--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is hell. Sending young people to…" description: "\"War is hell. Sending young people to conflicts that are unwinnable and unresolvable - it puts them in a position where they're going to suffer. And yet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/mary-gauthier-4834_conflicts_war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conf_2629526.jpg" --- # War is hell. Sending young people to conflicts that are… ![“War is hell. Sending young people to conflicts that are unwinnable and unresolvable - it puts them in a position where they're going to suffer. And yet their experience is that they're proud of their service, and they should be. Service freely rendered is a noble thing.” quote by Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/mary-gauthier-4834_conflicts_war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conf_2629526.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/mary-gauthier-4834_conflicts_war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conf_2629526.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/mary-gauthier-4834_conflicts_war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conf_2629526.jpg) > “War is hell. Sending young people to conflicts that are unwinnable and unresolvable - it puts them in a position where they're going to suffer. And yet their experience is that they're proud of their service, and they should be. Service freely rendered is a noble thing.” [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War inflicts suffering on young soldiers, yet they take pride in service, making sacrifice both painful and noble. **In simple terms:** War causes pain but also pride. Key Takeaway Recognize the cost of conflict while honoring service. Themes war sacrifice pride youth Mood somber hopeful Type musical political When to use this quote - veteran support - peace activism - education on war - mental health services Key Concepts military ethics psychology of combat Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be proud of painful service? - How can societies support veterans beyond honoring them? A Different Perspective Pride can mask trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflicts/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Is Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-is-hell/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [“We are always at our best when compassion enables us to recognize the unique pressures and singular stories of the people on the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-are-always-at-our-best-when-compassion-enables-us-to-recognize-the/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [We ought to recognize that religious strife is not the consequence of differences among people. It's about conflicts between creation stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/we-ought-to-recognize-that-religious-strife-is-not-the-consequence-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [War is hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/war-is-hell/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [War is hell and all that, but it has a good deal to recommend it. It wipes out all the small nuisances of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hay/war-is-hell-and-all-that-but-it-has-a-good-deal-to-recommend-it-it/) Ian Hay > [Just because war is hell doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/just-because-war-is-hell-doesn-t-mean-you-can-t-have-a-little-fun/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [“People like to say, ‘War is hell.’ Well, that saying’s true. I’ve seen it. But the saying’s also bullshit, because it ignores a truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-robert-nolan/people-like-to-say-war-is-hell-well-that-saying-s-true-i-ve-seen-it/) Eric Robert Nolan > [“War is hell and waiting is hell and war is waiting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-burana/war-is-hell-and-waiting-is-hell-and-war-is-waiting/) [lily burana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-burana/) > [“Let no one ever from henceforth say a word in any way countenancing war. It is dangerous even to speak of how here and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegfried-sassoon/let-no-one-ever-from-henceforth-say-a-word-in-any-way-countenancing/) [Siegfried Sassoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegfried-sassoon/) > [I don't really understand the point about carping about every casualty, every bombing, every death. War is hell. That's why people say war is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-don-t-really-understand-the-point-about-carping-about-every/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [War is Hell you can NOT refine it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/war-is-hell-you-can-not-refine-it/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [Yes, war is hell. It is awful. It involves human beings killing other human beings, sometimes innocent civilians. That is why we despise war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/yes-war-is-hell-it-is-awful-it-involves-human-beings-killing-other/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/it-is-only-those-who-have-neither-fired-a-shot-nor-heard-the-shrieks/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/i-am-tired-and-sick-of-war-its-glory-is-all-moonshine-it-is-only/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [This is the soldier brave enough to tellThe glory-dazzled world that "war is hell":Lover of peace, he looks beyond the strife,And rides through hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/this-is-the-soldier-brave-enough-to-tellthe-glory-dazzled-world-that/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [“What the hell do you know about what we lost?! You think we had it easy? That we had it better than you? That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-remender/what-the-hell-do-you-know-about-what-we-lost-you-think-we-had-it-easy/) [Rick Remender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-remender/) ## More by Mary Gauthier > [What I really like is this salted calamari - with jalapenos on top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/what-i-really-like-is-this-salted-calamari-with-jalapenos-on-top/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [The world doesn't need any more pretty good songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/the-world-doesn-t-need-any-more-pretty-good-songs/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I don't have the experience of being in a war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-don-t-have-the-experience-of-being-in-a-war/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I did not know that if a member of a family serves, the whole family serves. I did not know that the spouses of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-did-not-know-that-if-a-member-of-a-family-serves-the-whole-family/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I think each veteran's soul has something that it needs to say. I know from my own personal traumas, it's very hard to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-think-each-veteran-s-soul-has-something-that-it-needs-to-say-i-know/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [The job of the artist is to go to the places where most other people are embarrassed to go to. And show it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/the-job-of-the-artist-is-to-go-to-the-places-where-most-other-people/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [There's an ocean of misunderstanding. It's called the civilian-military divide. I had a lot to learn about our military - who they are, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/there-s-an-ocean-of-misunderstanding-it-s-called-the-civilian/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I would make a terrible soldier, because