CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The fifth anniversary of the liberation of Iraq occurred last month. The 437th Airlift Wing's mission of "taking the fight to the enemy" continues.
Our involvement around the world in the war on terrorism brought to mind a farewell speech from an Army general officer that is as relevant today as it was when he spoke his words almost 50 years ago. On May 12, 1962, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, one of America's greatest wartime general officers, was awarded the Sylvanus Thayer Award at West Point Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. The award is presented to outstanding citizens of the United States whose service and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify personal devotion to the ideals expressed in the West Point motto, "Duty, Honor, Country."
In his speech before assembled West Point cadets, General MacArthur, who reminisced of his 30 plus years of military service, said, "Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn."
While some on TV argue about the "meaning of words," it is interesting to note that the general also had something to say about words in his speech.
"The unbelievers will say they (duty, honor, country) are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule," the general stated.
Today, we hear the motto, "family first, mission always." And yet those in uniform, who have sworn the oath to defend this nation against all enemies, should strive to remember the words duty, honor, country.
As the general further states in his speech about those three words, "these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge."
Yes, family is important. But those who have sworn the oath, and serve in an all-volunteer force, should also remember that, while they wear the uniform of the greatest Air Force in the world, the ideal of "Duty, Honor, Country," should guide their action and behavior.
Air Force Doctrine Document, 1-1, dated Feb. 1, 2006, Chapter 1, page 6, states in part in the definition of "Service Before Self -- Airmen have a duty to their family as strong as that to the service." The difference is, there are times the service and nation will require them to be away from home." The implication is obvious. There are times when we are asked to place our service responsibilities above personal ones. And "Service Before Self" is the real difference between serving one's country and working anywhere in the civilian community.
Every service member eventually takes his uniform off for the last time one day. When that day comes for you, will you be able to remember your time in the service of your nation and state with a clear conscious as the general did, "Duty, Honor, Country?"
For a complete transcript of General MacArthur's Thayer Award speech go to:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/douglasmacarthurthayeraward.html.