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As a civilian during the Second War, I was exposed to danger in circumstances which removed any distinction between the man in and the man out of uniform.

Your position never gives you the right to command. It only imposes on you the duty of so living your life that others can receive your orders without being humiliated.

I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers.

I am willing to serve my country, but do not wish to sacrifice the brave men under my command.

I've been a soldier too long to refuse to entertain any request from a potential commander in chief.

I realize that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put their selves in harm's way for my freedom of speech and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee, so I have the utmost respect for them, and I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.

The responsibility of commanding the invasion fell to me, and the task was assigned to my Army Group.

I was only the servant of my country and had I, at any moment, failed to express her unflinching resolve to fight and conquer, I should at once have been rightly cast aside.