--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But as long as they gave us medals, that…" description: "\"“But as long as they gave us medals, that fixed it, as far as the army was concerned. You expect heroes to survive terrible things. If you give them a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/t-kingfisher-18176_first-place_but-as-long-as-they-gave-us-medals-that_274290.jpg" --- # But as long as they gave us medals, that fixed it, as far… ![“But as long as they gave us medals, that fixed it, as far as the army was concerned. You expect heroes to survive terrible things. If you give them a medal, then you don’t ever have to ask why the terrible thing happened in the first place. Or try to fix it.” quote by T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/t-kingfisher-18176_first-place_but-as-long-as-they-gave-us-medals-that_274290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/t-kingfisher-18176_first-place_but-as-long-as-they-gave-us-medals-that_274290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/t-kingfisher-18176_first-place_but-as-long-as-they-gave-us-medals-that_274290.jpg) > ““But as long as they gave us medals, that fixed it, as far as the army was concerned. You expect heroes to survive terrible things. If you give them a medal, then you don’t ever have to ask why the terrible thing happened in the first place. Or try to fix it.”” [T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Medals are used to avoid confronting the real causes of soldiers’ trauma, offering a superficial fix instead of addressing underlying issues. **In simple terms:** Medals hide the real problems soldiers face. Key Takeaway Don’t use symbols to ignore deeper problems. Themes military psychology honor accountability Mood reflective critical Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - combat veterans - policy makers - mental health professionals - military leadership Key Concepts symbolic reward avoidance trauma institutional critique Questions to Reflect On - How do symbols affect accountability? - What alternatives exist to honor without masking issues? A Different Perspective Medals may provide morale boost but can also silence necessary systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medal/) [Medals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medals/) ## Related quotes > [“You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/you-cannot-expect-all-the-heroes-to-survive-a-good-song/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“I got to thinking that the world would be a better place if they gave medals to great teachers rather than just soldiers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-got-to-thinking-that-the-world-would-be-a-better-place-if-they-gave/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Nobody ever was fired for 9/11. Instead of firing the people who didn't do a good job, we gave them medals. The guy who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/nobody-ever-was-fired-for-9-11-instead-of-firing-the-people-who-didn/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We read our mail and counted up our missions In bombers named for girls, we burned The cities we had learned about in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/we-read-our-mail-and-counted-up-our-missions-in-bombers-named-for/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Trophies and medals have never meant much to me. I've had amazing experiences, which let you feel like you've accomplished something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/trophies-and-medals-have-never-meant-much-to-me-i-ve-had-amazing/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [When you see athletes like me win gold medals, you only see the finished product, you dont see the real effort that the likes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linford-christie/when-you-see-athletes-like-me-win-gold-medals-you-only-see-the/) [Linford Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linford-christie/) > [Homosexuals in Russia live in peace, work, are promoted, receive national awards for their achievements in science, art or any other sphere, medals are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/homosexuals-in-russia-live-in-peace-work-are-promoted-receive/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [I don't know where my medals are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/i-don-t-know-where-my-medals-are/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [“These aren’t my scars, cuts, and bruises. These are my medals of honor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/these-aren-t-my-scars-cuts-and-bruises-these-are-my-medals-of-honor/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [But probably this is helps to win, to win, to gold, more gold medals, and to win most my important medal, heart of people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-korbut/but-probably-this-is-helps-to-win-to-win-to-gold-more-gold-medals-and/) [Olga Korbut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-korbut/) > [I don't know what the point of life is, but I'm certain that five gold medals is not it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikaela-shiffrin/i-don-t-know-what-the-point-of-life-is-but-i-m-certain-that-five-gold/) [Mikaela Shiffrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikaela-shiffrin/) > [I have two hands. I can hold two medals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shani-davis/i-have-two-hands-i-can-hold-two-medals/) [Shani Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shani-davis/) > [You don't do a play to compete for an award. This was the argument I always had over the Oscars. I didn't win them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/you-don-t-do-a-play-to-compete-for-an-award-this-was-the-argument-i/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [The number of medals on an officer's breast varies in inverse proportion to the square of the distance of his duties from the front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-montague/the-number-of-medals-on-an-officer-s-breast-varies-in-inverse/) [Charles Edward Montague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-montague/) > [ The \[IBJJF\] medal has zero value. It means as much as this tablecloth right here, but people still kill themselves to try to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryron-gracie/the-ibjjf-medal-has-zero-value-it-means-as-much-as-this-tablecloth/) [Ryron Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryron-gracie/) ## More by T. Kingfisher > [“Between one stride and the next, the herd of reindeer faded away. She felt a last few ghosts go with her, shoulder on shoulder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-kingfisher/between-one-stride-and-the-next-the-herd-of-reindeer-faded-away-she/) [T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/) > [“Headache is always preferable to heartache, and if you’re focusing on not throwing up, you aren’t thinking about how the friends of your youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-kingfisher/headache-is-always-preferable-to-heartache-and-if-you-re-focusing-on/) [T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/) > [“Thank you,” breathed Rhea. “Oh, thank you! 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Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/) > [“Inspiration knocks now and again, but spite bangs on the door all year long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-kingfisher/inspiration-knocks-now-and-again-but-spite-bangs-on-the-door-all-year/) [T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/) > [“This was like that, only without the flash or the headache. I felt the world shift around me. Javier hadn't been looking at me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-kingfisher/this-was-like-that-only-without-the-flash-or-the-headache-i-felt-the/) [T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/) > [“And you and your wise prince will talk long into the night, every night, and live to a ripe old age. And the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-kingfisher/and-you-and-your-wise-prince-will-talk-long-into-the-night-every/) [T. 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