Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-09
Another Tale
Of klininger.
Superhero
Was Leader Even When
Cadet al West Point
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON

We're some grown old IN wars,
The death-wound on their
gallant breast,
The last of many scars.
But some were young, and sud
denly
Beheld LIES morn decline.
And one had come from Bmgen,
Fair Bingen on the Rhine"
LIVERY year. for some time, it
IL has been my fortune good
or ilD TO be invited TO talk be-
fore the West Point cadets by
the current chairman of the lee
ture society.
/ use "ill' fortune in the al
tentative just as a manner Of
speaking. The lecture course is
financed by the cadets out of
their very meager spending al
lowance. II is rather unusual
at the &C a d emy where the
course isn't exactly liberal.
But more dlStlngulshed-aRd
dignlfied educators, scientists
and publiciStS will find il an UNI
alleged pleasure, just as l do
but for a different reason.
When l was "A cadet the in
mates knew about as little OF
what was going on outside those
gray and clustered walls as the
inhabitants of other detention
institutions up>ahd down the
Hudson, monaSteries and peni-
tentiaries- and cared less.
MY FIRST l.. s. NJ. a. appear
Nl ance happened 10 be kind
Of question and answer forum on
the news. ! have conducted
many some in other colleges.
The latter were always remark
able in the mastery of the
meaning of current events they
showed among the current crop
Of kids, but this one was what
Lincoln called IAN aStonlSher.'
Regardless of its hoary old cur
riCulum. West Point had LIBERAL
lied itself.
II was such restless. bright
Hd-indeiSrtIve young minds as
these "chairmen Of the lecture
society@-who had pioneered the
going against the handlcapS of a
century of tradition.
The first time / went there
they broke another rule which
they would not think Of doing
with a stranger. | had begged
for informality and forgettulneSS
Of rank. Encouraged by that
and egCed on and informed by
my own classmates and school
mates. that chairman turned
loose his wolf. | never Got such
a ralzinG IN my life or had
better chance 10 60 10 work on
army stuffed shirts and better
men. II turned out 10 be riot.
After that the big gymnasium
was always full and that was
the standard ritual for the kid
chairman
Last academic year that
slight, slender young official
struck me as almost too gentle
and modest for the Job. He had
a beautiful SklnnIng prepared
for me and then fumhled u
with too much GentlcncSS, con-
slderation and praise.
But | suspected after talking
with him, and learned later from
his cadet biography and from
cadet nephew, who was one OF
his best friends. that he was one
Of the most cultured and at the
same time the most shy and
retiring men IN the corps al
the same time being we'll loved
and respected by every body
TT SEEMS uncanny that The
quotation at the head Of his
cadet biography. written a year
ago, should read
"Tis not what man does
which eXalts him but what man
would do"
on graduation last June Cadet
Alexander Munger chose Serv-
ice with the infantry IN tho
Philippines. Last week the war
department nounced the
award to- him Of the congress
Sional medal of honor (after he
was dead for conspicuous gal
lantry and intrepidity IN action
above and beyond the call
of duty"
That decoration is the hardest
in the world TO get. In all our
wars only few have been
awarded. The act must not be
merely brave II must be brave
beyond belief and be, BY no
stretch of Imagination, one that
could reasonably be expected OF
any soldier In line Of duty
MaCArthur'S terribly punished
left flank in Bataan was being
Pushed back and was diSIntc-
grating under greatly superior
force. No reserves renamed.
Our little Nininger literally
made himself reserve a one
man army.
With a sack Of hand grcnades
and a rifle he charged alone,
outhanked the en- envy, and,
although three times wounded,
drove them into retreat which
saved the line. He was found
dead surrounded by the dead
and wounded of the enemy.
Perhaps there is a story of
surprising heroism, but l haven't
heard il.