Back in the days of the Vietnam War our country was looking for a leader to help liberate the threat that the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong posed to our country. And in that time the United States was looking for someone to lead our country into battle. So the U.S had chosen William Westmorland a graduate from West Point who had won the Pershing Sword for his great accomplishments in his school.
William C. Westmoreland was born March 26, 1914 and was the son of a cotton manufacturer. His father was the son and grandson of men who had fought in many other wars such as the Revolutionary War and Civil War. So it wasn’t much of a surprise when he had gone to Citadel a private military school. However after a year of Citadel he had decided that Citadel wasn’t for him and had transferred to West Point another military school. He had proved to be an “ok” according to himself but when it came time for graduation he was presented with the Pershing Sword, a sword that is only given to the best students in the class. (Vietnam War: General William Westmoreland)
After his time in West Point h...
General Patton as born in Virginia in the late 1860s and was raised by both his parents with his sister. He had a good relationship with his family, not many fights or arguments. He was brought up in the South and was taught to be a real gentlemen. This is why he is considered not only one of the United States greatest generals, but also a great person himself. He was in the Olympic games in Stockholm and served in West Point military school. During the first World War he served in the 304th tank brigade and lead his platoon to many quality wins in Europe. In World War II, he was leader of the 504th platoon in Morocco and then moved over to the European front and lead his troops to victory and one of the biggest battles at the Battle of the Bulge.
Throughout MacArthur’s service to the United States, he went through various situations which tested him as a man, but because he had formed such a strong opinion of duty, honor, and country, he was able to overcome the troubling situations which led to his receiving of the Thayer Award. MacArthur’s ability to overcome dilemmas is one of the reasons he was the powerful leader he was, and to fully grasp the importance of his speech that shaped the future, one must know his past. At the age of twenty-three, MacArthur graduated from West Point with the highest grades the academy had seen in twenty-five years showing his determination to succeed. After moving
During the 20th century many different presidents went in and out of the doors of the White House serving the country the best they could. However, two of these men hold a place in American history as perhaps the greatest leaders that had ever served our country. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson are two extraordinary men that symbolize the hope and aspirations of the American people during such a tumultuous time in United States history. Both of these men held leadership qualities like no other, had strong views for America, and held exceptional ideas on foreign policy.
Truman, being a WWI veteran was prepared for the title, and initially deserved that position as Presidency. Truman made it clear that America would never surrender, and would always be a free country. In his first months in office he dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, ending World War II.
This group of volunteers fought in Cuba. He was elected governor in 1898. In 1900 he was nominated for vice president. He was able to help reelect President William McKinley Junior, helping to campaign for the Republican Party and helping them to see him as a viable candidate. Roosevelt then became the United States.
General George B. McClellan was born to a prestigious upper class family in Pennsylvania. He attended the Military Academy at West Point and graduated second in his class in 1846. He served during the war with Mexico and earned three brevets for gallantry and sound professional service. He resigned his commission but returned early during the Civil War and immediately given a high rank. He led a successful campaign in West Virginia. These events fueled General McClellan’s egotistical and elitist attitudes.
The United States Army, in its current state, is a profession of arms. In order to be considered a profession, the organization must have an ethical code rooted in values, strong trust with its clients, and be comprised of experts within the trade. These experts are constantly developing the trade for the present and the future and hold the same shared view of their trade culture.
Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem during the spring of 1937. Following a childhood and adolescence that was not particularly remarkable, Powell entered City College, in New York, where he found a niche in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Then, after ascending to Cadet Colonel, the highest rank achievable in the corps, Powell graduated at the top of his class. His background as an underprivileged African-American makes him an intriguing military leader as he had to work hard, remain patient, and stare racism in the eyes on a daily basis. The beginning of Powell’s career was quite commonplace as he was not set up for success like some great leaders....
Not only was he able to lead an army, but he was the leader of the movement that led the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He gave support to new Constitutions and leaders of many meetings. Once the constitution was finally revised, he was the presidential candidate that won 69 electoral
In his book, My Fellow Soldiers, Andrew Carroll tells the story of World War I through the eyes of the American participants. He uses quotes, personal letters and diaries, from an array of characters, to depict a day in the life of a WWI warrior. Though, he narrows his focus on the untold story of General John J. Pershing, a US army leader. He uniquely talks about the General's vulnerable and emotional side. "Pershing was notoriously strong-willed, to the point of seeming cold, rigid, and humorless, almost more machine than man" (p.XVIII). Pershing is commonly recognized for his accomplishments during the war and remembered for his sternness. He was "…especially unforgiving when it came to matters of discipline" (p. XVIII). Nicknamed "Black Jack" due to his mercilessness towards his soldiers, in this book, Pershing is portrayed as a General with much determination and devotion to his troops, family, and close friends.
First, we will discuss General George Armstrong Custer who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York in the last of his class in 18613. To his benefit, the Civil War had just begun and the need for trained officers was paramount at the time. Custer was first commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the 2ND Cavalry Regiment where he performed duties as a runner during the first Battle...
For some time the Army has been using a certain expression to defines what an Army leader actually is. To keep it basic, the three words be, know and do explains it all!
Webster’s dictionary defines the word profession as a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. Many Soldiers would not consider the Army as a profession but a way of life. Some think the word profession belongs to everyday jobs like a plumber, mechanic, or doctor. Dr. Don M. Snider stated “the Army is a profession because of the expert work it produces, because the people in the Army develop themselves to be professionals, and because the Army certifies them as such” (Snider, D. M. 2008). In October 2010, the Secretary of the Army directed the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to lead an Army wide assessment of the state of the Army Profession. We have been at war as a Country for over a decade and the Army wanted to know how to shape the future of the Army as a profession and the effects the past decade had on our profession.
During the Vietnam War, the first platoon (approximately forty men) was lead by a young officer named William Calley. Young Calley was drafted into the US Army after high school, but it did not take long for him to adjust to being in the army, with a quick transition to the lifestyle of the military, he wanted to make it his career. In high school, Calley was a kind, likable and “regular” high school student, he seemed to be a normal teenager, having interest in things that other boys his age typically had. He was never observed acting in a cruel or brutal way. In Vietnam, Calley was under direct order of company commander, Captain Ernest Medina, whom he saw as a role model, he looked up to Medina. (Detzer 127).
As becoming an officer in the military, there are abounding roles and positions that will be expected of all officers to perform. Military officers are to be a member of an armed force and to hold a position of authority. There will be roles to be performed that do not have a right or wrong answer, but an officer will take action to perform his or her role and take responsibility of their action.