--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Jack Colby first came aboard The…" description: "\"“When Jack Colby first came aboard The Maine looking for a job, wearing a T-shirt that said: “Wounded Combat Vet—Some Reassembly Required”\" — Nelson De..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/nelson-demille-3019_looking-for-a-job_when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-ma_2562328.png" --- # When Jack Colby first came aboard The Maine looking for a… ![“When Jack Colby first came aboard The Maine looking for a job, wearing a T-shirt that said: “Wounded Combat Vet—Some Reassembly Required” quote by Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/nelson-demille-3019_looking-for-a-job_when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-ma_2562328.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/nelson-demille-3019_looking-for-a-job_when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-ma_2562328.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/nelson-demille-3019_looking-for-a-job_when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-ma_2562328.png) > ““When Jack Colby first came aboard The Maine looking for a job, wearing a T-shirt that said: “Wounded Combat Vet—Some Reassembly Required”” [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Introduces a veteran character whose T‑shirt humorously signals his past trauma and need for repair. **In simple terms:** A wounded vet jokes about his ongoing healing. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and support veterans’ recovery. Themes veterans humor identity Mood empathetic thought‑provoking Type narrative character‑driven When to use this quote - military recruitment - rehabilitation programs - support groups Key Concepts post‑traumatic growth social stigma self‑acceptance Questions to Reflect On - What does the shirt reveal? - How can peers respond? A Different Perspective Humor may mask deeper pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Looking for a job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-for-a-job/) ## Related quotes > [“I touched my scalp where Sula had wrapped the cloth. It still burned, but it made me feel important. I'd been wounded in combat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-stracher/i-touched-my-scalp-where-sula-had-wrapped-the-cloth-it-still-burned/) [Cameron Stracher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-stracher/) > [“I was looking for a job, david. I was walking up and down that bloody street and I had gone into a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pb-morlen/i-was-looking-for-a-job-david-i-was-walking-up-and-down-that-bloody/) PB Morlen > [By the laws of the land, people who come looking for jobs in America are illegal. But by the laws of economics, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-barber/by-the-laws-of-the-land-people-who-come-looking-for-jobs-in-america/) [Benjamin Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-barber/) > [The average age in the U.S. is now thirty-three, whereas Mexico gets younger and younger, retreats deeper and deeper into adolescence. Mexico is fifteen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/the-average-age-in-the-u-s-is-now-thirty-three-whereas-mexico-gets/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [There were always men looking for jobs in America. There were always all these usable bodies. And I wanted to be a writer. Almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-were-always-men-looking-for-jobs-in-america-there-were-always/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: I am looking for a job. Reframe: I am pursuing a number of offers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-i-am-looking-for-a-job-reframe-i-am-pursuing-a/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [I'm hard-nosed about luck. I think it sucks. Yeah, if you spend seven years looking for a job as a copywriter, and then one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/i-m-hard-nosed-about-luck-i-think-it-sucks-yeah-if-you-spend-seven/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [“When I went to the Yellow Cab Company I passed the Cancer Building and I remembered that there were worse things than looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/when-i-went-to-the-yellow-cab-company-i-passed-the-cancer-building/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“When looking for a job, ignore (don't even bother with them) those companies who expect you to literally do everything for them and also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mentillo/when-looking-for-a-job-ignore-don-t-even-bother-with-them-those/) [Chris Mentillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mentillo/) > [I think that one of the things that we have to recognize is that the longer somebody doesn't have a job, the harder it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hassett/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-that-we-have-to-recognize-is-that-the/) [Kevin Hassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hassett/) > [My father is Spanish, and he went to Venezuela looking for a job. He was 20 something, and he fell in love with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garbine-muguruza/my-father-is-spanish-and-he-went-to-venezuela-looking-for-a-job-he/) [Garbine Muguruza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garbine-muguruza/) > [have you ever seen a genius out there looking for a job? it's the saddest thing in the world. no one will hire him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/have-you-ever-seen-a-genius-out-there-looking-for-a-job-it-s-the/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [I'm looking for a job where I can sleep late and have my afternoons free with a lot of money. But those jobs seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-collinsworth/i-m-looking-for-a-job-where-i-can-sleep-late-and-have-my-afternoons/) [Cris Collinsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-collinsworth/) > [People are out there looking for jobs and realizing that they have to look within to do and create what the new and next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-michael-stern/people-are-out-there-looking-for-jobs-and-realizing-that-they-have-to/) [Joshua Michael Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-michael-stern/) > [I've never believed unemployment numbers because the way that they calculate unemployment makes no sense whatsoever. It's not how many people are unemployed. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-ve-never-believed-unemployment-numbers-because-the-way-that-they/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) ## More by Nelson DeMille > [“survived one trip into”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/survived-one-trip-into/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [The meaning of life has not much to do with good and evil, right and wrong, duty, honor, country, or any of that. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/the-meaning-of-life-has-not-much-to-do-with-good-and-evil-right-and/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“Nostalgia is basically the ability to forget the things that sucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/nostalgia-is-basically-the-ability-to-forget-the-things-that-sucked/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“Credo quia impossibile.’ I believe it because it is impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/credo-quia-impossibile-i-believe-it-because-it-is-impossible/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [I had a very strong desire to be successful at something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/i-had-a-very-strong-desire-to-be-successful-at-something/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“The window on the right featured contemporary bestselling authors like Brad Meltzer, James Patterson, David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille, and others who make more money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/the-window-on-the-right-featured-contemporary-bestselling-authors/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [...the most common cause of death among alpha males was ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/the-most-common-cause-of-death-among-alpha-males-was-ego/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [Lawrence Kelter is an exciting new novelist, who reminds me of an early Robert Ludlum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/lawrence-kelter-is-an-exciting-new-novelist-who-reminds-me-of-an/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“I was starting to get to know the city, and when that happens in a screwed-up place, it’s time to leave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/i-was-starting-to-get-to-know-the-city-and-when-that-happens-in-a/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“Before you go on any mission, you need to understand what you know, identify what you don’t know, and try to guess what could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/before-you-go-on-any-mission-you-need-to-understand-what-you-know/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“An Englishman once said that he found it easier to be a member of a club than of the human race because the bylaws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/an-englishman-once-said-that-he-found-it-easier-to-be-a-member-of-a/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [I like the process of pencil and paper as opposed to a machine. I think the writing is better when it's done in handwriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/i-like-the-process-of-pencil-and-paper-as-opposed-to-a-machine-i/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [There are a lot of books about the passing of the English aristocracy, but the vast majority of Long Islanders don't understand their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/there-are-a-lot-of-books-about-the-passing-of-the-english-aristocracy/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“and some other shit, and the wife—can’t remember her name—would cry a lot. The kids were young. Three of them. They were okay, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/and-some-other-shit-and-the-wife-can-t-remember-her-name-would-cry-a/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“Well, no one ever said the truth would make you happy—only free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/well-no-one-ever-said-the-truth-would-make-you-happy-only-free/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) [Explore all 139 Nelson DeMille quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) ## More Looking for a job quotes > [I've never believed unemployment numbers because the way that they calculate unemployment makes no sense whatsoever. It's not how many people are unemployed. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-ve-never-believed-unemployment-numbers-because-the-way-that-they/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [People are out there looking for jobs and realizing that they have to look within to do and create what the new and next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-michael-stern/people-are-out-there-looking-for-jobs-and-realizing-that-they-have-to/) [Joshua Michael Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-michael-stern/) > [I'm looking for a job where I can sleep late and have my afternoons free with a lot of money. But those jobs seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-collinsworth/i-m-looking-for-a-job-where-i-can-sleep-late-and-have-my-afternoons/) [Cris Collinsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-collinsworth/) > [have you ever seen a genius out there looking for a job? it's the saddest thing in the world. no one will hire him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/have-you-ever-seen-a-genius-out-there-looking-for-a-job-it-s-the/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [My father is Spanish, and he went to Venezuela looking for a job. He was 20 something, and he fell in love with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garbine-muguruza/my-father-is-spanish-and-he-went-to-venezuela-looking-for-a-job-he/) [Garbine Muguruza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garbine-muguruza/) > [I think that one of the things that we have to recognize is that the longer somebody doesn't have a job, the harder it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hassett/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-that-we-have-to-recognize-is-that-the/) [Kevin Hassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hassett/) > [“When looking for a job, ignore (don't even bother with them) those companies who expect you to literally do everything for them and also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mentillo/when-looking-for-a-job-ignore-don-t-even-bother-with-them-those/) [Chris Mentillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mentillo/) > [“When I went to the Yellow Cab Company I passed the Cancer Building and I remembered that there were worse things than looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/when-i-went-to-the-yellow-cab-company-i-passed-the-cancer-building/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I'm hard-nosed about luck. I think it sucks. Yeah, if you spend seven years looking for a job as a copywriter, and then one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/i-m-hard-nosed-about-luck-i-think-it-sucks-yeah-if-you-spend-seven/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: I am looking for a job. Reframe: I am pursuing a number of offers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-i-am-looking-for-a-job-reframe-i-am-pursuing-a/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [There were always men looking for jobs in America. There were always all these usable bodies. And I wanted to be a writer. Almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-were-always-men-looking-for-jobs-in-america-there-were-always/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [The average age in the U.S. is now thirty-three, whereas Mexico gets younger and younger, retreats deeper and deeper into adolescence. Mexico is fifteen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/the-average-age-in-the-u-s-is-now-thirty-three-whereas-mexico-gets/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [By the laws of the land, people who come looking for jobs in America are illegal. But by the laws of economics, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-barber/by-the-laws-of-the-land-people-who-come-looking-for-jobs-in-america/) [Benjamin Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-barber/) > [“I was looking for a job, david. I was walking up and down that bloody street and I had gone into a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pb-morlen/i-was-looking-for-a-job-david-i-was-walking-up-and-down-that-bloody/) PB Morlen > [I've had those periods in my career when I was sitting around waiting for a phone call and had an agent who was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-ve-had-those-periods-in-my-career-when-i-was-sitting-around-waiting/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) [Browse all 65 Looking for a job quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-for-a-job/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When Jack Colby first came aboard The Maine looking for a job, wearing a T-shirt that said: “Wounded Combat Vet—Some Reassembly Required”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nelson DeMille" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-maine-looking-for-a-job-wearing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Looking for a job" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-maine-looking-for-a-job-wearing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/nelson-demille-3019_looking-for-a-job_when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-ma_2562328.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/nelson-demille-3019_looking-for-a-job_when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-ma_2562328.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/nelson-demille-3019_looking-for-a-job_when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-ma_2562328.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When Jack Colby first came aboard The Maine looking for a job, wearing a T-shirt that said: “Wounded Combat…” — Nelson DeMille", "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": "Nelson DeMille", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When Jack Colby first came aboard...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-maine-looking-for-a-job-wearing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/when-jack-colby-first-came-aboard-the-maine-looking-for-a-job-wearing/#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 } } ] } ```