True Leadership: A Christmas Story
On Tuesday, January 13, 1915, shortly after I published 20/20: A Clear Vision for America, I wrote an article for my website. It was entitled “Liberty and Freedom - A CLEAR VISION.” I sought to share why I wrote 20/20: A Clear Vision for America and where my vision of America came from. Where it was born, and nurtured.
I wrote about my experiences as a newly commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. The following is an excerpt from that article.
“I’ll never forget a sunny Saturday morning in June 1958 when a group of tanned, chiseled candidates stood to take the oath of an Officer in the United States Marine Corps. I still remember solemnly swearing with pride to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. That oath was taken with joy in a nation filled with an enthusiastic spirit, full of energy and excitement over the bountiful prospects that lie ahead.
Living by that oath is my way of life. My vision of America has not changed since that day of great magnitude so many years ago, however something terrible has happened over these many years. Unfortunately, our country, so poised to accomplish monumental undertakings has gradually become a listless, lost ship in a roiling sea of uncertainty searching for a beacon of light. We have lost our direction and our moral compass.
I yearn for the days of promising career opportunities for everyone and the news of countless discoveries in science and space. My vision still burns bright. Competent, creative leadership can regenerate that same spirit and joy of accomplishment. We can find our way. Let’s roll out the revolution to reinstate our Constitution and to regain the essence of generations passed.
The Marine Corps taught me many valuable lessons in leadership. We learned responsibility cannot be delegated. We learned that we never stood in the chow line, or ate, until all our Marines were fed. We learned genuine service and sacrifice. I could go on and on. Cite thousands or examples. What is disturbing is that we now have generations of citizens who have never experienced true leadership, they therefore can make no comparisons. They go about their lives never experiencing anything of meaningful value. They are programmed to believe the universe revolves around them.
Sadly, they have come to think they know everything when in fact they have experienced nothing but false indoctrination. And the beat goes on. Sadly.
U.S. Central Command Commander-nominee Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 27, 2010, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
I have heard many praise General James and sorrowfully many demean his appointment. They not know what they say or write. I copied and pasted this story for my readers to get a sense of what a real man and a real leader and a real Marine does.
James N. Mattis is a retired United States Marine Corps general who last served as the 11th Commander of United States Central Command from August 11, 2010 to March 22, 2013. Mattis is known for implementing the COIN strategy. He is known to be a tough guy; however, he is also a very professional and highly respected Marine. Below is another side of this great man, one of compassion and caring for his men. The kind of man we need to lead our service men and women.
A couple of months ago, when I told General Krulak, the former Commandant of the Marine Corps, now the chair of the Naval Academy Board of Visitors, that we were having General Mattis speak this evening, he said, “Let me tell you a Jim Mattis story.”
General Krulak said, when he was Commandant of the Marine Corps, every year, starting about a week before Christmas, he and his wife would bake hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Christmas cookies. They would package them in small bundles.
Then on Christmas day, he would load his vehicle. At about 4 a.m., General Krulak would drive himself to every Marine guard post in the Washington-Annapolis-Baltimore area and deliver a small package of Christmas cookies to whatever Marines were pulling guard duty that day. He said that one year, he had gone down to Quantico as one of his stops to deliver Christmas cookies to the Marines on guard duty. He went to the command center and gave a package to the lance corporal who was on duty.
He asked, “Who’s the officer of the day?” The Lance Corporal said, “Sir, it’s Brigadier General Mattis.”
And General Krulak said, “No, no, no. I know who General Mattis is. I mean, who’s the officer of the day today, Christmas day?”
The Lance Corporal, feeling a little anxious, said, “Sir, it is Brigadier General Mattis.”
General Krulak said that, about that time, he spotted in the back room a cot, or a daybed. He said, “No, Lance Corporal. Who slept in that bed last night?”
The Lance Corporal said, “Sir, it was Brigadier General Mattis.”
About that time, General Krulak said that General Mattis came in, in a duty uniform with a sword, and General Krulak said, “Jim, what are you doing here on Christmas day? Why do you have duty?” General Mattis told him that the young officer who was scheduled to have duty on Christmas day had a family, and General Mattis decided it was better for the young officer to spend Christmas Day with his family, and so he chose to have duty on Christmas Day.
General Krulak said, “That’s the kind of officer that Jim Mattis is.”
The story above was told by Dr. Albert C. Pierce, the Director of the Center for the Study of Professional Military Ethics at The United States Naval Academy. He was introducing General James Mattis who gave a lecture on Ethical Challenges in Contemporary Conflict in the spring of 2006. This was taken from the transcript of that lecture.
Is this book in season?
Well, yea. Look at the cover. It has George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night. Picture perfect.
The Gift with the Perfect Message
Something Extra Special for that Extra Special Person
Did you know many of us support inventors, authors, artists and other entrepreneurs through crowdfunding? It’s a wonderful way to help independent creators bring their projects to life.
Did you know that many authors use the names of their family and friends as characters in their books? It is a way to honor and memorialize loved ones.
Do you know that I am writing a new book and need family and friends to help tell the story of the Constitution and other important topics? Did you know that I want to honor you with a part in the narrative?
Do you know that the names of my backers and supporters are on my webpage? Do you know that those backers and supporters will also be acknowledged forever in print in my new book?
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Finally, an author who brings you solutions, instead of problems.
Americans have lost faith in their overreaching federal government. “We the People” don’t need to be overregulated or have their taxes misspent. Americans are victims of a crumbling economy, high prices and stagnant wages. They view government as bloated and politicians as corrupt.
They do not trust the leadership at any level. They see politicians of both parties as self-centered narcissists whose only objective is re-election. The author is like you, with one principal difference and 20 reasons for optimism. His “Vision” of America is “clear.” It is a vision of the Constitution and America the way it could be, the way it should be. The author’s eyesight is twenty-twenty.
Anonymous
Great blog Bill. Thanks!