I don't follow orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-would-make-a-terrible-soldier-because-i-don-t-follow-orders/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I've come to terms with the fact that I'll probably be in therapy all of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-ve-come-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-i-ll-probably-be-in-therapy-all/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [It can take me many months to write one of my own songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/it-can-take-me-many-months-to-write-one-of-my-own-songs/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [If you don't have a record deal, you've got to be a record company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/if-you-don-t-have-a-record-deal-you-ve-got-to-be-a-record-company/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I did not know that the wounds of war are often invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-did-not-know-that-the-wounds-of-war-are-often-invisible/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I'm a traveler and a vagabond and an observer, and the songs come through that. And that's just the way it's going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-m-a-traveler-and-a-vagabond-and-an-observer-and-the-songs-come/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [A song is an emotional lightning bolt - a good one, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/a-song-is-an-emotional-lightning-bolt-a-good-one-anyway/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [I think it's a stereotype that soldiers don't talk, because my experience is that they will talk if they are met with empathy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-think-it-s-a-stereotype-that-soldiers-don-t-talk-because-my/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) [Explore all 106 Mary Gauthier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) ## More Conflicts quotes > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [We still seek to solve conflicts with 'judgement' instead of designing the way forwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/we-still-seek-to-solve-conflicts-with-judgement-instead-of-designing/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [I've been to many countries and watched a number of conflicts or their residue, and I've served in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-peters/i-ve-been-to-many-countries-and-watched-a-number-of-conflicts-or/) [Ralph Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-peters/) > [“What causes Conflict? Agnan (Delusionary knowledge, Knowledge other than the True Self).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/what-causes-conflict-agnan-delusionary-knowledge-knowledge-other-than/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Be quick to resolve conflicts before they mature to become wars. The energetic crocodile was once a delicate egg!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/be-quick-to-resolve-conflicts-before-they-mature-to-become-wars-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“So if your Story doesn’t change your lead character irrevocably from beginning to end, no one will deeply care about it. It may entertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-coyne/so-if-your-story-doesn-t-change-your-lead-character-irrevocably-from/) [Shawn Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-coyne/) > [Like other conflict-affected regions, Africa continues to see religious, ethnic, and politically motivated conflicts. Extremist violence is now entrenched in several parts of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tedros-adhanom/like-other-conflict-affected-regions-africa-continues-to-see/) [Tedros Adhanom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tedros-adhanom/) > [“From now on, conflicts would likely be decided as a clash between one abomination and another, powers against powers. And the victor would devour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-godai/from-now-on-conflicts-would-likely-be-decided-as-a-clash-between-one/) Yu Godai > [Conflicts get to us all. The difference is how you overcome them and who you overcome them with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-wagner/conflicts-get-to-us-all-the-difference-is-how-you-overcome-them-and/) [Jacob Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-wagner/) > [The mind can be the harshest battleground. It can be the place where the greatest conflicts are carried out. Its where half of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-mind-can-be-the-harshest-battleground-it-can-be-the-place-where/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Any historian worth their salt should be aware of wars, conflicts, catastrophes. They happen. This is part of the panorama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-davies/any-historian-worth-their-salt-should-be-aware-of-wars-conflicts/) [Norman Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-davies/) > [This is a time when the United States should be standing tall. There is no other leader in the world today. We shouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/this-is-a-time-when-the-united-states-should-be-standing-tall-there/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [“We had no problems, no conflicts,” Mars500 Commander Sergei Ryazansky is saying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/we-had-no-problems-no-conflicts-mars500-commander-sergei-ryazansky-is/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Conflicts, even just ones, which in the end can come at the expense of the State of Israel, are things that we must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/conflicts-even-just-ones-which-in-the-end-can-come-at-the-expense-of/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [That is because the conflict with al Qaeda is not governed by the Geneva Conventions, which applies only to international conflicts between states that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/that-is-because-the-conflict-with-al-qaeda-is-not-governed-by-the/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) [Browse all 346 Conflicts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflicts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "War is hell. Sending young people to conflicts that are unwinnable and unresolvable - it puts them in a position where they're going to suffer. And yet their experience is that they're proud of their service, and they should be. Service freely rendered is a noble thing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Gauthier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conflicts-that-are-unwinnable-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conflicts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conflicts-that-are-unwinnable-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/mary-gauthier-4834_conflicts_war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conf_2629526.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/mary-gauthier-4834_conflicts_war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conf_2629526.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/mary-gauthier-4834_conflicts_war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conf_2629526.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“War is hell. Sending young people to conflicts that are unwinnable and unresolvable - it puts them in a…” — Mary Gauthier", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mary Gauthier", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "War is hell. Sending young people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conflicts-that-are-unwinnable-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/war-is-hell-sending-young-people-to-conflicts-that-are-unwinnable-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```