The U.S. At War: To the Last Ounce

The star boarder at Washington’s famed Walter Reed Hospital, a tall, spare, silvered man with a back straight as a poplar, wrote to the President of the U.S.:

“All Americans today are united in one ambition—to take whatever share they can in the defense of their country.

“As one among these millions, I hasten to offer my services, in any way in which my experience and my strength, to the last ounce, will be of help in the fight.

“With supreme confidence that, under your calm and determined leadership, we will retain our balance, despite foul blows, I am

“Faithfully yours,

“John J. Pershing.”

The President replied:

“Dear General:

“You are magnificent. You always have been—and you always will be. I am deeply grateful to you for your letter of Dec. 10.

“Under a wise law, you have never been placed on the retired list. You are very much on the active list, and your services will be of great value.

“Always sincerely,

“Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

The 81-year-old war horse ached to do something. On Nov. 11, 1918, he had been in command of 2,057,675 U.S. soldiers. Last week one of his boys, General Douglas MacArthur, was beating off Japanese attacks in the Philippines. Another of his boys was Chief of Staff General George Catlett Marshall, who had been at his side the day Pershing sent the First Division into action near Picardy in 1918, with the words, still good in 1941: “You are going to meet a savage enemy. Meet them like Americans.”