The Big Picture

ladies and gentlemen Mr Walter mathau a nation's greatness depends on the quality of the leaders it produces in times of Crisis we Americans have been very fortunate in this respect particularly in regard to the military commanders who led our armies in times of national Peril their record of success is unparalleled in the history of the world who are these men do we really know them do we know how they lived what they thought do we know what special qualities of heart and mind they possessed which qualified them to have the destiny of a Nation placed in their hands the big picture has prepared a series of pictorial biographies of some of the great military leaders of American History high on any solders role call of honor is the name of General John Joseph persing or as he was called with admiration and respect Blackjack Persian in a remarkable career that began on the half-remembered time of the last century and ended with the dropping of the first atomic bomb Persian gave himself devotedly to the service of his country he left a legacy of strength Simplicity and honor that will remain itched in The Souls of his countrymen for all time this is his [Music] story [Music] the story of John J persing begins a century ago in the heart of the great Midwest Missouri was a troubled State when persing was born at lle in 1860 bitterness and controversy had ranked its valleys and the winds that moved through its fields in the years of John Ping's early youth blew hot from the Battlegrounds of the Civil War as a boy of five he stood and watched the soldiers from his Town and County returned from the final campaign at APPA and after that as the nation itself began to bind its wounds Missouri turned its whole attentions to The Taming of its rugged but productive soil and Missouri boys grew to their manhood In Those Distant years of long ago on a regimen of hard work and piety the time and the home of his youth shaped persing for the years of greatness those years began has have the public careers of so many of America's Heroes on the plane at West Point in 1886 at the age of 25 persing was graduated from the military academy the qualities of leadership about which the world would one day hear a great deal had already begun to show clearly in his final year he was elected president of his class and appointed senior captain of cadets in the 1880s Rebel Indian cbes in the west were still the greatest threat to American lives and property and it was the lot of most young professional officers to be pressed into service in these campaigns to make the West secure Lieutenant persing Cavalry saw his first action the year of his graduation in the fighting in the southwest which brought an end to the war against the Apaches led by The Fierce and Wy gerano later serving as a leader of of Indian Scouts he participated in the final campaign against the rampaging Sue in South Dakota in the years of peace that followed the Indian Wars persing left the west and served as a military instructor at West Point the period of Peace however was soon Shattered by the war with Spain after the sinking of the battleship Maine these are actual Motion Pictures of American ships steaming into Havana Harbor in 1898 and American troops Landing in Cuba this film was only recently released by The Laboratories of the inventor of Motion Pictures Thomas Edison one of the units fighting with distinction in the memorable drive on Santiago was the 10th Cavalry and one of the officers fighting with Valor in the 10th Cavalry was John J persing he was cited for his personal G entry and his commanding officer said of him persing is the coolest man under Fire I ever saw when the stars and stripes were raised in Victory persing himself later said it lifted us out of ourselves it was the soldier silent a Maria the Spanish American war abundantly demonstrated Ping's courage but it remained for a subsequent event the quelling of insurrectionary forces in the newly acquired Philippine Islands to bring out his qualities as a diplomat his assignment was to subdue the morals a proud and fierce tribe who began to cause trouble after the withdrawal of the Spaniards following the Spanish American war persing now a captain not only subdued them he won their friendship as well an exhibition of military and diplomatic skill that attracted the attention of the authorities in Washington president Theodore Roosevelt personally applauded Ping's accomplishments and in 1905 while persing was serving as us Observer of the war between Japan and Russia Roosevelt promoted him from Captain to Brigadier General over 862 officers who were senior to him in 1915 persing was in command of the southwestern division along the Mexican border defending American interests against increasing ly frequent raids by Bandits across the border it was at this time that the great personal tragedy of his life occurred his wife and three daughters were lost in a fire which Rak the Presidio at San Francisco where they were living in his absence only his son was saved characteristically persing bore his loss with silent fortitude and turned his wholehearted effort to the new duty to which his country called him command of the punitive Expedition into Mexico in pursuit of Poncho via the most bold and Reckless of all the Mexican Bandits who had destroyed American lives and property in a brutal raid on Columbus New Mexico daringly and courageously for nearly a year persing LED his troops over 400 mil of trackless desert under the most trying and haering of conditions when the expedition was withdrawn banded harassment had been greatly reduced and the American people whose heroes must be made of enduring stuff had found in John J persing A Unique study in dedication to duty and unflinching loyalty the American cavalry's firefights in the Chihuahua Desert in Mexico were only a small part of the configration that was searing the world German aggression had reduced great parts of Europe to Rubble and uprooted great masses of Europe's [Music] population when German lawlessness on the high seas began to add American lives to the casualty lists it was obvious that the United States could not avoid participation in the great conflict which had become known with grim