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15 quotes by Stuart Symington

William Stuart Symington Jr. (/ˈsaɪmɪŋtən/; June 26, 1901 – December 14, 1988) was an American businessman and politician from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.
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But the Air Force was sort of a bastard child of the Army, much like the Marines with the Navy. Everything had to be done over by the Army after it... →

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I believe the military should be wary of diplomacy until war is declared; then the State Department should keep its nose out and let the military do... →

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Hardly had I left when we ran into the Korean war, doubled what I had asked for and doubled it again. I had told him I would stay in Government, be... →

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In those days secrets were well kept.

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FDR had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy. They told me, now forgotten, just how many pictures of ships they took out of the White House after he... →

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The British were keen for 30 caliber guns, did not believe in daylight bombing. American experts said 30 caliber was not enough; we had to have 50... →

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My father-in-law was once Chairman of Military Affairs in the Senate, the latter part of the Wilson Administrations. He knew a lot about and was fond... →

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Well over fifty years ago I was making radio loudspeakers and radio sets in Rochester, New York; pretty young and inexperienced; but we survived the... →

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In real danger sometimes even a democracy can really keep a secret.

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It all went back to problems we had talked about before, you know, such as the British not believing in formation bombing and not believing in... →

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If civilians are going to be killed, I would rather have them be their civilians than our civilians.

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Sure, you would lose more bombers without fighters, but, flying in formation, you could get the job done.

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I had learned many years ago in private business never to take responsibility without adequate authority; and the new Secretary of Defense, as... →

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