Remarks at Fort Benning, Georgia, After Watching a Demonstration of New Army Equipment.

Secretary Gates, Secretary Brucker, General Lemnitzer, General Harris, officers and men, and distinguished visitors:

At a time such as this, an old soldier is tempted to reminisce, but I think most of you are sufficiently old in the Service to know that is a dangerous habit to get into. I should like to go back to the days of 1911 when General Bradley and I entered the Academy and talk about the amazing differences that have come about when we think or see the infantry. There are soldiers here, comrades of mine, that date even further back than do General Bradley and I. But I think it is rather profitless; I think we must take the day as it is, life as it is, the developments that we have and that we know are going to come about.

I agree with what Secretary Brucker has to say about the importance of the man that is handling these things. But we must go back first to the scientist who is doing the research, who has the great skill and the patient hours that it takes to bring them finally into being in the pilot model form; and finally the great study and the work that must go into obtaining procurement with the greatest possible economy; and the fine instructors that tell us how to use them. This is a very laborious process.

America now has a defense problem that goes back to every village in our country. As the problem reaches the Armed Forces, everybody must not only learn a technique, he must get into his head that this is a nation defending itself, not a professional soldier defending somebody else. We are all working as a team.

From the very first demonstration that I saw this morning, I felt this oneness, this unity, of America producing these tremendous and wonderful weapons, with a great organization taking them from the producers and the scientists and learning to use them so expertly. Every minute that I have been here I have wanted to give some salute to the entire team that does these things.

And finally, I waist to talk just one word about the spirit that is behind all this. It is the finest type of patriotism. A day like this makes a man quite ready to call all those people mistaken, if not worse, who say that America has become soft and is not capable of defending itself.

In other words, gentlemen, I am so proud of you that I really have no words in which to express it. Far from thanking me for being here today, I thank you for letting me have such a wonderful time, to come back to old comrades--indeed to a spot which I have seen before in my service--and to have the satisfaction of talking with old friends. Or if they are not old friends individually, in spirit they are all American soldiers, as I was in the days when I was a junior, working then as you are today.

So, to each of you: congratulations, and thank you very much.