Duty-honor-country

1Duty,Honor,CountryDuty,Honor,CountryistheacceptancespeechgivenbyGeneralDouglasMacArthuratWestPointon12May1962ontheoccasionofhisreceivingtheSylvanusThayerAward.GeneralWestmoreland,GeneralGroves,distinguishedguests,andgentlemenoftheCorps.AsIwasleavingthehotelthismorning,adoormanaskedme,Whereareyouboundfor,General?andwhenIreplied,WestPoint,heremarked,Beautifulplace,haveyoueverbeentherebefore?Nohumanbeingcouldfailtobedeeplymovedbysuchatributeasthis,comingfromaprofessionIhaveservedsolongandapeopleIhavelovedsowell.ItfillsmewithanemotionIcannotexpress.Butthisawardisnotintendedprimarilytohonorapersonality,buttosymbolizeagreatmoralcode—thecodeofconductandchivalryofthosewhoguardthisbelovedlandofcultureandancientdescent.Thatisthemeaningofthismedallion.Foralleyesandforalltime,itisanexpressionoftheethicsoftheAmericansoldier.ThatIshouldbeintegratedinthiswaywithsonobleanidealarousesasenseofprideandyetofhumilitywhichwillbewithmealways.Duty,Honor,Country—thosethreehallowedwordsreverentlydictatewhatyououghttobe,whatyoucanbe,whatyouwillbe.Theyareyourrallyingpointstobuildcouragewhencourageseemstofail,toregainfaithwhenthereseemstobelittlecauseforfaith,tocreatehopewhenhopebecomesforlorn.Unhappily,Ipossessneitherthateloquenceofdiction,thatpoetryofimagination,northatbrillianceofmetaphortotellyouallthattheymean.Theunbelieverswillsaytheyarebutwords,butaslogan,butaflamboyantphrase.Everypedant,everydemagogue,everycynic,everyhypocrite,everytroublemaker,and,Iamsorrytosay,someothersofanentirelydifferentcharacter,willtrytodowngradethemeventotheextentofmockeryandridicule.Butthesearesomeofthethingstheydo.Theybuildyourbasiccharacter.Theymoldyouforyourfuturerolesasthecustodiansofthenation'sdefense.Theymakeyoustrongenoughtoknowwhenyouareweak,andbraveenoughtofaceyourselfwhenyouareafraid.Theyteachyoutobeproudandunbendinginhonestfailure,buthumbleandgentleinsuccess;nottosubstitutewordsforaction;nottoseekthepathofcomfort,buttofacethestressandspurofdifficultyandchallenge;tolearntostandupinthestorm,buttohavecompassiononthosewhofall;tomasteryourselfbeforeyouseektomasterothers;tohaveaheartthatisclean,agoalthatishigh;tolearntolaugh,yetneverforgethowtoweep;toreachintothefuture,yetneverneglectthepast;tobeserious,yetnevertakeyourselftooseriously;tobemodestsothatyouwillrememberthesimplicityoftruegreatness;theopenmindoftruewisdom,themeeknessoftruestrength.2Theygiveyouatemperofthewill,aqualityoftheimagination,avigoroftheemotions,afreshnessofthedeepspringsoflife,atemperamentalpredominanceofcourageovertimidity,anappetiteforadventureoverloveofease.Theycreateinyourheartthesenseofwonder,theunfailinghopeofwhatnext,andthejoyandinspirationoflife.Theyteachyouinthiswaytobeanofficerandagentleman.Andwhatsortofsoldiersarethoseyouaretolead?Aretheyreliable?Aretheybrave?Aretheycapableofvictory?Theirstoryisknowntoallofyou.ItisthestoryoftheAmericanmanatarms.Myestimateofhimwasformedonthebattlefieldsmany,manyyearsago,andhasneverchanged.Iregardedhimthen,asIregardhimnow,asoneoftheworld'snoblestfigures;notonlyasoneofthefinestmilitarycharacters,butalsoasoneofthemoststainless.HisnameandfamearethebirthrightofeveryAmericancitizen.Inhisyouthandstrength,hisloveandloyalty,hegaveallthatmortalitycangive.Heneedsnoeulogyfromme,orfromanyotherman.Hehaswrittenhisownhistoryandwrittenitinredonhisenemy'sbreast.ButwhenIthinkofhispatienceunderadversity,ofhiscourageunderfire,andofhismodestyinvictory,IamfilledwithanemotionofadmirationIcannotputintowords.Hebelongstohistoryasfurnishingoneofthegreatestexamplesofsuccessfulpatriotism.Hebelongstoposterityastheinstructoroffuturegenerationsintheprinciplesoflibertyandfreedom.Hebelongstothepresent,tous,byhisvirtuesandbyhisachievements.Intwentycampaigns,onahundredbattlefields,aroundathousandcampfires,Ihavewitnessedthatenduringfortitude,thatpatrioticself-abnegation,andthatinvincibledeterminationwhichhavecarvedhisstatueintheheartsofhispeople.Fromoneendoftheworldtotheother,hehasdraineddeepthechaliceofcourage.AsIlistenedtothosesongsofthegleeclub,inmemory'seyeIcouldseethosestaggeringcolumnsoftheFirstWorldWar,bendingundersoggypacksonmanyawearymarch,fromdrippingdusktodrizzlingdawn,sloggingankledeepthroughmireofshell-pockedroads;toformgrimlyfortheattack,blue-lipped,coveredwithsludgeandmud,chilledbythewindandrain,drivinghometotheirobjective,andformany,tothejudgmentseatofGod.Idonotknowthedignityoftheirbirth,butIdoknowthegloryoftheirdeath.Theydiedunquestioning,uncomplaining,withfaithintheirhearts,andontheirlipsthehopethatwewouldgoontovictory.Alwaysforthem:Duty,Honor,Country.Alwaystheirblood,andsweat,andtears,astheysawthewayandthelight.Andtwentyyearsafter,ontheothersideoftheglobe,againstthefilthofdirtyfoxholes,thestenchofghostlytrenches,theslimeofdrippingdugouts,thoseboilingsunsoftherelentlessheat,thosetorrentialrainsofdevastatingstorms,thelonelinessandutterdesolationofjungletrails,thebitternessoflongseparationofthosetheylovedandcherished,thedeadlypestilenceoftropicdisease,thehorrorofstrickenareasofwar.3Theirresoluteanddetermineddefense,theirswiftandsureattack,theirindomita