General Omar Bradley, often referred to as the "soldier's general," was a towering figure in American military history. Born in 1893 in rural Missouri, he rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential military leaders of the 20th century.
A West Point graduate, Bradley's calm demeanor and tactical brilliance were pivotal during World War II, particularly in his role as a commander during the D-Day invasion and subsequent battles in Europe. Post-war, he continued to shape U.S. military policy as the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and played a key role in the reorganization of the armed forces. He was a five-star general.
His also served as the Administrator of Veterans Affairs because of his lifelong commitment to the welfare of soldiers.
Bradley shared these thoughts in an Armistice Day speech delivered 10 November 1948.
“With the monstrous weapons man already has, humanity is in danger of being trapped in this world by its moral adolescents. Our knowledge of science has clearly outstripped our capacity to control it. We have many men of science; too few men of God. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Man is stumbling blindly through a spiritual darkness while toying with the precarious secrets of life and death. The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living.
This is our twentieth century’s claim to distinction and to progress.”
General Omar Bradley
You can read the full text of his speech here.
BRADLEY "Stumbling Blindly"