Evening star., 1962-07-13
EXCLUSIVELY YOURS
President Backs
Jefferson's Order

IT'S a great satisfaction
for me to be able to report
that President Thomas JEFF
ferSon's command has been
very successfully carried out"
said President John F. Ken
nedy at the Marine Barracks
last evening, 16I years after
Jefferson gave the command
to build the barracks where
they now stand.
The first President Of the
United States to visit the
Marine Corps headquarters
and the first to even see the
site since that 31st of March
in 1901, when the third PreSi-
dent chose it, made his re-
marks at the close of a
Snappy, dramatically Lit dress
parade that was staged eS-
pecially for him and his
guests.
He told the companies of
men in their blue and white
dress uniforms, their bayo-
nets and buckles shining like
white silver, I'VE recognize
that the qualities which have
made this drill tonight so
distinctive are the same
qualities which several weeks
ago permitted the General
and Admiral Anderson to
state that they could put
several thousand Marines
ashore at Bangkok in 48
hours. He then pointed to a
place on the map of Thailand
a good deal to the North and
said that they could put
them there a day later, and
there some of them still stay.
1t proves that the new breed
is as good as the old breed,
and I can think of no higher
compliment"
WITH HIS USUAL IN
LECTION OF HUMOR, Mr..
Kennedy stated, 81 also to
my diSmay, learned that one
more impressive Washington
title did not have as much
significance as I thought. I
had always enjoyed the title
of Commander in Chief until
I was informed by Gen.
Shoup tonight that-the only
(Marine) forces that cannot
be transferred from WASH
ington without my express
permission are the members
OF the Marine Corps Band.
Those are the only forces I
have.
Il want it announced"
continued the President with
an obvious political double
entendre, that we propose
to hold the White House
against all odds at least for
some time to come; and we
are determined to maintain
the spirit which you have
shown tonight"
He arrived at the Com
mandant's House at $40.
was received by Gen. and
Mrs. David M. Shoup and
went out into the big hedged-
in garden to greet his own
and the Generals specially
invited guests.
Out on the parade ground
the rows of wooden chairs
began filling up. In the front
row, conspicuous among the
folding seats, were two big,
overStuffed black leather
swivel chairs, the acme in
comfort if you ever saw it,
with extra sponge rubber deep
cushions and side buttons for,
one suspected, reclining in
comfort If desired.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT
and Gen. Shoup subsequently
sat down in those two chairs,
an observer was heard to re-
mark, Il thought the two
thrones were for Dick Russell
and Carl Vinson.
The all important Senate
and House chairmen of their
respective Armed Services
Committees were there all
right and Senator Russell
sat on the Presidents right,
and Representative Vinson
next to Mrs. Shoup who had
the Vice President on her
right. Secretary of Defense
Robert Mcnamara, who was
accompanied by his wife, sat
on the other side of Mr.. Vim
son, who has so much to do
with the purse strings of de-
fenSe. And next came Post
master General and Mrs. Ed
ward Day.
Senate Majority Leader
Mike Mansfield and Repre-
sentative George Mahon, Sec
ond ranking member on the
Appropriations Committee,
were others invited to sit with
their wives in the presidential
section. So was Senator
George Smathers who left
later in the car with the
President, and Deputy Secre-
tary of Defense and Mrs.
Roswell Gilpatric-she in a
chic yellow and green print;
Representative Porter Hardy,
Representative and Mrs.
Clark Thompson.
Also Chief of Naval Opera
tions and Mrs. George Ander-
son, Secretary of the Navy
and Mrs. Fred Korth, Assis-
tant Secretary and Mrs. Henry
Wakelin, Presidential Assist
ant and Mrs. Larry O'Brien,