ThayerAwardAcceptanceAddress.doc

ThayerAwardAcceptanceAddress GeneralDouglasMacArthur:ThayerAwardAcceptanceAddress GeneralWestmoreland,GeneralGrove,distinguishedguests,andgentlemenoftheCorps AsIwasleavingthehotelthismorning,adoormanaskedme,Whereareyouboundfor,General?AndwhenIreplied,WestPoint,heremarked,Beautifulplace.Haveyoueverbeentherebefore? NohumanbeingcouldfailtobedeeplymovedbysuchatributeasthisThayerAward.ComingfromaprofessionIhaveservedsolong,andapeopleIhavelovedsowell,itfillsmewithanemotionIcannotexpress.Butthisawardisnotintendedprimarilytohonorapersonality,buttosymbolizeagreatmoralcodethecodeofconductandchivalryofthosewhoguardthisbelovedlandofcultureandancientdescent.Thatistheanimationofthismedallion.Foralleyesandforalltime,itisanexpressionoftheethicsoftheAmericansoldier.ThatIshouldbeintegratedinthiswaywithsonobleanidealarousesasenseofprideandyetofhumilitywhichwillbewithmealways:Duty,Honor,Country. Thosethreehallowedwordsreverentlydictatewhatyououghttobe,whatyoucanbe,whatyouwillbe.Theyareyourrallyingpoints:tobuildcouragewhencourageseemstofail;toregainfaithwhenthereseemstobelittlecauseforfaith;tocreatehopewhenhopebeesforlorn. Unhappily,Ipossessneitherthateloquenceofdiction,thatpoetryofimagination,northatbrillianceofmetaphortotellyouallthattheymean.Theunbelieverswillsaytheyarebutwords,butaslogan,butaflamboyantphrase.Everypedant,everydemagogue,everycynic,everyhypocrite,everytroublemaker,andIamsorrytosay,someothersofanentirelydifferentcharacter,willtrytodowngradethemeventotheextentofmockeryandridicule. Butthesearesomeofthethingstheydo.Theybuildyourbasiccharacter.Theymoldyouforyourfuturerolesasthecustodiansofthenationsdefense.Theymakeyoustrongenoughtoknowwhenyouareweak,andbraveenoughtofaceyourselfwhenyouareafraid.Theyteachyoutobeproudandunbendinginhonestfailure,buthumbleandgentleinsuccess;nottosubstitutewordsforactions,nottoseekthepathoffort,buttofacethestressandspurofdifficultyandchallenge;tolearntostandupinthestormbuttohavepassiononthosewhofall;tomasteryourselfbeforeyouseektomasterothers;tohaveaheartthatisclean,agoalthatishigh;tolearntolaugh,yetneverforgethowtoweep;toreachintothefutureyetneverneglectthepast;tobeseriousyetnevertotakeyourselftooseriously;tobemodestsothatyouwillrememberthesimplicityoftruegreatness,theopenmindoftruewisdom,themeeknessoftruestrength.Theygiveyouatemperofthewill,aqualityoftheimagination,avigoroftheemotions,afreshnessofthedeepspringsoflife,atemperamentalpredominanceofcourageovertimidity,ofanappetiteforadventureoverloveofease.Theycreateinyourheartthesenseofwonder,theunfailinghopeofwhatnext,andthejoyandinspirationoflife.Theyteachyouinthiswaytobeanofficerandagentleman. Andwhatsortofsoldiersarethoseyouaretolead?Aretheyreliable?Aretheybrave?Aretheycapableofvictory?Theirstoryisknowntoallofyou.ItisthestoryoftheAmericanmanatarms.Myestimateofhimwasformedonthebattlefieldmany,manyyearsago,andhasneverchanged.IregardedhimthenasIregardhimnowasoneoftheworldsnoblestfigures,notonlyasoneofthefinestmilitarycharacters,butalsoasoneofthemoststainless.HisnameandfamearethebirthrightofeveryAmericancitizen.Inhisyouthandstrength,hisloveandloyalty,hegaveallthatmortalitycangive. Heneedsnoeulogyfrommeorfromanyotherman.Hehaswrittenhisownhistoryandwrittenitinredonhisenemysbreast.ButwhenIthinkofhispatienceunderadversity,ofhiscourageunderfire,andofhismodestyinvictory,IamfilledwithanemotionofadmirationIcannotputintowords.Hebelongstohistoryasfurnishingoneofthegreatestexamplesofsuccessfulpatriotism.Hebelongstoposterityastheinstructoroffuturegenerationsintheprinciplesoflibertyandfreedom.Hebelongstothepresent,tous,byhisvirtuesandbyhisachievements.In20campaigns,onahundredbattlefields,aroundathousandcampfires,Ihavewitnessedthatenduringfortitude,thatpatrioticselfabnegation,andthatinvincibledeterminationwhichhavecarvedhisstatueintheheartsofhispeople.Fromoneendoftheworldtotheotherhehasdraineddeepthechaliceofcourage. AsIlistenedtothosesongsofthegleeclub,inmemoryseyeIcouldseethosestaggeringcolumnsoftheFirstWorldWar,bendingundersoggypacks,onmanyawearymarchfromdrippingdusktodrizzlingdawn,sloggingankledeepthroughthemireofshellshockedroads,toformgrimlyfortheattack,bluelipped,coveredwithsludgeandmud,chilledbythewindandrain,drivinghometotheirobjective,andformany,tothejudgmentseatofGod. Idonotknowthedignityoftheirbirth,butIdoknowthegloryoftheirdeath. Theydiedunquestioning,unplaining,withfaithintheirhearts,andontheirlipsthehopethatwewouldgoontovictory. Always,forthem:Duty,Honor,Country;alwaystheirbloodandsweatandtears,aswesoughtthewayandthelightandthetruth. And20yearsafter,ontheothersideoftheglobe,againthefilthofmurkyfoxholes,thestenchofghostlytrenches,theslimeofdrippingdugouts;thoseboilingsunsofrelentlessheat,thosetorrentialrainsofdevastatingstorms;thelonelinessandutterdesolationofjungletrails;thebitternessoflongseparationfromthosetheylovedandcherished;thedeadlypestilenceoftropicaldisease;thehorrorofstrickenareasofwar;theirresoluteanddetermineddefense,theirswiftandsureattack,theirindomitablepurpose,theirpleteanddecisivevictoryalwaysvictory.Alwaysthroughthebloodyhazeoftheirlastreverberatingshot,thevisionofgaunt,ghastlymenreverentlyfollowingyourpasswordof:Duty,Honor,Country. Thecodewhichthosewordsperpetuateembracesthehighestmorallawsandwillstandthetestofanyethicsorphilosophieseverpromulgatedfortheupliftofmankind.Itsrequirementsareforthethingsthatareright,anditsrestraintsarefromthethingsthatarewrong. Thesoldier,aboveallothermen,isrequiredtopracticethegreatestactofreligioustrainingsacrifice. Inbattleandinthefaceofdangeranddeath,hedisclosesthosedivineattributeswhichhisMakergavewhenhecreatedmaninhisownimage.NophysicalcourageandnobruteinstinctcantaketheplaceoftheDivinehelpwhichalonecansustainhim. Howeverhorribletheincidentsofwarmaybe,thesoldierwhoiscalledupontoofferandtogivehislifeforhiscountryisthenoblestdevelopmentofmankind. Younowfaceanewworldaworldofchange.Thethrustintoouterspaceofthesatellite,spheres,andmissilesmarkthebeginningofanotherepochinthelongstoryofmankind.Inthefiveormorebillionsofyearsthescientiststellusithastakentoformtheearth,inthethreeormorebillionyearsofdevelopmentofthehumanrace,therehasneverbeenamoreabruptorstaggeringevolution.Wedealnownotwiththingsofthisworldalone,butwiththeillimitabledistancesandasyetunfathomedmysteriesoftheuniverse.Wearereachingoutforanewandboundlessfrontier. Wespeakinstrangeterms:ofharnessingthecosmicenergy;ofmakingwindsandtidesworkforus;ofcreatingunheardsyntheticmaterialstosupplementorevenreplaceouroldstandardbasics;topurifyseawaterforourdrink;ofminingoceanfloorsfornewfieldsofwealthandfood;ofdiseasepreventativestoexpandlifeintothehundredsofyears;ofcontrollingtheweatherforamoreequitabledistributionofheatandcold,ofrainandshine;ofspaceshipstothemoon;oftheprimarytargetinwar,nolongerlimitedtothearmedforcesofanenemy,butinsteadtoincludehiscivilpopulations;ofultimateconflictbetweenaunitedhumanraceandthesinisterforcesofsomeotherplanetarygalaxy;ofsuchdreamsandfantasiesastomakelifethemostexcitingofalltime. Andthroughallthiswelterofchangeanddevelopment,yourmissionremainsfixed,determined,inviolable:itistowinourwars. Everythingelseinyourprofessionalcareerisbutcorollarytothisvitaldedication.Allotherpublicpurposes,allotherpublicprojects,allotherpublicneeds,greatorsmall,willfindothersfortheiracplishment.Butyouaretheoneswhoaretrainedtofight.Yoursistheprofessionofarms,thewilltowin,thesureknowledgethatinwarthereisnosubstituteforvictory;thatifyoulose,thenationwillbedestroyed;thattheveryobsessionofyourpublicservicemustbe:Duty,Honor,Country. Otherswilldebatethecontroversialissues,nationalandinternational,whichdividemensminds;butserene,calm,aloof,youstandastheNationswarguardian,asitslifeguardfromtheragingtidesofinternationalconflict,asitsgladiatorinthearenaofbattle.Foracenturyandahalfyouhavedefended,guarded,andprotecteditshallowedtraditionsoflibertyandfreedom,ofrightandjustice. Letcivilianvoicesarguethemeritsordemeritsofourprocessesofgovernment;whetherourstrengthisbeingsappedbydeficitfinancing,indulgedintoolong,byfederalpaternalismgrowntoomighty,bypowergroupsgrowntooarrogant,bypoliticsgrowntoocorrupt,bycrimegrowntoorampant,bymoralsgrowntoolow,bytaxesgrowntoohigh,byextremistsgrowntooviolent;whetherourpersonallibertiesareasthoroughandpleteastheyshouldbe.Thesegreatnationalproblemsarenotforyourprofessionalparticipationormilitarysolution.Yourguidepoststandsoutlikeatenfoldbeaconinthenight:Duty,Honor,Country. Youaretheleavenwhichbindstogethertheentirefabricofournationalsystemofdefense.Fromyourranksethegreatcaptainswhoholdthenationsdestinyintheirhandsthemomentthewartocsinsounds.TheLongGrayLinehasneverfailedus.Wereyoutodoso,amillionghostsinolivedrab,inbrownkhaki,inblueandgray,wouldrisefromtheirwhitecrossesthunderingthosema