That George Washington Thing

Patron: To the American Memory Team:
Did George Washington ever say anything remotely resembling the following 'quotation'?

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”

Dear Patron:

Thank you for your query.

I have received this question numerous times in the past, and I have never been able to document that George Washington actually made the statement.

Yes, you can find this quotation all over the Internet, including many politicians using this quote; however, the only "citation" given is the year 1789.

Washington's papers, which are available as one of the American Memory online collections on the Library of Congress's website, do not contain this quotation. Nor do any of a number of print titles, including:

"The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot," compiled and edited by Stephen E. Lucan, Madison: WI: Madison House, 1999.

"America's Founding Fathers: Their Uncommon Wisdom and Wit," edited by Bill Adler, New York: Taylor Trade Publishing, c2003.

"Maxims of George Washington," collected and arranged by John Frederick Schroder, Mount Vernon, VA: The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, c1989.

"Washington on Washington," edited by Paul M. Zall, Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky, c2003.

"Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations from the Library of Congress," edited by Suzy Platt, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., c1992.

This quotation is not found using Google Book Search, or searching the subscription electronic full-text databases JSTOR and American Periodicals Series.

The Internet has provided a means for many misattributed or false quotations to proliferate, especially with respect to the Founding Fathers.

I hope that this information is helpful.

ECH
Reference Librarian
Main Reading Room
Humanities & Social Sciences Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-4660
(202) 707-3399