--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,”…" description: "\"“blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” clearly audible on the hillcrest, where a lieutenant who was immune to the prevailing confidence of his senior..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/rick-atkinson-7144_confidence_blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-cle_379108.jpg" --- # blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” clearly audible on… ![“blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” clearly audible on the hillcrest, where a lieutenant who was immune to the prevailing confidence of his seniors murmured, “‘Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.” quote by Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/rick-atkinson-7144_confidence_blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-cle_379108.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/rick-atkinson-7144_confidence_blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-cle_379108.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/rick-atkinson-7144_confidence_blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-cle_379108.jpg) > ““blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” clearly audible on the hillcrest, where a lieutenant who was immune to the prevailing confidence of his seniors murmured, “‘Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.”” [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lieutenant, doubting his seniors’ confidence, quotes “Into the valley of death” while a patriotic march plays, illustrating irony. **In simple terms:** A soldier doubts confidence amid patriotic music. Key Takeaway Recognize irony in war narratives. Themes war irony music Mood somber ironic Type historical reflective When to use this quote - battlefield reports - military history - public speeches Key Concepts historical irony leadership doubt Questions to Reflect On - How does music shape wartime perception? - What does the quote reveal about morale? A Different Perspective Context may be misread without background. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audible Hillcrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audible-hillcrest-3441465/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Hillcrest Lieutenant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hillcrest-lieutenant-3441462/) [Lieutenant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lieutenant-426312/) [Lieutenant Immune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lieutenant-immune-3441463/) [Seniors Murmured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seniors-murmured-3441464/) ## Related quotes > [“Frenchie spoke: 'Captain, you should have seen my lieutenant. He was magnificent.' It wasn't the word magnificent that meant so much. It was what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/frenchie-spoke-captain-you-should-have-seen-my-lieutenant-he-was/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [“With a knock, a slim army lieutenant came in, introduced himself as James Benford, and handed Groves a briefing summary folder. “You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-benford/with-a-knock-a-slim-army-lieutenant-came-in-introduced-himself-as/) [Gregory Benford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-benford/) > [“Lieutenant Rider Sinclar stretched an arm upward, neatly catching the ball. He pivoted quickly, but missed tagging Willie by a hair as she ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mcpherren/lieutenant-rider-sinclar-stretched-an-arm-upward-neatly-catching-the/) [Charlotte McPherren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mcpherren/) > [“The lieutenant’s fooling around again with the telegraph girl at the station,” said the corporal, after he had gone. “He’s been running after her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaroslav-ha-ek/the-lieutenant-s-fooling-around-again-with-the-telegraph-girl-at-the/) [Jaroslav Hašek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaroslav-ha-ek/) > [“I was just about to say that I would have to ask the lieutenant, but then I realized that was me. “Yes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leena-lehtolainen/i-was-just-about-to-say-that-i-would-have-to-ask-the-lieutenant-but/) [Leena Lehtolainen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leena-lehtolainen/) > [“The room was growing lighter, and so was the lieutenant's mood. He steered his thoughts away from the past and into the present. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-blake/the-room-was-growing-lighter-and-so-was-the-lieutenant-s-mood-he/) [Michael Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-blake/) > [“She would be a sparkling accent on his arm. She speaks flawless French and Italian, and has a limitless supply of charm when she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/she-would-be-a-sparkling-accent-on-his-arm-she-speaks-flawless-french/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [Those tragic comedians, the Chamber of Commerce red hunters, the Women's Christian Temperance Union smellers, the censors of books, the Klan regulators, the Methodist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/those-tragic-comedians-the-chamber-of-commerce-red-hunters-the-women/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“...a French lieutenant, who had been long enough out of France to forget his own language, but not long enough in England to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-french-lieutenant-who-had-been-long-enough-out-of-france-to-forget/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [“Lord James did not know whether to feel proud of his daughter or throttle her. He had managed to collar her quietly among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-l-talmadge/lord-james-did-not-know-whether-to-feel-proud-of-his-daughter-or/) [Candace L. Talmadge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-l-talmadge/) > [In order to be a lieutenant, you've got to have authority in your voice. No matter how young your face looks, you've got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/in-order-to-be-a-lieutenant-you-ve-got-to-have-authority-in-your/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [“The lieutenant, returning from a tour after a bandage, produced from a hidden receptacle of his mind new and portentous oaths suited to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/the-lieutenant-returning-from-a-tour-after-a-bandage-produced-from-a/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“At his leisure, the lieutenant allowed the unforgettable spectacle to engrave itself upon his mind. With one hand he fondled the