--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, when I joined the Navy and…" description: "\"Of course, when I joined the Navy and when I took up the correspondence course in cryptography, I had to sign an oath that I would never reveal what so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/john-paul-stevens-12128_cryptography_of-course-when-i-joined-the-navy-and-whe_2703393.jpg" --- # Of course, when I joined the Navy and when I took up the… ![“Of course, when I joined the Navy and when I took up the correspondence course in cryptography, I had to sign an oath that I would never reveal what sort of work I was involved in. It was only some years after the war that Congress passed a statute relieving me of that obligation.” quote by John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/john-paul-stevens-12128_cryptography_of-course-when-i-joined-the-navy-and-whe_2703393.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/john-paul-stevens-12128_cryptography_of-course-when-i-joined-the-navy-and-whe_2703393.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/john-paul-stevens-12128_cryptography_of-course-when-i-joined-the-navy-and-whe_2703393.jpg) > “Of course, when I joined the Navy and when I took up the correspondence course in cryptography, I had to sign an oath that I would never reveal what sort of work I was involved in. It was only some years after the war that Congress passed a statute relieving me of that obligation.” [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He was bound by secrecy about wartime work, later freed by law, highlighting duty versus transparency. **In simple terms:** Secrecy can be lifted by law. Key Takeaway Weigh duty against openness. Themes ethics secrecy law Mood reflective serious Type legal historical When to use this quote - government service - historical research - legal reforms Key Concepts national security personal integrity Questions to Reflect On - When should secrecy be maintained? - How to balance transparency and security? A Different Perspective Some secrets may still harm if revealed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cryptography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cryptography/) [Cryptography Sign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cryptography-sign-2750489/) [Joined Navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joined-navy-1626643/) [Navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/navy/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Oath Reveal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oath-reveal-2750490/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Sign Oath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sign-oath-2750491/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution when I joined the Navy over 25 years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-swore-an-oath-to-protect-and-defend-the-constitution-when-i-joined/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [Growing up in the shadow of Johnson Space Center and moving to Texas to welcome our last moon mission home, I wanted to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-olson/growing-up-in-the-shadow-of-johnson-space-center-and-moving-to-texas/) [Pete Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-olson/) > [Before the BBC, I joined the Navy in order to travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/before-the-bbc-i-joined-the-navy-in-order-to-travel/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [I joined the Navy hoping to be submariner and ended up in the sub service aboard a tender in the Pacific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-curtis/i-joined-the-navy-hoping-to-be-submariner-and-ended-up-in-the-sub/) [Tony Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-curtis/) > [I studied engineering at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, and between my junior and senior years I actually joined the Navy, while I was still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-glover/i-studied-engineering-at-cal-poly-san-luis-obispo-and-between-my/) [Victor J. Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-glover/) > [I found a way to beat the Army. I joined the Navy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soupy-sales/i-found-a-way-to-beat-the-army-i-joined-the-navy/) [Soupy Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soupy-sales/) > [I made a naive decision, and I joined the Navy. I figured I would use the G.I. Bill to pay for any college I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-ross/i-made-a-naive-decision-and-i-joined-the-navy-i-figured-i-would-use/) [Angelica Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-ross/) > [In our town, the most popular way out was joining the service. So my three best friends joined the Navy to get out. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/in-our-town-the-most-popular-way-out-was-joining-the-service-so-my/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [It was 1939. There was no money or jobs around. I did my parents a favor and joined the Navy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-robards/it-was-1939-there-was-no-money-or-jobs-around-i-did-my-parents-a/) [Jason Robards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-robards/) > [I did 20 years in the Navy. I joined the Navy right out of high school and went through Navy boot camp, went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocko-willink/i-did-20-years-in-the-navy-i-joined-the-navy-right-out-of-high-school/) [Jocko Willink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocko-willink/) > [I grew up outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a little town, and went to a regular high school. I was a... very average student in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-king-jordan/i-grew-up-outside-philadelphia-pennsylvania-in-a-little-town-and-went/) [I. King Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-king-jordan/) > [“During the Depression, much of my career was dictated by a fanatical aversion to washing dishes. The only job I could find to finance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-robertson/during-the-depression-much-of-my-career-was-dictated-by-a-fanatical/) [Keith Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-robertson/) > [My whole world before I joined the Navy was my neighborhood in the Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-curtis/my-whole-world-before-i-joined-the-navy-was-my-neighborhood-in-the/) [Tony Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-curtis/) > [I left home at 14 and I have friends who joined the navy and the army performing troops at 9. I know people \[like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-schull/i-left-home-at-14-and-i-have-friends-who-joined-the-navy-and-the-army/) [Amanda Schull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-schull/) > [Cryptography has generated number theory, algebraic geometry over finite fields, algebra, combinatorics and computers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-arnold/cryptography-has-generated-number-theory-algebraic-geometry-over/) [Vladimir Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-arnold/) ## More by John Paul Stevens > [When the commission finds that a pig has entered the parlor, the exercise of its regulatory power does not depend on proof that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-the-commission-finds-that-a-pig-has-entered-the-parlor-the/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [The practice of executing such offenders is a relic of the past and is inconsistent with evolving standards of decency in a civilized society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/the-practice-of-executing-such-offenders-is-a-relic-of-the-past-and/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [It is not our job to apply laws that have not yet been written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/it-is-not-our-job-to-apply-laws-that-have-not-yet-been-written/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [As a matter of constitutional tradition, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we presume that governmental regulation of the content of speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/as-a-matter-of-constitutional-tradition-in-the-absence-of-evidence-to/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [I announced my dissent in the Citizens United orally, and I stumbled in my announcement. I had a little difficulty expressing myself. