Fullbore Friday

a measure of a man

You were born to immigrant parents.

At home you spoke a different language than outside the home. A language that in your adulthood would – by simply speaking it – be a source of hate.

You were part of a small religious minority.

You were smart though, and resourceful.

You excelled in academics and were an accomplished engineer. You did dearly love your country and while in college decided to help serve it by joining what we would call the Army National Guard.

By the end of three decades, people – peers, subordinates, historians and Field Marshalls alike - would say things like this about you;

"a great bullock of a man... though his manners were pleasant and his behaviour far from rough, I have seen few men who gave me such a sensation of force... a fit leader for the wild men he commanded” …  "…the best general on the western front in Europe" … "the only general of creative originality produced by the First World War."

Most Americans and others outside the Commonwealth may not know of General Sir John Monash, Australian Army. He passed away 90-yrs ago today.  Take a moment to read up on him via the links above. More than worthy of a FbF.

Embedded in his story is a great example of responding to mindless prejudice through superior performance … and to the great credit of leaders and people who notice it – pushing petty bigots to the side.

H/t Gray Connolly