--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I saw a large, red dried swath that I…" description: "\"I saw a large, red dried swath that I immediately identified clearly as blood. I covered the war in Vietnam. I saw a lot of it [blood] there.\" — Sam Do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/sam-donaldson-18372_blood_i-saw-a-large-red-dried-swath-that-i-imm_2570405.png" --- # I saw a large, red dried swath that I immediately… ![“I saw a large, red dried swath that I immediately identified clearly as blood. I covered the war in Vietnam. I saw a lot of it [blood] there.” quote by Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/sam-donaldson-18372_blood_i-saw-a-large-red-dried-swath-that-i-imm_2570405.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/sam-donaldson-18372_blood_i-saw-a-large-red-dried-swath-that-i-imm_2570405.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/sam-donaldson-18372_blood_i-saw-a-large-red-dried-swath-that-i-imm_2570405.png) > “I saw a large, red dried swath that I immediately identified clearly as blood. I covered the war in Vietnam. I saw a lot of it \[blood\] there.” [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing blood on the battlefield underscores the brutal reality of war and its human cost. **In simple terms:** Blood reveals war’s brutality. Key Takeaway Remember war’s human toll. Themes war journalism humanity violence Mood somber serious Type historical ethical When to use this quote - veteran interviews - peace activism - historical documentaries - memorial events Key Concepts history ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does witnessing violence affect you? - What responsibilities do journalists have? A Different Perspective War narratives can be sensationalized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Bruises and dried blood covered her face, giving the illusion of chicken pox.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yawatta-hosby/bruises-and-dried-blood-covered-her-face-giving-the-illusion-of/) [Yawatta Hosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yawatta-hosby/) > [“It's the gig. 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Clary looked and saw that he was right: There was a smear of her blood on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-bled-on-the-speaking-stars-he-said-clary-looked-and-saw-that-he/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [You'll see a lot more blood in 'Saw' movies or something like that than you will in either of the 'Last House' movies. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-dillahunt/you-ll-see-a-lot-more-blood-in-saw-movies-or-something-like-that-than/) [Garret Dillahunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-dillahunt/) > [You have to be realistic in the use of blood in the movies. There is a little bit more than a gallon in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-aja/you-have-to-be-realistic-in-the-use-of-blood-in-the-movies-there-is-a/) [Alexandre Aja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-aja/) > [A lot of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this career of mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/a-lot-of-blood-sweat-and-tears-have-gone-into-this-career-of-mine/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [There's an awful lot of blood around that water is thicker than.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/there-s-an-awful-lot-of-blood-around-that-water-is-thicker-than/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [People like a story that has a lot of blood, sweat and tears. 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Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/they-had-come-for-us-in-the-night-hey-had-come-expecting-a-lot-of/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Then I heard another shot which hit him right in the head, over here, and his head practically opened up and a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-zapruder/then-i-heard-another-shot-which-hit-him-right-in-the-head-over-here/) [Abraham Zapruder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-zapruder/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## More by Sam Donaldson > [The President's very shrewd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/the-president-s-very-shrewd/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [The press . . . traditionally sides with authority and the establishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/the-press-traditionally-sides-with-authority-and-the-establishment/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [The truth is, when I got started in this business, it wasn't because I had a full understanding of the importance of the business,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/the-truth-is-when-i-got-started-in-this-business-it-wasn-t-because-i/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [I'd rather work with someone who's good at their job but doesn't like me, than someone who likes me but is a ninny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/i-d-rather-work-with-someone-who-s-good-at-their-job-but-doesn-t-like/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [I wanted to be in this business, and once I got into the business I knew I enjoyed it, and I liked it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/i-wanted-to-be-in-this-business-and-once-i-got-into-the-business-i/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [My mother did all she could to control me, but at age 14 she sent me to a military school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/my-mother-did-all-she-could-to-control-me-but-at-age-14-she-sent-me/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [It wasn't until the late '70s that a lot of people knew me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/it-wasn-t-until-the-late-70s-that-a-lot-of-people-knew-me/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [But in 1941, on December 8th, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, my mother bought a radio and we listened to the war news.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/but-in-1941-on-december-8th-after-the-japanese-attacked-pearl-harbor/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [If you have a setback, and you're not doing well and then you overcome it somehow, it always sticks with you. 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Now I suppose most people think that's one step ahead of basket weaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/as-i-went-to-college-i-went-into-radio-and-television-now-i-suppose/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [My personal opinion is that guns kill people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/my-personal-opinion-is-that-guns-kill-people/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [Let's face it: Many on the political right believe this president ought not to be there - they oppose him not for his polices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-donaldson/let-s-face-it-many-on-the-political-right-believe-this-president/) [Sam Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-donaldson/) > [Call me a braggart, call me arrogant. People at ABC (and elsewhere) have called me worse. 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But that didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/what-about-you-three-where-are-you-going-even-before-halt-answered/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [A day without blood is like a day without sunshine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-ermey/a-day-without-blood-is-like-a-day-without-sunshine/) [R. Lee Ermey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-lee-ermey/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. 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