--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask…" description: "\"“War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. —ERNEST HEMINGWAY”\" — Harold G. Moore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/harold-g-moore-30794_war_war-is-a-crime-ask-the-infantry-and-ask_1407179.jpg" --- # War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. —ERNEST… ![“War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. —ERNEST HEMINGWAY” quote by Harold G. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/harold-g-moore-30794_war_war-is-a-crime-ask-the-infantry-and-ask_1407179.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/harold-g-moore-30794_war_war-is-a-crime-ask-the-infantry-and-ask_1407179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/harold-g-moore-30794_war_war-is-a-crime-ask-the-infantry-and-ask_1407179.jpg) > ““War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. —ERNEST HEMINGWAY”” [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. War is a profound crime, evident through the suffering of soldiers and the dead, demanding moral scrutiny. **In simple terms:** War causes deep suffering. Key Takeaway Question the morality of conflict. Themes war morality human cost Mood somber determined Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy debates - veteran support - peace education - memorials Key Concepts ethical responsibility military history Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to resolve conflict? - How can societies honor the fallen while preventing war? A Different Perspective National security concerns often justify war despite its horrors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [War is a crime. Ask the Infantry and ask the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/war-is-a-crime-ask-the-infantry-and-ask-the-dead/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As Ernest Hemingway wrote, 'Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. Ask the infantry and ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-flynn/as-ernest-hemingway-wrote-never-think-that-war-no-matter-how/) Christopher Flynn > [“It must be most dangerous then to be a man. It is indeed, madame, and but few survive it. ― Ernest Hemingway, Death in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-must-be-most-dangerous-then-to-be-a-man-it-is-indeed-madame-and/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“When George Plimpton asked Ernest Hemingway what the best training for an aspiring writer would be in a 1954 interview, Hem replied, “Let’s say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemingway-ernest-2/when-george-plimpton-asked-ernest-hemingway-what-the-best-training/) [Hemingway, Ernest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemingway-ernest-2/) > [I remember having to read 'The Old Man and the Sea,' and I didn't want to read it; I didn't want to like Ernest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dree-hemingway/i-remember-having-to-read-the-old-man-and-the-sea-and-i-didn-t-want/) [Dree Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dree-hemingway/) > [“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” ― Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway: A Literary Reference”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash/never-think-that-war-no-matter-how-necessary-nor-how-justified-is-not/) [Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash/) > [“I'm not a writer. Ernest Hemingway was a writer. I just have a vivid imagination and type 90 WPM.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-madison/i-m-not-a-writer-ernest-hemingway-was-a-writer-i-just-have-a-vivid/) [Tiffany Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-madison/) > [I'd say Ernest Hemingway would be a blast to get drunk with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beckett/i-d-say-ernest-hemingway-would-be-a-blast-to-get-drunk-with/) [William Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beckett/) > [“Redwing had read somewhere that one of his favourite writers, Ernest Hemingway, had been asked what was the best training for a novelist. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-benford/redwing-had-read-somewhere-that-one-of-his-favourite-writers-ernest/) [Gregory Benford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-benford/) > [It would be hard to exaggerate Ernest Hemingway's influence over American literature, but his influence on our lives is probably larger still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-phillips/it-would-be-hard-to-exaggerate-ernest-hemingway-s-influence-over/) [Arthur Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-phillips/) > [“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?” -Ernest Hemingway”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-bextor/i-love-sleep-my-life-has-the-tendency-to-fall-apart-when-i-m-awake/) [A.C. Bextor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-bextor/) > [I'm a fan of Ernest Hemingway work and specifically The Old Man and the Sea. I researched the relationship he had with the captain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-garcia/i-m-a-fan-of-ernest-hemingway-work-and-specifically-the-old-man-and/) [Andy Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-garcia/) > [The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” “Elton John?” “Close. Ernest Hemingway. In his own way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/the-best-way-to-find-out-if-you-can-trust-somebody-is-to-trust-them/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [Helpful to me over the years was some of Ernest Hemingway's writing, for example A Farewell to Arms. You have characters who speak Italian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-penkov/helpful-to-me-over-the-years-was-some-of-ernest-hemingway-s-writing/) [Miroslav Penkov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-penkov/) > [Ernest Hemingway was always uneasy in New York and liked being there less than in any other city he frequented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-hotchner/ernest-hemingway-was-always-uneasy-in-new-york-and-liked-being-there/) [A. E. Hotchner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-hotchner/) ## 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/) > [“James A. Mullartey from our 1st Platoon made it back to our lines. His story: The NVA had been shooting our wounded. One came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-g-moore/james-a-mullartey-from-our-1st-platoon-made-it-back-to-our-lines-his/) [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/) > [“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 Hemingway quotes > [“Do you read them? Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald?" "Only if I have to. I try to avoid old dead white men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/do-you-read-them-faulkner-hemingway-fitzgerald-only-if-i-have-to-i/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Hemingway said the only way to write about a place is to leave it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/hemingway-said-the-only-way-to-write-about-a-place-is-to-leave-it/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [The key for me with historical characters is they're interesting because they're human beings. A little bit of Hemingway goes a long way here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/the-key-for-me-with-historical-characters-is-they-re-interesting/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [“But writers and their woes: they couldn't be parted. Not for anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wood/but-writers-and-their-woes-they-couldn-t-be-parted-not-for-anything/) Naomi Wood > [Hemingway sucks. If I set out to write that way, it would have been been hollow and lifeless because it wasn't me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/hemingway-sucks-if-i-set-out-to-write-that-way-it-would-have-been/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“All right, said Nick. Let's get drunk. All right, Bill said. Let's get really drunk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/all-right-said-nick-let-s-get-drunk-all-right-bill-said-let-s-get/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Ernest Hemingway was always uneasy in New York and liked being there less than in any other city he frequented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-hotchner/ernest-hemingway-was-always-uneasy-in-new-york-and-liked-being-there/) [A. E. Hotchner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-hotchner/) > [Helpful to me over the years was some of Ernest Hemingway's writing, for example A Farewell to Arms. You have characters who speak Italian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-penkov/helpful-to-me-over-the-years-was-some-of-ernest-hemingway-s-writing/) [Miroslav Penkov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-penkov/) > [“The Purdey was not a Purdey but a straight-stocked long-barreled Scott live-pigeon full choke in both barrels thai I had bought from a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-purdey-was-not-a-purdey-but-a-straight-stocked-long-barreled/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I was writing novels in high school and apprenticed myself in a way both to Faulkner and to Hemingway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-was-writing-novels-in-high-school-and-apprenticed-myself-in-a-way/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did I know him? Did I love him? You ask me that? I knew him like you know nobody in the world, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/did-i-know-him-did-i-love-him-you-ask-me-that-i-knew-him-like-you/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The priest was good but dull. The officers were not good but dull. The King was good but dull. The wine was bad but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-priest-was-good-but-dull-the-officers-were-not-good-but-dull-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“We knew what we had and what it meant, and though so much had happened since for both of us, there was nothing like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/we-knew-what-we-had-and-what-it-meant-and-though-so-much-had-happened/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [I don't think I have even achieved fame. Of course, Hemingway says that fame is death's little sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-don-t-think-i-have-even-achieved-fame-of-course-hemingway-says-that/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [Wanted to write fiction since I was 11, since I first read 'In Our Time' by Hemingway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-heller/wanted-to-write-fiction-since-i-was-11-since-i-first-read-in-our-time/) [Peter Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-heller/) Browse all 244 Hemingway quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. —ERNEST HEMINGWAY”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harold G. 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