--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: James A. Mullartey from our 1st Platoon…" description: "\"“James A. Mullartey from our 1st Platoon made it back to our lines. His story: The NVA had been shooting our wounded. One came up to him, stuck a pisto..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/harold-g-moore-30794_platoon_james-a-mullartey-from-our-1st-platoon-m_154243.jpg" --- # James A. Mullartey from our 1st Platoon made it back to… ![“James A. Mullartey from our 1st Platoon made it back to our lines. His story: The NVA had been shooting our wounded. One came up to him, stuck a pistol in his mouth, and fired. The bullet exited the back of his throat, knocked him out and they left him for dead. He survived and when he woke up at…” quote by Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/harold-g-moore-30794_platoon_james-a-mullartey-from-our-1st-platoon-m_154243.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/harold-g-moore-30794_platoon_james-a-mullartey-from-our-1st-platoon-m_154243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/harold-g-moore-30794_platoon_james-a-mullartey-from-our-1st-platoon-m_154243.jpg) > ““James A. Mullartey from our 1st Platoon made it back to our lines. His story: The NVA had been shooting our wounded. One came up to him, stuck a pistol in his mouth, and fired. The bullet exited the back of his throat, knocked him out and they left him for dead. He survived and when he woke up at night he started crawling to us.”” [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) ## 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’s survival against extreme odds illustrates resilience and the will to live despite severe injury. **In simple terms:** Survival shows human resilience. Key Takeaway Never give up, even when wounded. Themes resilience survival war courage hope Mood inspirational somber Type historical reflective When to use this quote - battlefields - recovery periods - medical evacuation Key Concepts human endurance combat trauma Questions to Reflect On - What mental strategies aid recovery? - How can we support veterans after injury? A Different Perspective Survival stories may glorify war trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1St Platoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1st-platoon-1708321/) [Nva Shooting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nva-shooting-1708319/) [Platoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platoon/) [Story Nva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-nva-1708320/) [Wounded Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounded-came-1708322/) ## Related quotes > [“We all grieve in our own ways,” Avasarala said. “For what it’s worth, you’ll never kill enough people to keep your platoon from dying.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/we-all-grieve-in-our-own-ways-avasarala-said-for-what-it-s-worth-you/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [I have seen competent leaders who stood in front of a platoon and all they saw was a platoon. But great leaders stand in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-schwarzkopf/i-have-seen-competent-leaders-who-stood-in-front-of-a-platoon-and-all/) [Norman Schwarzkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-schwarzkopf/) > [As for those deserters, malcontents, radicals, incendiaries, the civil and uncivil disobedients among the young, SDS, PLP, Weathermen I and Weathermen II, the revolutionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiro-t-agnew/as-for-those-deserters-malcontents-radicals-incendiaries-the-civil/) [Spiro T. Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiro-t-agnew/) > [I questioned everything. I didn't see a character developed in Platoon at all. The character in Blue Velvet was much more fascinating to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-maclachlan/i-questioned-everything-i-didn-t-see-a-character-developed-in-platoon/) [Kyle MacLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-maclachlan/) > [“I had just drifted off to sleep when Jerry woke me up. “Hey, we’re going to take the Humvee and pick up the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/i-had-just-drifted-off-to-sleep-when-jerry-woke-me-up-hey-we-re-going/) [Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/) > [Rough Riders took 13 weeks to shoot, plus a week of training. The same guy trained us trained the cast in Platoon. Except, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/rough-riders-took-13-weeks-to-shoot-plus-a-week-of-training-the-same/) [Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/) > [“Thomas looked around and tried not to let his duty turn him bitter. These were good men, and he would not leave them behind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-fortunato/thomas-looked-around-and-tried-not-to-let-his-duty-turn-him-bitter/) [Jessica Fortunato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-fortunato/) > [Before serving in Congress, I was an infantry platoon commander in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/before-serving-in-congress-i-was-an-infantry-platoon-commander-in/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [When I commanded infantry in Afghanistan, our K9 dog was an important member of the platoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/when-i-commanded-infantry-in-afghanistan-our-k9-dog-was-an-important/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [I've done about six comedies. Oddly enough, the script came to me from one of the guys in Platoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/i-ve-done-about-six-comedies-oddly-enough-the-script-came-to-me-from/) [Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/) > [I'm very proud of 'Platoon,' but at the end of it I was done. I was done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/i-m-very-proud-of-platoon-but-at-the-end-of-it-i-was-done-i-was-done/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) > [The only kind of movement you could make in the Navy was to be a platoon leader or one of those kinds of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-evans/the-only-kind-of-movement-you-could-make-in-the-navy-was-to-be-a/) [Daniel J. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-evans/) > [I think as a rifle platoon and company commander your view is about 1,000 meters in front of you and you hope you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-think-as-a-rifle-platoon-and-company-commander-your-view-is-about-1/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [Although 'The Anderson Platoon' was what we would now call an 'embedded film' - with all the ambiguities that term implies - somehow Schoendoerffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/although-the-anderson-platoon-was-what-we-would-now-call-an-embedded/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [On 'Platoon' I was offered in 1984 a very tiny part that Ivan Kane would go on to play. Then the financing fell out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/on-platoon-i-was-offered-in-1984-a-very-tiny-part-that-ivan-kane/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) ## More by Harold G. Moore > [“There is no glory in war—only good men dying terrible deaths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/there-is-no-glory-in-war-only-good-men-dying-terrible-deaths/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“In the words of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant: “There never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/in-the-words-of-gen-ulysses-s-grant-there-never-was-a-time-when-in-my/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“War is absolutely the last card any national leader should play, and only when every other alternative has been exhausted. If the hand was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/war-is-absolutely-the-last-card-any-national-leader-should-play-and/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“There is no such thing as closure for soldiers who have survived a war. They have an obligation, a sacred duty, to remember