Larry O. Spencer

Failure is not inevitable and success is not guaranteed. But if we don't try, we certainly will not succeed.

Larry Oneil Spencer (born 1 August 1954) is a retired United States Air Force general who served in many command, comptroller, and leadership roles during the course of his career. Some of his leadership roles included being the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, commander of the 75th Air Base Wing at Hill AFB, commander of the 72nd Support Group at Tinker AFB, and the commander of the 4th Comptroller Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB. He retired 1 October 2015 after more than 44 years of service. He received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.

Service in the military is a way of life. Every day, the people you work with and for all have a common bond: we took a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. At its core, we swore to give our lives if necessary to defend the country. There is no higher calling.

I know the professional playing field is not level, and every American should recognize that fact and work to correct the imbalance. But in my view, the best way to make things better is to work your way into a position of authority so you can assure fairness within your sphere of influence.

Quotes

Dark Horse (2021)

Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. All quotes are from the 2021 hardcover edition.

• Service in the military is a way of life. Every day, the people you work with and for all have a common bond: we took a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. At its core, we swore to give our lives if necessary to defend the country. There is no higher calling.
  • p. 131

• I know people from all walks of life who were born into less-than-ideal situations but don't want to put in the work. Rather, they blame "the system," and they blame others for their status in life. Trust me, I know the professional playing field is not level, and every American should recognize that fact and work to correct the imbalance. But in my view, the best way to make things better is to work your way into a position of authority so you can assure fairness within your sphere of influence. My gruff grandfather once told me, "Life is not fair; get over it." Coleman Cox said, "I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have." I think both quotes are sound advice.
  • p. 141

• Failure is not inevitable and success is not guaranteed. But if we don't try, we certainly will not succeed.
  • p. 150

• In this tough and oftentimes unfriendly world we live in, I believe we should offer acts of kindness as often as we can. Over the years, I have owned five different 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. My first purchase was in 1975. For reasons I cannot explain, several years later I made the decision to trade that car in for a much smaller used compact car. That car was too small for our family and started to fail a few months after purchase. While driving the car home from work one day, the fan blade literally fell off the engine and the car came to an abrupt stop. There were no cell phones in those days, so I picked up the fan off the highway and stood by the car with no idea what to do next.
  Seemingly out of nowhere, a gentleman pulled his car up behind me, got out, and asked to look under my hood. As it turned out, my water pump was shot and apparently had not been properly installed. There was an auto parts store nearby, so the gentleman drove over to the store, purchased a new water pump, and reinstalled my fan blade, all on the side of the highway. When he completed his work, he suggested I consider purchasing another make and model car, and then went on his way. I thanked him profusely and only remembered later that I neither knew his name nor paid him for the new water pump. This act of kindness and compassion is something I will never forget.
  • p. 151

• We live in an amazing country. America really is the greatest country on earth. Whether we are born to affluent parents who can provide every advantage in education and resources or reared in an inner-city or rural area with poor living conditions and substandard schools, in America, either can achieve their dreams of prosperity and success. That doesn't mean there will not be obstacles to overcome, but with persistence, hard work, and determination, in America we can in fact achieve anything.
  • p. 153