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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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 Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 5:08 am Post subject: The Corps...and The Corps...and The Corps |
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| Quote: | "Duty, Honor, Country"
"The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield.
But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point.
Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.
Today marks my final roll call with you, but I want you to know that when I cross the river my last conscious thoughts will be of The Corps, and The Corps, and The Corps."
General Douglas MacArthur: Thayer Award Acceptance Address
delivered 12 May 1962, West Point, NY
West Point.org |
If you haven't had the pleasure, give it a listen...especially his closing remarks. Truly one of the greats in American oratory.
Graduation week at the Academies and Time magazine has focused on the West Point Class of 2005. I might have to break down and give this one a read.
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shawa
CNO
Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 2004
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 6:07 am Post subject: |
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Me#1You#10
Thank you!! It was a pleasure.
| Quote: | Duty - Honor - Country.
The code which those words perpetuate embraces the highest moral laws and will stand the test of any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated for the uplift of mankind. Its requirements are for the things that are right, and its restraints are from the things that are wrong. The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training - sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when he created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instinct can take the place of the Divine help which alone can sustain him. However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country, is the noblest development of mankind. |
This brought me to tears!!
May God bless all who in the past and still today are sacrificing so much!
I honor your sacrifice. My heart and my prayers are always with you.
_________________
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” (Thomas Paine, 1776) |
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Schadow
Vice Admiral
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 936
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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It might be of interest to read the biography of Douglas MacArthur's father, Lt. Gen. Arthur MacArthur, the only man Douglas would ever acknowledge as a better man.
Arthur MacArthur, a recipient of the Medal of Honor for service in the Civil War at Missionary Ridge and other operations, was later posted to numerous forts on the US frontier where his family, including the young Douglas, accompanied him.
It is remarkable to consider that in the field of weaponry alone, Douglas' life spanned the days of Springfield rifles all the way to nuclear weapons which were under his control in Korea, where his service ended for defying politicians. The guy is my hero.
Arthur MacArthur's short bio can be found here:
http://www.spanamwar.com/macarthur.htm
Schadow
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Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54 |
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Aristotle The Hun
PO1
Joined: 18 Aug 2004
Posts: 488
Location: Naples FL
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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How can one's chest swell and one's eyes spill over all at once. Thanks.
Sam
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Deportè Monsieur Kerrè |
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baldeagle
PO2
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Posts: 362
Location: Grand Saline, Texas
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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The young man in the forefront on the cover was on O'Reilly last night.
One of the things discussed was the fact that in their junior year the cadets are offered the option of dropping out of the academy if they have decided that the military life is not for them, and each year the jr class loses a certain percentage, but this class retained a higher percentage than any class in recent years. Truly the young men and women in our military academies are the cream of the crop of our nations youth.
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"In a word, I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home." --George Washington |
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kate
Admin
Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 1891
Location: Upstate, New York
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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thanks for the reminder Me#1
artist Paul Steucke did a wonderful painting of the speech, which can be viewed Here
note, due to copyright, the image can not be displayed, only linked to
_________________
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one of..... We The People |
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