“The characteristic which higher command always looks for in any officer is honesty. Honesty in thought, word, and deed. Second to honesty and courage of purpose, I would place an unselfish attitude as the greatest attribute of a leader. Place the care and protection of the men first; share their hardships without complaint and when the real test comes you will find that they possess a genuine respect and admiration for you. To do otherwise means failure at the crucial moment when the support of your men is essential to the success of the battle.”

General Alexander M. Patch (1889 to 1945)

Alexander McCarrell Patch was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II, rising to rank of General. During World War II he commanded US Army and US Marine Corps forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign, and the US Seventh Army on the Western Front.