University of Arkansas Commencement Address, 1951

One of the major impressions I brought back with me from my recent visit to Korea was that the men in the air and on the sea were as interested in the welfare of the man on the ground as they were in their own lives. Through carefully assessed testing of weapons in the research laboratory and in active combat, we have accomplished startling in- novations to give our soldiers a fighting edge which enables them to stand confidently against superior numbers. Through miracles of sup- ply we have rushed the latest equipment to the front lines. When our soldiers called for the newly-developed 3.5 bazookas, for example, they got them, along with instruction teams, 17 days after the request was received here. At the same time, Korea has taught us new ways of getting the most combat potential out of our total manpower. Nearly 70% of the men we have added to the Army since Korea have gone into combat or combat support units. Back home, we have not been content with the fact that American troops have the finest weapons in the world. We have moved ahead full speed in the development of new weapons and have made great strides in many such specialized fields as guided missiles and the tactical use of atomic weapons. While we can never reconcile ourselves to the severe losses and the tremendous hardships suffered by our soldiers in Korea, the fighting there has taught us invaluable military lessons. We are a stronger nation for our experience, and the Communists, who a short time ago boasted of driving us into the sea have learned that the United Nations can muster a mighty force against aggression. Perhaps most significant of all, the year since Korea has marked the beginning of working collective security among the nations. In Korea, itself, while we have desired larger number of troops from our partners in the United Nations, we must never underestimate the gallant part played by those troops who have joined with us there. Together we have proved that a multi-national army, supporting a people strongly determined to resist aggression, can do the job. The lessons we have learned in fighting with free men of many tongues provide an invaluable storehouse of experience for the future. The collective effort to resist Communist aggression has not been limited to Korea. Last December, in Brussels I had the honor of representing General Marshall as Chairman of the North Atlantic Defense Ministers. There, we succeeded in establishing a North Atlantic Pact Army with a Supreme Commander. Starting from scratch, General Eisenhower has performed a miracle of leadership in pulling that Army together. The countries of western Europe have doubled their military budgets compared to pre-Korea. Most of them have extended their periods of conscription and are working hard to meet their commitments. We are supporting them whole-heartedly in this effort. Since Korea more than one million tons of equipment, excluding aircraft and naval vessels, have been shipped to our allies under the Military Defense Assistance Program. In order that they might utilize -3- MOR