Remarks at Dedication of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Walter Reed Medical Center

Mr. Secretary, General DeCoursey, distinguished guests, my old friends of the Service, and ladies and gentlemen:

For the enlightenment of this audience, it is indeed fortunate that Dr. DeCoursey saw fit to tell us about pathology. Because for myself, I assure you, I have learned more in the last five minutes than I knew in my entire life before.

But I did not come here to talk scientifically and that is my excuse for not being better briefed in that particular subject. We are here today to dedicate a great building of stone and concrete and other materials. This in itself is an important event, because I am told that this building is arranged better and more efficiently for the conduct of the work here to be done than any other that this country has erected.

A good workman deserves good surroundings, and a good place in which to work, and so if we had nothing more here to dedicate than the building itself, it would still be an occasion worthy of note.

But the true dedication is probably more to the impulses which led to the erection of this building. Concern for human life, and not merely to lengthen out the span of our years, although to some of us here present this in itself is getting important, but to ease man of sufferings and difficulties and the lengthening of life's span so that he may yield to the common good more from the God-given talents that are his, so that he can contribute more to the spiritual and intellectual and cultural and economic development of our time.

Another impulse is that of cooperative effort. The Secretary spoke of an example of unification. I think some years ago those of us who were advocating unification of the Services saw something of this kind in the offing, even though we were ignorant of the exact form these developments would take. For that reason, I couldn't be happier that all of the Services are combined in this effort.

And then I think it gives us an example of how government should operate in providing and doing its part in advancing the welfare of our nation and our people. Lincoln said, you know, "The function of government is to do for people those things which they cannot do at all or so well do for themselves, but in those things which people can do better, the government ought not to interfere." Here is one of those typical partnership efforts that bring government and science and individuals all together to do a great job for humanity.

If we review only some of the accomplishments of the medical services of the united services, we would have a very long list. Following our armed units into the far comers of the globe, they have brought back to us a knowledge of diseases, or they have practically prevented them from ever reaching our shores. But I remember very well in the days of my youth when the term "yellow jack" was one of terror in the West and Southwest. People would not even venture into some of our coastal cities in the South because of the fear of yellow fever. Yet Service personnel, through their dedication, and their training, their devotion, brought about a knowledge of that disease and began to stamp it out, and finally practically eliminated it.

So in the same fashion, other diseases coming under control have each had as one of the contributing factors these great dedicated officers, doctors and technicians, nurses and others of the Armed Services' Medical Corps.

So here we see people working in the conviction that man--man himself--is important, his health, his ability to contribute. We see also the conviction that man, under God, can conquer his physical surroundings and make this place--this world--a better place in which to live. All of these thoughts, all of these impulses come together, as we think of the erection of this building and the services it is going to perform; and indeed it inspires us.

And so I should first like to pay my tribute to the men who thought of this building, the men whose work brought about here a proper home for the people working in this pathology for the united services. I want to pay tribute to all people who in any way have had a part in the development of the whole institution from the time of the Civil War, and to the accumulation here on this spot of the combined assets that will do so much for us.

So we can hope that this will make men more productive, their lives more rewarding, and in so doing, perhaps we will have a more secure country, a more peaceful world.

And so I dedicate this building to the conquest of disease so that mankind, more safe and secure in body, may more surely advance to a widely shared prosperity and an enduring and just peace.

Thank you very much.