General Douglas Macarthur's Duty, Honor Country

“Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be what you will be.” (MacArthur). General Douglas MacArthur delivered his speech “Duty, Honor, Country” in 1962 when he received the Thayer Award at the United States Military Academy at West Point. His primary audience is the West Point Corps of Cadets, some four thousand future officers of the United States Military. It is MacArthur’s purpose to explain the phrase “Duty, Honor, Country.” He accomplishes this not by defining what each of the words mean, but rather illustrating what they do for the American soldier. MacArthur briefly lists three ways “Duty, Honor, Country” can aid soldiers in their mission, “They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.” MacArthur expresses that “Duty, Honor, Country” is more than just a phrase, it is a driving force for the American soldier. The General speaks completely from experience because he is a paragon of the American soldier. MacArthur was a West Point Graduate himself and although he played prominent roles in both World Wars, he is best known for his command over troops in the Pacific front during World War II (Bio.com). MacArthur explains that in all of his years, the American soldier has never

He believes they never should, because in an ever changing world, the soldier’s focus must remain “Duty, Honor, Country.” General Douglas MacArthur uses experience, emotional appeal, and repetition of the phrase “Duty, Honor, Country” to effectively convey that “Duty, Honor, Country” is all the American soldier