--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was our first real look, up close…" description: "\"“That was our first real look, up close, at the war. Seeing blood and wounds like that hit hard and put pictures in our heads of what combat was really..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jim-proser-38118_war_that-was-our-first-real-look-up-close-at_1370140.jpg" --- # That was our first real look, up close, at the war. Seeing… ![“That was our first real look, up close, at the war. Seeing blood and wounds like that hit hard and put pictures in our heads of what combat was really going to be like. You think you can perform when it counts but then you see wounds like that, for a second, you’re not so sure. You start to wonder…” quote by Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jim-proser-38118_war_that-was-our-first-real-look-up-close-at_1370140.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jim-proser-38118_war_that-was-our-first-real-look-up-close-at_1370140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/jim-proser-38118_war_that-was-our-first-real-look-up-close-at_1370140.jpg) > ““That was our first real look, up close, at the war. Seeing blood and wounds like that hit hard and put pictures in our heads of what combat was really going to be like. You think you can perform when it counts but then you see wounds like that, for a second, you’re not so sure. You start to wonder what you’ve really got inside.”” [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing battlefield injuries shatters confidence, revealing the true cost of combat **In simple terms:** Combat reality can undermine confidence and provoke doubt Key Takeaway Acknowledge fear and seek support after trauma Themes war psychology confidence Mood somber introspective Type testimonial cautionary When to use this quote - military training - combat missions - post‑deployment counseling Key Concepts trauma resilience performance anxiety Questions to Reflect On - What coping strategies help maintain composure? - How can leaders prepare troops for psychological shock? A Different Perspective Confidence can be fragile when faced with graphic reality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blood Wounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood-wounds-1679124/) [Counts Wounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counts-wounds-4715977/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Seeing Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeing-blood-3990592/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Seeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-seeing-1351817/) [Wounds Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounds-like-899062/) ## Related quotes > [“room. “Glad to see you’re awake,” he said. “I was starting to think it was foolish to try and heal you without using blood—with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-ward/room-glad-to-see-you-re-awake-he-said-i-was-starting-to-think-it-was/) [H.M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-ward/) > [“I wanted to leave the whole war behind me, and yet I was seeing something on that battlefield that demanded commemoration. It was unholy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hicks/i-wanted-to-leave-the-whole-war-behind-me-and-yet-i-was-seeing/) [Robert Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hicks/) > [I'm a teen boy, so I like seeing blood and guts. I know it's fake, but I'm having fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandler-riggs/i-m-a-teen-boy-so-i-like-seeing-blood-and-guts-i-know-it-s-fake-but-i/) [Chandler Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandler-riggs/) > [“When borders are drawn in blood, the wounds never truly heal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dipti-dhakul/when-borders-are-drawn-in-blood-the-wounds-never-truly-heal/) [Dipti Dhakul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dipti-dhakul/) > [I always do makeup touch-ups myself, especially for blood, wounds, and dirt. It saves so much time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/i-always-do-makeup-touch-ups-myself-especially-for-blood-wounds-and/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [“Always one of the trials of a new wound: old wounds like to rise up and start hurting again, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/always-one-of-the-trials-of-a-new-wound-old-wounds-like-to-rise-up/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [“She just wanted to be left alone to lick her wounds, like a puppy that had been kicked repeatedly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/she-just-wanted-to-be-left-alone-to-lick-her-wounds-like-a-puppy-that/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [“Neither of them had learned, after two divorces, that people can’t be applied to wounds like gauze.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-yant/neither-of-them-had-learned-after-two-divorces-that-people-can-t-be/) [Christie Yant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-yant/) > [Wounds are like water set to boil – they heal best left unwatched...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/wounds-are-like-water-set-to-boil-they-heal-best-left-unwatched/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“In my opinion, wounds are like water boiled--they heal best left unwatched.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/in-my-opinion-wounds-are-like-water-boiled-they-heal-best-left/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“Some of us walk about with the burden of old wounds. What must it be like to have the burden of…healing?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-long/some-of-us-walk-about-with-the-burden-of-old-wounds-what-must-it-be/) [Julie Anne Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-long/) > [“Wounds like that... wounds to the heart... they leave ugly scars that never fade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-aurora/wounds-like-that-wounds-to-the-heart-they-leave-ugly-scars-that-never/) [Belle Aurora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-aurora/) > [“Who knew there were still people like that in this world, though? Everybody wants to talk about themselves, and everybody wants to hear everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/who-knew-there-were-still-people-like-that-in-this-world-though/) [Ryu Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“Patrick's entire front torso was covered with gruesome stab wounds. Like he'd been run through again and again with a sharp knife - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-rothenberg/patrick-s-entire-front-torso-was-covered-with-gruesome-stab-wounds/) [Jess Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-rothenberg/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) ## More by Jim Proser > [“I was a specialist machine gunner so I had the privilege of humping a Browning water cooled over ten miles of jungle trails and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/i-was-a-specialist-machine-gunner-so-i-had-the-privilege-of-humping-a/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“There are many qualities in a man, but one that is absolutely necessary in an infantry leader is stark courage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/there-are-many-qualities-in-a-man-but-one-that-is-absolutely/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“Everybody hit the deck except for Chesty. It took him a few seconds to figure out nobody was shooting but us. He calmly walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/everybody-hit-the-deck-except-for-chesty-it-took-him-a-few-seconds-to/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“Anybody who has a feel for automatic weapons knows what I mean. You don’t want to be on the wrong side of a poontang-crazed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/anybody-who-has-a-feel-for-automatic-weapons-knows-what-i-mean-you/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“Letters found on the Japanese dead in the crater described us as monsters. “The Americans on this island are not ordinary troops, but Marines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/letters-found-on-the-japanese-dead-in-the-crater-described-us-as/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“the CO came in. I made a move. “At ease,” he said. “Basilone, you are a bastard breaker of hearts and killer of men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/the-co-came-in-i-made-a-move-at-ease-he-said-basilone-you-are-a/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“Death is lighter than a feather but duty is weightier than a mountain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/death-is-lighter-than-a-feather-but-duty-is-weightier-than-a-mountain/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“Right off I got to like the idea that Marines weren’t big on griping about every little thing like some Joes in the Army…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/right-off-i-got-to-like-the-idea-that-marines-weren-t-big-on-griping/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“They sucked it up and believed they were ready. They weren’t. What can I tell you about these young guys standing out on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/they-sucked-it-up-and-believed-they-were-ready-they-weren-t-what-can/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“They weren’t even men anymore. They were dumb animals who wanted me dead and had killed all my friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/they-weren-t-even-men-anymore-they-were-dumb-animals-who-wanted-me/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) > [“Sgt. Basilone in his personal humility and unwavering dedication to the men who served with him, became a true hero of the American people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-proser/sgt-basilone-in-his-personal-humility-and-unwavering-dedication-to/) [Jim Proser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) [Explore all 12 Jim Proser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-proser/) ## More Peace quotes > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. 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A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [“There is no fortune greater than peace; there is no force greater than peace; there is no excellent tapas greater than peace; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muruganar/there-is-no-fortune-greater-than-peace-there-is-no-force-greater-than/) [Muruganar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muruganar/) > [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,655 Peace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That was our first real look, up close, at the war. Seeing blood and wounds like that hit hard and put pictures in our heads of what combat was really going to be like. You think you can perform when it counts but then you see wounds like that, for a second, you’re not so sure. 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