A Message To Garcia Summary

In order to be a leader, one must learn to be a genuine follower. Someone that devotes time and effort to get the mission accomplished may truly succeed. In the intelligence field, it is enforced daily that the information provided needs to be clear, concise and given in a timely manner. The quote by Winston Churchill, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”, is an ideal statement to abide by, that we may gain knowledge and advice from trials others have faced. In the short story, “A Message to Garcia”, Elbert Hubbard was inspired to tell the story of one’s courage displayed by the young Lieutenant, Andrew Rowan, which helps us understand how difficult tasks can be overcome by two attributes; loyalty and obedience.
For the duration of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Cuban

revolutionaries strived for independence with Spain. Although the United States was initially reluctant to become involved, destruction of a U.S. battleship provoked intervention. At this moment, President McKinley gained responsibility to contact the Cuban insurgents, and needed to communicate a message quickly, later tasked out to an infantry officer, Lt. Rowan (1). With a determined mind, nothing could halt the lieutenant’s task at hand. Through the rigorous voyage in the jungle with multiple obstacles, Lt. Rowan became known for his fine moral character and loyalty to his country.
Loyalty is defined as “faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause” (2), which should be practiced actively, that one may naturally become loyal without second thought.

President McKinley was in need to secure the co-operation, but had no means of communication in order to speak with General Garcia. When Lt. Rowan was tasked to carry out the “war message”, he had to remain loyal to his superiors. Over three weeks of traveling through the jungle, he mentally and physically pushed to carry on the message, knowing he may have been the only hope to his country. My parents have taught me that is it easy to take the short cut, and in a sense, “give up”, but it is only through perseverance that you may truly be successful. Additionally, Lt. Rowan demonstrated obedience and the willingness to follow orders. Obedience is not given, but practiced. We must understand that leaders have been placed before us to complete the mission, and because Lt. Rowan did not question where he needed to go or how he was going to find General Garcia, he showed that the answers aren’t always right in front of you, but you may need to find them along the

journey.
The short story vaguely touches on defined events that occurred to make Lt. Rowan the hero of the Cuban War, but rather focused attention on work ethic and mission accomplishment. In Mr. Hubbard’s effort to share this story, over 40 million copies have been printed today, in hope that people will be inspired and learn similar attributes.
-"Produce great people and the rest will follow." (Whitman)