George Washington on United States Navy
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“Would to Heaven we had a navy able to reform those enemies to mankind, or crush them into non-existence.”
- George Washington, W)
Recognizing naval power's pivotal role in achieving victory, George Washington emphasized to the Marquis de Lafayette in 1781 that a strong navy was essential for American success.
“It follows then as certain as that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious.”
- George Washington, W)