Army's legacy more than national security
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James Endler, a West Point graduate and author of "Other Leaders, Other Heroes," said the Army has made significant contributions to our nation because it not only educates its soldiers, but also trains leaders.
"The Army trains leaders, and because soldiers are trained to be leaders, they are prepared to take on challenges and see them through to the end. Colleges teach courses in specific fields, but they don't teach leadership," said Endler.
The government has historically called on the Army to take on new ventures. For example, after Capt. Merriwether Lewis and Lt. William Clark returned from their cross-country expedition, Thomas Jefferson tasked the Army to survey the new frontier, said Endler.
In 1802, Jefferson established the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., to train scientists and engineers to help with the development of a young nation. West Point was the only surveying school in the nation at the time, so it was tasked with the huge project of surveying the Louisiana Purchase and designing maps from those surveys, he said.
In the early stages of the development of the United States, the Army was called upon to explore four different railroad routes, said Endler. The Army was best able to determine the most efficient route for the railroad to follow because its decisions were not based on politics or regional preference, , he said.
Army engineers were also responsible for building civilian parks, sewers, and for the safety of the Navy, having built lighthouses on shorelines for navigational purposes. These contributions improved the health and productivity of communities across the nation, said Endler.
One of many cases where Army engineers succeeded where civilian engineers did not was the construction of the Panama Canal. "Theodore Roosevelt first employed two civilians to build the Panama Canal. Faced with the challenges of malaria and the actual building site, the two civilian engineer contractors resigned," said Endler. "Finally, Roosevelt hired someone who couldn't quit: he appointed George Washington Goethals, a West Point graduate, to build the Canal."
Unlike the civilian engineers, Goethals recognized he could not do the job alone. Goethals recruited three senior Army engineers and nine junior officers, all West Point graduates, to be on his staff. He delegated responsibility-recognizing the skills and abilities of his staff to solve problems and successfully complete the Panama Canal.
Since the building of the Panama Canal, the Army's other contributions to the growth of the nation have been numerous. Under the direction of Corps of Engineers Col. Leslie R. Groves and the supervision of Lt. Col. Clarence Renshaw, the Pentagon was constructed in 18 months.
Endler, an engineer by training, led a team in constructing the World Trade Center in New York City. West Point graduates William E. Potter and Harvey Jones helped manage the planning and construction of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
In addition to engineers, West Point graduated soldiers who contributed to the advancement of higher education, serving as both professors and administrators at civilian universities.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, after serving in the Army more than 30 years, served as the president of Columbia University. Stephen Ambrose, Eisenhower's biographer, wrote that Eisenhower initiated several new programs and raised enough money to almost eliminate Columbia's large deficit in the two years he was there. He ran Columbia University as if it were a business.
West Point graduates were also instrumental in advancements in aviation and the space program. Edward White II was the first astronaut to walk in space when he stepped from his Gemini 4 space aircraft in 1965. Frank Borman commanded the first spacecraft to orbit the moon, and the second man to land on the moon was Edwin "Buzz" Aldren Jr. All were West Point graduates. (FROM ARMY NEWS)
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