The Fate of a Good Doctor

Thomas Hayes was born on 8 February 1898, became a physician, and was commissioned in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Navy in 1924. A reflective dreamer and thinker, he was later to write in these prison camp memoirs that he sensed his life taking an irreversible turn in the summer of 1940 when, as a senior lieutenant commander, he received orders to sea aboard the cruiser U.S.S. Milwaukee

Taking Stock

After nearly 2 academic years at the helm of this institution, I can appreciate the thoughtful and studied progress of its 95-year history and can understand the changes in style, curriculum and focus that have evolved over time to support the original goal of studying the profession of arms. That goal remains our raison d\u27etre and hasn\u27t changed since General Order No. 325 was issued in 1884. As we shape our curriculum and procedures for the Class of 1980, I\u27d like to take the opportunity to review the bidding and to express some of the educational philosophy that underlies the changes I\u27ve made and determines the direction we\u27re going

Experiences as a POW in Vietnam

Last February, when I first touched foot on American soil, I was asked to make a few remarks on behalf of the ex-POW\u27s who were embarked in the airplane with me. An ancient verse came to mind that best summerized my relief at dropping the mantle of leadership and responsiblity i had held during seven and a half years of inprisonment, four of them in solitary

Taking Stock

Practical men tell us it\u27s a good idea from time to time to check our assets against our liabilities. Today we are long on technical knowledge, short on courage. For light on hard topics like courage I like to start with a ray of ancient wisdom

President\u27s Notes: Firing Line

This quarterly publication is not a house-organ, cranking out a particular party line, but a scholarly journal intended to stimulate and challenge its readers and to serve as a catalyst for new ideas

Experiences as a POW in Vietnam

Last February, when I first touched foot on American soil, I was asked to make a few remarks on behalf of the ex-POW\u27s who were embarked in the airplane with me. An ancient verse came to mind that best summarized my relief at dropping the mantle of leadership and responsibility I had held during 7½ years of imprisonment, four of them in solitary. These lines are attributed to Homer; I remember them well because of their modern ring: Nothing is so sweet as to return from sea and listen to the raindrops on the rooftops of home. Well, I was dreaming. I had forgotten that an old sea captain\u27s job does not end when he anchors in homeport

Taking Stock

In my frantic rush to catch up on the eight years of American history that I missed, I am often appalled by the studied, analytic approach to warfare taken by so many of the educated, well-intentioned individuals who directed our war in Vietnam. If my understanding of their reasoning is to remain lacking, so much the better. For he who supports the position that warfare and warriors are just other things to which the rational concepts of business and economics apply is missing the mark

Taking Stock

A few months ago, The New York Times carried an article entitled The Leveling of America. It was written by William Manchester, a faculty member of Wesleyan University and author of the recent biography of Douglas MacArthur, The American Caesar. In this article Manchester lamented America\u27s preoccupation with idolizing equality and shunning any recognition of human excellence