appropriateness as the world war we enter this war said President woodwor Wilson in his address before Congress only because there is no other way of defending our rights the professional Army was small and the only hope lay in a great citizen Army which had to be raised up literally overnight when persing was named to head the American expeditionary force that would go to France the nation applauded for the first time in history American soldiers would fight in the glare of world attention with the entire world having a direct stake in the outcome of their effort the commander-in-chief now a major general arrived in Europe in June ahead of his troops shortly thereafter he was promoted to full General a rank only four Americans Washington Grant Sherman and Sheridan had held before [Music] him a spirit moved across America in those memorable months of 1917 uniting the people as they had never been United before touching their effort with a faith and a patriotic fervor which still live in the music that animated the nation's Soul get take it the the the them calling you and me every son of Liberty hurry right away no delay go today take your daddy glad to have had such a your swe not to to be boys over there over there send the word the word over there that the Yanks are coming the Yanks are coming the Dr coming everywhere so prepare say a PR send the word send the word to beware we'll be over we're coming over and we won't back it's over over there the Yanks are coming the Yanks are coming the drum drum coming everywhere we'll be over we're coming over and we won't come back till it's over over there goodby hell friends we're 10 Millions goodby sweee Hearts wives and mothers it won't take us long don't you worry while we're there it's for you we're fighting to so goodbye hell friends we're going to square our death to you we're going to square our to [Music] you for persing the challenges in France were Monumental he had the task of shaping and training an Army Force which in a year and a half would expand to 2 million men fing firmly believed that three qualities were necessary for Allied Victory an offensive [Music] Spirit Mobility on the battlefield and effective use use of individual weapons he trained his growing Army in these principles despite the elaborate system of trench defense in which the West Front had been [Music] paralyzed one of his greatest conflicts came with the Allies themselves who wanted to use the new American troops as Replacements in their own divisions but persing held out for an integral American Army which would fight under its own flag and its own commanders The Prestige of the nation itself would stand or fall on the performance of that Army in the test of [Music] battle that test came with a massive German offensive which began in the spring of 1918 for almost 4 years the battle line had held relatively steady but now the Germans counted on Victory their plan was to separate the British armies from the French in a devast ating series of blows thousands of tough and specially trained troops hit the Allied line and in a succession of drives they shattered the British front and broke through Allied defenses the allies counterattacked and for the first time since 1914 the Western Front was a flame with open [Music] Warfare in the crisis persing postponed his plan to weld an American Army and he offered Marshall fosch commander-in-chief of the Allied armies in France the free use of every American man and gun when the Germans cut through the Allied lines and a Thrust to the s River the world had its first substantial chance to see the Yanks in action at ceni persing through the first division in to help stop the German drive [Music] here the man of the first division took cant and held it despite violent and sustained counterattacks in another breakthrough the Germans rolled across the defenses on the a river stretching from swasa to Raz and a driving Relentless Force which struck Panic into the French nation in 3 days the ger tide had reached the mar River and was less than 40 m from Paris fing moved the second and third us divisions into the area around chatau tieri to help stem this Onslaught both divisions responded with spectacular spirit and success the third division in its battle for the M Crossings wrote one of the most brilliant pages of our military annals said General persan one of its regiments the 38th infantry earned the proud designation Ro Rock of the Mars the second division holding the road between chatau tier and Paris began pushing the Germans back US Marines fighting with the second division reclaimed important ground in a fierce contest known to history now as the Battle of bellow [Music] wood the Alli pressed the Counterattack forward and by the end of July the entire M Salient was removed the tide had now turned the initiative had passed to Allied hands where it would remain eight us divisions had participated in the successful counter offensive and their performance had met their Commander expectations and exceeded all others Bravo The Young Americans a British newspaper trumpeted and a French dispatch reported that their victories had electrified the world the Doughboy had proved his ability as a fighter and it was obvious to all that the constantly increasing American forces were to be the decisive factor in the war Marshall fosch decided the time was right for one great coordinated Allied offensive the A's first assignment was to be the reduction of the San Mel salian a projection 16 mi into the Allied line below done which the Germans had held for 4 years and which hampered lateral Communications along the [Music] Battlefront the Sanel offensive which began on September 12th was the first operation in the war carried out by a complete American Army under the separate and independent control of General [Music] persing it was a striking success in two days the Yanks took their objectives and the saent was [Music] reduced now America's soldiers were moving to the beat of the muffled Drums of History because they had fought so decisively as an integrated American Force they were moving in the long tradition of their country a tradition stretching back across the flats of Yorktown through the rolling fields of