Inscribed over the entrance of the Cadet Gym of the United States Military
Academy at West Point are these immortal words of General Douglas MacArthur:
Upon the fields of friendly strife
Are sown the seeds
That, upon other fields,
And on other days,
Will bear the fruits of victory.
General MacArthur did not make reference to the strength of body and prowess of
agile cunning that is enhanced by a cordial competition in the sports arena;
but rather to the strength of character that is engendered in suffering the
blows and wounds of defeat as well as victory. The strength of character that
is formed by humility in victory and a gracious acceptance of defeat is that
which comes from something more than physical stamina – it is a spiritual
quality that comes from a love of God, of Country, and of our fellow Citizen.
The friendly strife (which is non-commercial) is the kind that empowers us to
suffer defeat, but never to be defeated in spirit. It is the kind of strength
that is most desired in the American soldier at arms. It is the old guard of
personal integrity and uncompromising dedication to the principles of God and
Country that has resulted in the greatest blessings of Providence upon our fair
land from its inception as a nation.
We have witnessed, with stinging shame, the pitiful sight of the Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs, and the Navy Admiral who is the Pentagon spokesman, groveling
in the confused maze of political correctness to justify policies that are
un-American and hurtful to the principles upon which our military has always
found sound footing.
The soldier, sailor, and airman – above all others – must exemplify the
character, courage, and faith that has most characterized the American nation
throughout the annals of our history. To quote the words of our Lord: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13) These words set the premise for the valor and acrifice offered on
the altars of freedom of the brightest and finest of our military and naval
soldiers of decades past. It is a long line of khaki and olive drab that
recedes into our past and marches up to our future years with the unshakeable
resolve that this country shall never face the tribulations of a ten-horned
dictator. Should we forget the lessons learned of past nations who forgot
the principles of their founding, the words of Rudyard Kipling resound loudly
as a reminder:
Nations have passed away and left no traces.
And History gives the naked cause of it –
one single, simple reason in all cases;
they fell because their peoples were not fit.
Rudyard Kipling
If the faith and character of the American people fail in the face of modern
challenge, then we shall no longer deserve the blessings of God that have
showered so abundantly upon us in ages past. It matters not what leaders we
send to represent us; it is the collective conscience and character of the
American nation that shall decide our fate – and the American men and women at
arms are the express image of that character.
