“Promises are like
the full moon; if they are not kept at once, they diminish day by day…” – German proverb
Nowadays,
we often heard several people uttering their own promises not just to their
loved ones or probably their friends, but to themselves as well. Such promises
that are perhaps for the betterment of themselves. But do you think a promise
is worth to be kept if someone doesn’t carry out such?
That’s
actually what I’m trying to point out in the exchange of words below with the marvelous
American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army who
was known in his promise “I came through and I shall return” as he left the
Philippines during World War II, no other than Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Robin: A delightful day
to you, Gen. MacArthur.
Gen. MacArthur: A
delightful day to you as well, Robin.
Robin: It’s my honor to
meet and greet such noble and magnificent army man like you.
Gen. MacArthur: Nice
to hear such words from you, fair gentleman. Thanks a lot!
Robin: You’re welcome,
Sir! First and foremost, let me just give us a brief background of your
personal life, Sir.
Gen. MacArthur: Well, I
was born and raised in a military family from Arsenal Barracks in Little Rock,
Arkansas, United States on January 26, 1880. In fact, my father, Arthur
MacArthur Jr. was an American Army Captain. I was able to reach the peak when I
ended up as valedictorian in West Texas Military Academy and
First Captain at the United States
Military Academy at West Point, where I graduated top of the class of
1903.
Robin:
You mean to say,
military is indeed your passion, am I right?
Gen. MacArthur: Yes, indeed. I was able to follow
that passion from my dad who fought in the Battle of Missouri Ridge during the
American Civil War, wherein he received the Medal of Honor. That’s what
inspired me to follow my desire in life.
Robin: That was awesome! Truly, military
runs in your veins.
Gen. MacArthur: Absolutely! In fact, I was
nominated for the Medal of Honor during the American Occupation of Veracruz in
1914.
Robin: Ah… Sir, if you won’t mind; I’m
prithy curious about your occupation in Veracruz. Where is actually that place
located? And how were you able to be nominated for such tribute?
Gen. MacArthur: Oh I
forgot to mention. Veracruz was located in the boundary of the United States
and Mexico. The occupation actually exploded on the onslaught of the Battle of
Veracruz wherein I conducted a reconnaissance mission. For the information of
everyone, reconnaissance is exploring beyond
the area occupied by friendly forces to gain vital information about enemy
forces for later analysis and dissemination.
Robin: Amazing! Can you share more facts about your journey as a
military man?
Gen. MacArthur: Well,
three years after being nominated, I was promoted to colonel and became the
chief of staff of the 42nd Division. Then again, I rose to the rank of
brigadier general after I fought on the Western Front on the onslaught of the
First World War. From that promotion, I was able to notch Silver Star awards,
Distinguished Service Cross twice and once again, the Medal of Honor.
Robin: But how were you
able to be doled out here in the Philippines during the World War?
Gen. MacArthur: After serving
as Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy from 1919 to 1922 and becoming
the Army’s youngest major general in 1925, I retired from the Army in 1937 to
become Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines. That
was the time when I was recalled to duty in 1941 as commander of United States
Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). I
was able to come across several struggles on my service here in your country.
My air forces were totally destructed during the assault of the Japanese regime
in Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941. These series of disasters soon forced me
to withdraw to Bataan, particularly in Corregidor Island ‘til 1942.
Robin: Oh, I see. But how were you able to save your staff from
being totally astounded by the Japanese?
Gen. MacArthur: It
was March 12, 1942 when I and my staff decided to leave the island and escaped
to Australia. This flees probably made me more eminent as I promised to return
to the Philippines once the trouble was over.
Robin: Oh, that’s why
most of us when heard your name mentioned “I shall return.” That’s the genuine
promise! I salute you, fair Sir!
Gen. MacArthur: That’s
what promises are for. Promises are not meant to be broken; instead it is meant
to be fulfilled. Wait, if you won’t mind, do you want to follow my desire? I
mean, are you one of those thousands of your countrymen who wanted to serve in
the military?
Robin: No, Sir. In fact,
I wanted to be a renowned certified public accountant and a lawyer. Too extraneous
from being a military man, right? All I admired to you, aside from all you’ve
done for my country is your unbroken promise. Despite of your frail forces
after so much combats, you are still able to return here.
Gen. MacArthur: Well,
I appreciate your salute. Thank you so much for that!
Robin: Okay, so that’s
all Sir! Thank you for your precious time you had given me in this interview.
Hope you were able to inspire millions of citizenries of the Philippines in this
interview. Thank you and more power, Sir!
Gen. MacArthur: Well,
a heartwarming gratitude to all of you too.
