Evening star., 1942-11-15
McNuir
Continued From Page BID

Clduy LQe young OneS-galn expert
ence. and by the tremendous output
of our officer candidate schools
These fine, young officers, in a sense
are the broad foundation on which
our war army Is being built.
Leadership is the first essential of
good training, as of battle itself
The leader must teach his troops
thoroughly, correctly and interest
ingly. It is his duty to see to it that
they know the things they must
know in order to fight effectively
He must do more-a vital something
more BY his personality, enthusi-
asm, and solid knowledge, he must
supply the spark which infuses his
men with his spirit and carries them
individually and collectively along
with him.
Many of you feel no doubt that
you are something like veterans. for
you have been training long time
On the other hand, some of you are
new in the service. even though you
may be no longer recruits. On the
whole, the ground forces are a
green army. Whether you are vet
eran or recruit, training is your
object in life. You cannot have too
much of it.
The size of our overseas forces,
under present conditions at least, is
a matter of shipping. 1t follows
that every man who goes must pay
his freight-either directly or indi-
rectly-in combat value BY thor
ough training, each Of you can be
worth two unframed men, doubling
our total strength overseas. You
must train so that our transports
will carry record cargoes of fighting
power.
Discipline Is Better.
Training thus far has been good,
bad and indifferent-largely ac-
cording to the quality of leadership.
On the whole, you have trained
actively and faithfully. Progress
has been praiseworthy. The Army
of 1912 is greatly improved as COM
pared with the 194l model. The
older troop units are looking like
veterans, and the new units are
coming along fast. They soon will
be challenging the older ones.
Discipline is definitely better today
than year ago, and this is a sign
of the greatest Importance. Your
spirits are higher, your interest is
keener and your progress corre-
spondingly greater. Perhaps the
condition is due to increased pay,
and certainly that boon was well
come. Pearl Harbor has spurred.
Improved leadership has made itself
felt. Whatever may be the causes,
the results are altogether encoura-
aging and helpful in view OF the
stern outlook ahead.
The maneuvers which have just
been completed in various parts OF
the country also have reflected fine
progress as compared with 194l.
Maneuvers always are a severe test
of physical condition and stamina.
Those of you who participated dis
played a fine brand of soldering.
You put out all the way. You en-
dured real hardships uncomplain-
ingly. Your interest was intense
and sustained. You learned a
great deal-probably more than you
realize.
Devotion to duty and heroism
during the maneuvers were in evi-
dence constantly-just as truly as
l., h.ff1a n,,oy, fbo11uI, lace con-
spicuous. Six officers and lis en-
listed men died from accidental
causes attributable directly to the
maneuvers. Thirty-three of the
deaths were by drowning. many of
them due to exploits for which your
comrades volunteered in order to
further the success of their COM
panies in the mock warfare. Such
actions are if anything more heroic
than in battle, for stimulus and
realism necessarily are absent IN
some degree at maneuvers.
Great Souls Shine Forth.
I am thinking tonight of what is
IN the hearts of you soldiers, for
the spirit is the controlling element
in battle.
In war men do the impossible.
Great souls shine forth--sometimes
as officers, sometimes as privates.
Perhaps they are born so; perhaps
they are made by self-training, by
contemplating inwardly what lies
ahead. by charting their course and
storing up resolve. Great as is the
influence of leadership, it alone is
not enough. Soldiers-our kind of
soldiers-must be right inside.
When soldiers are right and lead
ers lead, the combination is un-
beatable. Irresistible. Such troops
cannot be stopped; they never tire;
they never turn back, but 60 forward
always.
Our soldiers must have the light