Gettysburg up the rugged slopes of San Juan [Music] Hill the man who had welded them into this integrated Force had by now made his own unique mark on the history of his times as a tactician seeking Victory Through Fire and movement on a fluid Battlefield persing was proving himself superb to the men of the AE who knew him best by the nickname Blackjack he was no myth the battle was his as well as theirs he had confidence in them and they gave him their trust and respect the final action for the Americans was an assault against the German lines on a broad front extending from The Muse River to the Argon Forest Americans made a field of Glory of their Battleground that violent autumn in the province of Lorraine and in the hearts of their countrymen a strong Pride moved like wind across the water but now there was also a deep and gripping awareness of the cost of Victory and in the Cadence of the America of that dim and distant time along with the crash of Cannon Echoes also The Haunting poetry written by one of her soldiers songs with a timelessness that made it an enduring part of the literature of the age it may be Death Shall take my hand and close my eyes and quench my breath it may be I shall pass him still I have a Rendevous with de on some scarred slope of battered Hill The Muse argon offenses involved the most severe fighting that an American Army had ever been called upon to wage in all the nation's history to that time but doggedly steadily never once retreating the Yanks pushed forward through the fire swept field of No Man's Land into the very teeth of the enemy's defenses along the Invincible Hindenburg line your achievement General persing told them when it was all over is scarcely to be equaled in America's [Music] history at 11:00 in the morning November 11th 1918 the soldiers laid down their guns and cheered and their cheers were echoed in every city of the Allied [Music] world I pay Supreme tribute General persing said when the guns had Steed to our officers and soldiers of the line when I think of their heroism I am filled with emotion which I am unable to express persing himself was decorated by nine foreign governments as well as his own country he stayed in Europe for a while after the war was ended he was with President Wilson when the president came over for the Versa meeting of the big four Clemen so of France Lord George of Britain Orlando of Italy as well as Wilson of the United States then persing bad goodbye to his old comrades in arms he returned home to receive a hero's welcome [Applause] a grateful Congress conferred upon him the rank of general of the armies of the United States he is the only man in history to have held that rank he became Chief of Staff of the Army in 1921 and shaped a National Defense program when Marshall fos visited the United States in the Years immediately after the war persing was on hand to greet him he took Delight in showing the Marshall the evidence of solid French American friendship which the two commanders had done so much to forge when the body of the Unknown Soldier was returned from France for burial persing led the nation in its tribute showing the measure of his own respect for the nation's Heroes persing wore only the Victory Medal which was awarded to every veteran of the world war persing retired from active service in 1924 but he remained active in the life of the nation as chairman of the American Battle Monuments commission he traveled to Europe many times to witness the dedication of memorials to American soldiers [Music] his interest in his country's defenses remained as Keen as it had ever been he paid particular attention to the the development of the country's future military [Music] leaders his help failing and old age overtaking him persing called soberly upon his fellow citizens to recognize the growing aggression that was threatening the world when war did come again persing at 81 instantly offered his Services President Roosevelt accepted saying in words that reflected the feeling of all the people you are magnificent throughout World War II he gave the benefit of his military wisdom to those who led America to victory in the second and greatest World War when persing died in 1948 at the age of 87 the nation mourned the passing of this leader who was a symbol as well as a man men slipping into middle age and Beyond it felt the stir of memory The Trenches which separated the years of their youth from the years that came after the big parade into history in which they had marched in close ranks behind the commander and young men who had fought their War a generation later who had indeed been born after Persian had given his last command could feel something of the same sharp pull for such was the magic of the Persian name and the strength of the Persian character that Americans of all ages could feel that their own lives had in some important way been bound up in his persing lies today in honored Repose in the fraternity of the nation's heroic dead on the slopes of Arlington National Cemetery but his name and his memory are part of the enduring tradition That Never Dies for John Joseph persing general of the armies like others before him in the long line of American Giants Rose to leadership and met its challenges at precisely the moment his country needed him so that the destiny of the two man and Nation were part of the same momentous Adventure his mission was to create an army and he did a mighty Army without which the Great War could not have been won and at the same time an army cast in the unique and authentic American m a forerunner of the superbly skilled and powerful force which is today's modern Army Army in the doing he handed down to his countrymen a tradition of military Pride but more than anything else he touched a strain of Glory in his people and perhaps more than any man of his time he awakened them to a new vision of their own greatness the word over there that the Yanks are coming the Yanks are coming the everywhere so prepare say a there the words s the word to beware we'll be over we're coming over and we won't back over over there oh the Yanks are coming the Yanks are coming the Dr coming everywhere we'll be over we're coming over and we won't come back over over there