Remarks at The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina.

General Clark, Members of this distinguished audience, and

members of the Corps of Cadets of The Citadel:

I would need scarcely search for words in order to express to you something of the great feeling of honor I have in the receipt of this honor through such a distinguished institution and at the hands of one of my oldest friends in the military services. I am sure that you must feel yourselves how moved I am by the circumstances of this meeting.

Quite naturally, with my background, a ceremony such as this carries me back forty and more years. I see myself marching. Incidentally, I see myself again resenting the presence of VIP's that interrupted some vacation or period of my own and who had me out in full dress, marching for the edification of an audience and of that particular VIP.

There was one redeeming feature, occasionally, about such occasions. Sometimes this VIP had the wit and the knowledge to suggest to the Commander that it might be sort of recompense to the Corps if punishments were remitted. But of course that was in the years gone by, and I am not certain what the custom is now. And of course, I am not really familiar any longer with the rank of the individual that has the right to ask such a great favor. But, moreover, since I am now, by vicarious graduation, a sort of member of this body, whether or not he might consider it effrontery on my part to ask, I wouldn't know.

But passing those things, if I could attempt to leave with you young men a message this morning, it would be one truly of congratulation. I am informed that 95 percent of this graduating class is going into some element of the military services, either Reserves or Active. I suppose that that sort of percentage applies throughout the years. Certainly I have met many of your alumni throughout the years that I served with in the Army.

Now, what I want to speak to you for just a minute is of both the opportunities of men who are going into the Armed Services, Active and Inactive, and something about the scope of the responsibilities and problems that you will meet.

First of all, the opportunities. You are given that most priceless of opportunities: to work directly and specifically for the welfare of the United States of America, and there is no greater honor that is achievable by any American.

And secondly, what I want to say to you is the scope of the understanding you must achieve if you are now to do the task far transcends what your illustrious Commandant or Superintendent and I understood when we were waiting on the plain at West Point forty or more years ago receiving our diplomas and entered into the regular service.

Today, a man to do his duty in the military services must study humanity first of all--what makes humans tick. Not only as regards to your own companies, to be for them the leader and the model, but since you must be one of the principal apostles of peace, you must try to understand other people. You must try to understand the heart of America and how to translate that heart to other peoples. You must know something of economics, and of course your profession will make you know something of law and engineering and many of the sciences; but above all, we come back to it: you must try to understand people.

How else, I ask you, are we to achieve peace in this world, unless there be a magnificent growth of understanding? Mere knowledge is not enough. The highest star man in this Corps of Cadets, unless he strives for understanding and achieves understanding, by which to interpret and to relate among themselves all the facts that he may have learned in science and social science and the humanities, cannot be a leader.

And I know that in this institution just as in all others, we have our devoted educators trying to get over to all of their students that thought: let us strive to understand--understand each other, and our Nation to understand others, and help them to an understanding of ourselves.

I do not mean to say for an instant that all of these opportunities, all of these responsibilities--all of these things--are exclusive to the soldier, to the sailor, to the air man, to the Marine. Of course not. But since the man in the services holds up his right hand and swears to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to serve her to the depths of his ability, through life unto death, it comes home, possibly, to him a little more sharply than it does to others.

Now already, my friends, I have violated my promise that I was not going to keep you here long, but if I could just leave with you this thought: America is bound to watch you. They know you are a graduate of The Citadel. You know they know you have the early phases of your preparation for the highest form of citizenship. They are going to watch you. They will expect much of you.

And for my part, now that I know I am one of your alumni, I know you are going to succeed--each of you.

Thanks again for the great compliment of your review, and I think it would be not out of place to say that my eye since early youth has been accustomed to the sight of good soldiers-neat, soldierly-appearing people that show the evidences of training. I have seen no body that excels this one, and I congratulate you and all that are responsible for it. I congratulate the great State that supports you.

Good luck to you, and thanks again for this great honor.