those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/there-is-no-such-thing-as-closure-for-soldiers-who-have-survived-a/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. —ERNEST HEMINGWAY”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/war-is-a-crime-ask-the-infantry-and-ask-the-dead-ernest-hemingway/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“May God bless and keep all soldiers, young and old, and may that same God open the eyes of all political leaders to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/may-god-bless-and-keep-all-soldiers-young-and-old-and-may-that-same/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“There’s never been a noble war except in the history books and propaganda movies. It’s a bloody, dirty, cruel, costly mistake in almost every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/there-s-never-been-a-noble-war-except-in-the-history-books-and/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“(1) He must be competent, (2) he must exercise good judgment, and (3) he must have character. By itself, competence is meaningless without character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/1-he-must-be-competent-2-he-must-exercise-good-judgment-and-3-he-must/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“Then it came across the radio: Bravo Company had found one other survivor from our 2nd Platoon. He had been badly wounded in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/then-it-came-across-the-radio-bravo-company-had-found-one-other/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell. —WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/there-is-many-a-boy-here-today-who-looks-on-war-as-all-glory-but-boys-3/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“Never say no to yourself. Make the other guy say no.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/never-say-no-to-yourself-make-the-other-guy-say-no/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“Many of our countrymen came to hate the war we fought. Those who hated it the most—the professionally sensitive—were not, in the end, sensitive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/many-of-our-countrymen-came-to-hate-the-war-we-fought-those-who-hated/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“this act is engraved in my mind deeper than any other experience in my two tours in Vietnam. A huge black enlisted man, clad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/this-act-is-engraved-in-my-mind-deeper-than-any-other-experience-in/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“A good wife is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/a-good-wife-is-far-more-precious-than-jewels-the-heart-of-her-husband/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) > [“These times, indeed all times, demand national political leaders who know not only our history but the history of the world and its nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/these-times-indeed-all-times-demand-national-political-leaders-who/) [Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) [Explore all 17 Harold G. Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-g-moore/) ## More Platoon quotes > [“We all grieve in our own ways,” Avasarala said. “For what it’s worth, you’ll never kill enough people to keep your platoon from dying.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/we-all-grieve-in-our-own-ways-avasarala-said-for-what-it-s-worth-you/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [Although 'The Anderson Platoon' was what we would now call an 'embedded film' - with all the ambiguities that term implies - somehow Schoendoerffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/although-the-anderson-platoon-was-what-we-would-now-call-an-embedded/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I think as a rifle platoon and company commander your view is about 1,000 meters in front of you and you hope you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-think-as-a-rifle-platoon-and-company-commander-your-view-is-about-1/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [The only kind of movement you could make in the Navy was to be a platoon leader or one of those kinds of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-evans/the-only-kind-of-movement-you-could-make-in-the-navy-was-to-be-a/) [Daniel J. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-evans/) > [I'm very proud of 'Platoon,' but at the end of it I was done. I was done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/i-m-very-proud-of-platoon-but-at-the-end-of-it-i-was-done-i-was-done/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) > [I've done about six comedies. Oddly enough, the script came to me from one of the guys in Platoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/i-ve-done-about-six-comedies-oddly-enough-the-script-came-to-me-from/) [Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/) > [When I commanded infantry in Afghanistan, our K9 dog was an important member of the platoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/when-i-commanded-infantry-in-afghanistan-our-k9-dog-was-an-important/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Before serving in Congress, I was an infantry platoon commander in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/before-serving-in-congress-i-was-an-infantry-platoon-commander-in/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [“Thomas looked around and tried not to let his duty turn him bitter. These were good men, and he would not leave them behind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-fortunato/thomas-looked-around-and-tried-not-to-let-his-duty-turn-him-bitter/) [Jessica Fortunato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-fortunato/) > [Rough Riders took 13 weeks to shoot, plus a week of training. The same guy trained us trained the cast in Platoon. Except, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/rough-riders-took-13-weeks-to-shoot-plus-a-week-of-training-the-same/) [Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/) > [“I had just drifted off to sleep when Jerry woke me up. “Hey, we’re going to take the Humvee and pick up the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/i-had-just-drifted-off-to-sleep-when-jerry-woke-me-up-hey-we-re-going/) [Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/) > [I questioned everything. I didn't see a character developed in Platoon at all. The character in Blue Velvet was much more fascinating to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-maclachlan/i-questioned-everything-i-didn-t-see-a-character-developed-in-platoon/) [Kyle MacLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-maclachlan/) > [As for those deserters, malcontents, radicals, incendiaries, the civil and uncivil disobedients among the young, SDS, PLP, Weathermen I and Weathermen II, the revolutionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiro-t-agnew/as-for-those-deserters-malcontents-radicals-incendiaries-the-civil/) [Spiro T. Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiro-t-agnew/) > [I have seen competent leaders who stood in front of a platoon and all they saw was a platoon. But great leaders stand in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-schwarzkopf/i-have-seen-competent-leaders-who-stood-in-front-of-a-platoon-and-all/) [Norman Schwarzkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-schwarzkopf/) > [On 'Platoon' I was offered in 1984 a very tiny part that Ivan Kane would go on to play. Then the financing fell out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/on-platoon-i-was-offered-in-1984-a-very-tiny-part-that-ivan-kane/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) [Browse all 22 Platoon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platoon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“James A. Mullartey from our 1st Platoon made it back to our lines. His story: The NVA had been shooting our wounded. One came up to him, stuck a pistol in his mouth, and fired. The bullet exited the back of his throat, knocked him out and they left him for dead. 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