i-was-never-the-person-to/) [Lyle Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyle-lovett/) Browse all 536 Buddy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "From Day One, I've told [my troops] that killing is not wrong if it's for a purpose, if it's to keep your nation free or protect your buddy, one of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas A. 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