Thayer Award Acceptance Address.doc

演讲稿 thayer award acceptance address generaldouglasmacarthur:thayerawardacceptanceaddress generalwestmoreland,generalgrove,distinguishedguests,andgentlemenofthecorps!asiwasleavingthehotelthismorning,adoormanaskedme,whereareyouboundfor,general?andwhenireplied,westpoint,heremarked,beautifulplace.haveyoueverbeentherebefore?nohumanbeingcouldfailtobedeeplymovedbysuchatributeasthisthayeraward.comingfromaprofessionihaveservedsolong,andapeopleihavelovedsowell,itfillsmewithanemotionicannotexpress.butthisawardisnotintendedprimarilytohonorapersonality,buttosymbolizeagreatmoralcode-thecodeofconductandchivalryofthosewhoguardthisbelovedlandofcultureandancientdescent.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.itisthestoryoftheamericanman-at-arms.myestimateofhimwasformedonthebattlefieldmany,manyyearsago,andhasneverchanged.iregardedhimthenasiregardhimnow-asoneoftheworldsnoblestfigures,notonlyasoneofthefinestmilitarycharacters,butalsoasoneofthemoststainless.hisnameandfamearethebirthrightofeveryamericancitizen.inhisyouthandstrength,hisloveandloyalty,hegaveallthatmortalitycangive.heneedsnoeulogyfrommeorfromanyotherman.hehaswrittenhisownhistoryandwrittenitinredonhisenemysbreast.butwhenithinkofhispatienceunderadversity,ofhiscourageunderfire,andofhismodestyinvictory,iamfilledwithanemotionofadmirationicannotputintowords.hebelongstohistoryasfurnishingoneofthegreatestexamplesofsuccessfulpatriotism.hebelongstoposterityastheinstructoroffuturegenerationsintheprinciplesoflibertyandfreedom.hebelongstothepresent,tous,byhisvirtuesandbyhisachievements.in20campaigns,onahundredbattlefields,aroundathousandcampfires,ihavewitnessedthatenduringfortitude,thatpatrioticself-abnegation,andthatinvincibledeterminationwhichhavecarvedhisstatueintheheartsofhispeople.fromoneendoftheworldtotheotherhehasdraineddeepthechaliceofcourage.asilistenedtothosesongsofthegleeclub,inmemoryseyeicouldseethosestaggeringcolumnsofthefirstworldwar,bendingundersoggypacks,onmanyawearymarchfromdrippingdusktodrizzlingdawn,sloggingankle-deepthroughthemireofshell-shockedroads,toformgrimlyfortheattack,blue-lipped,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,theirpleteanddecisivevictory-alwaysvictory.alwaysthroughthebloodyhazeoftheirlastreverberatingshot,thevisionofgaunt,ghastlymenreverentlyfollowingyourpasswordof:duty,honor,country.thecodewhichthosewordsperpetuateembracesthehighestmorallawsandwillstandthetestofanyethicsorphilosophieseverpromulgatedfortheupliftofmankind.itsrequirementsareforthethingsthatareright,anditsrestraintsarefromthethingsthatarewrong.thesoldier,aboveallothermen,isrequiredtopracticethegreatestactofreligioustraining-sacrifice.inbattleandinthefaceofdangeranddeath,hedisclosesthosedivineattributeswhichhismakergavewhenhecreatedmaninhisownimage.nophysicalcourageandnobruteinstinctcantaketheplaceofthedivinehelpwhichalonecansustainhim.howeverhorribletheincidentsofwarmaybe,thesoldierwhoiscalledupontoofferandtogivehislifeforhiscountryisthenoblestdevelopmentofmankind.younowfaceanewworld-aworldofchange.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,youstandasthenationswar-guardian,asitslifeguardfromtheragingtidesofinternationalconflict,asitsgladiatorinthearenaofbattle.foracenturyandahalfyouhavedefended,guarded,andprotecteditshallowedtraditionsoflibertyandfreedom,ofrightandjustice.letcivilianvoicesarguethemeritsordemeritsofourprocessesofgovernment;whetherourstrengthisbeingsappedbydeficitfinancing,indulgedintoolong,byfederalpaternalismgrowntoomighty,bypowergroupsgrowntooarrogant,bypoliticsgrowntoocorrupt,bycrimegrowntoorampant,bymoralsgrowntoolow,bytaxesgrowntoohigh,byextremistsgrowntooviolent;whetherourpersonallibertiesareasthoroughandpleteastheyshouldbe.thesegreatnationalproblemsarenotforyourprofessionalparticipationormilitarysolution.yourguidepoststandsoutlikeaten-foldbeaconinthenight:duty,honor,country.youaretheleavenwhichbindstogethertheentirefabricofournationalsystemofdefense.fromyourranksethegreatcaptainswhoholdthenationsdestinyintheirhandsthemomentthewartocsinsounds.thelonggraylinehasneverfailedus.wereyoutodoso,amillionghostsinolivedrab,inbrownkhaki,inblueandgray,wouldrisefromtheirwhitecrossesthunderingthosemagicwords