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-announced-my-dissent-in-the-citizens-united-orally-and-i-stumbled/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [Public officials, including state legislators, have a duty to act impartially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/public-officials-including-state-legislators-have-a-duty-to-act/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [District of Columbia v. Heller, which recognized an individual right to possess a firearm under the Constitution, is unquestionably the most clearly incorrect decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/district-of-columbia-v-heller-which-recognized-an-individual-right-to/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [After all, a district judge who gives harsh sentences to Yankees fans and lenient sentences to Red Sox fans would not be acting reasonably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/after-all-a-district-judge-who-gives-harsh-sentences-to-yankees-fans/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [All I can say is I did the best I could, and I didn't do well enough on many occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/all-i-can-say-is-i-did-the-best-i-could-and-i-didn-t-do-well-enough/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [It almost seems I was writing two separate books, the first one about the time before I went on the court and the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/it-almost-seems-i-was-writing-two-separate-books-the-first-one-about/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [One thing, however, is certain. Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's presidential election, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/one-thing-however-is-certain-although-we-may-never-know-with-complete/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [I'm a person who plays Ping-Pong once in a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-m-a-person-who-plays-ping-pong-once-in-a-while/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/anonymity-is-a-shield-from-the-tyranny-of-the-majority/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [I think maybe the people in elected positions are more interested in preserving their jobs than in doing the best job possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/i-think-maybe-the-people-in-elected-positions-are-more-interested-in/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [When I joined the Supreme Court in 1975, both state and federal judges accepted the Court's unanimous decision in United States v. Miller as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-i-joined-the-supreme-court-in-1975-both-state-and-federal-judges/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) [Explore all 56 John Paul Stevens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) ## More Cryptography quotes > [Cryptography has generated number theory, algebraic geometry over finite fields, algebra, combinatorics and computers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-arnold/cryptography-has-generated-number-theory-algebraic-geometry-over/) [Vladimir Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-arnold/) > [Cryptography products may be declared illegal, but the information will never be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/cryptography-products-may-be-declared-illegal-but-the-information/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [A colleague once told me that the world was full of bad security systems designed by people who read Applied Cryptography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/a-colleague-once-told-me-that-the-world-was-full-of-bad-security/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [I thought cryptography was a technique that did not require your trusting other people-that if you encrypted your files, you would have the control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/i-thought-cryptography-was-a-technique-that-did-not-require-your/) [Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/) > [I believed then, and continue to believe now, that the benefits to our security and freedom of widely available cryptography far, far outweigh the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-blaze/i-believed-then-and-continue-to-believe-now-that-the-benefits-to-our/) [Matt Blaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-blaze/) > [Lots of people working in cryptography have no deep concern with real application issues. They are trying to discover things clever enough to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/lots-of-people-working-in-cryptography-have-no-deep-concern-with-real/) [Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/) > [“Even though we don't know which companies the NSA has compromised – or by what means – knowing that they could have compromised any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/even-though-we-don-t-know-which-companies-the-nsa-has-compromised-or/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [“The only writer of the Middle Ages to describe cryptography instead of just using it was Roger Bacon, the English monk of startlingly modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kahn/the-only-writer-of-the-middle-ages-to-describe-cryptography-instead/) [David Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kahn/) > [“In April 1977, Rivest, Shamir and Adleman spent Passover at the house of a student, and had consumed significant amounts of Manischewitz wine before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-singh/in-april-1977-rivest-shamir-and-adleman-spent-passover-at-the-house/) [Simon Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-singh/) > [I chose to deal with the science of cryptography. Cryptography began in mathematics. Codes were developed, even from Caesar's time, based on number theory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-chose-to-deal-with-the-science-of-cryptography-cryptography-began/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I understood the importance in principle of public key cryptography but it's all moved much faster than I expected. I did not expect it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/i-understood-the-importance-in-principle-of-public-key-cryptography/) [Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/) > [Cryptography is the ultimate form of non-violent direct action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/cryptography-is-the-ultimate-form-of-non-violent-direct-action/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [All mathematics is divided into three parts: cryptography (paid for by CIA, KGB and the like), hydrodynamics (supported by manufacturers of atomic submarines) and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-arnold/all-mathematics-is-divided-into-three-parts-cryptography-paid-for-by/) [Vladimir Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-arnold/) > [ Cryptography \[without system integrity\] is like investing in an armored car to carry money between a customer living in a cardboard box and a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-spafford/cryptography-without-system-integrity-is-like-investing-in-an-armored/) [Gene Spafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-spafford/) > [There are two kinds of cryptography in this world: cryptography that will stop your kid sister from reading your files, and cryptography that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/there-are-two-kinds-of-cryptography-in-this-world-cryptography-that/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) [Browse all 36 Cryptography quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cryptography/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Of course, when I joined the Navy and when I took up the correspondence course in cryptography, I had to sign an oath that I would never reveal what sort of work I was involved in. 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