Black Hearts Quotes

“Fuck it,” said Private First Class Chris Barnes, raising his hand. “Let’s do it. This sounds like a great fucking idea. Who wants to get blown up?” They started laughing. Watt, Barker, Cortez, and Private First Class Shane Hoeck all raised their hands. They did not give a damn anymore. It was all so absurd to them, that they were going to drive up and down a road for the next eight hours as bomb magnets. The only thing that they could do was laugh. “Hooray! We’re going out to get blown up!” they sang. “Who’s on board? Hey, who wants to come get blown up? Woohoo! Yeah, dude, I am ready to go fucking die! We are all going to fucking die!”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“The leader has a responsibility to hold people accountable. However, there are several ways to point out deficiencies while allowing people to keep their dignity.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“organized, leader-mandated, group-on-group killing”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“But one of the most valuable functions a platoon leader serves is to explain to a bunch of complaining soldiers why a mission is not stupid, a time waste, or a death trap. He helps the soldiers understand the often nonobvious logic of unpopular missions.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“Soldiers are not stupid,” said Lauzier. “They know when the chain of command does not know what it is doing.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“You can’t show them any kindness, because kindness is weakness.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“I’m not fucking around. Do not come in my perimeter. I own this shit. I’m the sheriff here.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“troop-to-task roster”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“And if you don’t multitask everyone, then you’re never going to get it done.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“Of course, no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“People did what he said, not just because it was an order but because they wanted to please him.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“There was something about the way he operated that made even privates feel important.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“True leadership, the book says, inspires people to follow you because you serve their psychological need for purpose, value, and direction.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“ensure the timely and accurate execution of the commander’s orders, the care and welfare of the men, the specific tasking of personnel, and advising the commander of the enlisted man’s view of things.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“you want to serve your country, those branches might be for you. But so might the Post Office. If you want to fight for your country, the only job to have is in combat arms, and the only job in combat arms,”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“Soldiers today, however, suffer mightily under the burden of “the Greatest Generation” mythos and the sanitized Hollywood depictions of World War II. There is a persistent and unfortunate sentiment among modern warriors that they will never live up to the nobility and bravery of those who saw off fascism.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death

“Human organizations are flawed because humans are flawed. Even with the best intentions, men make errors in judgment and initiate courses of action that are counterproductive to their self-interest or the completion of the mission.”
― Jim Frederick, Black Hearts: One Platoon's Descent Into Madness in Iraq's Triangle of Death