hair, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/at-his-leisure-the-lieutenant-allowed-the-unforgettable-spectacle-to/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [“She entered. Lieutenant Blouse was standing in the middle of the floor in his breeches and shirtsleeves, holding a saber. Polly was no expert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/she-entered-lieutenant-blouse-was-standing-in-the-middle-of-the-floor/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Nobody’s ever the bad guy in their own mind, Lieutenant. Sometimes you just have to pick between two bad choices and decide which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marko-kloos/nobody-s-ever-the-bad-guy-in-their-own-mind-lieutenant-sometimes-you/) [Marko Kloos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marko-kloos/) ## More by Rick Atkinson > [“To his brother Edgar he confided, “I suffer from the usual difficulty that besets the higher commander—things can be ordered and started, but actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/to-his-brother-edgar-he-confided-i-suffer-from-the-usual-difficulty/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“To make it perfectly clear to you: suppose you lose a hand or an ear is shot off, or perhaps a piece of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/to-make-it-perfectly-clear-to-you-suppose-you-lose-a-hand-or-an-ear/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“I could hear them yell and laugh each time and there was nothing I could do about it…. I saw them do it, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/i-could-hear-them-yell-and-laugh-each-time-and-there-was-nothing-i/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“The largest contingent of invaders—drawn from the U.S. 1st Infantry and 1st Armored divisions aboard thirty-four transport ships—would storm ashore at Beach Z near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/the-largest-contingent-of-invaders-drawn-from-the-u-s-1st-infantry/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [Global war is a clash of systems, not just battalions biffing one another in some godforsaken forest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/global-war-is-a-clash-of-systems-not-just-battalions-biffing-one/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“fifty-six, his hour had come round. He was a paradox and would always remain one, a great tangle of calculated mannerisms and raw, uncalculated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/fifty-six-his-hour-had-come-round-he-was-a-paradox-and-would-always/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“If U-boats torpedoed a transport during the Atlantic passage, how many destroyers should be left behind to pick up survivors? Hewitt was not certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/if-u-boats-torpedoed-a-transport-during-the-atlantic-passage-how-many/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [There were almost 11,000 American soldiers killed in Germany in April of 1945, the last full month of the war. That's almost as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/there-were-almost-11-000-american-soldiers-killed-in-germany-in-april/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“TWO hundred and thirty nautical miles southeast of Gibraltar, Oran perched above the sea, a splinter of Europe cast onto the African shore. Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/two-hundred-and-thirty-nautical-miles-southeast-of-gibraltar-oran/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“The troops also edged toward that timeless state common to veteran armies in which the men trusted no one less wretched than themselves. Still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/the-troops-also-edged-toward-that-timeless-state-common-to-veteran/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“In the first half of 1944, battle casualty rates for every 1,000 bomber crewmen serving six months in combat included 712 killed or missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/in-the-first-half-of-1944-battle-casualty-rates-for-every-1-000/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“In less than three years he would be the most celebrated American battle captain of the twentieth century, a man whose name—like those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/in-less-than-three-years-he-would-be-the-most-celebrated-american/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“If you don’t succeed, I don’t want to see you alive,” he advised. “I see no point in surviving defeat, and I am sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/if-you-don-t-succeed-i-don-t-want-to-see-you-alive-he-advised-i-see/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [In searching for a rationale to go to war, Bush settled on the notion of Saddam as an incarnation of evil, basically, and convinced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/in-searching-for-a-rationale-to-go-to-war-bush-settled-on-the-notion/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“more than 300 other ships bound for Algeria steamed from anchorages on the Clyde and along England’s west coast. For all these vessels to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/more-than-300-other-ships-bound-for-algeria-steamed-from-anchorages/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) [Explore all 93 Rick Atkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” clearly audible on the hillcrest, where a lieutenant who was immune to the prevailing confidence of his seniors murmured, “‘Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rick Atkinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-clearly-audible-on-the-hillcrest/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confidence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-clearly-audible-on-the-hillcrest/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/rick-atkinson-7144_confidence_blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-cle_379108.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/rick-atkinson-7144_confidence_blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-cle_379108.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/rick-atkinson-7144_confidence_blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-cle_379108.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” clearly audible on the hillcrest, where a lieutenant who was immune…” — Rick Atkinson", "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": "Rick Atkinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,”...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-clearly-audible-on-the-hillcrest/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-clearly-audible-on-the-hillcrest/#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 } } ] } ```