My first recollection is that of a bugle call.
I can recall no parallel in history where a great nation recently at war has so distinguished its former enemy commander.
My staff was unanimous in believing that Japan was on the point of collapse and surrender.
I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride – humility in the weight of those great American architects of our history who have stood here before me; pride in the reflection that this home of legislative debate represents human liberty in the purest form yet devised.
The Pacific no longer represents menacing avenues of approach for a prospective invader. It assumes, instead, the friendly aspect of a peaceful lake. Our line of defense is a natural one and can be maintained with a minimum of military effort and expense.
While no man in his right mind would advocate sending our ground forces into continental China, and such was never given a thought, the new situation did urgently demand a drastic revision of strategic planning if our political aim was to defeat this new enemy as we had defeated the old.
On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days, on other fields will bear the fruits of victory.
Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it.
I see that the flagpole still stands. Have your troops hoist the colors to its peak, and let no enemy ever haul them down.
The outfit soon took on color, dash and a unique flavor which is the essence of that elusive and deathless thing called soldiering.
Could I have but a line a century hence crediting a contribution to the advance of peace, I would yield every honor which has been accorded by war.
Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always.
Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.
I am of Virginia and all my professional life I have studied of Lee and Jackson.
Nothing would please me better than if they would give me three months and then attack here.
If I had one more division like this First Marine Division I could win this war.
I’ll come back as soon as I can with as much as I can. In the meantime, you’ve got to hold!
I’ve looked that old scoundrel death in the eye many times but this time I think he has me on the ropes.
The history of the failure of war can almost be summed up in two words: too late.
For the sentimentalism and emotionalism which have infested our country, we should substitute hard common sense. Pacific habits do not insure peace or immunity from national insult and aggression.
There is no substitute for victory.